18/02/08

• Price36,420
• We like...Roomy, soothing ride
• We don't...Too big in town

Part estate car, part MPV with helpings of off-roader and luxury saloonIt’s part estate car, part MPV and there are helpings of an off-roader and luxury saloon in there, too. Mercedes sees the R-class as a chance to wow well-heeled folk who want a car for every reason. But, in trying to be everything to everyone, has Mercedes missed the target?

This latest version comes just a year after the R-Class first turned a wheel in the UK. Where the original was a six-seater, in three rows of two, this is a five- or seven-seater, seating three across the middle row. There are chunkier alloy wheels on all, while an AMG-style body kit is now standard. Inside, the auto-only transmission shifter moves from between the front seats to the steering column, creating space for a row of lidded storage boxes.

You can spend up to £53,370 on the R500 long wheelbase model but here we’re sampling the cheapest, the C280. Even though this has five seats, so is shorter than the seven-seat Rs, it is still huge at almost 5m long and 1.9m wide. That’s bigger than a Land Rover Discovery. You sit high and the view out is good, although it is tricky to pilot safely between parked cars. But, size aside, comparisons with other big, posh off-roaders aren’t there: the R280 has only rear-wheel drive. Other models have power to all wheels but none boast a big enough gap between road and car to tolerate more than minor bumps.

 Still, the 280 has a vast, comfy cabin and a boot that’ll swallow luggage for five. Its flat load floor and huge rear hatch also make it a fine dog-wagon. And although the 280 has steel springs all round where the others have the extra cushion of air suspension, it still rides serenely. The 3.0 V6 diesel feels dozy in such a heavy car (2220kg kerb weight) but it’s quiet and it returns a reasonable 30+mpg overall.

Should you buy one? Well, similar cash buys a Merc E280 estate that’s as well equipped, has as vast a cabin and boot, and is much better to drive. Or else a Land Rover Discovery that’ll off-road like a champ and seat seven. Given those options, you’d have to love the R-class’s oddball mix of talents to put it first.

• Engines3.0 V6 diesel
• Power190bhp
• 0-60 mph9.6sec
• Economy30.7
• CO2g/km238
• Insurance groups19
• EuroNCAP
• Airbags6
• Seats5

Motors.co.uk value verdict: