Mercedes Kills Slow-Selling R-Class in the U.S.

[omoderncultureo]

he Mercedes-Benz R-Class has reached the end of the road in the United States. Mercedes-Benz will halt U.S. sales of the slow-selling crossover after the 2012 model year, although the R-Class will remain available in some global markets.

Mercedes spokesman Chrisitan Bokich confirmed to Motoramic on Friday that the R-Class will not return to the United States for the 2013 model year. The minivan-like crossover has been a slow seller in the U.S. since launching in 2005, but sales have declined recently “to the extent that we can no longer make the business case for continuing to offer the R-Class.” Mercedes has only sold about 300 units of the R-Class in the U.S. so far this year.

Although the R-Class will no longer be available in the United States, Mercedes will continue to offer the CUV in Mexico, Canada and China, where it actually enjoys decent sales. Mercedes’ Tuscaloosa, Alabama plant will continue to crank out the R-Class through 2015.

Motoramic suggests Mercedes-benz will eventually replace with R-Class with a sleeker-styled crossover based on the M-Class.

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[Inspector Detector]

If the R Class is coming to an end, it makes me wonder how much BMW must be struggling with the 5 Gran Turismo? Can't say they're all over the place too.

[VarianceVQ]

I've never seen a single new-generation one even here in the Land of Fancy and even seeing the first is rare. It must really be a flop considering I've seen more MKTs than these.

But overall, just buy an EcoBoost Flex and call it a day.

[seadoo2006]

Good ... that thing was one ugly son of a biatch.

[dieselraver]

Link

MB really doesn't understand marketing do they, you can't sell a people carrier for 60k! no one is going to buy it.

[Bariman82]

Good riddance.

[Gus Polinski]

Cadillac sold plenty of the comparable first gen SRX, but then again, it was far less $$.

[DZD]

MB really doesn't understand marketing do they, you can't sell a really ugly people carrier for 60k! no one is going to buy it.

Fixed that for ya.

[classicjetta]

I've never seen a single new-generation one even here in the Land of Fancy and even seeing the first is rare. It must really be a flop considering I've seen more MKTs than these.

+1 I've yet to see a new one and I see Maseratis and Astons almost every day.

[mikes96GTI]

I thought they did this a few years ago..... Rumor has it we at BMW were supposed to get one, until a few execs went past MBZ headquarters and saw the lot full of employee leases and demos..... meaning they weren't selling. Thank god we dodged that bullet. Its ok, we got a worthless 5 Series GT and an X6 that doesn't sell either...

[Volvo_D]

Cadillac sold plenty of the comparable first gen SRX, but then again, it was far less $$.

the first gen SRX wasnt a minivan. this thing looks ...and therefore, by association is a minivan to the consumer's eye. its failure is EASY to understand.

[Boogety Boogety]

MB really doesn't understand marketing do they, you can't sell a people carrier for 60k! no one is going to buy it.

We bought one ($67K out the door) in 2010, along with a same-year-model loaded Odyssey for ~$22K less. The R is a fantastic people and cargo mover, even with the ugliness attached to it. The interior is as well-crafted as any MB I've ever owned, but knowing then what I know now, we would probably have bought 2 Odys. Mileage is lower (and sucks Premium), reliability is typical MB (problems with the power tailgate, brake and AC issues, all covered under warranty, vs. nothing needed on the Honda), and considering the extra money we spent plus the resale hickey, well, let's just say it's been a disappointment. Although, everyone who rides in it or I let drive it just loves it, just not enough to own one. Not sorry or surprised to see it go.

[finklejag]

Alex Cross won't be happy.

[Iroczgirl]

I've only ever seen one on the road. Just one...and the same one all the time too.

I think the owner just traded it in or something because I stopped seeing it...

[Djibril]

I've seen a few of them around here in Portland, but I'll admit to being shocked that MB ever brought them over here in the first place. Now an R63 is probably an interesting beast to drive, but most of them are probably a lot more mundane than that.

[crannky]

Good ... that thing was one ugly son of a biatch.

There's one I see fairly regularly that is lowered and it looks awesome.

[kraut_pauer79]

MB really doesn't understand marketing do they, you can't sell a people carrier for 60k! no one is going to buy it.

I think this is one of the R-Class' biggest issues. People who are gonna spend this kind of coin on a luxury people-mover are going to go for SUV status and just get a GL550. Or a Q7. Or a Range Rover. Or an Escalade. Or...

And my guess is that they weren't going to succeed in sucking people out of E-Class Estates, people who buy the midsize Benz and BMW station wagons are usually really loyal to them.

To all those here who've owned an R and liked it, hats off to you. But I remember thoroughly checking one out at my local auto show in 2006, and being extremely underwhelmed. I thought the interior was laughably low-rent for a luxury car, the door panels, lock plungers, and various other materials looked like they came out of a car $30K cheaper, and none of the shapes, designs or layout of anything was noteworthy either. The only thing I found impressive is that it is indeed nice and roomy, the third row seats have great elbow, butt, and shoulder room.

[gdown]

I have been lusting after a diesel R class for a while. I haven't driven one, but as far as I know, there are only 2 diesel 3 row options in the US; R class and Q7. I just like how it sits lower than the Q7. I can only afford used at the time, and the used market on these looks good to me. Would only buy with b2b up to 100K.

[slirt]

i have absolutely no need for such a vehicle; having said that, for what it's worth i always (subjectively) liked them.

It must really be a flop considering I've seen more MKTs than these.

no kidding! even here in L.A. they're rare, and i have seen more MKTs, too

Mercedes’ Tuscaloosa, Alabama plant will continue to crank out the R-Class through 2015.

I've seen a few of them around here in Portland, but I'll admit to being shocked that MB ever brought them over here in the first place.

yes, Mercedes "brought them over" from Alabama (i agree, it's like a foreign land )...

[dieselraver]

I think this is one of the R-Class' biggest issues. People who are gonna spend this kind of coin on a luxury people-mover are going to go for SUV status and just get a GL550. Or a Q7. Or a Range Rover. Or an Escalade. Or...

And my guess is that they weren't going to succeed in sucking people out of E-Class Estates, people who buy the midsize Benz and BMW station wagons are usually really loyal to them.

To all those here who've owned an R and liked it, hats off to you. But I remember thoroughly checking one out at my local auto show in 2006, and being extremely underwhelmed. I thought the interior was laughably low-rent for a luxury car, the door panels, lock plungers, and various other materials looked like they came out of a car $30K cheaper, and none of the shapes, designs or layout of anything was noteworthy either. The only thing I found impressive is that it is indeed nice and roomy, the third row seats have great elbow, butt, and shoulder room.

i considered a R class many times, but the astronomical price tag left me sour. the price point is an important part of selling. if its seen as too high you've already priced yourself out of being considered, honestly they should have tried to sell this with a starting price of under 50k, even at $49,995 as a base price, that would easily peak more interest. but when you start at upper 50's forget it. you're in a completely different league.

[clean'nblackmk4]

It's cause rich people don't have kids

[Activ8]

We bought one ($67K out the door) in 2010, along with a same-year-model loaded Odyssey for ~$22K less. The R is a fantastic people and cargo mover, even with the ugliness attached to it. The interior is as well-crafted as any MB I've ever owned, but knowing then what I know now, we would probably have bought 2 Odys. Mileage is lower (and sucks Premium), reliability is typical MB (problems with the power tailgate, brake and AC issues, all covered under warranty, vs. nothing needed on the Honda), and considering the extra money we spent plus the resale hickey, well, let's just say it's been a disappointment. Although, everyone who rides in it or I let drive it just loves it, just not enough to own one. Not sorry or surprised to see it go.

You bought 2 minivans

OMG nothing more to say

[Pool Runner]

We bought one ($67K out the door) in 2010, along with a same-year-model loaded Odyssey for ~$22K less. The R is a fantastic people and cargo mover, even with the ugliness attached to it. The interior is as well-crafted as any MB I've ever owned, but knowing then what I know now, we would probably have bought 2 Odys. Mileage is lower (and sucks Premium), reliability is typical MB (problems with the power tailgate, brake and AC issues, all covered under warranty, vs. nothing needed on the Honda), and considering the extra money we spent plus the resale hickey, well, let's just say it's been a disappointment. Although, everyone who rides in it or I let drive it just loves it, just not enough to own one. Not sorry or surprised to see it go.

Heres mine in front of our Lake Tahoe cabin (Notice not plowed) and our old R350 would go right along without a hitch. We too got ours because my wife was driving a '08 C300 Sport, we were expecting our second kid and the C300 was getting tight, in fact it was uncomfortable to sit in the passenger seat almost upright when a rear facing child seat was behind you. Anyway I wanted to get my wife a new Odyssey but she wasn’t having any of it, the closest thing to a van she said she would drive was this R-Class. Well we bought it and to be honest it was an amazing people, family hauler. In the time we owned ours we moved twice using the R as our primary moving vehicle (Almost anything fits inside it with the seats folded) It is the closest thing to a private jet that you can ride in on the highway with. Super luxurious, comfortable and accommodating (We had the second row entertainment system) The Air suspension soaks up anything in the road, it really was like an S-Class the entire family could ride in.

Since we are comparing Odyssey's to this what I can say since I've driven both is that while an Odyssey is bigger it is quicker where the 3.5L R-Class feels a bit sluggish off the line. That said the R-Class feels at home between 80-100 mph once you set sail. The Odyssey feels well like a van when it comes to handling, the R handles just like an E-Class or S-Class, the seating position is much lower than a van so you still feel like you are piloting a sedan. What I didn't like about the car was reliability, in the year we owned ours it was at the dealer over 17 times. We bought the '08 R350 as a CPO with 22K miles on it in 2009, at 25K the motor dropped a valve requiring a new head the transmission was re flashed I don't know how many times and then eventually replaced. We also had countless issues with the power rear hatch, various interior electronics and the sophisticated HAVC system. The vehicle also suffers from one major design flaw, the rear doors. They are enormous and heavy and impossible to load your kid into the car when say another SUV like a Tahoe or Expedition parks next to you. Ask me how many times I had to load my kids into the car through the hatch because I could not open the huge doors This is probably the single reason families don't go for these. Anyway, I traded mine in for the '11 Subaru Outback my wife now drives and could not be happier. Have owned the Outback over a year now and it hasn't seen the dealer since I signed the papers. Surprisingly they gave me $28K for my '08 R350 when I traded it.

To be honest I really liked the R63 & Diesel-Bluetec models.



[

[Pool Runner]

i considered a R class many times, but the astronomical price tag left me sour. the price point is an important part of selling. if its seen as too high you've already priced yourself out of being considered, honestly they should have tried to sell this with a starting price of under 50k, even at $49,995 as a base price, that would easily peak more intunierest. but when you start at upper 50's forget it. you're in a completely different league.

The problem with this is that the R-Class is built off of the GL & ML platform and as explained by a Mercedes tech friend of mine, has more electronics on it than a base S550 when you factor in the standard air-suspension & 4 Matic, three HAVC systems, yes the front, middle and rear of the car have seperate A/C & heat. My second & third row quit under warranty (Thank God) would have been close to $4K out of pocket.

Basically what I am saying is that there was no way they could have sold these for anywhere near that price-point new and turned a profit. Heck even at $58K MSRP I don't think Mercedes sol a single one new close to sticker. I got our CPO '08 in '09 that stickered for $59K for $35K, the MB dealer I bought it from had it listed for $42K initially, but I had bought two other Mercedes from them plus sent my dad there to buy a new W212 so they gave me a killer deal on it at the time.

[TigerinColorado]

If the R Class is coming to an end, it makes me wonder how much BMW must be struggling with the 5 Gran Turismo? Can't say they're all over the place too.

Our local BMW dealer still has 5GT 2010's!

They dumped most of them into fleet/demo. Not sure if I've ever seen a 2011 and 2012 but was told they exist. A $55,000 - $82,000 hunchback seemed like a good idea. And let's cancel the 5 series wagon for it.

[Fritz27]

I really can't think of who this thing was meant to appeal to. Rich people with lots of kids that hate SUVs and station wagons?

[TigerinColorado]

I really can't think of who this thing was meant to appeal to. Rich people with lots of kids that hate SUVs and station wagons?

Just rich people. We only got the LWB model. The SWB model was only sold elsewhere.

[BRealistic]

I really can't think of who this thing was meant to appeal to. Rich people with lots of kids that hate SUVs and station wagons?

Does Conan O'Brien have lots of kids?



but I guess when you look like that, you try and stand near things even uglier to make you look good in contrast.

[IridiumB6]

Just rich people. We only got the LWB model. The SWB model was only sold elsewhere.

There was a SWB version? Had no clue..

[Boogety Boogety]

You bought 2 minivans

OMG nothing more to say

Why is this a problem for you?

When we entertain and want to transport our friends, or need to move stuff around, they're ideal. Our other cars won't do:

My A8, 4 people.
The NBC toy, 2 people (with the windblocker).
My Beloved's SL550, 2 people.
The Insight, 2 people.
The R350, 7 people, and the Odyssey, 8 people. Plus luggage...

The right tool for the job...

[SSLByron]

Why is this a problem for you?

Because whoretex/poortex/avantex/financial lounge.

[Elbows]

Does Conan O'Brien have lots of kids?



but I guess when you look like that, you try and stand near things even uglier to make you look good in contrast.

I thought I saw he had at least 2-3 kids...maybe I'm thinking someone else.

[S4cabriofox]

Time to buy an old R63, the only future collector's item in MBZ's 2000s lineup

[robr2]

I believe this was supposed to appeal to people looking for a "S" wagon.

The positive for MB is that it was basically cheap to make since it was based on the ML series.

[A.Wilder]

i thought this got cancelled years ago