Mercedes Benz R-Class Review
Published: 9th May 2006
Mercedes Benz R-Class
The adaptive damping system constantly adjusts the shock absorbers to one of four settings within less than 50 milliseconds to take account of how the car is being driven, how it is loaded and the road conditions. In normal driving conditions, the dampers are on a soft setting to ensure maximum comfort, but if the driving becomes more dynamic, the settings can be rapidly switched to compensate for the rolling and pitching movements of the body. You can also manually override the settings, selecting ‘Auto’, ‘Sport’ or ‘Comfort’.
In sport mode it does stiffen the suspension and although body roll is still noticeable, it feels more in check and it does allow you attack bends with more confidence. In comfort mode it will iron out most road imperfections but it can leave some passengers feeling a little queasy.
Overall the grip is pretty impressive bearing in mind that the ride height and dimensions of the R-Class, rarely would it break grip or drift. I am sure you could provoke it to do so, but that would be mad. The R-Class sits permanently in four wheel drive using the Mercedes-Benz 4ETS Electronic Traction system. This is pretty much the same system that is used on the Mercedes-Benz M-Class range, the R-Class can most certainly venture off road, as long as you are not too ambitious. It is lower slung than the M-Class, whose platform it shares, so really it is more suited to winter roads. The R-Class would be the perfect vehicle for those winter skiing trips to the Alps or would equally be at home towing a caravan or horse box.
Our test car was fitted with the optional Bi-Xenon Active Lighting System, an expensive option at £1,100, but an option well worth considering if you drive in the country at night. It makes all the difference, especially the active function which directs the head lamp beam in the direction of the steering - now you can really see around bends. At lower speeds it even uses the appropriate handed front fog light to increase vision, which is particularly helpful at road junctions.
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