Mercedes R-class

With those oversize dimensions and a large turning circle, city driving is not where it excels. Finding a parking space large enough to accommodate its exceptional width can prove difficult and begs the question as to why Mercedes-Benz hasn’t seen fit to equip it with a reverse camera, or a proper convex mirror on the left door. It is at steady cruising speeds where the luxury MPV finds itself most at home. It devours distances with ease and its refinement is always impressive. 

If there’s one thing we didn’t like, it’s the low-speed ride quality. It transfers too many small bumps and imperfections to the cabin. Sharp edges like manhole covers or expansion joints thump through and resonate in the cabin, even with the dampers in the ‘comfort’ setting – it certainly is no luxury saloon in this respect. The ride does improve considerably when you hit highway speeds and stability is impressive, thanks to that long wheelbase.

It’s a lot easier to drive on a twisty road than you would imagine. Yes, the steering isn’t very quick or direct but set the suspension in ‘sport’ and you’ll find it controls its body movements well and has plenty of grip.

We found the R-class scraping its belly on large speedbreakers. Because of its size and shape, you’re fooled into thinking it will clear a bump, but its long wheelbase and resultant ramp-over angle means you have to raise the car even for medium-sized speedbreakers.