It had to happen, I guess. BMW is building cars for big-butt Americans (and a few Canadians) and their big-butt requirements and desires.
That means making cushy machines with lots of cup holders and the living space of a small condo. How else to explain BMW's luxury truck, the X5, and fleshy brutes like the 7-Series sedan?
Now Mercedes is getting into the game. For evidence, look no further than the R350. Is it a minivan? A station wagon? A sport-utility vehicle? It is more accurately described as a careful and elegant blend of all three, though Mercedes would have you call it a "grand sports tourer."
It is almost as big and versatile as a minivan. With its long, low roof, it looks more like a station wagon. And it comes with standard all-wheel drive, giving it the appeal of an SUV.
Eric Reguly finds the R350 a little too long for city driving. (Fernando Morales/The Globe and Mail)
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In other words, it is designed to appeal to North Americans, the richer and plumper the better. It's even built in North America, Alabama to be precise. What it's not is your traditional, sleek Mercedes.
But don't be disappointed: The R350 package more or less works. And — mein Gott! — is it comfortable! The R350 is big even by North American standards. It has three rows — six seats in total — and the last row has enough room for adults.
The extremely wide doors and easy-flip seats mean you don't have to strip down and lubricate yourself with Mazola to squeeze in and out. The seats are firm and supportive, yet are as comfortable as a La-Z-Boy chair. I can honestly say I have never felt so relaxed in a car, at least on the highway (in the city, the R350 is about a half a block too long for my taste).
Add in the quiet ride, even at 130 km/h, the superb climate-control system and the classic, solid Mercedes feel and I could have fallen asleep. We joked that we'd move the family into the car for our holiday and not leave the driveway.
The R350 is not perfect. The big flaw is lack of room for luggage behind the third row. You can fold that row flat, of course, and pile stuff in. But then you've got a mere four-seater, and what's the point of that in a vehicle of this size? Mercedes should consider adding another seat to the second row — the car is certainly wide enough to accommodate it. That way, a family of five, if not six, would have ample room for bags and sports equipment.
Performance, or lack thereof, is another drawback. The R350, with a 3.5-litre, V-6 engine and seven-speed transmission, is silky smooth, but lacks the oomph to propel a car of 2,255 kilograms with alacrity. The more powerful R500 model, with a five-litre engine, is said to be a rocket sled, but jacks up the price significantly. The stripped-down R350 alone starts at $64,400.
Add a few goodies that arguably should be standard in a car in this class — heated front seats, driver's seat memory package, electric pop-out rear windows and a DVD system — and you're into the mid-$70,000s before you know it.
Still, the R350 is a step forward in car design. Compromise vehicles — and this certainly qualifies as one — typically excel in no category. The new Mercedes manages to be roomy, versatile and graceful. Plus it can get you up the cottage road in the winter. It all works, provided you sell or loan out your third kid before you take long trips.
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