...but carries a hefty sticker price"

Link

Some excerpts...

A base Mercedes-Benz R350, equipped with a 3.5-liter V-6, starts at $48,775, including a $775 destination charge. Our test four-wheel-drive R500 has a base price of $56,275, including a $775 destination charge. With the 14 options on our vehicle, including $1,300 three-zone climate control, $690 silver metallic paint and $780 multi-contour front seats, the bottom line was a whopping $70,770, about the cost of two years' tuition, room and board at Harvard University.

Nothing is easy to operate on this Mercedes-Benz, including the TVs, the cargo net and even the gas cap. One of us nearly gave up in disgust at the local gas station and returned home for an easier-to-operate vehicle, until we finally figured it out.

The seven-speed transmission not only adds to the sporty feel of the R-Class, but it also helps to conserve fuel. The R-Class gets an estimated 13 mpg in city driving and 18 on the highway (we averaged just over 15).

????? 15mpg is conserving fuel?

This chart says it all to me, especially in the power and price fields...

I will be driving the new R-Class next Sunday (hopefully), but this review makes it sound horrid. Its one of those cars nobody asked for. 15 MPG is really bad! :o A range topping Chrysler Pacifica Touring Signature Series ($33,685) gets a combined 19 MPG.