When it comes to depreciated performance cars, it’s often best to look for the next-best thing, since pushing the bleeding edge of performance often means sacrificing reliability. In that vein, the 2006 to 2007 Mercedes-Benz R500 is the R63 AMG’s often overlooked little brother, an obscure V8 minivan offering the pace of contemporary performance SUVs.
On first glance, the R-Class might look a bit like a Chrysler Pacifica, but it actually rides on Mercedes-Benz’s SUV platform of the time. As a result, you get longitudinally mounted powertrains, all-wheel-drive with an even 50:50 torque split, and yes, the option of a mainstream V8.
There’s a joke that German automakers will launch a car with two engines that cause class action lawsuits and one that’ll last until the end of time, and the R500 falls firmly in the latter camp. It featured Mercedes-Benz’s five-liter M113 V8, good for a reasonable 302 horsepower and 339 lb.-ft. of torque, it scooted this 4,917-pound minivan to 60 mph quicker than some performance SUVs of the era. While the first-generation pre-facelift Porsche Cayenne S was rated at zero-to-60 mph in 6.9 seconds, the Mercedes-Benz R500 was good for zero-to-60 mph in 6.7 seconds. Even today, that’s not slow. What’s more, despite the SUV bones, the R500 doesn’t drive like a lumbering off-roader in streetwear. In the words of Car And Driver:
The seating is high, placing your eye about where it would be in a minivan. The windshield gives a big view over the rather low cowl. The power tilting-and-telescoping column and seat adjuster let you tailor the driving position exactly to your liking. The suspension has a deliberate, sure-footed feel, and the steering knows where straight-ahead is.
It all adds up to one luxurious experience, and that’s before we get into the other benefits of melding a minivan form factor with that iconic three-pointed star on the grille.
The U.S.-spec R500 came standard with three rows of seats, although total seat count was one shy of what you get in most minivans with second-row captain’s chairs at six. Still, Mercedes-Benz did provide each occupant with their own cup holder, and even threw in an integrated bottle opener if your soft drink of choice is Jarritos. Speaking of appointments, while the dashboard itself is relatively unremarkable by today’s standards, Mercedes-Benz did zhuzh up the console, steering wheel, and seat bases with metallic trim, adding a pop of brightness to the cabin.
Speaking of brightness, an available panoramic roof really opened up the cabin, and it came bundled with power third-row vent windows. Other available toys include three-zone automatic climate control, an 11-speaker Harman/Kardon audio system, heated rear seats, adaptive dampers, and an extra pair of sun visors. Nice stuff.
These days, the R500 is sadly overlooked, which means that despite being rare, examples are usually reasonably priced. Want an almost collector-grade example? This one’s up for sale in Chicago for $11,000 with just 82,000 miles on the clock. That’s pretty low for a car from 2006, and this particular one features some desirable options like the panoramic sunroof, three-zone climate control, and adaptive air suspension.
Looking for a higher-mileage daily driver? This blue-over-tan 2006 model is up for sale in Fremont, Calif. for a reasonable $5,999. Sure, it’s seen 135,794 miles, but other than the expected oxidized headlight lenses, wear on the steering wheel, and saggy luggage net, it looks pretty alright.
By now, you’re probably wondering what could possibly go wrong with a Mercedes-Benz R500. While the five-liter 24-valve M113 V8 is essentially bulletproof, the R500 isn’t without its foibles. Since it shared a platform with the second-generation ML and first-generation GL SUVs, build quality was a bit hit-or-miss. Owners report a myriad of annoying body electric issues, from failed window switches to broken power liftgate mechanisms. While most of these are easy to sort if you’re handy with a wrench, they can really nickel-and-dime people dependent on dealer service departments.
In addition, the seven-speed automatic transmission is known to develop conductor plate problems at higher mileage, and while the part itself is easily accessible once you pull the transmission pan, a replacement unit needs to be programmed to the vehicle. This is a major expense, with repair bills upward of $2,000. Oh, and the optional air suspension comes with typical air suspension costs.
Still, if none of that scares you, a Mercedes-Benz R500 is still one of the coolest minivans you can buy for sensible money. With power to keep up with V8 SUVs of its era, loads of space, and plenty of luxury, this thing’s guaranteed to stand out in the school drop-off lane.
Top graphic credit: Mercedes-Benz
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Absolutely love these! Every time I see one, I remember that one owner who received a $50,000 repair bill for his R63 engine
Not a minivan, it’s missing sliding doors.
This is a crossover that the Ford Flex took over from.
I came here to say exactly this!
The first Gen Honda Odyssey (’96-’99) was also essentially a tall (Accord) station wagon. Obviously slower, but probably more reliable.
2006 was a long time ago; $11k is pretty high for that. R500s go for $6-8k, normally.
I’ve been on the lookout for one of these, and regret the bad timing of being unable to pick up one from NJ with 44k miles for 14k a year or so ago.
2008 is the last year of the diesel engine without the new, tricky, exhaust system treatment. But I think I have left those days behind for myself.
2012 is the last year of this chassis in the US, but also the first year when the M272 was replaced with DI M276, bumping horsepower to 302. That’s the one I am on the lookout for. The R350.
The M276 had some issues with the camshafts and timing chain tensioners. It’s also DI, so you have to worry about carbon buildup. They also have (more rarely) issues with cylinder scoring, which is really difficult to inspect for when looking to purchase a vehicle. IMHO the M113 or later years of the M273 are much better options.
It’s not a minivan, it’s a crossover.
I had one of these as an Uber in Tulsa about 5 years ago. I had no idea at the time that such a thing even existed. “Mercedes Minivan?” was exactly what I thought when it pulled up.
I’ve had mine for a few years now and would be willing to do just about anything to keep it running—absolutely incredible do-anything vehicle. That said, it’s been surprisingly reliable and hasn’t required much money or maintenance to stay roadworthy. On par with my old NA and Outback, and much, *much* better than my old V70 T5, 850R, or various late 90’s/early 00’s Rangers. Hell, I’d need to use both hands to count the number of relatively modern motorcycles that have been a bigger pain in the ass for me to keep running.
FYI, as great as the M113 5.0 is… The 5.4 version fits in quite nicely. That plus a tune makes for one hell of a sleeper.
One of the owners of the engineering company I was working for back in 2006 bought a 2007 R500 for his wife. It was a really neat car/van thing, but good golly did I get to hear all about how unreliable it was (my office was next to his, and he was one of those guys who will vent to anybody within shouting distance). Luckily, it was all under warranty, but they ditched it before said warranty was up.
I’m going to try not to spiral here, but as a tech in a Mercedes Benz centric workshop. I need to be clear.
There is no worse Merc than an R Class.
These things are atrocious, the article is light on the list of issues, but I’d sooner own the Merc badged SsangYong than one of these horrid beasts.
The ML platform has enough issues as is, but then they decided to shrink-wrap the body over it to keep the R Class profile down and now nothing is accessible for easy maintenance. If you want a Merc to steer you away from ever buying another one, buy an R Class.
The first gen ML was fairly decent. I’ve owned three of them. The second gen was much worse.
What Mercs are easiest to own (W212?)?
I vote for W211. As a bonus, all E500s came with Airmaric, which I love.
I have an 04 E500 wagon with this same engine and love it.
I was wondering about accessibility. Usually in the W211, C219, etc., the engine is super easy to access and work on. There appears to be a lot of cowling and possibly the actual windscreen in the way in the R-class, which I assume would make working on anything toward the back of the engine really annoying to access.
A lot of repair procedures start with removing the drivetrain and subframe from the vehicle.
Its no R63.
FB Marketplace keeps serving these up to me.
I seem to recall a gent who rebuilt a R63 V8 in his garage. Very neat!
That’s not the one you want though. They made an R63 AMG.
Its stupid rare. I’ve seen it listed as the rarest factory amg.
Actually, the rarest AMG offering in a regular production is S210 E 55 T AMG 4Matic estate. Only 13 were produced.
He mentions it in the second sentence of the artricle.
The worst part about working on an R500/R63 is the awful engine bay access, since the cowl covers up the whole back half of the engine. Fourth-gen Firebird/Camaro people will feel right at home.
The 4th gens sure do have a cramped engine bay for a muscle car. Need to pull the motor? Just take the whole front end down.
Having worked on one of these it’s not the back you have to worry about. It’s the sides. The cowl actually come off the give decent access to the back of the engine.
Is a minivan still a minivan without sliding doors?
The brain wants to say no. The heart also says no.
This is a tall wagon.
That’s why there’s the designation of MPV. All minivans are MPVs, but not all MPVs are minivans.
And coincidentally, the MPV had hinged rear doors for a decade! It would have been way better with a slider, ditto most every CUV, SUV, or MPV.
This was my first thought. “Not pictured, a minivan”
I say yes and cite the first-gen Honda Odyssey as an example. Seats can be folded in floor and removed for a fully open cargo area. An important distinction because the final-gen Nissan Quest (like in today’s showdown) had seats that fold down on the floor but not in it, basically like any SUV – but nobody would say it isn’t a minivan as it has sliders.
However, the R-Class has neither, and is not a minivan. Any attempts to label it as such always make me cringe.
Yah, it’s a minivan with conventional doors. The lack of sliders doesn’t remove that.
To clarify – I’m saying the lack of sliders alone doesn’t disqualify the R-Class, but the interior layout solidifies it. The seats fold down, but they don’t really stow or hide out of the way and of course aren’t readily removeable, it’s no different than any other station wagon or SUV might have.
Absolutely not a minivan.