2011 Mercedes-Benz R-Class

What's a parent to do when they need to transport more than two or three children (or adults for that matter), but they're not willing to make the leap to a minivan and don't love the trucky feel of a traditional SUV? Well, if you have more than fifty grand to spend, you buy a crossover. Specifically, you buy a 2011 Mercedes-Benz R350. It transports up to six people, drives just as easily as a smaller car and does it all with classy Benz swank.

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I enjoyed my week test-driving the R-Class. I loved the quiet ride, standard all-wheel drive, the just-right responsive acceleration and the easy braking so much that I was willing to overlook other irksome qualities that normally would have swayed my opinion.

The R350, which was redesigned for 2011, has great visibility, with a big windshield that framed the amazing mountain vistas as I drove to Taos, N.M. The huge dual panoramic moonroofs kept the R-Class' cabin feeling bright and airy. I also loved having the flexibility to haul a variety of combinations of people and cargo, but the third row could definitely use some rethinking.

You might have guessed that this crossover isn't inexpensive. The base model starts at $50,240, and my test car, which was also a base model, cost $67,455. It takes some deep pockets to afford this car, but it's worth it.

EXTERIOR

Toyota calls its 2011 Sienna minivan the Swagger Wagon; I've decided to call the R-Class the Svaager Vaagon (said with a German accent). My test car in Diamond White paint definitely had svaager, especially with its blacked-out roofline. Add to that some blue tinted glass and 20-inch AMG five-spoke alloy wheels as part of the Sport Appearance Package ($1,350) and this goes from a classy family hauler to a pimped-out svaager vaagon. My vaagon came equipped with the svaager of a 268-horsepower V-6 engine and a seven-speed automatic transmission. It preferred to drink only the best – premium fuel, of course – and got an EPA-estimated 15/19 mpg city/highway.

The redesigned exterior of the R-Class, specifically the nose-tip job, is now much less jelly-bean shaped. It has more of an SUV-like look than the R-Classes of previous model years. The 2011 R-Class is completely family centric without sacrificing style.

The R-Class doors are big and wide, making for easy entry for anyone including parents hefting around an infant carrier. The only downside to the doors, though, is you must be careful in tight parking spots because it's easy for little ones to swing that door all the way open and ding the car next to you. The optional power liftgate, which is part of the Premium Package ($4,000), opens automatically via a button on the key fob as well as buttons in the cargo area or near the driver's seat.

SENSE AND STYLE

Family Friendly (Not Really, Fair, Great, Excellent): Great-Excellent

Fun-Factor (None, Some, Good Times, Groove-On): Good Times

INTERIOR

It's inside the R-Class where some of those previously mentioned quirks start rearing their ugly heads.

The R-Class has an electronic gearshift lever on the steering wheel. Putting the car into Park using this gearshift annoyed me because I wanted some type of sensation to verify that I had just put the car into Park. Maybe I was waiting for a "gadunk" feel many cars give you when they're put into Park, only an upscale Mercedes-worthy version. Instead, I had to visually check to see if the instrument cluster read P for Park before taking my foot off the brake.