Mercedes-Benz R-Class Estate (2006-2012) running costs and reliability

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Running costs rating: 2 out of 52.0

Written by David Ross Published: 6 June 2019

Miles per pound (mpp)

Reliable fuel consumption data for comparison purposes is not available for this model.

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Fuel economy

A more stringent standard for fuel economy (WLTP) was introduced from September 2017, and this model was not required to undergo that test. Its fuel economy measured under the previous test system was 17 - 37 mpg. However these figures are less likely to be achievable in real world driving and so should never be compared to another car's mpg which was measured under the newer, more realistic WLTP system.

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The big engines come with big fuel bills – don’t expect any much more than 21mpg from the R500 V8 and 25mpg from the R350 V8. The R320 CDI diesel fares better, returning just over 30mpg which is acceptable for a car of this size while the 280 CDI averages 32mpg. Mercedes-Benz dealer servicing is notoriously expensive and parts aren’t cheap either.

The R-Class is polluting model. With an average of 277g/km CO2 across the line-up, its emissions are high for a people carrier. Changes in October 2008 brought this down to 258g/km of CO2, thanks to the introduction of the 280 CDI model. This emits 235g/km of CO2 (in SE trim) and averages 32mpg.

Although there have been some concerns over quality in recent years, Mercedes seems to be on track with the R-Class. The interior is impressively trimmed and it uses well-proven engines and technology (such as 4MATIC four-wheel-drive), however there have been a few recalls.