2006 Mercedes-Benz R-Class 320 CDI sport pack review from Australia and New Zealand

Air conditioning unit did not work in the rear of the car.

The engine bay makes strange whining and beeping sounds 10 minutes after shutting the engine off. This can go on for hours.

Front window was smashed while parked and the dealers told me the nearest replacement was in Germany. 2 weeks minimum wait.

Temperature control on drivers side of the car stopped working, and stayed stuck on maximum heat.

Plastic interior bits already breaking and bits of trim peeling.

Before I start my rant, let me say that this does drive very nicely, and the sports pack makes this the quickest minivan you're likely to drive.

From there it's all downhill. Having had this car only 5 months, it is already starting to fall apart as noted above. On top of that, there are absolutely no accessories for this model, which is a real shame as we live in the country and wildlife is a problem. Some sort of bumper bar would be greatly appreciated.

Lack of general consumable parts availability is unforgivable though, and my 3 hour drive home with no drivers window, wife and 4 kids in the back, in the middle of winter was really miserable. Knowing the nearest spare window was in Germany just made me mad.

I consider this a massive learning experience that has cost me a lot of money. I'm sticking to older land rover disco's, which I can service and make some sense.

Don't be like me and be fooled by the marketing hype. That's where they're spending their money, not on the quality of their cars.