If an M-Class doesn't have enough seats but an R-Class doesn't look sufficiently SUVish, perhaps Mercedes can interest you in the GL-Class.
With seven seats distributed among three rows, the GL is essentially a stretch version of the M-Class, and built in the same Alabama plant. That means unibody construction, an independent rear suspension, and a much more polished, car-like driving experience than in typical Detroit-based 7-seater SUVs.
Interior room isn't quite in the Escalade/Navigator league, but it's competitive with imports like the Acura MDX and Audi Q7. Average-size adults can travel without injury in the third row. Adding to the appeal, the GL is available with a diesel -- the same over-achieving 224-hp, 3.0-litre turbocharged V6 as in the '07 M-Class and R-Class.
Curiously, the alternative gasoline engine is a unique-to-GL 4.6-litre version of Benz's new V8 engine family (as opposed to the old 5.0-litre in M-Class and the new 5.5-litre in many other '07 Benzes). The 4.6 sends up to 335 hp to all four wheels through a 7-speed automatic. Another curiosity: the diesel (which was launched some months later than GL450) is the better equipped of the two, though the 450 will catch up in 2008. Diesel-only standard amenities are 3-position memory seats and a power steering column, a heated steering wheel and power folding door mirrors.
A right-sized seven-seater SUV that isn't a truck
Looks more like a Toyota Highlander than a stretched M-Class