agball

Anybody have thoughts on the Mercedes-Benz ML350 or ML500? I am looking for a new SUV for the wife and have a friend who buys these for the rental companies. Therefore, I can get either one for over 10K off the sticker. I have heard good and bad stories about there reliability, any feedback would be appriciated.

__________________
"A friend with weed is a friend indeed"

Peryn

Well, from what i understand, MB has gone downhill in reliability and build quality lately. Even if they haven't, my personal opinion is that for 27k or so (with the 10k off), its still overpriced unless money isn't really a problem. And with the issues they claim to be having, depending on what you actually need and or want it for, there may be better choices for the price, even at the discount your receiving.

__________________
Dont cry kid, It's not your fault you suck.

Fenton-J-Cool

Personally, I think the concept of a luxury SUV is atrocious.. gas mileage, image, and performance aside, the automakers are finally just rolling over and admitting that the most dirt these things are ever going to see is dust on the side of Walnut Street.

Isn't the slogan for one of them "For the wilds of suburban driving?" Gag me.

__________________
wra

agball

I agree with your point regarding off-roading "Fenton". My reasoning behind the SUV, having 2 children, is for Safety, space and bad weather conditions. After driving many of the American Models, the ride just dosent compare. The American models all drive like trucks, handle poorly, have high wind noise, and come with that cheezy plastic interior!! I find that the foreign luxury models handle more like cars and inside are much prettier to look at. As far as safety goes the ML's come with 10 airbags.

__________________
"A friend with weed is a friend indeed"

dimbulb

have you tried... *gasp*.... a minivan??!!

other than the soccer mom image, I think they're really what most people "need" their SUVs for. Tonnes of space, they're actually much safer for their occupants (and other road users) than SUVs, (they're lower, so less rollover risk).

agball

I've tried that dimbulb, the wife wouldn't be caught dead in one.

__________________
"A friend with weed is a friend indeed"

Peryn

So you want the Mercedes for the image? Well, that it will do well in. a Minivan probably would be the best option, and they definately are the pansy-mobiles they used to be.

Anyway, aven though you can get a good deal, have you looked into the SUVs from other luxory makers? BMW X3, Lexus, Infiniti, etc? They might offer a similar or better option at a reasonable price too.

__________________
Dont cry kid, It's not your fault you suck.

Averett

Sounds like it! Nothing against your wife, but does she want a safe car for your family, or does she want the status symbol?

If she's looking for a safe SUV type car, take a look at the Honda CRV. My sister has one and it drives very similar to my Civic. Which is not like a truck at all....

But I'm guessing if she doesn't want a minivan she won't want a Honda...

__________________
Absence is to love what wind is to fire. It extinguishes the small, it enkindles the great.

agball

Good points, I do need a third row, so the BMW X5 is out. The wife currently has a 2001 pathfinder which is nice, but I need the 3 row now, so I think the CRV is out. Maybe I will check out the MDX, that has a 3 row or perhaps the Lexus GX series.

And yes, I work hard, my wife is a great woman and I think if I want to spoil her a little bit, it would be ok.

Keep in mind I live on Long Island, so a ML or Lexus or BMW are a dime a dozen. Its not like she will be standing out when you pass 50 H2's 20 Porsche Chyanne's and 10 Land Rovers etc. on your way to work.

__________________
"A friend with weed is a friend indeed"

fuzyfuzer

if you go with the MDX you won't be sorry it is a great driving car comfortable for long trips and there is enough space for everyone

__________________
"The difference between commiment and involvment is like a ham and egg breakfast the chicken was involved but the pig was commited"

"Thrice happy is the nation that has a glorious history. Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat." Theodore Roosevelt

castex

Have a look at the Volvo equivalent. XC90 or something; has the seats, I believe, and it's been raved about by various credible reviewers.
The M-class Mercedes is, by all accounts, awful. I wouldn't be surprised if you could negotiate $10k off the price at a dealer, as this car is outclassed by practically all the opposition and MB knows it. If your heart's set on a Merc offroader, I'd suggest buy the very serious G-Wagen, or check the post entitled 'Oddity'

silent_jay

The G-Wagen is a great choice, stay away from the "oddity" thread if you are a fan of Benz, I'm still in mourning from 2 days ago.
The XC-90 from what I have heard are also a great ride, (my parents test drove one last week). Good luck with the car search

__________________
Absence makes the heart grow fonder

Kurant

How the M-Class awful?

My best friend has a ML350 with the upgrade to AMG 18" rims,a nd the 320 entertainment package, and it's absolutley great.

Living in Alaska, we take it everywhere, we had it going back the Kenai River last year in water and mud up the nerf bars. It's comfortable, drives well, handles like a dream, my only problem with it is it's slightly underpowered compared to somthing in the same class and price range, such as, the Touareg and the X5 (4.4 and the 3.0).

There is way more room then X5, the back seats are far superior in comfort to Touareg or an XC90. (I'm 6' about 240, the backseats of an X5 are extremely, "challenging" if you will)

All I can tell you, is when we don't take our boat and my truck, we drive his ML350, and we dirve the shit out of it. We offroad with it, drive 500-700 miles in a weekend going back and forth to Seward and Homer, He bought it the end of last summer, the first fishing trip was 1100 miles in 4 days. It's got 22k on it now from hunting, and winter fishing, and frankly, I'd love to buy one myself if I didn't have to tow a boat.

BTW the G-Class starts at like 65k. If your spending that kind of cheese, buy a Range Rover. But for 30k, you won't find a better luxury SUV then an ML-Class. My wife and I also bought a Touareg about 2 months ago, and we love it. I chose it over an ML, X5 and an XC90. But if I were getting a 350 for 30k, no question what I'd buy. (Ok! Your right, I didn't get to choose it )

Just an opinion from someone who actully has spent alot of time riding and driving one instead from people who read magazines.

1337haxor

I have a Lexus LX470 SUV and I would never go with any other SUV. My only issue with it is gas consumption. Other then that, its good as gold.

-Robert

BoCo

NO: M-Series

YES: M-Class

__________________
Activism is a way for useless people to feel important.

Kurant

Roger that.

I found it funny people calling it "series".

Those are BMW's, newbs.

iamii

Here is my humble opinion,

looking at a luxury, we test drove the Ml, VW Touareg, and Lexus RX 330. The ML lacked in luxury where both the Touareg and the RX excelled. We would have gotten the Touareg was it not for it being the first year (July 2003.) You can get a lot more with the Touareg than what you would pay for a comparable RX or Ml.
Also realize that the RX gives better milege (sp) and either of the vehicles I mentioned.

pocon1

The M stands for minivan. just as long as your wife understands that she is really getting a minivan, or a tall wagon, then everything will be fine. If you want a Mercedes SUV, then go with the G-wagen. These were designed as military vehicles for the Shah of Iran, but he was deposed before Iran could get them. So Mercedes started selling the lot, and then kept going.

Scorps

LOL that what my GF said to.....she will never drive a Mini-van!

so she has a new Trailer Blazer....damn nice trucks!

Kurant

It's "G-Class". I'm sure it's properly listed at www.mercedesbenz.com.

And is anyone suggesting one aware that a G500 STARTS at 70,000+ dollars? Or you can get the wonderful G55 AMG for the wonderful cost of 90,000+ dollars!

Man, I'm sure glad people took the time to read the 30k price tag in the first post. /sarcasm off

SCrubjay

I second Kurant all the way.

Wifey has an ML320 and it is a great vehicle (like Kurant I drive something I can tow my boat behind). Her vehicle is 3 years old, has 50,000 mi on it and not a lick of trouble. We live in Central California and it spend at least 25 weekends a year in the high Sierras. I've taken it to every place I could get my old fj62 Cruiser to ..... and done it more comfortably, more nimbley and more reliably (though it does cause family friction; funny, she never had problems with me risking MY vehicle!). But where this vehicle shines is in the snow, the all-wheel drive and the computerized Electronic Traction and Stabilization Systems are amazing. We ski A LOT and have had it on roads that seemed impassable and it drove like we were on dry road. I really believe it is the best in its class ..... Its looks are deceiving .... it will take everything you want to throw at it.

Roy_Munson

I've had 2 X5's. 01 4.4i and just picked up a new 04 X5 4.4i. Absolutely love them.

Drive one, and you'll be hooked. I've driven everything else on the market... including the peppers (cayenne) and I'll gladly take my X5.

Kurant

I'm a pretty big guy and the X5 is great if you don't have anything to go in the backseat. I could barely get in and out. Once I got in it was fine, but getting out my feet kept getting hooked on the driver seat, legroom was very limited, and uncomfortable. And I HATE the BMW dashboards. Probably some of the finest cars made. But the SUV doesn't do anything for me. I drove the 4.4i when we bought our Touareg. The VW's air suspension is wonderful, powerband is great, and the interior is flawless. The X5 only had 1 thing I really liked, and that was driveability, other then that, I just wasen't impressed. Comparing it to the Cayenne is like apples and oranges. The Porsche weighs like 5700 pounds. That more then my full size truck.

I woulden't call the ML the best in it's class by any means. But it's close, and to call it garbage, and to recommend NOT buying for $30,000 is just ludicris.

BTW, Agball, if your reading this thread, go with the ML500, and get the sport. Tuned suspension and bigger tires. As well as a couple interior things.

Too bad they quit making the ML55.

castex

Kurant, what's your problem? You've shown you can sort of do sarcasm, you've told us all a very entertaining story about your high-jinks manly weekends in your friend's car, you've kindly informed us all what MB has now decided officially to call its G-Wagen...You unfortunately don't seem to be capable of entertaining the opinions of others.
Information gleaned from years of reading magazines - even about cars I don't like and would never buy, such as any off-roader - is valid, whether you like it or not. Such publications test these machines comparitively, without the bias that comes from having a vested interest. I'm not saying your experiences aren't at all valid; they are, but then I can admit this since it doesn't bother me that you disagree with my opinion.
When suggesting the G-whatever, I made sure to include the proviso that this car would only be an option if the purchaser should have his heart set on an MB 4x4. G's can be bought second hand, and you'd find a nice one for $30k.
This motors section is not a grudge match, it's not a pissing contest. If you're upset that your mate's car is being dissed, why don't you just go and play the drums or something, instead of whining like a screw-type kompressor? Hmmn?

Kurant

Forget it. I had posted, but it's pointless. I'm not going to personally attack someone over a fucking car thread.

BTW, It's G-Class, not G-Wagen. Reading comprehension is your friend. If you were so overly concerned about what I said, then why are you so worried about it?

To keep from turning this into a pissing contest, do me a favor. Shut up. Quit hijackng threads with your personal issues. Go beat your dog up or somthing.

castex

Lol!
Okay my testy friend, let's leave it there shall we?
I'll even leave you with a joke:

My mate drowned in a bowl of muesli; a strong kurant pulled him in.

Boom-boom!

Scorps

I hope this doesn't turn out to be like that GTO thread....it was like 3 pages long....one big fight!

exizldelfuego

I'd like to point out that the XC90 is also a fantastic SUV, if that's what you're looking for. My mother got one last summer, and I was able to drive it a fair bit this winter in the Colorado Rockies. It felt very solid and sure-footed, had all the power I was comfortable using under the circumstances (it snowed a foot point five one morning), and was immensely comfortable, to boot. The third row is not intended for prolonged adult use; it was made specifically for small children. I'm 6'2" and, for quick trips, don't mind sitting in the third row, though I would put a half hour as my limit back there. i found the second row to be plenty comfortable, and the first row to be travel bliss. Volvo seats are the best in my opinion. By virtue of it being a volvo car, safety is excellent; has all sorts of such bells and whistles. And gas mileage wasn't as atrocious as I was expecting.

If I had to have an SUV, that's where I would put my money. But I'm by no means an SUV fan. I would highly suggest looking at wagon models offered by MB, BMW, and Volvo. You'll get more safety, comparable cargo room, better performance, better gas mileage, better... just about everything, really. I know Volvo wagons can have a third row, I'm assuming MB and BMW offer something along the same lines.

But then again, $30K is quite the reasonable price.

agball

Thanks for the input all, I bought her the ML350 Special Edition. I have to say "quite impressive" I cant believe the handling (better than most cars) and very roomy. PS - I have been getting plenty of action sicne the purchase 2 months ago!!!! LOL

__________________
"A friend with weed is a friend indeed"

billyeggs

I think the quality of the ML series has improved by leaps and bounds since they were introduced. My buddy had a 99 and man did it ever shake, bounce, and whine

merkerguitars

For all you people that say get a Touraeg I say don't!!!! For these various reasons...
Common problems with Touraegs...

When they come shipped to the dealer they tires are way out of line because of being strapped to tight to the boat.....they where out tires like crazy....usually only 10k on a set of 4 tires

They have many updates to the computers...I can't remember what revision the are up to....not to big of a problem...

Constant electrical problems....takes hours to troubleshoot

Labor rates for the vehicles are atrocious...if it's out of warrantly..you might as well trade it in when you have a major problem.....example...a starter costs over $1000 to replace..cause it involves pulling the engine.

My friend who is a VW mechanic and a top level Touraeg mechanic says if you do decide to buy one...buy the V10 TDI diesel model...way less problems...

__________________
Donate now! Ask me How!

Please use the search function it is your friend.

Look at my mustang please feel free to comment!

http://www.tfproject.org/tfp/showthread.php?t=26985

Kurant

I've had great luck with mine. One revision for the tire pressure gauge. Which I think was a recall item.

I have 16k on mine, and the tires are in great shape. I tow a boat probably 3-4 times a month with it, about 120 miles one way. Mine has been flawless, although I won't be hanging onto it for the long term since my wife is now pregnant with our 3rd. Drove it through Canada to Seattle. Put about 2000-3000 a month on it, and it's been just wonderful. I'll be curious to see how they hold up long term, but, I'm very happy. It's just not big enough anymore. Need that third row seat. I have a bad feeling I'm going to be sucked into a minivan.

exizldelfuego

The XC90 (w/ its third row) will be getting a V8 soon

pocon1

wow, this thread got dragged up from the dead.

Kurant,, the name for the G-wagen is called the Gelandewagen outside of the U.S. That is what it has been known as for the past 20 years. If you don't believe me, check out this link http://channels.netscape.com/ns/auto...v_gelandewagen

How does that crow taste?

Kurant

Gee... that's really great.

You can find it listed as G-Class very nicely at www.mercedes.com - enjoy.

/sarcasm off

If you really WANT to get specific, it's called the G-Klasse in Germany.

EDIT - If you want, I'm sure you can find that at www.mercedes.com too. If you feel so obligated to look. I can't read German.