2006 Mercedes-Benz ML500

[BMWDave]

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When Mercedes-Benz first announced it was getting into the sport-utility vehicle market, and building a factory in Alabama to produce them, there was a bit of a shock wave through the halls around here. Mercedes-Benz ? the bastion of sleek sedans, sporting coupes and the legendary 300SL Gullwing ? building a truck? Well, it stood to reason, of course, as the American public was demanding sport utes from everyone, and later the list expanded to include Porsche, Volkswagen and BMW.
As the first M-Class came off the assembly line for the 1998 model year, Road & Track was there to try it out (November 1997 issue). And we were impressed with the powertrain, the all-wheel-drive system and the overall driving character of the Mercedes. We were not as enamored of the styling, finding it a bit too much like a minivan in looks, especially from the doors back. And the interior appointments were not up to what we considered Mercedes-Benz standards. But M-Class sales heated right up, and we've all been seeing them on the roads ever since.

Now it's time for the second-generation model to make its debut, and it is a better vehicle in virtually every way. Notably, the styling is much improved, with a definitely modern SUV look that puts it at the top of its class, which includes the BMW X5, Volvo XC90 and the Volkswagen Touareg. The Mercedes features pronounced fender flares front and rear, a wedge-shape front end that enhances driver vision, and a much sleeker profile. It's still instantly recognizable as a Mercedes-Benz M-Class, but with considerably more flair and less boxiness.

The 2006 M-Class is larger than its predecessor: nearly 6 in. longer, almost 3 in. wider and marginally lower. Also, the wheelbase is 3.7 in. longer, which adds to the ride quality that we found excellent. With the increase in dimensions, there is a concomitant growth in interior roominess, which is most notable in greater rear leg room and an overall feeling of plenty of space, with head room increased more than an inch as well. It's no surprise that the weight of the vehicle has also increased by some 500 lb.

Another significant change for the 2006 M-Class is the switch from a ladder-type frame and separate bodyshell to a unit-body platform. Torsional rigidity has been enhanced, and this new model feels stronger and transmits less vibration to the occupants.

Beneath the hood, our test ML500 boasted the 5.0-liter V-8 and 7-speed automatic transmission. The engine is a 90-degree V-8 with a smoothness that is a delight to modulate under your throttle foot. But with 302 bhp at 5600 rpm and 339 lb.-ft. of torque that ramps up at 2700 rpm and continues to 4250, the engine moves this 5000-lb. (test weight) vehicle smartly down the road. At the test track, we measured a 0-60-mph time of 6.3 seconds, which is about the same as the Lexus SC 430 or the BMW 745i sedan. And the quarter-mile time of 14.8 sec. at 94.2 mph is equally brisk.

Throughout the acceleration runs, the 7-speed automatic is barely perceptible in its shifts, and with such a wide variety of ratios available, it never seems to get caught out in the wrong gear. With both 6th and 7th gears being overdrives (ratios of 0.82 and 0.73, respectively), quiet, effortless high-speed cruising is this Mercedes' trump card.

The M-Class underpinnings are also first-rate, with excellent steering response from the rack-and-pinion, speed-sensitive system, plus ride and handling traits that encourage spirited driving when conditions warrant. As Senior Editor Kim Wolfkill noted: "It drives like a sport ute emulating a sedan, not one trying to drive like a sports car. While plenty powerful and very sure-footed in the turns, the ML's most impressive trait is its excellent refinement and ride quality."

Suspension design comprises double A-arms in the front, made of lightweight forged aluminum alloy on the top set and cast iron on the lower arms. The rear suspension is a multilink design with steel upper rods, camber arms, cast-iron lower wishbones and steel track rods. The rear setup is isolated from the body by two solid rubber bushings and two hydro-mounts filled with a liquid to help damp vibrations.

Our test Mercedes ML500 also had the height-adjustable AIRMATIC air suspension, which is an adaptive damping system that can change settings every 0.05 sec. in response to road conditions. This system also provides for ride-height adjustment based on speed: Above 77 mph, it lowers more than 0.5 in. to improve handling and stability, but when speed falls below 25 mph, it returns to normal height. A rocker switch on the dash allows the driver to select a sport mode to firm things up, or the comfort mode or automatic. For off-pavement driving, the AIRMATIC system can increase vehicle ride height by more than 3.0 in. to provide nearly 10.5 in. of ground clearance.

To maintain stability in all situations, the ML500 uses full-time 4-wheel drive coupled with 4-wheel electronic traction control, which transfers torque to the wheel most able to use it. It's a system that works quite well in limited-traction situations, such as steep hill climbs on dirt or mud, or running in snow or ice. Later in the year, an optional off-road package will become available, and it will feature a 2-speed transfer case that will permit tackling the roughest terrain. Other features of the package include differential locks, low-speed ABS braking, a Downhill Speed Regulation (DSR) controlled by the cruise control for speeds between 4 and 12 mph, and hill-holder technology that keeps the vehicle from slipping backward on a steep incline startup.

Our test ML500 did not have the off-road package, so, like most people in America who purchase SUVs, we didn't take it out into the dirt ? except for photos.

Vis-?-vis the interior appointments, the seats are covered with Alcantara surface inserts, which look good and wear well, while the dash and instrument panel were nicely done in black with polished aluminum trim features. It's all much richer looking than earlier M-Class vehicles. Online Editor Jim Hall noted in our log, "Unfortunately, the COMAND navigation system remains difficult and not the least bit intuitive in operation." Everyone complained about various aspects of it, and most simply gave up on it and used a map or written directions. I suppose some of the blame is ours, as we are reluctant to spend an hour or so studying the manual, because we jump into and out of so many cars that have easy-to-use systems you can master at a glance. And the sound system is not much easier to figure out.

We also didn't like the gearshift lever, which is a very small and somewhat delicate stick on the steering column. Somehow it seems that a sport-ute should have a beefy lever in the middle of the console. It didn't help that the small shift lever packed it in one day, and we had to have the ML towed to the dealer.

Our road test ML500 was priced at $59,015 out the door (except for tax and license fees). That included $9765 worth of option packages ? Air Suspension, Appearance, Comfort, Sunroof, Entertainment and Lighting Packages, by name. All of them brought something to the party and enhanced our driving pleasure. Instead of the standard 18-in. wheels and tires, ours was shod with 255/50R-19 Bridgestone Turanza tires on 19 x 8-in. alloy wheels. As you would expect from any SUV, our handling tests showed heavy understeer as the predominant characteristic, with a skidpad lateral acceleration figure of 0.76g and a slalom speed of 59.4 mph. This latter figure is a significant improvement over the 1998 ML320 we tested.

The 6-cylinder version for 2006 is the ML350, recognizing its use of Mercedes' new 3.5-liter double-overhead-cam V-6 engine. It provides a healthy 268 bhp at 6000 rpm and 258 lb.-ft. of torque from 2400-5000 rpm. And it, too, is mated to the 7-speed automatic transmission.

Our overall impressions of the ML500 are quite good. It is stylish, sophisticated, powerful and offers good handling for its category. Among its natural competitors, it has once again taken a firm grip as the leading SUV in the premium class, giving BMW, Volvo and the rest something new to shoot for. There is no doubt that the factory in Alabama has turned out a very distinctive and attractive Mercedes-Benz.

[ifcar]

Why don't they mention more about the price? $60,000 makes it probably $20,000 more than a comparably-equipped RX330 or SRX, both of which would be in the same entry-lux class. $60,000 is Land Cruiser, almost LX470 territory, and the M-Class isn't even that much better than an RX, SRX, or MDX.

[R33 GT-R]

It's just a bit on the pricey side isn't it Iffy?  

[Raghavan]

who'd get that over an RR Sport?

[R33 GT-R]

Not me.

[TBR]

Why don't they mention more about the price? $60,000 makes it probably $20,000 more than a comparably-equipped RX330 or SRX, both of which would be in the same entry-lux class. $60,000 is Land Cruiser, almost LX470 territory, and the M-Class isn't even that much better than an RX, SRX, or MDX.

Like to mention a few things. First, the ML500 doesn't compete with the RX330 or MDX, the ML350 does and it has a considerably lower price. Second, I believe you can spend $60,000 on a SRX V8  

[ifcar]

I managed to forget that this was the V8 model. Don't ask how.

It's still overpriced against V8 competitors like the GX470 and SRX, even full-sizers like the Navigator and Land Cruiser. Which is typical for Mercedes.

[R33 GT-R]

I wouldn't buy it because it's built outside of Tuscaloosa, Al.  

[Raghavan]

I wouldn't buy it because it's built outside of Tuscaloosa, Al.

so?

[TBR]

I managed to forget that this was the V8 model. Don't ask how.

It's still overpriced against V8 competitors like the GX470 and SRX, even full-sizers like the Navigator and Land Cruiser. Which is typical for Mercedes.

As comparably equipped as I could get them:
SRX V-8 Sport Premium: $59650
ML500: $59243

Yes, those are msrps because the M-series hasn't been out long enough for cardirect prices to be accurate.  

[ifcar]

I managed to forget that this was the V8 model. Don't ask how.

It's still overpriced against V8 competitors like the GX470 and SRX, even full-sizers like the Navigator and Land Cruiser. Which is typical for Mercedes.

As comparably equipped as I could get them:
SRX V-8 Sport Premium: $59650
ML500: $59243

Yes, those are msrps because the M-series hasn't been out long enough for cardirect prices to be accurate.

It's been out for something like three months. And its Target Price of $1,200 under sticker represents that CarsDirect has enough info (if they don't, they leave it at sticker, or maybe $200 below sticker).

An SRX currently goes for $9,600 under sticker.  

[TBR]

But the initial demand is still up, in a couple of months things will settle down and the prices will fall (though not down to the SRX's level).  

[ifcar]

I'd say $1,200 off is as far as you can expect from any recent Mercedes.

[TBR]

Oh really? Both E500s and C320s are going for $5000 under sticker (those are the only two I checked).

[ifcar]

But they're not very recent. The C-Class hasn't been redesigned for almost five years, the E-Class hasn't for almost four.

Maybe the M-Class will be going that far below sticker in 2010, but not within the next few months as you suggest.

[TBR]

I would love to prove you wrong, but the M-series is the first MB introduced in a while that isn't a real high demand vehicle.  

[ifcar]

Then I suppose only time will tell. But I wouldn't expect it to go past $2,500 below sticker, at the most, within the next six months.

[JYODER240]

Oh really? Both E500s and C320s are going for $5000 under sticker (those are the only two I checked).

my parents looked at the E500 when they got her Caddy, and couldn't get any good deals unless they went for a E350.

[TBR]

MBs are never good deals, but you can get their sedans for under msrp.

[TBR]

Well that is what carsdirect said, maybe it is because of my area.  

[ifcar]

Well that is what carsdirect said, maybe it is because of my area.

In my area, an E500 is currently $8,100 below sticker by CarsDirect.  :o

Must not be the hottest car on the market.  <_<  

[TBR]

Probably depends on where you are, I suspect the prices are a lot higher on the west coast.  

[ifcar]

Probably depends on where you are, I suspect the prices are a lot higher on the west coast.

For my comparison tests, I use several different zipcodes from around the country (in MD, FL, MO, and CA) to make sure there's no significant price fluctuation, and there rarely is. In fact (just checked) the E500 is even further below MSRP in CA, by $10k instead of $8k.  

[TBR]

Wow, that is weird.