GregW / Oregon

Now have about 2k miles on my ML350. A couple comments:

Active Curve System - I'm very impressed with this. I have Dynamic Handling, which also has Adaptive Damping, Airmatic and 20" wheels. On Sport setting roll is well controlled. I took some sweeping curves at 80 well loaded on a recent trip and the handling was flat and good, even with the all season tires.

Quality - Got a JD Power survey to fill out last week, and after thnking about it I couldn't come up with one quality issue.

Steering - The steering feel continues to be my least favorite thing on this car - way too light and lacking feedback.

frtdog

What kind of milage are you getting. I wanted the Active Curve but was told it was on backorder almost forever so I settled for the off/road package. Mine was allegedly built the end of Aug. but my salesman has been on vacation so I am waiting for him to get back to get updates.

GregW / Oregon

Mileage is mediocre, but okay. I got 18-20 on my 700-mile trip going 75-80 a good part of the time (avg. 67-69 mph). Around town I get 16 or so.

gplank

Good to hear about Active Curve. It's an expensive item that I added to my ML550 order, even though I had heard mixed reviews...some saying that they couldn't tell the difference with or without.

I had a similar system on my 2012 BMW X5 and it was amazing...although with the stiffer suspension on the X5, I'm expect the ML would not be able to match the X5's cornering abilities. But that's a small trade-off for the far better ride comfort with the ML. The X5, even with non-run-flat 20" Conties DWSs, was pretty rough, and is one of the primary reasons I'm going with the ML this time around.

For MY14, the X5 is supposedly adding an Airmatic-like suspension, allowing a 'comfort' mode....but I still don't expect it to match the ML's smooth ride.

Are you still happy with your choice of the Brown Satin Ash trim?

GregW / Oregon

The Active Curve/Adaptive Damping/Airmatic/20" setup is firm but comfortable in Comfort mode and the roll control is not so evident, but in Sport mode it definitely is. "Comfort" is equivalent to "Normal" in the 3-step W164 Airmatic settings, IMO.

I am happy with the Brown Ash. I just hate the glossy plastic-looking wood in most Mercedes.

gplank

Interesting. I have wonder if Active Curve is a waste of money unless you're in Sports mode...that the standard "Agility Control" is just as good as Active Curve while in Comfort mode.

For 2013, as you know, they no longer offer the Dynamic Handling Package that bundles AIRMATIC, Active Curve and the 20" wheels. Instead it is unbundled, and AIRMATIC can be ordered without Active Curve.

So, I wonder: if I always kept the ML in Comfort mode, would Active Curve be just as good as the standard Agility Control system? I guess the only way to tell for sure is to test drive both.

I very much agree with your feelings about the glossy wood trim. While at first I didn't entirely like the photos of the Brown Satin Ash, seeing it in person with the wrapped dash totally sold me. Compared to the look of the other trims made it an obvious choice. However, the Black Piano Lacquer is also very nice, despite its shininess...it looks very rich. But not surprisingly, I hear it's a fingerprint and dust magnet, and I would be fearful of scratching it. It also would be too much black for the black leather, I think, plus its an expensive option. I saw it in an ML63 with the Porcelain leather and it was beautiful.

GTscrub

I didn't add Active Curve to my 550 order because of the cost and mainly I'm very "*****" around corners and take corners super slow.

gplank

Funny, that's the way I usually drive as well. But that wasn't always the case...it seems the older I get, the more I drive like my father.

According to MB's online tech center, which is a great resource of information, Active Curve also is suppose to help with off-roading by decoupling the axles.

See: http://www3.mercedes-benz.com/mbcom_...ystem/function

I did hold back on getting the Off-Road Package, since at least I had Active Curve, and I don't expect much if any off-road or snowy excursions.

GregW / Oregon

Well, I'm 64 and definitely like the corners, but of course my DD is a V8 M3.

YYZ-E55

I share this opinion. There's a lot of room for improvement. I wouldn't be surprised if someone comes up with a software hack to make it heavier, if nothing else.

GregW / Oregon

In theory, Active Curve should provide more comfort and more control, since the antiroll bars are decoupled when not cornering, and varied in coupling when cornering.

LTJohn

Hi Greg, I am at 6 weeks or so too!
Your review is spot-on. (BTW, I like your interior choices!)

So far the only complaint (besides a touch of diff-whine), is the super light steering. It is programmed somewhat like the M3's, in that below 25 mph, it has zero feel and zero resistance. The good thing is that it at least dials back the boost by the time you get to 40. The M3 has pretty heavy steering at that speed (in sport mode), and I wish the 350 did too!

Either way, it is my wife's car and she still loves it!

Quality has been awesome, ride is good but a get some impact sharpness on certain hits. The vehicle is quiet too.

We are getting mid to upper 20's in the mileage department. The bluetec engine has been very good there. It is hard to believe that it is a diesel!!

Willie T

2+ months and no major complaints. Averaging 28MPG. 34 MPG on a 100 mile stretch from Key West to Homestead where we couldn't go over 55 MPH.
Love the headlight package, stock sound system, lane assist package.
Love the ride and build quality.
Love the diesel.
Minor wind/road noise at 45-50 MPH.
Like the ability to send addresses to the nav-system via internet but do not think that the embrace feature is worth paying $280/year for so we will not be keeping it after the free trial.
This is our first MB and so far we are impressed.

gplank

Yes, I remember reading about that, too. But I have to wonder how much that theory gets translated into real life. I wonder if anyone has done a thorough side-by-side comparison.

Here's the few reviews I've run across that talk about the Dynamic Handling Package (aka AIRMATIC/Active Curve System). No side by side comparison except for sort of by Car & Driver. And they're all kinda mixed in terms of what it can do:

Car & Driver, July 2011
http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/...bluetec-review

"On road, we drove a gas-powered ML350 with the Dynamic Handling package. That $5150 option includes the Active Curve System (ACS), which decouples the anti-roll bars both off-road and during straight-ahead freeway slogs. We never felt it coupling or decoupling. We never felt it doing much of anything, to tell the truth, although body motions were satisfactorily controlled in the hills. But body motions were also satisfactorily controlled in a non-ACS ML we sampled, and that one didn’t max out at a cosmically startling $73,055. As the ML negotiates turns, you can still feel huge lateral load transfers, and the seats’ weak bolsters further suggest that this SUV might possess grand ambitions, but handling is not among them."

New Car Test Drive
http://www.newcartestdrive.com/revie...&ReviewID=5014

"The ML350 doesn't like fast or quick cornering, though. Despite its new active rear anti-roll bar, part of the Dynamic Handling Package that our ML350 came with, also including active damping, air suspension, and 20-inch wheels with all-season tires. We pitched the ML350 into some twisties, and it responded with insecurity and reluctance to track true.
Maybe it's the new active electro-mechanical steering, and not the suspension or the $5150 worth of dynamic handling. The active rear anti-roll bar is split in the middle, and adjusts according to the needs of separate rear wheels; theoretically it eliminates body roll, but you won't hear us say that."


AOL Autos
http://autos.aol.com/cars-Mercedes_B...expert-review/

"The ride is totally smooth. We tried and tried, on Montana back roads including gravel, to find a bump the suspension couldn't smooth out, to no avail. The ride is solid, steady and comfortable in every situation. The ML350 doesn't like fast or quick cornering, not even with the $5,150 Dynamic Handling Package. "


NY Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/25/au...pagewanted=all

"But the ML’s improved cornering was the real surprise, especially with the Dynamic Handling Package, which adds an adaptive air suspension, 20-inch alloy wheels and the Adaptive Curve system. As the ML swings into a curve, the system hydraulically couples its stabilizer bars, limiting how much the body can lean over. In a straight line, the wheels are freed to help tame bumps. Decoupling the bars also helps the M-Class negotiate off-road terrain. So equipped, the ML cornered virtually as flat as a BMW X5 on a downhill run, though the Mercedes couldn’t match the BMW’s sporty, communicative steering."

Inside Line
http://www.insideline.com/mercedes-b...rst-drive.html

"New for 2012 is the Dynamic Handling package, which includes air springs, driver-adjustable adaptive dampers and adaptive antiroll bars, along with 20-inch wheels (in lieu of the standard 19s). Select Sport mode and, sure enough, the ML350 takes a much flatter attitude through these corners. However, unless you live in Montana, we can't see dropping $5,150 for this package."

GregW / Oregon

I have not done such a comparison. As I noted, the action is much enhanced in Sport mode. It's unclear in the reviews if this was activated. I can tell you, coming from an M3 daily driver, that cornering in with ACS in Sport mode is very satisfactory for this type of vehicle.

GregW / Oregon

I drove some curves today in Comfort mode, and though not scientific, I do believe the body roll is more controlled than on my W164 Airmatic. I have not driven a steel suspension W166 for comparison. The effect in Sport mode is just more dramatic.

Also towed a utility trailer today for the first itme. I must say the play in the drawbar/receiver is annoying as it produce clunks on bumps (less so when loaded). On my W164 I tapped a pointed bolt into the bottom of the receiver to keep things tight. I think I will do the same with this one.

mbden

I have had my ML350 Bluetec MY13 for a week now and, well, as hard as I try, I can't come up with a single issue. I love the truck!

The finish is absolutely 1st class and outruns the most lavish interior from Lexus, Porsche and Range Rover. I have the brown tobacco leather with black lining and I can't find a single fault with the interior quality, comfort and function. The interface to the car computer is flawless and I find it easy to use. The new 2013 displays are sharp and graphics are informative without being too flashy. And the sound system (Harman Kardan) is top; it passed my 12 year-old test.
Driving this truck is sublime; I can't find anything wrong with the steering wheel feel as brought up by other owners. At low speed it is easy to maneuver and I would not want the feel any heavier than it is, while at higher speeds the response is precise and direct. When I turn on the sport mode ( I have airmatic), I find a noticeable difference in the handling of the truck especially in the suspension department, and the steering wheel response feels more direct as well. I just dont see myself using the sport mode too much around town; this mode secretely dials the local cops to let them know that I am about to go over the speed limit!
The safety features (passive in my case) are also very impressive; blind spot monitoring, lane assist and especially the collision prevention system which I had the pirvilege to see in action. These systems are not only life savers they instill a defensive driving discipline. I certainly pay alot more attention to my blind spots and my position with respect to other vehicles than I did before. I also feel reassured that I will be covered should I be distracted at the wrong moment.
But above all, I cant get enough of the diesel engine. What a work horse! sublimely quiet, refined and POWERFUL. You dont hear the darn thing and when you step on it, it moves without hesitation. I cant wait to get over the break-in period...to really put in to the test. I am quite sure that the 0-100Km/hr in 7.2s is conservative. I am averaging 8.2l/100Km after only 275Km. That's 25% city driving/75% highway. Based on the computer estimation, a full tank of diesel would get me more than 1400Km on the highway. Once again, I think the MB estimates are conservative for this truck.

All in all I am extremely satisfied with my first Mercedes-Benz vehicle. Much more than I ever expected. (My previous car was a Lexus Rx300)

Masterbuyer

Hey GregW: Do you know if those Sports Seats are in any way different than the regular seats, besides the leather pattern? That is, do they fit differently? Maybe hug you more firmly? I ordered the mufti-contour seats on my new ML and I'm not impressed. They don't have the same kind of control as the multi-contour seats of my old X5. Rather than mechanical adjustments of the side bolsters and the extension of the thigh support, the seat has little ballasts of air that inflate. So, rather than feeling wrapped up and snug in my seat, I just feel just two lumps on either side of me get bigger and making the back of the seat feel smaller. The thigh support extends out maybe a measly inch more by stretching out the seat, rather than moving the whole seat bottom out or extending out a section (like with X5). The X5 also changed the back bend in the seat, so by the time you're done adjusting everything, you feel totally wrapped and snug. So, on those corner-flat turns, you stay put. But with the ML's multi-contour seats, it is all mediocre in terms of adjustments and control, and how well it keeps me secure in the seat. Now I wondering if I would have been happier with the sports seats.

GregW / Oregon

I haven't done a side-by-side comparison, but I think the bolsters are little more pronounced. They hold me pretty well (6', 200 lb); the lumbar is adjustable, but not bolster width or seat bottom length. I'm happy with them.

Masterbuyer

Yep, from the photos, I guess those bolsters do look more pronounced...which is nice.

I'm pretty big myself (6" 2" and about 290ibs). So, I wish the bolsters where bigger on the Multi-Contour seats. But they seem like regular seats in that respect.

I wish I could do a 'seat transplant," and put X5 seats in my ML. But would need a pretty good surgeon to do the job.