S55inPA

hi everyone,

i currently have an 02 ML500. the lease is up on march 29 05.
i have a few questions.....

will the current body style end it's production run this year?

if not will the new body style be manufactured next to the
old for a short period of time?

and for the guys on the board that are currently driving 04's what are the significant changes between the 04 and my 02. ie...better navigation system.

the reason i'm asking these questions is that i would most likely purchase the old body style before the new one in order to let MB work out the first year gremlins. plus i really like these suv's. rugged and car like at the same time

sosh

I too have an 02 ML500 and my lease is up in Aug. This is my 2nd ML and just from the standpoint that I have had 2 I do not wish to purchase and or lease another W163. I had hoped that the W164 would be out by the end of this year but not so. My current plan is to extend the lease on my current ML and then get a W164 in late 05, if I like what I see. If not I will go to plan B and maybe buy an S class. Re the changes, there have been no significant changes since 02, just some minor ones like the Nav going to A DVD and the ability to use the fog lights when in the auto position. The "final edition" ML uses some of the ML55 sheet metal and trim. All this means nothing to me. I only have 20000 miles on my 02 currently and it has zero defects at the moment.

S55inPA

hi sosh,

i also had an 00 ML 430 and overall i've been pretty happy with these suv's. one thing that makes the current model attractive to me is that you should be able to buy one at a pretty big discount. i like the wood trim in the special edition ML that is currently on sale. it's a nice change. i'm not to keen on buying the new model right after it's intro. i don't want to be a guinea pig for MB. i wonder when the new model will actually go into production????

sosh

I have been told fall of 05 for the 06 model (W164). My first ML was an early 98 and quite frankly I had fewer issues with that then my 02. However it was a less sophisticated vehicle electronically. In addition my dealer is excellent, usually fixes stuff the first time and makes it painless with pick up and delivery and a new MB loaner. Acyually I could do without an ML for a short period of time as we have 2 other vehicles (E Class and Vintage Vette thats only driven in the summer) Vette is a 65, had it since new and it has only 38000 miles on it. Can't really consider it a daily driver.

S55inPA

hi sosh,

i've been lucky also with my dealer. they treat me great.
i'm about 100 miles north of you and 4 wheel drive is a
must from december to april. i'm surprised that the new ML
is taking so long. if it takes that long i doubt the deal i was
hoping to get on an 05 will materialize. one thing though...i bet the new ML is a knockout. MB has been making one nice vehicle after another the past 2 years. 65 vette from new....
that must be one special car.

sosh

You say you are 100 miles from me. In what direction?? I actually live in a western suburb of Phila. Yes the Vette is special.

Darkmann

MY05 is the last model year for the W163 style. Exactly when they'll stop production, I don't know. The new body style will not be truck based (body on frame), but car based - unibody.

My suspicion is NO. Here's my guess: MB has gone to great lengths to test components of the W164 in the current W163. That's why we see MY03 and 04 ML ranking high in the JDPower surveys and others. That good news for the new body style!!!

I just put in an order for a MY05 350. The "ordinary" ones are not much different mechanically. There's been cosmetic changes and the "value packages" have been changed some. For example, the NAV is DVD based, there's no entertainment system (video system) offered. No ML55, and I believe there's been a new color added and also the base price had changed. The special edition has been added with ML55 hood, runing boards, chrome liftgate handle, aluminum touch on the roof rails, etc, etc, and nice interior touches, all cosmetic. I declined an invitation to drive one but it does look good. One MAJOR change: BEGINNING MY05, MB WILL NOT OFFER FREE SERVICE DURING WARRANTY PERIOD. SERVICE INTERVALS WILL BE AT 13K. HOWEVER, FSS WILL STILL FUNCTION (upgraded for 13K intervals).

Well, I am in a somewhat smilar situation with my MY02 320. I opted to go with the current body style, ML350 with as many packages as I could afford. I like the truck based body style. The W164 models will come in several varieties but we don't know what all the options will be. I just like the current design, period. The spy pics of the W164 look good, but I'll stick with the W163, for now!!!

S55inPA

hi guys,

i am actually looking forward to picking up another 163.
the truck has been good to me.

sosh....i live north of philly...up the turnpike about 100 miles.

thanks guys for all of the info.
if i come across anything useful on any changes
i'll put up a post.