Barry45RPM

Was given a brand new '05 ML 350 as a loaner vehicle while my '04 E500 was in for its 1st B service.

Where in this vehicle's planned lifespan is this vehicle? I don't know anything about it. Is it a recent design introduced in its current format in what year. Is it an old design, slated to be redone in what year?

I must say, I did not enjoy this truck. I found the radio to have the sound quality of my dad's w210 E, not the 211's. It was slow, noisy/buzzy, had mediocre cooling capacity eminating from the vents in the dash... The air volume was there, but it didn't feel "cold", & while I was comfortable today, I think an A/C should make skin feel cold if it gets blown on.

The black wood looked like plastic. Both cup holders probably couldn't hold a thing at any speed above 5 MPH. The return springs on the ignition switch are rediculous. it almost takes 2 hands to twist the key into the "crank" position. I had to call the service guys to ask why I couldnt find the crank position in the switch. I'd much rather have a BMW or Porsche sports ute...maybe even a Toureg!

Just curious.

akbro93704

you have to remember that this was the first midsize "luxury" SUV ever, and was built to handle off road excursions. Mercedes didn't really know what people wanted and what a luxury SUV truly was, so their idea was a tough off road vehicle with a plain interior, but MB figured out that no one was using their cars to go off road, so they tried to give it more creature comforts and features(like real wood trim, auto air conditioning, improved sealing, improved interior materials,more powerful engines), but still had to retain some of the off-road vehicle bad traits, like a firm ride,weak engine etc. The ML was introduced in 1997 as a 1998 model, and the new design is coming out as a 2006 model, complete with a unibody chassis, air suspension, and up to real Mercedes standards

Barry45RPM

That explains it. Given the above it makes sense that I felt that this was an older MB design & build. I felt that it was "behind" as compared to other Lux/Utes out there, but now I know it IS an older design. I'd assume that the next one will be closer to the W211 look/feel.

The new product from MB looks to me to be right on, in the looks/performance department. Too bad for MB that there is such a price premium to pay for the name... but I guess that keeps them "exclusive" and doesn't cheapen the name as Jaguar has done.

pointman

the ml is a fine vehicle for what it is designed for. in no means is the 211 a superior vehicle. and dont expect the new ml to try and be modeled after the 211, especially with all the electrical gremlins.

Barry45RPM

Nah, one's a car & one's a truck... but the "look" of the interior styling on the 211s is a beauty benchmark for MB. As each line gets redesigned, each will probably be a new benchmark. The ML has an "older generation" of MB look to it. The interior look like it had been designed by the "old school". Functional, efficient but not beautifull. You would never have seen a frill like a wood trimmed wheel in an MB years ago... and cup holders? NEVER! Thats why I needed to know where in its life cycle the model is, since I never looked into one & had no knowledge/experience with it.

The electrical gremlins are virtually non existant in my '04E500, so the '05 should be perfect. 11,000 miles & other than a flash update to the Comand, NO Problems with the car at all. My opinion is that the '03 E was rushed to release on time, & they got sloppy in their work on the car. All of it. And it bit them in the a$$ big time. So someone probably got a thorough reaming & they just rolled up their sleeves & fixed it all as quickly, and as efficiently as they could. A big turnaround for them.