Ormond2004

I enjoyed the rally. The weather was great--not too hot. I only drove the ML500. It had a little bit too much body roll for my taste, but overall, it is a fine vehicle.

JDoggery

Yea, I was also at the Monster Park one on 4/24. This event wasn't as good as other recent MB events or for that matter even GM, etc. The food sucked, and where was the free hat, hehe. My impression of this new ML is that it is ok. The shifter is dumb, and having those cup holders in the center like that adds to the soccer mom commuter type. The power on the 500 is good, but the 350 takes some time after you step on it. Prob. enough power for most though. Turn off esp, however, and u can get a little squeal around the turns. The styling upgrades on the 500 are better also. More agressive. It was interesting that they had ones with smoked tail lights (500) while the others were clear (350). Get a G if you want a quality MB suv, but make it soon, before the appalling, awful, bad-looking, deformed, disfigured, dog, dogface, foul, frightful, grisly, gross, grotesque, grungy, haglike, hard-featured, hideous, homely, horrid, ill-favored, loathsome, misshapen, monstrous, pig, plain, plug, repelling, repugnant, repulsive, revolting, unbeautiful, uncomely, uninviting, unlovely, unprepossessing, unseemly, unsightly re-design comes out.

Wolfgang

scorchie, yup, they fit in that way.

Paul Le Corre

In France you can take either the luxury pack (full leather and wood) or the sport package (alcantara/leather). We hesitated since the price tag was quite the same but we decided to go for a elegant setting and took the luxury pack.

beemaze

My wife and I went on May 7th at the Santa Anita Race Track. I would have posted sooner, but have been busy with Mother's Day, Birthdays, Parties, the kids' school, work, etc.

Coming from our long-term MY 2000 ML430, the new W164 ML is of higher quality top to bottom. See the enclosed pics and you'll know what I mean. I was impressed by the Alcantara leather inserts which are just like those on my C55. I actually liked the carbon fiber looking plastic interior on some models. The rear seat DVD monitor was nice, but I still prefer those placed in the headrests for better viewing. Unfortunately, the rear "trunk" space is smaller in width than the W163 ML.

The driving experience was fun. I preferred the performance course rather than the "off-road" course as it really wasn't much of an off-road course with the metal incline and logs and such. The performance course gave us the opportunity to try the traction control by flooring the accelerator in water-dampened pavement. There were several slalom type cone setups which gave me an idea of handling. This ML has alot of body-roll still. Something I wish they would have made less. Drive any Porsche Cayenne and you'll know what I mean. Performance is OK as we had the opportunity to floor it on the straightaways. I couldn't get the paddle shifters to work and didn't have a chance to ask why. The transmission stalk on the steering column is akward as well as placing the vehicle in "park." You have to depress the stalk's tip to activate park. Steering required less effort than our ML430.

A nice improvement overall to the ML if you're looking for a smoother riding, less truck like vehicle. Neither myself nor my wife are convinced enough to replace our current ML430 when the warranty is up with the W164. We both like the precision that the Cayenne has to offer. We'll be looking around next year or so for the replacement....whatever that may be.

Paul Le Corre

Thanks for the pictures.

I'd like to ask a question to all those who attended those rallys. Did you see a model with the standard 17 inches. How does it look? How does it drive?

Thanks inn addvaance.

nyca

went to the NJ event this weekend - bad food as others have reported, no parting souvenir. lots of drivers having trouble with the gear shift, many were not putting it in PARK when they stopped, they just set the parking brake and left it in drive. subsequent drivers pulled away with the parking brake set.

okc329

Attended this event yesterday. Drove both the ML350 and the ML500. Thought the ML500 was the smoother, more refined of the two cars. Enjoyed the new shifter very much and everybody seemed to adapt to it without problems. The vehicle itself is a lot different in all respects than my wife's Toyota 4Runner which has been a paragon of reliability. I hope the same is true of the new ML.

Also drove E350 and E500. Thought the E350 was a great car and performed somewhat better on the artificial course than did the E500. E500 seems a little nose-heavy and barges around turns rather than carving them up like the E350. Performance of E350 very comparable given the limitations of the course.

No food, but bottle of fancy water from Norway and a nice Mercedes cap whin I tuned in my exit comments. Good show, MBUSA!

beemaze

At least you got the Mercedes cap. By the time I got there, there was no water left, but then again I was there to DRIVE...

Wolfgang

Mercedes is telling some folks in Europe the sport package doesn't have the scratch resistant paint like in this picture. Do folks with sport package have the C in front of the paint code?

Maybe this solves this 'mystery'?


sport package with 197 paint code without scratchresistant paint


C816 paint code, scratch resistant paint, C = Ceramiclear

slsteve

My sport model has c775 if that helps,

Thats if im looking in the right place, the plate is tiny compared with your picture

rubensans

Which code is the 197?

Maybe the ceramiclear only comes with metalic paint.

Birger

Hi Jack,

My finally-soon-to-be-delivered W164 is Alpine Rain with Ash interior - I've had a "sneak preview" at it already, and like it.

I'll post some pics as soon as I get it home.

Is your love affair with the W220 beginning to fade??

Kind regards,
Birger

Wolfgang

Ah, found another one with 197 and without scratch resistant paint from 02/2005. All others have a C in front of the paint code and it doesn't seem to depend on sport. Maybe it has something to do with 197?

197 Obsidianschwarz = Obsidian Black Metallic = Nero Ossidiana

rubensans

Here you can see my door label and my under hood label.

I don't have apearance package.

It seems that have the ceramiclear but it only apears on some stickers.

Best Regards.

Wolfgang

Thanks for the pictures. The Customer Assistence Center insists the W164 does not have a scratch resistant clear coat based on nano technology, PPG's CeramiClear. Therefore I assume the C denotes a scratch resistant clear coat based on BASF Coating's ProGloss instead.

Drak

This is a really long list of codes you have !!!!

What's about Code 386, didn't you order cell- phone pre- instalation. Do you have another solution for hands free talking in your car ??

Rgds Drak

rubensans

If this is true it hasn't any sense for me; it's suposed to be a 4*4 the best car for nanotecnology coat !!!

rubensans

I didn't order phone because I use SonyEricsson P910i (phone + PDA) and will put a bluetooth solution connected to the euro-comand.

Nevada Jack

Hi Birger...will be looking for the AR and Ash pic's when you post them. You should be very happy with it.

No, the love affair with the S is still alive...really a sweet riding car and as quiet a car as I have ever had.

Wolfgang

The ProGloss scratch resistant clear cost from BASF Coatings in Münster is similar to the nanotechnology developped by PPG in Pittsburgh, but is based on completely different chemistry. It's a two component isocyanate clear coats polymerizing on the surface. That's why it's hard and resistant to chemicals. It's used on the W163 M-Class. For the W164 MB uses their new ProGloss which adds the small particles like an acrylbutyrate so it polymerises into the hard layer. Just emdedding ceramic particles without polymerization would adversely affect the chemical resistance while improving the scratch resistance. ProGloss first went into production at Mercedes Sindelfingen plant in Febuary of 2004. More might be on this site: http://www.basf-coatings.de