07marsredc230

we are looking to replace my almost yr old Chevy Silverado regular cab pickup with an SUV and after buying the wife an 07 C230 we are completely sold on the MB experience and dealer service we have recieved. thus, im not shopping for a tahoe or yukon. lookin at the M-class SUVs. we have a boat that weighs in about 3500 lbs or so full of fuel and toys. towing capacity is 5000 lbs, from what i have read. question is does anyone tow with theirs on this forum and are the V6 versions satisfactory or do i need to spring for the V8?? also lookin at the porsche cayenne- its rated at over 7000 lbs no matter what engine u chose but its got more of a negative feedback vibe on reliabilty and quality from what im finding right now. any info is greatly appreciated.

vraa

Maybe the GL? The GL does 7500lb towing.

You never want to tow at your rating, because you also have to carry passengers and what not.

Something to think about, the new LX570 later this year tows upto 8500lb if you need it.

Someone who tows with the W164 however will be able to offer real world experience, I'm just throwing numbers out.

EX-BEEMER

I'm using a little different powerplant but the tow ratings the same 5000lbs. I'm very pleased with the towing capacity. I don't even know my jetski's back there, and my 4500lb boat tows well, but I do remember its there when I try to stop too quickly. It's mass is more than 2/3 of the cars so I tow confidently, but with care. I do wish the tow rating was higher, (I think it's a little under-rated) but it suits my current needs well.
One nitpick I will mention is that the tow hitch is mounted very low on the truck. To achieve proper tongue-weight, I flipped my hitch over so it connects higher. It's no big deal but I thought I'd mention it.

sosh

The vehicle in the US is rated at a 5000 lb tow capacity. I do not tow myself as my boat is far too heavy for any vehicle other than a semi. However you should have no issue at all towing anything up to 5000 lbs. I do believe that the euro ML's are rated higher for some reason. The poster that tows his jet ski is not a comparison to what you are doing as its like dragging a feather around. Do it and enjoy the ML. Think you will really like it.

07marsredc230

sosh, yup. the jetski is no comparison but his inclusion of the large boat and tandem axle trailer sure is. i just want to make sure the 6 cylinder is gonna have the guts to keep steady speeds on the highway w/o having to downshift over and over and over like some V6's ive riden in while towing. still shopping, too bad they dont have a mars red ML- at least i didnt see it in the brochure i picked up at my dealership yesterday. a matching pair of benz's would be nice to have.

EX-BEEMER

The 7G tranny is the key to smooth trailering. It doesn't bog down in the lower ranges so much because there's less travel between gears. I usually tow my boat in manual mode maxing out at 5th gear on 55mph roads and 6th gear on the highway. Plus in response to your earlier concerns about reliability I can say that after over 6K miles I haven't had problem one.

sosh

I agree re the color. The rather limited color choices have been a sore point with me since I bought my first ML in 1998. As for the towing again, I really do not think you will have any issues and yes, while the other boat pictured is heavier than the jet ski its still rather light.

cogtooth

Isn't towing mostly dependent on the engine's torque? Except for the ML63 (465 ft-lbs), the ML320 CDI has the most at 398 lb-ft, and the fuel economy is much better than the others.

EX-BEEMER

I agree. Torque is a key component to towing, but mostly in getting your load up to speed. Once at speed, the transmission and it's gearing becomes more important. This is where the 7G shines. Plus, depending on the weight of your load, braking power is just as important as torque. You wanna be able to stop the load as quick or quicker than you started. I know the brakes in the 63 are different, but all MB brakes have been proven to outperform most of the competition.

sosh

There are many factors involved with towing. Some are HP, Torque, Braking, Handling, Gear ratios, etc. The 5000 lb rating is quite consevative like all MB ratings. Many tow heavier than 5000lbs. Any model ML will perform very well towing a 3500 lb boat which is well under the consevative tow rating. An ML 350 will do just fine without breaking into a sweat.

abus500

Hey guys, For the person considering towing, I would suggest a factory installed hitch. Not just because an aftermarket install goes from the 500$ factory to neearly $1400 in some places. In addition, I have been talking to service advisors and looking at the part numbers of the tail piece of the chasis. It shows it to be different and more ridgid. I was told that it is totally different the way they strengthen the back so get the factory installed hitch. Not only that, the software for the 4matic includes TSW or something like that if it is factory. It adds command to control breaking to minimize/eliminate tow sway and loss of control due to it.

Given i am merely sharing information that the service advisor and manager were telling me.

Thanks!

medici78

Has anyone towed a car with their ML?