Just came back from my leasing agent and I'm pretty upset. I wanted a Pewter ML550 with P3 and Leather seating...so he broke the bad news to me:
1. Its rare to find a P3 car at East Coast dealers(im in NYC). I would have to have it built.
2. Even if I were to forgo the P3 and settle for P2, its rare to find a P2 with real leather from dealerships in the tri-state area...so i would need to build it.
3. If i order the car and have it built, I can wait up to 3 months!!!

I simply do not understand how a $65,000 MB does not come with leather as standard! Why would u order an ML550 with P3 and get fake leather??? Its like eating black caviar with Wonder Bread. Despite this, I am told that most people DO order it with the MBTex and few opt for REAL leather.

I'm also wondering if he was pulling my leg or exaggerating about the build time. What is a realistic build time from the time I order to the time I get it? Has anyone waited 3 months?

And my last question is...I've been to several dealerships by me as well as a few leasing companies and ALL have been trying to talk me out of getting P3. They say "You dont need it!" or "It doesnt do anything to improve the ride" or "theres a reason that dealership dont have it and no one orders them". Is there any truth to this? Is the air suspension package just another gadget I'll probably pay for but never notice or use?
Thanks in advance for your advice.

 

Did you try Ray Catena MB in Edison, NJ...PM me if you'd like to get my guy's contact info there...

I'm sure they could find you one...if not you'd have to order one, based on what I know it does take up to 3months, I'm sure someone else can give you a more definite answer on that.

I hear you on the leather part...I was lucky in that the Edition 10 ML350 came with leather otherwise I would have had to order one too.

I don't think P3 is a must but if you're spending 60k+ and they can't find you a P2 then you might as well get the P3...if you want your car ASAP then assuming they find a P2, go for it...only thing you'll miss out on is the air suspension and infrared windshield (if that's what it's called) and some other minor things...

 

Dealers in tri-state tend to be VERY conservative when it comes to ordering cars. They take no chances. It's almost as if Henry Ford himself was doing the ordering for these dealerships: "You can have any color ML you want, as long as it's silver."

To find mine, the dealer had to search far and wide to get a decently loaded ML500 with Parktronic. My color combo was NOT my preferred choice, but I was after having the options that I wanted first, color second.

 

MBtex FTW, anyday...

$1500 is not a lot of money for leather when it comes to these cars..

But watching it wear 3x faster than MBtex, then you're pissed you wasted it.

Why go leather on an ML? Sure a ML63, or a CLS, S-class, etc...

But c'mon, its an ML!

 

real leather ftw!

you will be able to tell the difference if you have been sitting in the seat for more than 1.5 hours.

the leather is softer than the mbtex

 

call some west coast dealers. pewter is a very popular color out here. when i shopped for my ml w/ p3 and leather it was either black, silver, verde brook or pewter

and don't listen to the ppl talking you out of the p3. it is defintely worth it. not sure if you get ir glass, but 07's had it and even w/ a bk/blk car the inside temps are much cooler than my other 98 s420 blk/blk in the sun.

tell those people that it does improve the ride as the user is able to select different suspension modes. and also tell them you are able to have better safety whenever you are carrying a heavy load in the back. w/ the p3 it will auto level and make the car sit at a level stance. w/o the p3 and a heavy load in the rear ... the rears going to squat.

 

Three months seems right, once your ML has a build date then you are 30 days out until you see the ML. Get the P3, have you ever drove a MB with air suspension? It's worth it! Good luck, I should have mine by early December. Seems like they build one ML550 for every 25 ML350! They must have a engine shortage and are trying to catch up? And yea I don't get it with the leather, the 550 should have it as a no charge item.

 

I ordered in August and received my 320cdi in Oct (a week short of 2 months). A dealer search turned up virtually no P3s nationwide. In Houston, the IR glass seems to be effective, especially in the Obsidian Black. Comfort mode on the Adaptive Damping definitely smooths out the rough roads, and the Sport is noticeably quicker and more stable. My wife really enjoys the Multi-zone A/C as our comfort level always seems to be about 5 degrees apart.

As far as the other goodies, my desire to avoid bashing the rear bumper was satisfied by the rear camera, so I opted for the grill guard instead of Parktronic. Distronic seemed a little pricey for something I've never tried, and the Multi-Comfort seats I wanted were not available. The Keyless Go was also a pricey luxury, until I considered just how many times I've fumbled for my keys, shifting packages to get to the right pocket, enduring wind, rain, and oppressive heat while struggling to simply enter my vehicle. Cheap at $1100. And, as I like the looks of the wood wheel, the leather package was required.

The Voice Control is both great and frustrating. You may find yourself using the occassional 4-letter word (I'm beginning to believe my wife was a sailor in a former life). But, persistence produces a satifying sense of effortless control. Finally, I found that ordering accessories was about 1/2 as costly as having the dealer install them (and you know you'll want to add them later). The trailer hitch, I believe, is welded instead of bolted on. The running boards, chrome door inserts, and grill guard add a nice contrast to the large expanse of black. I'm looking at the chrome vent inserts and a stainless hitch step to add a little more bling but these I'll install myself.

 

Orderd my ML550 in August and got November build and delivery dates.
I stayed away from expensive glass packages, because living in Minnesota I go through alot of windshields. My friend told me a replacement heated windshield on his RR SC Sport was $1500.
I advise being patient and getting exactly what you want (i.e. order and wait 3 months), I think it leads to a more satisfying ownership.
Good Luck.

 

I've got a 08 320CDI with the P3 package. Yes, I did order it, and it took about 3 months to be delivered.

The glass is expensive; I just replaced a windshield to the tune of $600 for the glass and $400 in labor. I caught a rock out in Death Valley.

As to the suspension, I found on wash board dirt roads, if you raise the suspension, put it in off road mode and set the ride to comfort, you don't feel the bumps, and you don't get that harmonic jitter you get with normal suspension.

I also do a lot of mountain highway driving, and the sport setting really makes a difference.

It's worth the wait! Get the P3 package.

Tejas

 

well, thats what comprehensive insurance is for.

and that isn't a good example for the price of the windshield since our ir glass is not heated

come to think of it... i've never heard of a front heated windshield.

 

Insurance companies do not tend to like repeat offenders... i.e. they won't give you free windshields forever (especially when the windshields are more expensive than what they consider acceptable... i.e. anything much above a plain stock windshield, and often times not OEM).

.... and a little homework on the Range Rover site ("Exterior Features" Sport Models) will inform you that the heated front windshield is standard on the RR Sport SC and an option on the HSE-Sport with the Cold-Climate Package. Other manufacturers also have heated front windshields.

 

When I went to the dealership to talk to them about the CDI they told me a minimum of 3 months..so if I want it by the end of winter I need to order it by December..which is fine I guess because I still have 7 months on my lease and 6,000 miles..to go..

 

you want a Pewter ML with Red leather? That might look striking to you, but for those in the business, that's absolute death. I assume you're leasing or writing a check, as it will be virtually unsellable at resale time. I agree, I get tired of looking at black, silver, white, but that's pretty "out there" for the conservative US market. I think it's more than the P3 that makes it touch. Could be wrong, I haven't been yet, today. But ir's early.

 

I too have been thinking seriously about a new ML... my 2003 ML500 has leather. I can not begin to understand why leather wouldn't be standard on the new models. It was standard in 2003. After 5 years, it still looks great, has a nice smell, and is very comfortable. In 2003, the interior was full leather, the door panel inserts, the door handles, the seats (including the sides and headrests). I don't know what MBUSA is thinking these days. For similar reasons I have not bought a new C class for my wife... memory seats are no longer available in the C even as an option. At least leather is still optional. I wonder if one can travel to Alabama where the MB SUV's are built and take delivery there and maybe watch yours be assembled. That would be cool. Kinda like European delivery but here in the USA.