OK, the same winter storm that swamped So. Cal., Vegas and so on, got to us here in Chicago and Wisconsin.
I have a few rental properties in the Milwaukee area, and had to go that side to check up on everything.
First hint of issues in the Milwaukee area was a stop sign where the pole wasn't visible, just the sign. (Will post pics when I download them.)
I have the Airmatic, but even raised up, I could still feel snow rubbing under the undercarriage. The yellow 4-Matic light was basically flashing non stop. But to everyone's astonishment, and a little of mine, the ML kept pulling through. Never stopped, never had to do any special tricks, just steer it to where I wanted it to go, and it went with confidence. I bravely went down side streets and drove around stuck cars and pickups!!
I know this forum is sometimes used to vent on engineering flaws and so on, but in this case, KUDOS to the engineers who designed the ML and its 4Matic for winter use!!
Score one for the good guys!!

 

As promised, here are a few pics. I had to go back there again today with a trailer and clear some debris dumped in a rear alley. The ML had no issues pulling a heavy loaded trailer through tight alley turns in 14 inches of snow. Wish I had used a video cam.
I am convinced the 4Matic engineers were snowmobile enthusiasts.

 

Except they never drove WHILE it was snowing... Can you say "constantly frozen wipers"? Like this:

http://www.willems.ca/blog/?p=966

 

I thought you said it had snowed? That's just a light dusting...

 

Cool! It almost never snows here anymore, I miss that..

 

Hey, dgiturbo:

Are those the 19" 6-twin-spoke wheels? As in the same wheels that came on the Edition 10?

I have them on my Edition 10 and LOOOOVE those wheels!

 

14 inches in Dec. to us here in Chicago is an eye opener. Also follow up that up with temps at -7 with the wind chill at -25.

Baxterdown, yes those are the 6 twin spoke wheels... Saw them on the web site when I ordered the car, and had just have them... Probably the nicest set I have ever bought.

 

And I have never had the wipers ice over as I constantly spray washer deicer while driving. Maybe that's why?? I do complain that the blades rip by the ice way to easily resulting in me being on my third set on a 2007 car...

 

I know you guys in the East will say, what's the big deal. But here in Portland, we don't get long snow events too often. We've had 19" in the last couple weeks, and people here don't know how to deal with it! My '08 M3 has been in the garage 2 weeks now. Maybe by Monday it will take to the road again. In the meantime, my ML with 19" Pirelli Ice & Snows had got me through everything. I have never had to put on chains on 10 years of ML ownership. I do have an extra set of new Ruuds, if soneone wants a deal, though.

 

I think that the next time I buy tires, I will include a set of those Pirelli's, and use them as a dedicated snow set, as the Conti's do not have the snow on the mountain emblem. Glad to hear that they work great.
I am still convinced that instead of the 4Matic badge on the rear hatch, they should put "Snowmobile Edition".

 

Holy crap its worse on the W163. My wipers are always icing over. Every time. It is such a pain.

But I agree with the OP...this thing is a beast in the snow. Glad to here the W164 is just as good.

 

The Pirelli I&S does not have the actual mountain & snowflake emblem on the tire, but I know they meet the criteria for a Severe Snow Conditions tire: http://www.tirerack.com/images/winte...SevereSnow.pdf. The symbol is a US/Canadian manufacturers' idea, and some European manufacturers have, for whatever reason, not adopted it. There is a cute scorpion on the sidewall, though!

 

Yes, I also agree with wiper blades. I previously purchased silcone wiper blades from www.burtmanindustries.com they have worked really well in the snow and rain, they are tough also.

 

You know, the kind with the flexible rubber covering everything but the edge of the blade. I put a set of these on our soon to be retired W163, and the blades don't ice up anymore. Previously, icing was a real problem whenever we had freezing rain.

John

 

Here in Cincinnati, OH we have been getting a good amount of snow over the last two weeks. I currently attend the University of Cincinnati and I commute home approx. 25 miles each way. Usually takes 45 minutes but yesterday we got unexpected snow and it took me 4 hrs. But she handled like a dream. BTW, its a 2006 ML350.

Ya the Wiper blades do suck!!

 

^^


gotta love raising the height to get through/over the snow banks!

 

^actually I don't have air suspension. But I really think this thing doesn't need it...