cte430

Looking for a car which will be wife's DD and double as my tow vehicle. Can't be too big, but need specific tow capacity that ML, Touareg, and Jeep GC seem to have.

MB GM offered to let me take home one of their demo ML BT to see if the lights will be a big deal.

I won't know how bad/good the stock lights are until I drive it but wondering if this has been a deal breaker for anyone?

YYZ-E55

There are a good number of folks on here who are waiting for builds with the lighting package, so I'd say the short answer is yes.

rush1169

I can't imagine it being a deal-breaker for anyone although I'm sure it is.

YYZ-E55

You can imagine now - it is for me! The difference in lighting performance is well worth the wait.

ML12NYC

Ruling out a truck for a lack of a feature does not make sense to me. I personally did not think this was deal breaker. It's a Mercedes not a Grand Cherokee. For now you can throw in better bulbs. I'm pretty sure there will be an aftermarket headlight kit which will replicate the HIDs in a few months. They may not be adaptive highbeam assist and active curve illumination but they will be HID's with a similar style and look.

Take advantage of the loaner and compare the drive/interior and the other features to the other suv's. You will also be getting the safest SUV out the group which I'm sure your wife will be happy.

rush1169

Maybe I don't understand the question or am reading too much into it. . .

I assume the OP means that because some have to wait 4 months does that make it a deal breaker?

Maybe the OP meant that assume there is no lighting package ever, does that make it a deal breaker? Maybe the OP meant something else

To qualify: I can't imagine waiting a few more months would make it a deal breaker for anyone

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Afterthought: Maybe the OP meant if you have to buy a car today and cannot wait, would you take a JGC or VW instead of the ML without the LP? I think I could imagine that would be a deal breaker for a small group. . .

YYZ-E55

I think it really depends on your driving habits. If my driving was only in a major city, I wouldn't fuss about it. However, regular trips outside the city require proper lighting including active curve illumination.

Personally, I'm not willing to revert to static halogens or some aftermarket HIDs which spray light everywhere because they were never intended to be used in a halogen projector.

ML12NYC

Agreed. It's a shame it's not a standard feature like other luxury cars. Hopefully MB will get ***** together.

lizardking1

Who cares.....I've had corner lights and all that jazz and didn't make enough difference to me to justify the cost. However, some of the light package should be standard.

lboudreau

It's a deal breaker for me. The lighting package completes the look of the new ML (even though we'll most likely get those crazy amber fiber optic strips) The non-lighting package MLs just don't look "finished" IMO.

Sean76NYC

I agree...the lighting package should 100% be standard on the ML...And not for nothing the fact that its not even available at the moment is terrible.

I own the truck and have to say its a Big let down to be driving around in a new 2012 Mercedes Benz without HID lighting...dumb move by Benz!

katiesdad7

If HIDs are a deal breaker and you want the vehicle now then just replace the standard bulbs with HID's. I have no problem with the standard bulbs. However I have converted my other vehicles to HID's to get better lighting. Will I do the Benz? More than likely, just don't know when. :-)

jtorrebl

I tried to delay my car purchase as late as possible to get the hids, but needed a car sooner. I have aftermarket hids and it's better but no way better than or even close to oem.
And no company will make an aftermarket kit that will be comparable to factory specs

ML12NYC

jtorrebl...what kit did you use? Did you run into any problems? I would have thought the heat would not be good for the non HID lense.

I was driving last night in the rain and wished I had HIDs. Any kit will be better then these stock lamps.

My infiniti had basic HIDs, not adaptive and the were not "all over the place". As long as they are installed correctly at the proper angles they will be fine.

300DTurbo

Y-E-S deal breaker.

After driving other people's RX, A8 and S with Bi-X its hard to go back to non Bi-X.

venchka

It is painful for me now that I have to switch between Bi-Xenon & halogen. I won't EVER buy halogens again.

Wayne

TundraRoads

The HID's were an issue, but what was almost a deal breaker for us was lack of headlight washers without the HID pkg. We've had them on several previous cars and after just a few weeks of this Mercedes, never another vehicle without headlight washers.

jweezy

Not a deal breaker for me. I buy the vehicle for the vehicle itself, not its lights. The lights are an added feature.

Truefully, the ML is so good that the lights are not near the best part of the SUV. The stock ones do a fine job as is.

Deal breakers for me are: (Not in order of importance)

Ride Quality
Engine power and transmission
Ride Height
Exterior and Interior quality and looks
Space and Storage
Dealer Service

If front headlights are a deal breaker, than just go break the deal and get an Lexus RX or a JC, MDX...Obviously, if headlights make up the majority decision forget ML itself. Go get something with the lights that you *need* and move on.

venchka

The headlight washers were an equal part of the decision. I have had headlight washers since 2003. I wanted them. The Bi-Xenons are my first.
I wish M-B would allow reprogramming of the idiotic 10 windshield cycles per one headlight wash. DUMB!

Wayne

katiesdad7

Typically HIDs are about 35 watts were as regular halogens are about 55 watts. Watts = heat. So HIDs typically run cooler. THey just put out a ****load more light.

GregW / Oregon

I never liked washers - they spray all over your front end, typically.

I have the luxury of waiting for the exact spec I want, even though it's painful. Both my current cars have steering HIDs, and I like them. So, yes, it's a deal breaker for me, but I'm not jumping ship, just waiting for the ship to arrive!

rgags1458

I don't know about anyone else but the lights are what makes the truck stand out looks wise. In addition i live in an area that has very few lights and many deer. The lights are a deal breaker in principle, how can you roll out a 50, 000 vehicle without hids and even so i cant order them if I wanted to. My only option is to get an ML 550 that will be available at my dealer in NJ at the end of Feb. The sales guy has said that he has 2 or 3 coming in and he will reserve one for me lol. This salesman has sold or leased MBenzes to me since 1990 so I have no reason to doubt him.

Anabolic Frolic

I can say that the stock halogens are quite disappointing. Here in the rainy/dark Pacific NW, bright clear headlights are a huge plus. The stock halogens are certainly not bright. I would absolutely wait for the availability of the HID headlights if I were purchasing the new ML.
Fortunately for me, mine is a 1yr lease so I will be able to pick up a 2013 ML with the lighting package next year without issue. This is is the main reason why I did not wait for the availability of the HID's.
If I were looking to purchase a new ML, I would 100% wait for the Lighting Package to become available. Unless you truly don't mind abysmal light output, it would be foolish to not wait.
Now... should there be such a long delay for a must-have feature? Probably not... but that is a whole other discussion.

venchka

I am a form follows function person. I can't see the headlight assembly from the wheel. I can see the output of the headlights from the wheel. It is doubly worse for me. My DD has standard halogen headlights. It is literally like night and day when I switch cars. Halogens being night and Bi-Xenons being day. The added cornering halogen bulbs are very effective when turning into dark narrow streets, driveways, twisty wet snowy mountain roads, etc. The added light on the shoulder in deer country is priceless. For safety reasons alone, Bi-Xenon lights should be standard equipment. If some folks find them attractive in the daytime, that is a plus.

Wayne

omgitselaine

It's a 50k plus SUV and it has halogens as standard equipment ? Is there something wrong with this picture ? I had thought my 38K C was bad without standard HIDs but this hhhmmmmmm