Ordered 2013 ML 350 with following options:

Lunar Blue Metallic/Almond Beige
P1 Pkg
Lighting Pkg
Lane Tracking Pkg
Harmon Kardon Music
Keyless Go
Ambient Lighting with Illuminated Front door sills
Running Boards
wood/leather steering wheel
Entertainment Pre-wiring

I am just wondering about getting 20" wheels or not? Does it make a lot of difference with 20" wheels? standard ones are 19inch, not sure if it is worth spending 750$ for a inch bigger rims.

Are there any disadvantages with 20" wheels in terms of handling, gas millage, drive smoothness etc...your feedback is appreciated...

Where are you located (add to your profile)? 20s are far better looking (at least the twin-spoke) and come with 10mm wider tires. Ride is still good. Main downside would be if your planning on installing Winter tires on same rims, as 19s would be better for snows.

Any one have an idea how much the ride would be different on a 21" instead of 19 oe 20?
I have ordered 21" ( had to as they could not place the ordered with 20" at that time )
I like the look of the 21" ...but not sure if the ride will be more rough/sporty!
I am nor sure if they are low profile and will be not as soft/smooth.
I have gone for the active air suspension ...that may compensate .
Any thoughts folks?

I have the Airmatic and 20s, same as Greg's. I run on the "sport" setting (firmer than "comfort" setting) exclusively, and the ride is fine. Not harsh at all. Softer than your average BMW in fact.

Tire pressures are critical with low profiles such as the 20s. Couple of psi up or down make a big difference in the ride. I run 36 rear 35 front (cold). The 21s should handle great while giving an acceptable ride once the tire pressures are sorted out.

Thanks for your reply Greg. I live in Central PA, we see snow some times during the winter. But changing to winter tires won't be necessary.

i am just curious as to why you ordered the entertainment pre wiring. I am not sure if you are aware of this or not but the front passenger memory seat option is now a stand alone ordering option for MY13 and afaik no longer part of the rear sear entertainment pre wiring.

Brian

Thanks for pointing out this Brian, I actually ordered for the purpose of front passenger memory seat option. Even SA did not tell me about this, and MBUSA.com doesn't show this option at all? Doesn't this wiring help in any way? Like connecting third party DVD system easily without pulling wires from dashboard?

Do you know what is 980 Accesory Chrome Pkg by chance?

Option 980 is the chrome door handle surrounds and chrome fins on the hood

Here is the code just in case:

242 Passenger Seat w/Memory & Lumbar Support (SPC) $ 365

If you have no other special order items then basically you are paying $365 + $250 for it.

First congratulations on the truck. the lunar blue / almond color scheme is going to be absolutely beautiful. That is the color combo i will be doing as well when i place my order for a ML550 within the next two weeks. i will be coming out of a 2007 capri blue / macadamia ML350. i still love the color combo and the new one will be a different shade of blue and beige so it will be the same yet different. My dealer happened to have a capri blue left over sitting next to a lunar blue C class and i can say the lunar blue looks a lot better than the capri blue.


980 is the chrome fins on the hood that go on the hood by the air vents as well as the chrome door handle inserts.

the prewiring packaging is absolutely useless unless you intend on having your dealer install the mercedes brand monitors behind the front seat headrests in the future. it will not give you the ability to add or use a third party system. it is something you may want to remove from your order.

if you want the passenger seat memory you need to add the following to your order it is the only way you will get the memory seat

Code 242 Passenger Seat w/Memory & Lumbar Support (Special Order) $ 365

It is a special order item that doesn't show on the website build configurator. there is a one time special order charge of $250 no matter how many special order items you add.

I also recommend you have the MB Tex/Artico wrapped dash added to your order. it comes standard in the 550 but is an option for the 350 it really adds to the interior look of the truck and i cannot recommend it enough. there are many members here on the group that have added it to their 350's if you want to see pictures

it is code U09 – MB-Tex Wrapped Dashboard (Special Order) - $300

I agree with Greg, the 20's are much better looking.

They also fill the wheel well gap better, IMO go with the 20's..

Good Luck

Brian, first of all thanks a lot for giving such a good suggestions...I will definitely check about U09. What would be color of dashboard with MB-Tex/Artico? Will that be of same color which normally comes with Almond Beige interior?

Where can I find all the available special order items? Is there any manual related to it?

Does this 980 Accessory Chrome Pkg look good at all? My SA has selected that option without asking me :-). Hopefully these Chrome hood fins/Chrome door handle inserts doesn't look ugly on a lunar blue exterior. Appreciate if someone can post the pics of any ML with 980 Accessory Chrome Pkg.

Thanks everyone for valuable suggestions.

Satish

I think the 20s are the best compromise between looks and ride. Although totally agreed about maintaining the right pressure. I found that filling the tires with Nitrogen rather than plain air helps keep them inflated longer at the right pressure. I'm told that is because Nitrogen is a larger molecule than oxygen, so it can't seep out as easily. Nitrogen supposedly has other benefits, which you can read about here: http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars...stions/4302788

I wonder what others think about using Nitrogen.

the dash will be the same colors except it will have a leather like appearance with contrast stitching opposed to the hard plastic that is standard on the 350

the 980 chrome accents really make the truck stand out from the crowd but at the same time are subtle enough to not be gordy and blingy looking. if you want my honest opinion with the darker hue of lunar blue i would leave it on the order and i intend to have it my own build. it looks fantastic. if you inbox me or reply back with your email i can supply you with photos or i can just post some in here later on.

Yes, there are documents i can supply you with related to the special order items some of which are the memory passenger seat, rear cargo management system, active ventilated seats, active curve system, and a $6,400 1200 watt Bang & Olufsen sound systems to name a few. There is a bunch of stuff that is not listed anywhere on the MBUSA web site.

Thanks Brian, here is my email I'd satish_nama@yahoo.com

Nitrogen is good if you can get it free or cheaply, but not worth spending much for - how hard is it to check your tire pressure once a month? It will not alter ride quality. Biggest thing is to follow the tire pressure on the fuel filler door, not on the driver's A-pillar. 32/36-38 is fine for lightly loaded.

My SA called me this morning and says, the ML 350 orders with 20 inch wheels will be delayed till end of this year.

Now, this is why I didn't change my order to a '13!

Does anyone have a 21 inch on an ML 350 or is that way too much wheel???

Sport setting all the time? That's amazing. I have Airmatic and AMG 20s on an MY13 ML550. I find sport mode so rough, it makes me nauseous almost immediately.feel every bump of the road. It's nothing like my X5, far worse. So while its does allow 'corner flat" turns, I find Soort mode virtually useless... even at lower tire pressure.

What are the experiences of others I wonder?

Even though I drive an '08 M3 with Dinan springs & 19s on a daily basis, I must admit that the ML's Sport setting is too stiff for that. It's fine on smooth highways and great on curving roads at speed, but around town, not so much.

That's an optical illusion, as the tires are the same OD as 19s, becuase of the lower aspect ratio tires.

I have 21" on both MLs, OEM. Ride is very firm, especially since both trucks have AIRMATIC. On steel suspension the ride would be significantly better.

I have 20s with 295 rubber, ride quality is great. Handling is amazing for a truck-its like I am glued to the roads. Of course snow performance is not as good as before the upgrade but I had no problem during this winter in New England, and we got a lot of snow this year-I didnt shovel once!


Had no problem getting out of the parking spot ever(ML is next to the white van)

Here is before the 20s:


and after:

I have the AMG 21's (see photo). They look better IMO, than the 20's. I have airmatic and find the ride fine for normal use. The Sport setting can get a little harsh over rough road surfaces but then I only use it when pushing hard on country lanes.