I'm thinking about buying ML 350 and have a couple of questions. Since I never own a ML 350 before, how easy is it do the maintenance yourself? Do I just change the oil and tires like my Lexus and drive until the wheels far off? I never own a European cars before due to reliability but I'm tired of driving Lexus. Is the new ML350 reliable, any current issues? Since I'm planning to drive about 20k miles per year, reliability is very important to me and not planning to pay $300 bucks for a oil change / 5 miles interval service at the dealership. You think I should stick to the Japanese brand for my life style?

 

If you come to this board with such a question you will most likely receive rave reviews of the Benz. If you go to the Lexus board you will probably hear people bash the ML in favor of their brand. I know because in the spring of last year I was in the same boat as you are in and I read everything I could at the various boards, forums, websites and magazines about the Lexus SUVs, the SRX and the ML350, which were my three SUV finalists. The reviews were everywhere with problems galore as well as accolades for each of them. In the end I settled for the ML350 and I am glad I did.

I did all the research and determined the ML fit my style better. In the end I decided I did not like the chiseled look of the Cadillac in white (I really wanted a white car and my ML Diamond White is stunning). The Lexus looked good in white (all their SUVs do) but not as good as the ML. When I got behind the wheel I felt at home with the Lexus and it drove very well. But when I got behind the wheel of the ML it was like night and day. I not only felt I was at home, I felt like I was in my own recliner at home. I felt solid and secure, much more so than in the Lexus. The presence of the ML, the way it stood at rest and the way it moved made it look like a heavy weight boxer compared to the Lexus, which in comparison looked like the light weight. This feeling was demonstrated to me time and again as I noticed all the Lexus and MLs being driven all around me. There were ten Lexus to each ML so the issue of exclusiveness would not be applicable to the Lexus - it was like you were driving a Civic because there were so many of them. And besides that, I noticed about 90% of them were being driven by women - make of that as you will. The ML stood out to me as a more manly yet comfortable car to me, for lack of a better term.

As far as maintenance is concerned, I have always done my own for some fifty years of car/truck ownership. This time, however, I opted for the 3 year maintenance agreement even though for the first three years it is nothing more than fluids, filters and various checks. I did so because it was only $769, which although expensive by most standards for the service you get, it is inflation proof (price can not go up on you) and good at any dealer in the nation. But more than that I have heard that if your car blows up or something MB will try to find where you made a mistake in your own service. On the other hand, if service was done by MB, they will stand by you better than most concerning warranty issues. Fortunately for me, so far I have not had to verify that.

Also, the oil is a Mobil One Euro blend synthetic and you can't find it everywhere. Even if you do it will cost around eight bucks a quart. The oil filter can not be bought at the store as it is a proprietary part sold by the dealer (which means it is probably very expensive). I also would have to buy an electric oil extractor unless I wanted to crawl under the car and unbolt about a dozen screws holding a protection plate to get to the oil pan. At my age now I have no intention of crawling under cars the way I use to. All things considered, I just decided to bite the bullet and let MB take care of the first three years for me. And so far, so good.

If you get an ML be sure to come back and tell us about it and give us your impressions - and be sure to post photos. Good luck!

 

Very sound post by shortspark - also annual/10K maintenance gives the dealer the opportunity to update the electronic coded systems in the car.. also sign up for Mercedes Owners Online which gives you email notification when bulletins/updates come up for your MB..

 

I have a 13' ML350 and a 11' Lexus GX460.
From my experience, the Lexus is far more reliable and has a more solid build quality than the Benz, never had an issue in the last 03 years.
Cant say the same about the ML in only a few months of Ownership.

 

Just picked up '14 ML 350 bluetec. I am considering of getting the maintenance plan as well. Where did you get your plan?

 

You can shop various dealers for the best deal. Because you can obtain the maintenance plan at any time (right up to the day your A service is due) you have plenty of time to make inquiries. Do it by email or phone so you don't have to run all over the place, get your best price and take it to the dealer closest to you or the one you select to do your servicing.

The dealer you select will most likely match the best price you found. Chances are the service department of the place you bought your car will send you a letter within a month or two offering you their best deal (that is what they did in my case and it was $769 for a gas version ML). I took the letter to my closest dealer (not the one I bought it from) and they matched the price although they originally had quoted me a hundred dollars more than that.

Another thing to consider is convenience if the dealers in your area won't budge on their prices and you prefer to receive maintenance from the dealer that sold you the plan. It might be worth paying a little extra for their individual "perks". For example, I live well out in the country about 35 miles from the nearest dealer and 140 miles from the next nearest dealer (where I bought my car). The "local" dealer will come out to pick up my car and drop off a loaner in my driveway. When the job is done they will return it all washed and clean inside and out. You will never know they came until you notice how clean the car is now. That saves me time and money but not all dealerships do that. They will wash my car anytime I am in town for free and while I wait. One day I brought the car in for a quick job and they offered to drive me to a restaurant for lunch and pick me up when I called them I was ready. As you can see, you should look for the "perks" that some dealers offer that are in addition to the standard pre-paid plan itself. Keep in mind that your BT pre-paid maintenance plan may cost more than my gas version.