Going to buy a ML350 on friday
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E350 4-Matic, GLE350, Harley Davidson Electra Glide
Gas, with my travels up to Canada and the type of driving I do, gas was the way to go for me. I drove one this morning to my home from the dealership to make sure it would fit in the garage and was getting 23mpg for the 10 mile local travel trip. Can't complain about that. Has some options I am not thrilled about such as the pre wiring for rear seat entertainment and panamara roof but I got a very fair deal and I am happy to have a new set of wheels
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From: East part of Texas
2017 CLS550
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Joined: Dec 2012
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E350 4-Matic, GLE350, Harley Davidson Electra Glide
I also agree with the "translucent" cover and that it opens both back and front. However, the wife really likes it so I went that way. I normally don't close the sunroof panels since here in the Northeast that isn't much of a problem.
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Joined: Nov 2013
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From: Tampa
ML350 Bluetec
The attached image shows the Attach File Window looks like. The window on the left side of this image opens up and you just "Browse" to the pictures you want to attach. When your done selecting images, press upload and they'll be uploaded to the thread.
Last edited by Chasvs; Dec 7, 2013 at 02:39 PM.
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From: Boston area
2019 GLS450
Gas, with my travels up to Canada and the type of driving I do, gas was the way to go for me. I drove one this morning to my home from the dealership to make sure it would fit in the garage and was getting 23mpg for the 10 mile local travel trip. Can't complain about that. Has some options I am not thrilled about such as the pre wiring for rear seat entertainment and panamara roof but I got a very fair deal and I am happy to have a new set of wheels
Nice pic w/ the E & the ML. At 23mpg in an suv, there was no wrong choice. Don't worry about the extra options, as you can tell, opinions on it are a mixed bag. Some who have wish they didn't. Then there's those like myself who don't have it & wish I did. As for the rear ent pre-wiring, I'm not sure how the option pkgs go now but when I got mine, it was part of the P2 pkg. I tried and tried to find some use of that wiring but bottom line I came to was that it can only be used for the Mercedes setup. So long story short, don't worry about it, you'll soon forget it's there. Congrats again!
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E350 4-Matic, GLE350, Harley Davidson Electra Glide
We went out to a dinner dance this evening and I managed to put on about 100 miles. The ML is very and having some fun trying to figure things out that are different from the E350. Still need to see how to control temp on both sides rather then left and right being set independent of each other. I am really liking being up higher but miss the cruise control line on the spedo that the E has. I noticed that there are things I like more then the E and some I like less. I ordered my HID kit and will have it installed but a really good shop in NJ. I really don't want to spend the time doing it and he did my E last year and they are perfect.
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From: Tampa
ML350 Bluetec
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Joined: Dec 2012
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E350 4-Matic, GLE350, Harley Davidson Electra Glide
I normally get the DDM kits when I do them myself and never had a problem with them. I have a local guy who did my E350 because I wanted to have a truly professional install since it is a MB. It appears to be an easy install just go thru the back of the fender well, take out the bulb cover, drill a hole in the cover and install the Error eliminator, the ballast and the bulb. I usually have issues finding an appropriate place to put the ballast so bringing it to someone who does it all the time makes for a very professional installation. As far as what is in your BT, just look at the owners manual and see what low beam bulb you use and pick up a kit. Mine is a H7. I believe there is a little clip that you have to install the bulb into before you put it into the housing. Since I didn't do the E last year, I really don't know if there is any difficulty. Being in Tampa, it is always warm so spending an hour outside on the ground getting this installed for you should be easy. It is getting cold here and for the little cost of having someone do it inside a facility is worth it for me. Another important thing about having someone do it, he stands behind his installations, has a lot high end customers and he only uses the best light units. He has a web site and I strongly suggest if you do anything and can utilize his skills, you do so.
https://www.facebook.com/LIGHTMODZ
https://www.facebook.com/LIGHTMODZ
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Joined: May 2008
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From: Maricopa, AZ
2012 S63, 2013 E350 Bluetec
I have a 2013 ML350 BT with pano in Lunar Blue and Cashmere interior. Absolutely love it. Drove it from southern Arizona to Montana over the 4th of July weekend and got very close to 30 mpg. Didn't want the pano, but wanted that color (had a 2012 C350 in the same color). This one was headed from the factory in Alabama to a southern California dealer and got diverted to my local dealer. It doesn't have the Active Driver Assistance option which will be a must on my next car. It does have the lane change warning (not active) and Parktronic which I've used a couple times (it's pretty cool). Would highly recommend the BT to anyone considering an SUV.
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Joined: Jul 2003
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From: Houston, Tx
2015 C63S
I think you'd found the BT has no issues with cold weather driving. As I said I know people in Canada with them. More I think about one in particular rotates between an ML350 BT, 335d and Jetta TDI, he has said it is rare he so much as has to wait for glow plugs to warm up.
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From: East part of Texas
2017 CLS550
I wanted to try diesel when I bought my 2012 only because I never had a diesel before and that was the only reason and not a very good one at that. I came very close to getting one just to experiment but as it turned out I decided to go with the gas version. The price of diesel where I live was/is anywhere between .10 to .40 per gallon higher than gas. I would not have minded that but the more I read about the benefits of diesel the more I determined that I would not utilize any of those benefits.
For example, diesel motors are said to last longer than gasoline engines. That may be true but since I only put on less than 10,000 miles per year on a car and trade for a new one every four or five years, that longevity factor does not come in to play. I seldom go more than 50,000 miles on a car and that is about when a diesel engine is just broken in. Diesel is great for long distance highway cruises where the low rpms soak up big chunks of miles effortlessly - but I do not take long trips in cars. I also do not haul anything or even own a trailer hitch and effortless towing is another benefit of a diesel engine.
If I did any of the above or if I was supremely concerned about miles per gallon, I probably would have tried the bluetech but under my driving conditions and habits I could not justify buying diesel only out of curiosity. The gas engine has been most reliable so far and I think I made a good choice with it. Either engine should be fine, last a long time and will probably be dependable. Which one is chosen should depend entirely on the driver's intended use and need.
For example, diesel motors are said to last longer than gasoline engines. That may be true but since I only put on less than 10,000 miles per year on a car and trade for a new one every four or five years, that longevity factor does not come in to play. I seldom go more than 50,000 miles on a car and that is about when a diesel engine is just broken in. Diesel is great for long distance highway cruises where the low rpms soak up big chunks of miles effortlessly - but I do not take long trips in cars. I also do not haul anything or even own a trailer hitch and effortless towing is another benefit of a diesel engine.
If I did any of the above or if I was supremely concerned about miles per gallon, I probably would have tried the bluetech but under my driving conditions and habits I could not justify buying diesel only out of curiosity. The gas engine has been most reliable so far and I think I made a good choice with it. Either engine should be fine, last a long time and will probably be dependable. Which one is chosen should depend entirely on the driver's intended use and need.
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From: Houston, Tx
2015 C63S
I wanted to try diesel when I bought my 2012 only because I never had a diesel before and that was the only reason and not a very good one at that. I came very close to getting one just to experiment but as it turned out I decided to go with the gas version. The price of diesel where I live was/is anywhere between .10 to .40 per gallon higher than gas. I would not have minded that but the more I read about the benefits of diesel the more I determined that I would not utilize any of those benefits.
For example, diesel motors are said to last longer than gasoline engines. That may be true but since I only put on less than 10,000 miles per year on a car and trade for a new one every four or five years, that longevity factor does not come in to play. I seldom go more than 50,000 miles on a car and that is about when a diesel engine is just broken in. Diesel is great for long distance highway cruises where the low rpms soak up big chunks of miles effortlessly - but I do not take long trips in cars. I also do not haul anything or even own a trailer hitch and effortless towing is another benefit of a diesel engine.
For example, diesel motors are said to last longer than gasoline engines. That may be true but since I only put on less than 10,000 miles per year on a car and trade for a new one every four or five years, that longevity factor does not come in to play. I seldom go more than 50,000 miles on a car and that is about when a diesel engine is just broken in. Diesel is great for long distance highway cruises where the low rpms soak up big chunks of miles effortlessly - but I do not take long trips in cars. I also do not haul anything or even own a trailer hitch and effortless towing is another benefit of a diesel engine.
I really do not believe diesel engines last any longer than modern gas engines. Even if they did in fact out last the gas ones, it is the rest of the car lasting that I question. In most cases it seems the engines outlast the cars or the patience and willingness of the original owner to keep it going down the road.
At the end of it all we each buy a car for whatever reasons/feelings we have. That is why manufacturers offer so many variations after all.
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E350 4-Matic, GLE350, Harley Davidson Electra Glide
I was talking with my older brother this morning and he was going on about diesels and how great they are but the bottom line for me and why I went with the gas was the type of driving I do and while I do a lot of long distance vacation travel, unless I am humping a lot of stuff on that trip, I am going to take the E350 anyway. As someone pointed out, if your watching every penny, don't get a Mercedes yet alone two of them. I am really starting to like sitting up above a lot of people and this morning I had an opportunity to drive the E350 in the snow (it was so, so mostly due to the tires) and the ML and the ML is like a tank. Of course the tires on the E350 are the MXM's which I don't think are any good in the snow, in particular wet snow at 33 deg. I don't think my x-ice2's would have done any good this morning. I think I am going to get a set of wheels and have the x-ice 2's on them for the winter
