Picking up the ML this evening
 

After 3 weeks of waiting she is ready to be picked-up. So now what are the first things I need to do and what to buy? Is it worth while buying the extended warranty now or later? Tire replacement insurance? pre-paid maintenance? what do you folks think?

I didn't take / buy any of the added offerings. For what they cost I can pay for a lot of parts, wheels and service.

The tire/wheel insurance might be worth it. Normall I would not have boght it, but glad I did when I brushed one wheel against a curb. They had it sent out for repair and the repair looks like new.

Seems the extended warrant can wait a few years. You might want something else before the warranty you get runs out.

Then again, I bought an extended warranty on a SL I own, about a year plus ago, and I traded that SL in on a CL, and they pro-rated the money I expended on that extended warranty and 'the checks in the mail' they said.

I bought those three because:

I have had flats that needed to be replaced because our condo garage exit goes past the contractors parking area and the dumpsters, so there can be broken glass and screws around (stupidly). Thats almost $400/tire installed.

2. I keep my cars a long time and I wouldn't have a Benz without an MB ELW.

3. I'm going to have to pay for the maintenance anyway, so I might as well take the discount by paying up front. :nix:

I like the tire and wheel replacement coverage. Seems pretty reasonably priced and comes in handy if hitting a pot hole.

I passed on the prepaid maintenance - while I will only have the ML serviced at the dealer, after having the service dept. price out the individual 10/20/30/40k services, I didn't see where there was enough savings to bother paying for it all up front.

Other things I'd recommend purchasing:

*assuming the 2015 ML's still have the cheap plastic door pins, replace them (at least the fronts) with the AMG pins - there are several threads on this topic.

*since you're in Vancouver, I'd definitely recommend getting all-weather mats (and the trunk liner/tray as well), if you didn't already order these.

*if you have a trailer hitch, this was a nice little addition I picked up on Amazon:

None of the above.

Just got the car and boy it is so much nicer to drive compared to the glk. I only got the 4 years prepaid maintenance. I just realized that the car always starts at 1st gear. I thought all MB cars that has the 7 speed slushbox starts at 2nd gear. Do you guys have the same thing?

Yup. Always 1st gear from a complete stop.

Which model ML did you get?

Yes. There's no C/S button.

I got one of the last stock of 2014 350 gas. Got a pretty good deal on it. I tried liking the diesel but after crunching all the numbers for the long haul the gas made sense on my part. I do feel a little intimidated on the road as it is darn wide and I am afraid I might scrape it on another vehicle or to the curb as the roads here in Vancouver are not as wide as in the South of the border. It feels wider than my honda odyssey though.

you are right with that one! I was looking for it as well. So does that mean the shifting pattern is always sport then or would it be controlled by the sport/comfort setting of the airmatic? what i do notice is that there is not a lot of throttle lag compared to my previous GLK and current c-class. Is it because the car is darn heavy that MB decided to scrap that setting to make the truck feel not sluggish?

BTW....

When does the DI 3.5 engine becomes broken-in and see FC to come down? I am getting 13L/100KM which is the same as on my ex-GLK which had 29K on the motor.

My 350 was delivered Nov 11 2014, and now has 1200 miles on it (12/24/2014). At delivery it delivered 10 MPG for a couple of days, and about a week later increased the MPG regularly to now 18 MPG around town. I am also driving more aggressively now as opposed to gentle acceleration w/ gentle braking (like a normal driver).

The transmission sounds to me to be shifting as a manual does, with a brief "pause" during smooth shifts... not the same way my 2007 E550 did with a imperceptible shift during constant acceleration. I never liked the shifting in my 2004 E500 and 2007 E550... to me it seemed that MB never quite got the programming & hardware just right in those transmissions. Thats why over the years they changed the programming so that every time you started the newer Es and Cs, they defaulted to C (6 speed mode), and you had to select 7 speed mode manually after each start. I don't miss or need the button. I can modulate my acceleration by my foot, and I don't do any stump pulling. It looks like this transmission is sorted out.

When do you see the transmission shift to D7? I hit 100kph a few times and only saw that it was on D6.

I am getting 15l-16.5l/100 km (18.8-17.1mpg) right now. Car has 230km virgin clicks on it. Do you have the new 3L turbo on your car or the DI 3.5L?

I do wish the ambient LED light inside can be turned into Red color.

To your original question. I got the following
1. 3 years prepaid maintenance. I needed it anyway and for agreeing to buy it up front I got another bump down on my apr.
2 purchased the wheel and tire warranty. Well worth it. My car has 20" wheels and I'm afraid to hit a bump and rather than dish out $1200 for a new wheel x amount of times I just got the protection. We already had to use it once because my wife curbed a rim. They did an excellent job.
3. I replaced my door pins w AMG ones. They make the interior look much nicer. Got knockoffs on eBay for less than $50. Figured Imwould try those before dishing out $250 for a genuine set. You can't tell the difference. Really happy w this setup.
4. In my deal I got them to throw in the all weather mats. I did however have to buy the cargo liner myself.
5. Some may or may not like this but since I have AMG wheels I got the AMG valve stem caps for the wheels. I really like how it finishes off.

Good luck and nice pickup.

W

I've been told by MB Techs over the years that If you have TPMS you shouldn't be using metal valve stem caps. :nix:

...also, If you got a bump down is APR for buying something extra, that means that you qualified for a lower rate by your credit score, but your dealer's F&I guy arbitrarily decided not to give you the lowest rate you qualified for on his computer screen when you sat in front of him, but bumped you up.... All water under the bridge now, but remember that the next time you buy a new car.

Apply for a car loan on line to see what you qualify for before hand just for comparison, and know your credit score in advance and what "tier" (rate class) you fall into for dealer financing. Also there is a difference between MBUSA financing and Dealer Financing. A dealer throws financing to certain Banks he deals with for additional profits on your financing too.

These are just things to know from now on. Don't dwell on them now.

Do you have run-flats on your vehicle? If you do, I strongly advise you to get the tire insurance; once they have a puncture, they need to be replaced.

Personally, I had 9 tires replaced over a period of two years (how unlucky). The tire insurance cost me $240 over two years while the tires would've cost me $5400. Well worth it in my opinion.

My dealer always throws in the all-weather mats for free; try to have you dealer comp them or throw in some other extras for free.

Thank you
 

Thank you for the advice. I usually pay 0.9 or 1.9 on my cars. MB was openly advertising 2.99% in Sept when I purchased so I don't think they were doing anything shady. I really do think they just knocked off another half a percent to get me to buy the warranty. I was getting the 2.99% and they lowered it to 2.49%. Either way, like you said, I don't dwell on things like that. As long as I feel like I got a good deal that's all that matters.

As far as the metal valve stem caps, I have used them for years. I have never had an issue w them. The ones on my ML are genuine MB. I don't think they would sell them if it caused damage.

W

The Odyssey is significantly wider and always has been. Maybe the minvan's sharply angled and short nose made it seem not that wide.

Not true. Common nail punctures in the tread can be patched the same as any other tire provided it has not been run flat for an extended time.

The information I mentioned was provided by my service advisor, hence the reason why he suggested for my to switch to conventional tires after the term of tire insurance and order a pump and tirefit kit.

However, note the latter part of your sentence: provided it has not been run flat for an extended time. I really doubt anyone with run flat tires who has a puncture is really going to call a tow truck. After all, the point of run flats is to drive after a loss of pressure. What's the chance of having a flat within a kilometre of the dealership and are you really going to pull into a gas station every 5-10 minutes and reinflate? I think the mentality of an average consumer is to get into the shop asap.

I wasn't trying to misinform the OP. I just wanted to provide my insight and my personal experiences. Given the number of construction sites around Vancouver, I think it would be a wise decision to purchase the tire insurance. After all, it's only 5-10 dollars a month depending on how much you can talk them down.

I skipped the tire insurance as I only had 1 flat in the past 3 years. Also they are asking for $1499 for 60 months coverage so I said no to it. I would be able to buy a full set of tires + road hazard insurance with that amount. I have not seen a deep pot hole here in my area and most of the rim damage will be caused by the wife who will scrape the curb and that wont cover it anyway. Floor trays and trunk tray was included on the deal. I also managed to salvage my GLK's accessories (cargo net, trunk net divider, tire pump) and they fit perfectly on the ML.

I have a spare 20" 5 spoke AMG rim that came from my GLK. It is only 8.5" wide but offset if 44. Would the stock tires be okay with that rim?

I'm sorry to hear about the loss of your GLK, I hope you enjoy your new ML for the years to come.

I've never experienced rim damage from potholes in Vancouver and Greater Vancouver. I regularly visit construction sites so that may explain the number of flats I've had.

Regarding the GLK rims, I'm afraid I can't help you. It's best if you ask your dealer or service advisor for that.

Funny is I always go construction sites every week for 8 years already and never had a nail on my tires. My GLK had a flat wh

Funny is I always go construction sites every week for 8 years already and never had a nail on my tires. My GLK had a flat when the wife used it to go to work. I might just mount the GLK rim and see if it will work.