hey guys.

me and my girlfriend are looking to upgrade an car to an Ml-350.

the problem is I came to this, I found 3 M-class.

first one is 2014 ML350 4-Matic with 92k miles for $21k
second one is CPO 2015 ML350 4-Matic with 88k for $26k
third one is an 2014 ML550 4-Matic with 55k for $25k

they are look fairly clean, no rust.

the ML350, the 14 has less option but is price almost 5k cheaper with 4k more miles vs the 15 one has less miles but more option and CPO.
the 550 is nice, very low miles for the year but less option.

is it worth more to pick up the cpo one over the non cpo one? I read the motors on these are strong, as Long as you do the maintenance on it.

what do you guys think?

 

If you go with the ML350, I would definitely go to the 2015 CPO since it gives you one year of unlimited mileage warranty. I purchased a 2015 CPO in 2016 and it has been very reliable. It now has approx 76,000 mile. It still has the original battery and brakes. I just replaced the shocks and struts. You should research the info on CPO warranty and see what it covers. It does not cover wear items like brakes. Its a good warranty but it you need to be aware of its limits. The 350 is very reliable .

As for the 2014 ML550, that thing is a horse, it has the V8 engine and the 2014 was the last year they made that particular model. It is a gas hog and will be more expensive to maintain and operate but boy does it have the power. You can do a search on the ML550.

2015 ML is the one I would chose .

One thing I wish my 2015 had was backup/parking sensors and the surround camera. The ML is a big vehicle and my wife really wishes it had them. All ML come with a back up camera, but sensors and surround camera was an option.

Not sure if you are familiar with Mercedes but leather is an option not standard. Most ML come with Mer Tex, which is a hight grad vinyl and a lot of people prefer it. It is bullet proof. You can tell by it has the perforated holes in the seat whereas the leather seats are smooth.

also, somewhere in this site is a VIN lookup. You just plug in the VIN and it will tell you all the options on the car.

Keep us posted on your decision.

 

If the options and the maintenance schedule is similar then the ML550 is the better value. It is a higher end model that essentially has two years less wear on it compared to the other cars. Be aware though the V8 twin turbo in the 550 gives more power but it comes with more complexity to the engine and ongoing maintenance as mentioned. For me an extra $5K for a 1 year CPO warranty is not worth it because you would really need a major breakdown in the engine or transmission to break even or come out ahead on it. Even replacing ECU at the dealer should be less than $2K. I personally would go with the 2014 ML and put $5K in a savings account (Either right now or over the next year or so) as a backup for major work.

 

The V6 engine is very good. The V8 will have higher fuel consumption and maintenance cost (oil, spark plugs, air filters).

Buy the newest and lowest mileage vehicle in your price range.

I would avoid the V8, it’s showing itself to have some troubling higher mileage issues (piston scuffing) that require engine replacement.

 

well, look like ghd cpo one is sold. they email me back this morning

the two im looking it is either the ml550 with lower mileage vs the ml350.. the 350 is about 92k miles. vs 55k for the 550

 

Don't buy a diesel. The 550 will have major expenses when things go wrong.

 

stick with an ml350 gas?

 

Yes, the ML350 3.5L V6 gasoline has arguably the most reliable MB engine in 10+ years.

 

im going to look at the 2014 one this week, they are asking $20.5k + TTL. good price for it?

 

contrary to what you'll mainly read here, the ML250 is the one to find. MB made it in the US one year: 2015. It has the same bulletproof (smaller) diesel that the fleet of Sprinter vans use. You know, the ones that are plugging away with 500k+ miles on them.

It'll be tough to find, but worth it's weight in gold, has none of the problems the v6 diesel has, AND if you find one that not goes thru the AEM recall, you can have it done at no cost as a dealer which will give you even MORE warranty in addition to the CPO.

That is why the 250's are so tough to find, and have not dropped in value compared to the rest of the, starting to age, w166 fleet.

 

Hi; I purchased my 2014 ML350 Bluetec 4 Matic 2.5 yrs ago. Was a present to myself after my divorce 😁. I absolutely love the Diesel's torque. Its amazingly quick, and the fuel economy is quite impressive. I am averaging around 8 liters/ 100km ( about 30mpg- I am in Canada). I purchased it with 50, 000 km( 30000 miles)
and have had no problems what so ever. Now I am at 60000 miles. I have a check engine light. Purchased an OBD scanner and after checking the code on this site its looking
like a costly repair; maybe...if its not covered under warranty.
My biggest disappointment is the dealer experience.
The mechanics seem great, but the service managers not so much. Canada's dealer network may not be as extensive as in the USA, so the local dealer kinda has you by the " Cohones". You cannot get any work done without leaving it for at least a day. Wanted to get the code issue ( P203D) checked by the dealer and they are booking out for next month. They won't even drive me back to my place as a courtesy.
I do a lot of my own maintenance, oil changes, filters ( 6 in total). But the day will come when you will need to or want to
go to the dealer. Be prepared to pay. A lot.
I sometimes wonder if I would have been better off with a gas V6 vs. Diesel V6. Both apparently have the same tow rating, 7200 lbs.
Recommend if you buy go with CPO. Better finance rates, plus warranty. I have the AMG package( appearance package) and tow kit, see if you can get that too, very happy with both. I have the airmatic suspension- I think it would be a good idea for towing.
Suggest you find a garage or mechanic that is not an MB dealer- I have had better experience and faster service.
Overall I absolutely love my MB. But you have to be prepared
for what goes along with that. This forum is a godsend, and for DIY so is Youtube. Lots of good stuff on both!
Best of Luck!

 

you have the vin diagram of worst case scenario (location included) for your truck. Airmatic + the more problematic diesel + out of the cpo warranty + canada. Dump it while you can.

 

luckily for me, my friend is an mechanic and they special in MB products.

I have a friend that works at an dealer and he be going to an auction to look for one this week. so we shall see.

 

My wife drives a 2010 ML350, just turned 80,000 miles, aside from it being her daily driver it has been our "trip" car. Daily driver less than 5 miles as a Trip car it has run up and down the east coast. Has been extremely reliable and in the 11 years we have owned it, I don't think we have spent $3000 in repairs., for small stupid stuff - Passenger mirror motor, rear tail light electrical issues , last 2 years we have some high maintenance cost but the car is 11 years old and nothing out of the normal ex just has the original spark plugs replace this July.

Car is comfortable, reliable and can carry a ton of stuff

 

Hi All, just a follow up to my earlier post. I had a ton of work done under the class action lawsuit. New , cat, def heater, sensors etc. a long list. Paid not 1 cent. The lawsuit put $3K in my pocket to boot. Now at 150, 000km, my 2014 ML350 Bluetec running like a charm. No issues, no engine lights, everything 10/10. Fuel economy is the same as it always was, or at least I do not notice any major change. Happy motoring all!