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SUVs Mercedes Benz M-Class Mercedes-Benz M-class (ML320, ML350, ML500 and ML55) 2005 and earlier
8165 messages, Last post on Nov 19, 2009 at 5:29 AM
You are in the Mercedes Benz M-Class Forum. Your Hosts are steve_ & tidester
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I haven't tested the ML yet but I heard a funny story yesterday. A very good friend of mine who lives in the state of Illinois has a very good friend who works at a "multi-line" dealer. Two new ML's were delivered at the dealership and one sold quickly. The new owner brought it back the next day complaining that the brakes were not working correctly. The new ML owner had to really step on the brake pedal to get the vehicle to stop. The dealer found that the brake assist was not installed. After the shock wore off, they decided to take the brake assist off of the other new one so that the customer would not have to wait for the part to be ordered. They found it to be missing too. The dealer called another Mercedes dealer who also just had two new ML's delivered and both of those didn't have the brake assist installed. Somebody was asleep on the assembly line in Tuscaloosa, AL! Mark
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Replying to: mark156 (Mar 30, 2005 8:08 am)
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Replying to: untrue (Apr 01, 2005 7:11 pm) tidester, host |
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I promise, I'm not trolling. If I hear any more info on the new ML story, I'll pass it on. Mark |
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Yep, drove it and liked it...The packaging of options blows though. The sport package includes an interior made up of alcantara and MB tex.... aka vinyl... seats. You cannot get a full leather interior unless you spend $50k. The "comfort" package includes leather inserts for the front seats only, vinyl for coach class. I cannot believe the poor gas mileage with the 7-speed transmission. The epa is 16/20. For what it is worth, the brakes worked just fine... |
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Stopped by my local Mercedes dealer today and they had 5 new ML's. Having a 2002 ML500, I still would like to have the 3rd seat. As all of you know, the third seat will not be offered on the 2006 ML, it will be in the new "R-class". But, the "R-class" will be a six passenger... with three rows of bucket seats (two in each row). So, I'll wait to see what it looks like when it comes out. I most likely will trade at the end of this year for a 2006 SUV or wagon. The Range Rover LR3 is a strong contender as is the R-class, Lincoln Navigator and maybe the large Lexus SUV if they update the style. Mark |
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| I think MB is making a big mistake by not offering a third row option for the new M-class. Going to the R-class is not a practical option for many buyers. The R-class has three rows but only accommodates one more passenger, with its 2+2+2 seating. It has no off-road pretensions and is big -- longer than an S-class. It's likely to be significantly more expensive than the M-class too. | |
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wmquan, what bothers me about the R-class is that it might look too close to the Chrysler Pacifica. If it looks even the slightest bit like the Chrysler, it's a goner in my book. I agree, I wish the ML would offer the third seat. Even though it takes up a good bit of space with the side hanging seats, it sure comes in handy when you need them. I keep my ML at my California home and it is mandatory that everyone be in a seat belt by law. I was stopped once when I had a Jeep Grand Cherokee; a friend jumped in the back area because there were six of us and only seating for five. The policeman said he wouldn't give us a ticket this time (saw out of state plates) but just to be careful because everyone must be in a seatbelt. That's why a third seat is a top priority for me. Mark
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Replying to: mark156 (Apr 03, 2005 8:55 pm) Looks are of course subjective. But I think the R-class looks like some strange hybrid of a Pacifica, a long wagon, and a minivan, IMHO. While it's based on a stretched 2006 M-class platform, it drops the SUV pretense. http://www.mbusa.com/microsite/gst/index.jsp As for why the new M-class doesn't have a third row, I guess there are a few theories. 1) MB will offer it eventually, just not upon introduction. 2) With the new unibody construction, MB couldn't figure out a way to place the third row in a mid-sized SUV, and still achieve the safety level they require in their designs. The current M-class's frame is designed to withstand a very large amount of impact without letting the third row collapse. Perhaps they couldn't do this with the new M-class. OTOH, Volvo seems to have pulled it off with the XC90. So this reasoning is purely conjecture and I don't necessarily believe it. 3) MB doesn't want to hurt sales of the R-class. 4) MB doesn't want to hurt sales of the next-gen G-class, which is also based on a stretched 2006 M-class platform. 5) Various combinations of the above. Looking at the pricing, it seems that a fairly well-equipped 2006 will cost about $4k more than the previous one. Scheduled maintenance is not included so that hurts too. ML350's with options will cost $50k to $57k depending on how well you load it up. That's pretty high pricing territory. |
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