hawk20
MB Enthusiast
ML350cdi – brief review.
By January this year my ML350cdi Sport (W164) had completed 37,000 miles and had reached 3 years old. I bought it at 18 months old, one private owner, 18k miles, approved used, from an MB dealer, with full MB service history. I also met the previous owner who had had a trouble-free 18 months needing only the annual service after a year and 12k miles.
I had to scour the country to get the spec I wanted (used MB search engine) as both wife and I drive the car regularly so I really wanted memory seats. Found the right one in Kings Lynn (250 miles away) but they said immaculate and the price was good. Bit of trust needed but it lived up to expectations and I had right of refusal.
RELIABILTY. The only fault in the first 37k miles has been the EIS (electronic ignition system) which occasionally meant you had to turn the key a few times before anything happened. An intermittent fault. They changed it under guarantee and no problems since. Everything else has behaved perfectly.
SERVICING. I like the service plan which for the ML cost £36 per month which works out at 3.5p per mile and included brake fluid change at 2 years, and ATF change at 37k miles. We all moan about servicing costs but really it’s a small part of the total cost of motoring.
BRAKES I had read that MLs, notably the older ones, are pretty heavy on brake pads. But after 36k miles the original pads are still fine and the discs as well. I do few long runs nowadays, mainly twisty turny stuff locally, and so this was a pleasant surprise. BTW the brakes are powerful, nicely progressive, and not at all heavy to operate.
GEARBOX We drove to Cornwall for a motoring holiday the week after I got the ML and with our two dogs and loads of luggage the big-estate-car nature of the ML proved its worth. I found an occasional lumpy gear-change from the 7 speed box a bit annoying so when we got back I went to MB Southampton and they said there was a September 2011 software update available. They did the update free and since then the gear-changes have been impeccable. Really worth having this done.
ECONOMY For a 3 litre engined, 2.5 ton lump the economy is pretty remarkable. Locally I get 27 mpg without much effort and on a run, not straying much above 70, I get 33mpg.
COMFORT I find the ML the most comfortable of all the cars I have owned. The high driving position suits my bad back just fine; the seats are excellent, the legroom is ample (which with 33 inch inside leg I rarely say about any car) and even in the back the seats are really comfortable.
FUNCTION The boot space is huge –biggest in class- and the ground clearance means pulling off-road in the New Forest and elsewhere, to walk our dogs, creates none of the problems of crunched front air dams we have had with other cars. And it pulls off mud, snow and the rest as though it is not there.
LOOKS I like the rugged looks, and the fact that it is one of the more distinctive of MBs recent designs.
DRIVING The 3 litre diesel is so quiet you have to pinch yourself to believe you aren’t imagining it.
The power is all you could sensibly hope for, hurling 2.5 tons from 0-62 in around 8 seconds (or 7.2 seconds for the last of the W164s)
The deep-throated rumble of the V6 when accelerating is to my ears a lovely sound.
The ride is excellent -a big improvement over earlier models- very like a large saloon car.
Tall she may be, but the ML is not as big as she looks - in fact about 8 inches shorter than the E estate we had before, which helps parking. Parktronic is great.
The steering is just the right weight for my taste with plenty of feedback and good self centering.
Grip to accelerate out of wet and slippery corners is amazing with 4wd.
To my surprise all four tyres wore evenly and I did 30k miles on a set of Continentals.
INTERIOR I usually like leather but the Sport model comes standard with Artico and Alcantara. I have been surprised by how well it looks, how incredibly easy it is to keep clean and most of all by how well it has kept its shape. In fact the whole of the interior looks like new after 3 years and 37k miles.
CONCLUDE
Loved it.
Have I tried the new model? Yes. Stupidly drove the (W166) ML250cdi last July and was impressed. I was offered over 50% of what mine cost new, in part-ex against the new 250cdi ML despite the long waiting list (about 6 months) and they would hold the price till delivery occurred. Deal agreed and I have recently taken delivery of the ML250BlueTEC. Will report when I’ve had it a while.
Footnote
Original ML 1998 to 2005 was called the W163 series. Then came the W164 (as reviewed above) from 2005 to 2011. Then confusingly the new model is the W166 from 2012.
Mercedes claim best in class economy of 44.5mpg combined for the ML250 BlueTEC (and only £170 VED) and 39.6 mpg from the new 350 BlueTec. Amazing if true …….
By January this year my ML350cdi Sport (W164) had completed 37,000 miles and had reached 3 years old. I bought it at 18 months old, one private owner, 18k miles, approved used, from an MB dealer, with full MB service history. I also met the previous owner who had had a trouble-free 18 months needing only the annual service after a year and 12k miles.
I had to scour the country to get the spec I wanted (used MB search engine) as both wife and I drive the car regularly so I really wanted memory seats. Found the right one in Kings Lynn (250 miles away) but they said immaculate and the price was good. Bit of trust needed but it lived up to expectations and I had right of refusal.
RELIABILTY. The only fault in the first 37k miles has been the EIS (electronic ignition system) which occasionally meant you had to turn the key a few times before anything happened. An intermittent fault. They changed it under guarantee and no problems since. Everything else has behaved perfectly.
SERVICING. I like the service plan which for the ML cost £36 per month which works out at 3.5p per mile and included brake fluid change at 2 years, and ATF change at 37k miles. We all moan about servicing costs but really it’s a small part of the total cost of motoring.
BRAKES I had read that MLs, notably the older ones, are pretty heavy on brake pads. But after 36k miles the original pads are still fine and the discs as well. I do few long runs nowadays, mainly twisty turny stuff locally, and so this was a pleasant surprise. BTW the brakes are powerful, nicely progressive, and not at all heavy to operate.
GEARBOX We drove to Cornwall for a motoring holiday the week after I got the ML and with our two dogs and loads of luggage the big-estate-car nature of the ML proved its worth. I found an occasional lumpy gear-change from the 7 speed box a bit annoying so when we got back I went to MB Southampton and they said there was a September 2011 software update available. They did the update free and since then the gear-changes have been impeccable. Really worth having this done.
ECONOMY For a 3 litre engined, 2.5 ton lump the economy is pretty remarkable. Locally I get 27 mpg without much effort and on a run, not straying much above 70, I get 33mpg.
COMFORT I find the ML the most comfortable of all the cars I have owned. The high driving position suits my bad back just fine; the seats are excellent, the legroom is ample (which with 33 inch inside leg I rarely say about any car) and even in the back the seats are really comfortable.
FUNCTION The boot space is huge –biggest in class- and the ground clearance means pulling off-road in the New Forest and elsewhere, to walk our dogs, creates none of the problems of crunched front air dams we have had with other cars. And it pulls off mud, snow and the rest as though it is not there.
LOOKS I like the rugged looks, and the fact that it is one of the more distinctive of MBs recent designs.
DRIVING The 3 litre diesel is so quiet you have to pinch yourself to believe you aren’t imagining it.
The power is all you could sensibly hope for, hurling 2.5 tons from 0-62 in around 8 seconds (or 7.2 seconds for the last of the W164s)
The deep-throated rumble of the V6 when accelerating is to my ears a lovely sound.
The ride is excellent -a big improvement over earlier models- very like a large saloon car.
Tall she may be, but the ML is not as big as she looks - in fact about 8 inches shorter than the E estate we had before, which helps parking. Parktronic is great.
The steering is just the right weight for my taste with plenty of feedback and good self centering.
Grip to accelerate out of wet and slippery corners is amazing with 4wd.
To my surprise all four tyres wore evenly and I did 30k miles on a set of Continentals.
INTERIOR I usually like leather but the Sport model comes standard with Artico and Alcantara. I have been surprised by how well it looks, how incredibly easy it is to keep clean and most of all by how well it has kept its shape. In fact the whole of the interior looks like new after 3 years and 37k miles.
CONCLUDE
Loved it.
Have I tried the new model? Yes. Stupidly drove the (W166) ML250cdi last July and was impressed. I was offered over 50% of what mine cost new, in part-ex against the new 250cdi ML despite the long waiting list (about 6 months) and they would hold the price till delivery occurred. Deal agreed and I have recently taken delivery of the ML250BlueTEC. Will report when I’ve had it a while.
Footnote
Original ML 1998 to 2005 was called the W163 series. Then came the W164 (as reviewed above) from 2005 to 2011. Then confusingly the new model is the W166 from 2012.
Mercedes claim best in class economy of 44.5mpg combined for the ML250 BlueTEC (and only £170 VED) and 39.6 mpg from the new 350 BlueTec. Amazing if true …….