ML420 - Nice but Leggy...

[kid-jensen]

It's definitely 8-10" for 285/50....the tyre shop that fitted them were desperate to point out how clever they were and insisted they were too wide for 8" rims......until they looked it up.

Tyre fitters are a reactionary bunch and have a limited number of responses, normally "you can't do that". It was nice to be a witness when they proved themselves wrong...

 

[E55BOF]

I bow to your experience, though I hear you didn't keep the ML very long?.....
...I also have to say that I've been in cars with a worse ride, but not many..

I didn't keep the ML320 (W163) for long, and I'm selling the (also W163) ML500 too, but this has nothing to do with the suspension. The ride of the W163 is quite stiff, but that didn't bother me. Maybe I'm not sensitive enough...

The W164 has Airmatic, and the ride is much better than the steel-sprung W163s.

It's definitely 8-10" for 285/50

The widest tyre Mercedes specify for the W164 on 8J rims, whether 18 or 19 inch, is 255. There'll be a reason for that, so I'll stick with those, I think.

 

[Petrol Pete]

It's definitely 8-10" for 285/50....the tyre shop that fitted them were desperate to point out how clever they were and insisted they were too wide for 8" rims......until they looked it up.

Tyre fitters are a reactionary bunch and have a limited number of responses, normally "you can't do that". It was nice to be a witness when they proved themselves wrong...

I am not sure what you mean when you type 8-10"...on an 8 inch wheel max tyre width is 245 on a 10 inch wheel it is 285.

 

[E55BOF]

Mercedes fitted 255s on 8 inch wheels on the W164 from the factory, though.

 

[Petrol Pete]

It does seem a bit of a minefield , as I understand it tyre sizes are not 'definitive' and vary between manufacturers. A bit like the nominal sizes in sawn and plain timber products.

 

[Smart320]

Wow, this thread has branched out

 

[E55BOF]

That's MB Club for you...

 

[Petrol Pete]

I thought I made my self very plane I think everyone saw and soon twigged on. It's knot that hard to understand if you know the root cause Now go away and leaf me alone or I will get my Birch out and that will not make me very Poplar as once I start I do not beat around the bush.

 

[Smart320]

Am now transpiring after reeding that !

 

[E55BOF]

Back to the thread subject...

I took it in to Terry Gates today for a once-over, engine and gearbox service, and to have the duff strut changed. For the first tine ever for an old banger I've bought, he didn't find anything I wasn't aware of...

Looks like it's a good 'un.

 

[Cyclone1]

Back to the thread subject...

I took it in to Terry Gates today for a once-over, engine and gearbox service, and to have the duff strut changed. For the first tine ever for an old banger I've bought, he didn't find anything I wasn't aware of...

Looks like it's a good 'un.

I’ve just bought a Lexus RX300 for a good price, took it in for a check over and pre MOT and it flew through. Only had to put a couple of tyres on, so happy days...

 

[Deleted member 37751]

How’s the ownership going @E55BOF?

 

[E55BOF]

Thank you for asking; no problems so far. It's a nice place to be; very traditional 'Mercedes' - feels solid, unburstable and unstoppable. There are a couple of 'characteristics' I'd rather were different, though.

Firstly, it has active curvelight bi-xenon headlights, but the dipped beam in particular is a bit sh!t compared to all the other MB bi-xenon setups I've had. I don't think there's much I can do about it, though; not like non-xenons, where I could fit better bulbs.

Secondly, it's a bit like the E350 I had briefly; the figures tell me it's quite quick (for an SUV in this case), but it doesn't feel quick. The 7G 'box changes down much more readily than a 5G. I presume that's to protect it; the peak torque on the 4.0 diesel is the same (briefly...) as an E55K's, and the 7G wasn't strong enough to go in those.

Personally, I prefer the M113/5G combination, slogging away in the gear it's already in unless a fair amount of throttle is applied, to the 7G letting the engine whirr away as it revs higher. In fact, I think the 4.0 diesel would be very well suited to the 5G, but I suppose the 7G's progress, and certainly better economy.

I'd have to drive a 5.5 petrol W164 to see if I liked it better than the 420, but that too will have the 7G box, so probably much the same characteristics. Besides, a W164 ML500 or 420 in anything other than black, silver or grey, with a light-coloured interior, is a rare beast indeed; I've only seen one for sale, so I bought it...

 

[MercedesDriver]

Besides, a W164 ML500 or 420 in anything other than black, silver or grey, with a light-coloured interior, is a rare beast indeed; I've only seen TWO for sale, so I bought BOTH...

 

[Will]

it's a bit like the E350 I had briefly; the figures tell me it's quite quick (for an SUV in this case), but it doesn't feel quick.

I think some of that is due to the size and driving position (high up) of these things.

In the same way as a ‘hot hatch’ can feel quick, as you’re low to the ground, larger/high up vehicles don’t give the same sensation of speed.

My GL has c. 550hp and a decent amount of torque, and can accelerate quite rapidly when you want to (4.9s 0-60 and decent mid range shove) but you have to look at the speedo to appreciate that it’s usually going a fair bit quicker than you might think.

Obviously your 420 diesel is never going to compare to your old ‘55k and ‘63 wagons, but I expect the performance and mid range shove should be pretty good for the size/weight of the ML to be fair?

A bit of a sleeper, in that respect

 

[Abb]

↑
Besides, a W164 ML500 or 420 in anything other than black, silver or grey, with a light-coloured interior, is a rare beast indeed; I've only seen TWO for sale, so I bought BOTH...



The 500 was a W163 @MercedesDriver

 

[Doodle]

Firstly, it has active curvelight bi-xenon headlights, but the dipped beam in particular is a bit sh!t compared to all the other MB bi-xenon setups I've had. I don't think there's much I can do about it, though; not like non-xenons, where I could fit better bulbs.

Given the age of the vehicle it might be worth replacing them though. They do have a service life, which is oft overlooked because they don't usually fail in the same rate and manner as an incandescent.

 

[E55BOF]

↑
Besides, a W164 ML500 or 420 in anything other than black, silver or grey, with a light-coloured interior, is a rare beast indeed; I've only seen TWO for sale, so I bought BOTH...

The 500 was a W163 @MercedesDriver

The W163 was bought in a much greater variety of colours, judging by the ads. There's a low-mileage Carneol Red ML500 W164 up for £8995 that's been on sale for a while, and I quite like the colour, but the black interior does nothing for me, and (like nearly all of them) it's the lower-spec Sport trim. If I find one that I like better than the 420 (SE trim, dark blue, beige interior ) if it's OK I'll probably buy it. My problem is, I know what I like...

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Thank you for asking; no problems so far. It's a nice place to be; very traditional 'Mercedes' - feels solid, unburstable and unstoppable. There are a couple of 'characteristics' I'd rather were different, though.

Firstly, it has active curvelight bi-xenon headlights, but the dipped beam in particular is a bit sh!t compared to all the other MB bi-xenon setups I've had. I don't think there's much I can do about it, though; not like non-xenons, where I could fit better bulbs.

Secondly, it's a bit like the E350 I had briefly; the figures tell me it's quite quick (for an SUV in this case), but it doesn't feel quick. The 7G 'box changes down much more readily than a 5G. I presume that's to protect it; the peak torque on the 4.0 diesel is the same (briefly...) as an E55K's, and the 7G wasn't strong enough to go in those.

Personally, I prefer the M113/5G combination, slogging away in the gear it's already in unless a fair amount of throttle is applied, to the 7G letting the engine whirr away as it revs higher. In fact, I think the 4.0 diesel would be very well suited to the 5G, but I suppose the 7G's progress, and certainly better economy.

I'd have to drive a 5.5 petrol W164 to see if I liked it better than the 420, but that too will have the 7G box, so probably much the same characteristics. Besides, a W164 ML500 or 420 in anything other than black, silver or grey, with a light-coloured interior, is a rare beast indeed; I've only seen one for sale, so I bought it...

Powerful diesels just don’t feel quick, and I think it’s down to the (lack of) noise they make.

Around five years ago I had an Audi A6 with the then super duper 3.0 BiTDi engine with 313PS. On paper it was a rocket ship. In practice it was an armchair. Even with the accelerator pinned to the floor. Just a very fast armchair.

There was absolutely no sensation of speed other than the rapidly spinning needle on the speedo, and I think it was mostly the lack of noise, and the very limited rev range. The familiar signs of pace were completely absent.

 

[Deleted member 37751]

the figures tell me it's quite quick (for an SUV in this case), but it doesn't feel quick. The 7G 'box changes down much more readily than a 5G. I presume that's to protect it; the peak torque on the 4.0 diesel is the same (briefly...) as an E55K's, and the 7G wasn't strong enough to go in those.

Hmmm...I find that a bit strange; I owned the ML420 at the same time as my E55K and although the ‘55 was obviously faster, the 420 didn’t feel a million miles off tbh.

Could be just down to the driving characteristics- the E55K didn’t matter which gear you were in or what speed you were doing, it just flew, whereas the 420 took a bit more thought otherwise you’d get caught in the wrong gear.

like you say, maybe the 5 speed box would have suited the 420 like it suited the E55K...