Mercedes-Benz M-class (ML320, ML350, ML500 and ML55) 2005 and earlier

achtungbaby

DOSE should read BOSE...

oops.

achtungbaby

I've been quoted by the dealer prices of $1800 and $2200, respectively, for the phone and nav system.

Anyone have an opinion as to how much mark up they're making on these two dealer installed options?

ctic

That's a very good price. Many of us bought our MLs at MSRP! ouch.

dave01

We're getting serious about an ML, and the 3rd row seats are a must. Seems to be a somewhat scarce option. I've heard that the 3rd row seats are a factory option in 2000/01, and a dealer option in '98/99. Is that correct? If so, can you retrofit the seats in a, say, '99? How expensive? And this CANNOT be done in the 2000+?
Any difference for the 430 vs. 320? (We're probably aiming at a 320).

If MY'01 is ending early, does that imply there's a glut of MLs now/soon?

kwest1

I recently purchased a 1999 ML 320, and immediately had a local MB dealer install the third row seats - at an installed cost of approx. $1,200. This cost is approx. $600 less than the quote from another local MB dealer. Good luck.

ccham

I'm looking to replace my chrysler minivan, we looked at the MDX and Sequoia but are shying away from the sequoia because its huge and loves gas. I do like toyotas rep for quality though. MB owners how do you like your vehicle? Does it have enough room? Gas mileage and reliabilty also please. Lastly can a person get into the third seat and be expected to sit there for more than 5 minutes?
Thanks

ctic

1) Love it.
2) It's smallish. 5 fit comfortably with room for lots in the back. If you open up the 3 row and sit 7 then there's only a tiny space in the back.
3) MPG for me is not great, I don't check it a lot but I think mine is about 16 mpg. Reliability good for 2000 and onwards.
4) I'm 5'11". I can sit in the 3rd row probably indefinitely.

cjgordon

My gas mileage ('99 ML320) is 17.0 MPG in the city. Haven't taken any trips to measure MPG on the highway...expect 21-22 though.

There's no comparison b/w comfort/handling of Sequoia and ML. ML wins hands down.

cjgordon

They (Enterprise) gave me a raggedy Camry as a loaner. It looks like a car made of bondo althought it's only got 20k miles. They promised to come to my office and swap with Mercedes later today.

Got the standard line about the brakes squeaking. Two of my friends have 99 ML320's and theirs do not. I told dealer that I found his response unacceptable and would not pick the car up until it was corrected.

This is my first experience with the dealer (Benson Mercedes of New Orleans). They appear uninterested in my warranty problems thus far.

I hate to be confrontational, but it appears that it's the only way to get things accomplished there.

ctic

Our dealership has so much repair service that they actually have an Enterprise rent a car station at the dealership.

The other service that Enterprise rent a wreck serves is that by renting us lousy cars it reminds us how good our own cars are. I never take the rent-a-car overnight, preferring even to pick-up my own car at 6pm if necessary.

5speed5

I looked at King scorpion's pics, and personally like the way it looked. I thought it was done very tastefully with being color coordinated. If you don't like it, you have every right to not like it yourself. But to say "Looks silly as I'm sure most of the drivers around you think as well" is taking it too far. Please don't speak for others.

raybear

Sorry, seen them go for hundreds less in your area.

kenyee

Your understanding is correct. I know of no 2000+ owners who had their dealer put the 3rd row seats in...

ctic

That's because 2000+ 3rd rows are more complicated. It also involves putting in a hinge on the right 2nd row seat to swing it up for easy access.

drew_

It's much more than just a hinge. It also has a huge piston to support the seat in its upright tumbled position. Basically the entire 40% section of the 2nd row has to be replaced. While possible, this is obviously not cheap. I know that here in Vancouver, about 60-70% of the ML320s are ordered with this option. As for the ML320's, only about 30%, IIRC.


Drew
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Vans, SUVs, and Aftermarket & Accessories message boards

drmhf

In picked up my 2001 ML320 2 weeks ago. I paid $375 over invoice. I ordered it with the sky view roof, which they had to look around for. I think I paid a premium for that option. With M1,M2, Bose, Heated seats and sky view top, I paid $40,700. Good luck with yours. Mark

gloriad

Hi all, I'm the new kid on the block. I will be purchasing an SUV next month for business use but am having a difficult time deciding which one. I prefer a smooth and quiet ride. Don't need alot of space it's just for me and hubby and no off-roading. Test drove the Sequoia LTD--nice and tight but big and not good on gas mileage; ML320--nice ride with noisy engine not real peppy but good pricing; X5 3.0--very nice and tight and peppy but pricey. Haven't driven the Escalade yet but I hear I can get for the same as ML. I'm not sure which would be the best overall quality wise. Thanks for any help and insights.

ctic

Uh, I'm not facetious here, but:

1) smooth and quiet ride
2) don't need a lot of space
3) no off-roading

Seems like you should be considering something other than a SUV.

I've been on the look out for another vehicle myself because sometimes when I don't have a carful of people in the back I'd rather be driving a coupe.

nofeer

Take a look at the toyota highlander, its a bit bigger than the lexus, a tag smaller than the ford explorer, but my wife loves it. we tested it seeking a new suv for next year. it has the same drivetrain as a lexus, uses regular gas, and is more quiet than my ml320....very impressive, try one and you can work a deal for a loaded one for 34k or less...wow with toyota quality. check out the HL board. I'd consider the new 02 ml320 but at 40k i'd look at the passat awd, volvo, audi wagons and the HL, mdx (road noise and gliches, dealer grief etc.) I like my ml, it's very manuverable, the right size and gets 19-20mpg city (premium however)

nofeer

Any word or look at the new 02 interior, and possible options, i hope they go to a dvd based gps system. and get rid of the road noise, airleaks around the doors.

kenyee

Out of your choices, I'd suggest the X5. I know it's expensive, but you said you're doing the business writeoff, so it'll be roughly 30% less assuming you get close to 100% business usage. As you know, the GVWR has to be above 6000lbs and the Highlander does not qualify nor does the MDX.
If you use a lease on a car, you can also write off 100% of the lease, so you can consider cars in your list of choices.

anhu1

Hi guys, I am new here. I need your advices on purchasing a 2001 ML 430 with M3 pack. Options: Bose Upgrade, Sunroof. Accessories: Front Grille Guard with PIAA Fog Lamp. I had one dealer quoted me for 44,000. The salesman said it is under invoice that I should get it. Anyone has experience in negotiating this deal? Or this is the best deal so far? Thanks.....

kcearls2

Can someone offer advice on a child seat for the above car? I need a rear-facing/convertible model suitable for my kid:18lbs, 7 months. I bought the Britax Roundabout but it doesn't install properly:too upright.
thanks for the help-

kevin

wmquan

Try placing some tightly-rolled up towels under the front of the car seat, so that it tilts back more (to a 45-degree angle as recommended). Then also use the tether anchor in the rear-facing positioning as described in the manual; that'll help stabilize the back and keep it tilted. You can probably fancy the tether to a point in the second row seat frame, using the D-ring tether connector strap if necessary.

With this, you can get a rock-solid installation, and enjoy the benefits of the Britax seat.

roger23

My MB dealer just got an allocation for me for a Sept. production of my 2002 ML500 which I had ordered.I previously had a 1998 ML320, now have a 2000 ML430, and having very positive ownership experiences with both, I am certainly looking forward to getting my ML500. Factory options I ordered: parktronic, rainsense wipers, rear pop out windows, sport package, xenon headlamps, teleaid, and memory front seats. Color= silver/ash.

pexpl

Good news mercedes M lovers!
Mercedes is considering a smaller M-Class to compete against the new X3 that's coming at year 2003
The new M-class will be name "MLK" it will be based on the smaller cheaper A-Class model.
it is rumour to be all time 4wd, perfect for the rugged condition

hmm.... anybody have pic. of this car or heard of anything more?!

macavity

Roger 23...Am also about to order a 2002 equipped like yours. Any advise on pricing? Any concessions by dealer? Assume it's going to be MSRP...but wondered if you had any insight.

Thanks

ctic

All rear-facing child seats will be too upright due to the slope of the seat bottom. Once you can start facing your child forward, it will be OK.

Drew: BTW, we've talked about the dangers of side air bags before. Today, I saw the most irresponsible father ever. He was next to me at a stoplight. I looked across and his son, who looks about 3 years old, was asleep, sitting, without a seatbelt, leaning against the door. That's just death waiting to happen.

svinaik

Folks,

Check out the following site for some informative articles on the Quality issues.

http://mbspy.bacosys.be

angelboing

Hey all,

Happy Mother's Day! I attended the M-B PowerTrip yesterday here in Los Angeles- it was pretty much the same thing as last year, except you could try out most of the other models, not just the M-Class. After signing a waiver at registration, and some light snacks (no meatballs this time), there was a short, theatre-style multimedia product demo, pointing out some features of the E-, S-, M-, and C-Class, etc. that they rolled into the tent. In the same tent, there was a stripped S-Class showcasing its safety features, a BOSE'd up C-Class, a Continental Tires booth, an M-B Credit Corp. booth, tables and bar stools, but no arcade driving games like last year.

Outside, there were a few models lying around to poke in and out of, like the C wagon, C Sports Coupe, C sedan, SLK, E wagon, CL, and ML320, all silver. You could line up to get your picture taken in an SL in front of a faux sunset background if you wanted, and there was a popcorn booth and free bottled water outside too. Mid-way into the event, which lasted about two and a half hours, they performed the M-Class roller test, which highlighted the 4-ETS+ system, and a frame twister demo, where an ML320 (with one lucky volunteer) was up on these rails, (on diagonally opposite wheels) and they rocked it back and forth and showed how you could still open and close the doors. Be sure to enjoy the Top-Gun style music blaring from various speakers, as an accompaniment to the revving engines. But onto the courses....

The first course was a lap consisting of an evasive maneuver test (with this cardboard kid "running" into your lane), a suspension test (with rubber mats scattered all about), an ABS test (a stop sign after a sharp curve), a short straightaway, some S-curves, an emergency lane change (watch for the lane with green light), and a slalom. Most areas had posted speed limits ranging from 15-30 mph, and the entire course was outlined by chalk marks and orange cones. One could finish it in about a minute, depending on how fast you drove. This course had these cars on it, and you had to get in a different line according to the class you wanted to drive, (e.g. M, S, CL, SL, CLK or E):

ML320
ML430 Sport
CL500
CL55 AMG
S430
SL500
CLK430
E320
E430 Sport

The SL and the CL had the longest lines.

There was another course for the C-Class and its competition. It was about the same layout as the one described above, but you could drive the either the C240, C320, C230K(?) Sports Coupe, Lexus IS300, Audi A4, or BMW 3-Series (I forget which one). There were separate lines for each car, and I think that one of the Sports Coupes was a stickshift.

The last course was the hot lap, with a bunch of curves, turns, straightaways, speed slides, fishtails, and other assorted driving scenarios that I don't get to encounter here in LA. You strap yourself in with a professional AMCI driver in this course. There was no video tape of your lap like last year's ML55 AMG run, and you had little hair nets to wear under the helmets this time. The cars available on this course were:

CLK55 AMG
CLK430
S55 AMG
E55 AMG
ML55 AMG
CL55 AMG

There was only one line, and as the cars arrived, you were called out depending on which one you wanted to ride in. I thought that this was the best part of the event. These drivers are CRAZY!!! The AMCI reps who manned (personned?) the courses weren't very knowledgeable about the products, but overall things went pretty smoothly. I wanted to know the name of the color of one of the C-Class Sports Coupes, (I guessed it was Orion Blue but wanted to make sure) and one rep I asked said it was "Mercedes Blue" and that any dealer would know what it was. He said that "all manufacturers have the same colors but call them different things" and that the blue in question would be called "Silver Blue" on Dodge cars. He lost all credibility with that remark. BTW, I brought 2 un-pre-registered guests with me, and they were able to get in without any problem after filling out a form and showing that they were over 21 (to drive the courses). We got a lanyard with a badge, and a baseball cap as freebies for coming.

That seems to be about it, feel free to e-mail me with any other questions/comments you may have, and take care everyone! This list rocks!

-Angel B.
no ML yet :-(

dt77

Attended this today in Hollywood Park, Los Angeles. Organized quite nicely - Waiting time to drive cars was a little long; especially the more 'popular' cars [CL and SL].

I test drove the : new C320, new C kompressor coupe, CL500, SL500, and ML430 on different little tracks they had setup.

Also drove the : IS300 and BMW 325i.

They also presented the new C wagon.

No AMG vehicles were allowed to be driven. There was however a larger track setup for the AMGs. They were driven by 'professional' drivers and we were allowed to sit in the cars as they raced around. VERY NICE . With out helmets on, my father and I , were driven in the CLK55 and S55. Got some video sittting in the CLK55, but I think it will take a while for me to make it an mpeg. There was an ML55 just sitting there and not available for runs. Towards end, there was only the S55 and the CLK55. The E55 and CLK430 was retired to tire changes which seem to take forever. There wasn't a CL55 to be seen on the track.

My last test run was the ML430 - grin. It appeared to be a 01 sport. I took the baby and pushed her really hard. Burnt lotsa rubber. When I got to the end, a 'MB guy' came up to me and said 'I was going far too fast' [i was supposed to have slowed down at the last series of turns-geez], he discreetly leaned over the window, took my 'tag' and crossed out my name. I wasn't allowed to drive after that. haha - I was like thanx a lot. Good timing though, our 2.5 hours was almost up and that is when we managed to sqeeze in a ride in the S55. That was the last ride ... we took that pic with a silver SL, we filled out a survey, got a MBpowertrip hat in return and it was over.

12noon session people began to arrive already.

Overall, the experience was pretty fun. Wait time was a little long. Due to lack of time we didn't get to test drive other MB cars like the CLK430 and the S430. I would also have liked to see the ML55 available for test drive.

To all the mothers out there, Happy Mothers' Day

dt77
'banned MBpowertrip driver'

gemni1

I'm thinking of purchasing a 2001 ML320 and I was wondering if anyone has the Nav System as an option. Is it worth the $1500? (We'll be moving to a new city and could really use the directions). I'd also like to know what your opinions are about exterior colors. Should I choose Black, Silver or Azure Blue? Thanks in advance!

bob259

I too was considering adding the Nav system on my ML. But after reading about all the problems it has I would say it's NOT worth the price. If you got the ML430 and it was included is one thing, but to pay $1,500 to add it would be a waste of your money. Not to mention it uses multiple CD's at $175 per CD. When MB upgrades to the DVD version, which only uses 1 DVD Disk that would be the time to add it, if they offer it as a replacement for our older MCS units.

I'd look at the new Street pilot color unit and for around $600 you will have one that you can use in any vehicle and save yourself $900.

cjgordon

I've read a few past posts on this board that the ML320 would qualify for the heavy truck Federal income tax deduction. Does the ML320 weigh more than 6,000 lbs. as required? If so, I'm a happy camper. If not, there are some erroneous messages posted. Please advise!

chris

wmquan

Yes, the ML320 definitely qualifies. As does the X5. The MDX does not. It's not based on sheer vehicle weight but GVWR.

cjgordon

...for the clarification (re: ML320 Weight). This deduction can save many of us several pennies.

chris

roger23

I have not heard a word on pricing, but given a ' facelifted' model, and delivery early in the model year, I would probably bet on having to pay MSRP. However, since I am also getting a number of dealer installed items i.e. CD, Navi, Phone, Video Enter.Sys. etc., I am hoping for pricing flexibility in these options.

gloriad

Thank you ctic, nofeer, kenyee, svinaik for your replies. All the vehicles I noted do qualify for the 179 business deduction (must be 6000 lbs gvw). I've narrowed down my choices to the ML320 and the X5. I prefer the X5 if I can find a dealer who is willing to get close to invoice price. They are both excellent but I think the X5 still has the edge with its quieter and peppier ride. I'll let you know when decision day comes--probably June or July.

adplusone

Never thought I would ask... we had a 98ML that was replaced with a 99 by MB due to defects.... now have 30K on the 99 and are actually thinking of replacing it with a 2002. What is new for next model year? Also, are they building the 2001 320 Sport model... have not seen one and dealers seem to be clue less....

Thanks!

edwardb5

I'm looking to buy a 98ML320 and was told by the used car manager at the local BB dealer that he wouldn't touch a '98. He said there were problems.
What's up with that?
Was it that he only had 99s and up on his lot, or is there some truth to that.
I found the most beautiful 98, 35k miles, ups system, phone in dash, 1 owner, flares all rig. he paid 47k in dec.'97, wants 27k for it.
Any feedback would be greatly appreciated

macbest

Although there are those that have had no problems with the 98's, I think the general consensus on this board is that the 98's are a dud. I had one and the squeaks and rattles were so problematic that MB ended up buying mine back. The 99's added ESP, a very worthwhile standard feature, in addition to fixing some of the bugs. The 2000's and up added other features but also added something like 150lb extra of insulation to quiet the car down. Many other issues were addressed also, such as double seals on doors and better fit and finish all around.

I would avoid the 98's. My turned in 1998 went for 27K last December (with other options that are not on the one you are considering like 3rd row seats). If you are really attached to this vehicle, I wouldn't pay over 21K tops. Just my thoughts.

thor8

Engine, transmission, suspension and brakes etc, in other words all mechanical had no mejor problems, the most complaints came from trim and fit, things like rattles from inside panels, poor assembly. The only thing that would leave a driver stranded was the fuel pump, but they usually went out by 10 to 12k and were replaced by a correct unit.

ctic

What is the heavy truck Federal income tax deduction???

ganja

If I order a ML320 with Bose CD changer and with 3rd row seat, I have heard that the CD changer is at the cargo area? Is this true? Where exactly is this located?
Also with the 3rd row seat, is it possible to keep a child seat there for my kid and is it safe?
Thanks

ctic

The CD changer is located on the right side of the cargo area. The 3rd row seat won't block it.

It is possible to put child seats in the back and it is safe for them.

resor

I think the Mercedes Benz medallion on the front hood of my ML320 to be too big and ugly. (There are already two smaller, tasteful medallions on the exterior of the car.) I want to paint this one black so that it blends in with the radiator cover or better yet find a cheaper medallion (same size) that I could paint black and substitute for the chrom one until I sell the car. Any ideas as to where i could find a black one or a cheap one to paint?resor

drew_

dt77 can help you out with painting the MB star since he has done it for his ML.

drew_

Those of you wondering what the '02 ML's new headlamps will sort of look like might want to have a look at this picture. I say "sort of" because there still are covers over the headlamps which prevent a completely unobscured look of the headlamps. Note the new shape of the exterior rearview mirrors though. Because of the way they attach, retrofits will probably be impossible, or at least not easy.

Please note that this M-class is equipped with the optional Sport Package. This is not how the new front bumper + foglamps will look. Note the new non-Sport Package wheels though (they're painted black on this vehicle, but won't be for the production units). Personally, I don't like the new wheel design from what I've seen. I bet they're using these particular wheels instead of the Sport Package wheels since there are currently no winter tires in the ML430's/ML500's/ML55's tire sizes.

http://www.thecarconnection.com/index.asp?article=3645&sid=178&n=156


Drew
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Vans, SUVs, and Aftermarket & Accessories message boards

thor8

I need one for my Mercedes UNIMOG, name me a price and if acceptable I will send you a money order and you can Fed ex me the star. I will include the shiping.

Andrew.

dt77

who needs one ? I got a black one now. Took off existing one, [yes, in case I need to sell car] and put on a new, painted black one. The dealer sells the stock grill star for about US$30

The guy I had paint it, I think he sand papered it, then sprayed. I told him i didn't it shiny black. Just the same black as the grill. The result, a matte black.

pics below...

dt77 - http://fullspeed.to/ml