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

birger

I changed my profile around again, let's see if a flag shows up.

It's not normal practice in Europe to pay premiums over MSRP, even on "rare" vehicles. If there's a waiting list, that's normally it (unless of course you happen to be some kind of a VIP).

MB practice more or less the same net prices all over Europe. The German price lists for all models (inclusive and exclusive of sales tax, in DEM and EUR) are available in .pdf format at their website. This is the most recent one for the ML:

http://www.mercedes-benz.de/mbd/pdf/M-163.pdf

It is true than in certain EU Member States car owners are thoroughly whacked over their heads with taxes. However, it's not solely to blaim on comprehensive social security etc. In my native country, Denmark, the sales tax is 25% on everything, and cars are - before the sales tax is applied - luxury taxed at some 180%. And the income tax scale STARTS at 52%. Yet the social security system is no better (rather worse) than the one in Luxembourg where I live at the moment, where the sales tax is 15% - and income taxes are far less. Yet the two states economies are far different - actually Luxembourg has so much money at the end of the year that they could (and may) introduce NEGATIVE income tax without suffering.

Sorry, this was off topic.

Birger

birger

I don't get it: In the beginning of the week I couldn't get any flag displaying. And now, after manipulating my profile again, setting LUX as my home state (which is not true), I post - and bingo: The Danish flag [BTW the oldest one still in continuous use worldwide] comes out.

Could one of our hosts explain further??

TIA,

Birger

birger

I just came across a couple of pictures of the soon-to-come Hyundai Terracan. Knowing that DC has a part of Hyundai, aren't those headlights strikingly like the ML '02 ones on the spy photos??

It could be that they're trying out the reaction on the public before popping a new look on the ML.

Just my $ .02

Birger

Picture 1:

birger

rexconde1

That would be an interesting retrofit

rexconde1

You know I tried to email you something to your account early last week regarding the Xenon lamps but it came back to me yesterday saying that the server tried to send you three times with failure. I dont know why it bounced back at me.

Is your mailbox full?

Robert

kenyee

Is one country older than the other? It might have given the politicians more time to overload their budgets so they'd "need" more money ;-)
Glad MB's pricing policy is consistent across countries and is not like Honda's. For those of you who don't visit the MDX topic, dealers are selling them for $2K over MSRP or forcing you to buy $2-3K of accessories just so you can buy it "at MSRP". I've never heard this w/ the ML (though there were dealers who sold "demos" over MSRP).

macbest

My 98 problems were also fit and finish. Most significantly was a rattle in the sunroof that they replaced numerous times. Deal given to me was $27K for my 98 with 43K miles, and $7K off the list price for a new 2001 320 that I ordered the way I wanted it.

Fully restored my faith in this great company and plan on buying an E class later this year as a result.

steverisity

When we purchased our new 2000 ML320, we were told that maintenance was included
for 3 years down to the wiper blades.

I was a bit skeptical of this by MBZ and thought it was either compensating for a less
than steller quality record for the ML or just another way to sell you something else while you are there.

The wife takes in the car for the 1 year check up which includes a tire rotation. And MBZ suggests we balance the tires for $70.00. To me, this is a maintenance item, and the fact that they recommend it, tells me they should provide it. There was also a promis of a free loaner car. But our local dealer has a clevor way of disuading you from using thier loaners by forcing you to make an appointment 2 months in advance! The light doesn't go on two months in advance - so how can they expect me to make my appointment 2 months in advance.

I like the car, I like the people, but the sell of full coverage and free loaners is deceptive.

tracy_leb

Re Mobil 1

As I read the literature, the primary (only?) concern for Mobile 1 is the minimum temperature rating. If true, there would be no issue about the max viscosity rating. . . .

I used 0W-30 for the first 3 changes and will do so again after the next 4K miles.

Re FSS maintenance, the dealer that did my ML's first scheduled maintainance (at 11.5K miles) did a tire rotate and re-balance. They said that they should charge for the balance, but didn't. They also offered me a smelly Enterprise rent a wreck but I declined so I could play with my new (to me) 400e for a few days.

... Tracy

alik61

I presently own two MB cars both 1999 C230 Komressor and ML320. First about the quality of those cars.
C230: Transmission failer in the first month of operation. After that some electrical problems. Like windows open by itself and you can not close it down.
ML320: First time check engine light came on, they had to replace the fuel tank after trying to fix it. Next time they told me that it was bad fuel. Two days late the track died on me in the middle of the highway. Called roadside assistance for help was waiting for an hour for the tow track to come. They took the track to MB of Morristown. Monday evening they call me back saying that everything is fixed. They had to replaced the fuel pump. Next day then I came to pick it up, the check engine light was on and the car was shaking. They took it back. Now is the tuesday late noon still have no word from MB.
My lease on C230 is about to expire in December of 2001(3Year lease) and me next car will deffinetly not be another MB.

sshowitt

That was quite a deaL, I would have jumped at that deal. As I said, the dealer got me $700.00 from MB then gave me $25K for my 98ML, 39,000 miles, sunroof, fender flares, cd player, leather and wood. It did need brakes and tires. The had it sold in 3 days. They took $5K off the msrp plus the $700.00 off the 00ML430. I believe it totaled $16,100.00 plus trade. As I stated before, the downside is the fuel economy, other than that, very pleased with the 430, but the 320 would have surficed.

macbest

Interesting, our cars were nearly identical. Mine also had the fender flares, chrome wheels, leather, third row seats (installed after the fact as these were not a factory option). We are enjoying the 320, although, the way I loaded it up, it would not have been too much more for the 430.

maristella

I sympathize with your feelings about quality issue. I am luckier than you with my dealer's service. My ML stalled on me today. I had an appointment for tomorrow to replace the gas tank sensor but now they said it seems my fuel pump is not working either. It really ticks me off to pay $40K for a new car with so many problems. I've had VW, Volvo, Toyota and even a Ford Explorer and never before had I had so many problems. Some people (including my husband) would say that these are minor, fixable problems. Well what I see is that I bought an expensive car from the supposedly best car manufacturer in the world and I've had to take it for service way too many times. I did not get the extended warranty so when the 50k mile comes, I'm seriously considering trading it. My heart is broken 'cause this was my dream car and I never expected this.

maristella

BTW, I don't live in Guam.

drew_

Sorry to hear that...I thought you were going to have it changed earlier? The inaccuracy of the gauge was the first sign of problems. I guess I should've made it clearer to you that you should have taken care of it immediately. The FSU - Fuel sending unit - and pump are one unit, BTW. That's why both aren't working. Since yours is an earier build '00 ML, it was affected by the problem as well (ML's built after January 2000 have the latest version of the pump/FSU), just as mine was. I had it changed immediately when I saw the gauge going a little screwy on inclines..

Good luck!

londonfin

Looking to replace my 96 Explorer and was getting ready to buy a GMC Denali when several people told me not to overlook a ML. Denali would cost around $42,000 with everything but kitchen sink. I know it is a larger vehicle but don't need all the size. The explorer fits fine as far as size. I would not plan on getting third seat (have minivan for that) and don't plan on towing or any real off-roading. Have no idea on how close to invoice one can get a 320/430 or which one makes sense. When I "price" them with options the 430 is about $4,000 more. Is it "worth" the money-what do I get?

Any help would be great. Also any "good" dealers in the Eastern Mass. area?

Much thanks,
Jack

kenyee

It depends. What something is "worth" depends on your own list of priorities. What are they? If we know them, we could help you evaluate them...and I suspect it'll be easier for you to make the final decision if you list them as well :-)

bob259

Jack, If you don't need the size, don't plan on towing anything and can use a smaller size I'd highly recommend the ML over the GMC. I tow a small boat with my ML320 just fine.

I traded a 99 Silverado in on the ML and couldn't be happier, except for deer season when I miss my PU. I can also tell you the ML320's V6 feels like it has almost as much torque as GM's 5.3L V8.

Ultimately its a personal decision, but I'd highly recommend the ML. Take all your choices out for a test drive, preferably more then a few miles, then make your decision.

dagill

just havuing fun

wedgebunny

We have very similar experiences. I too have a 99 C230K and an ML, but 2001. I also have service at the same dealer. I have had better luck than you have with service it seems, sorry it has not gone well for you.

I have had the same stupid electrical problems and window roll downs you have had on your C. The trick to get the windows back up (you may already know) Roll all the windows down and then close them with the key remote. Apparantly MB was so impressed with my discovery that they filed it as a fix. What fix, my windows still roll down at the worst momment, like this past winter .

I had a transmission failure on my ML. This time I got MB Corporate involved and they have made peace with me, so I am satisfied for now. Still I am not pleased with the squeeks that come and go, but, this winter proved its worth. I commute 50 miles each way and hit both of those snow storms. We never got stuck even though others did.

Good luck during the rest of your lease.

tnkenyon

Here are my thoughts on extended warrantys. Much like insurance policys, EWs are priced so the company can MAKE money. That means statistcs show that they will not spend as much on repairs as the warranty costs. Therefore, you should not buy one if you don't mind taking the risk that you MIGHT end up paying more for repairs, chances are you won't. A better idea if you are worried about occasional large repair bills is to put the $2500 or whatever in a money market fund and earn 5% on it while you wait for your factory warrranty to expire. If you think it will take the whole 4 years, you could invest it in stocks even. If you don't earn the 5%, the warranty company will (known as float, its what keeps insurance cos alive). If you need the safety of a warranty to sleep at night, look into it as your factory W expires. These EW's prey upon a well known (at least among insurance and similar cos) tenet of behavioral finance: people hate to take an unknown risk. It is also much easier to spend the 2500 when you are already spending 40k on the car. It doesn't seem like as much money as that $600 repair bill that pops up unexpectedly 6 years from now.

tnkenyon

I am sure this is a common question, but anyone care to post the details of a recent ML320 lease or purchase? May be at the negotiating table as soon as tomorrow, so wouldn't mind having a little extra knowledge. BTW, I had (have) an MDX (bad word I know) on order, was shafted by the dealer with no help from Acura, so have sworn off the brand for life (will cancel deal as soon as I have signed on something else). Never really wanted a rice-burner anyway, long time BMW nut (another bad word?) but value proposition of MDX is very powerful (of course it remains to be seen if they start falling apart) if you need 3 seats. X5 too small and too $$$, so looks like I'm headed for an ML320, bringing one home tonight to let the family scrutinize it. thanks for any replies.

roger23

Does anyone know if the horsepower will be increased on the 2002 model year ML320? Thanks!

mbml55amg

Jack,
I owned a 99 ML430, & presently own a 2000 ML55AMG as well as a 2001 Denali XL. Both of these are excellent vehicles. If you are looking for a Mid-size SUV the ML is hard to beat. I would not rate one superior to the other overall however. The ML handles better than the XL, but again I'm talking about the ML55. The Denali XL's ride is better & the 6.0 is well suited to the vehicle. They are both safe vehicles, but the M Class is absolutely state of the art in every safety aspect. The brakes are amazing on both vehicles, the ML stops quicker, but weighs much less. I believe you would be happy with either of these vehicles, they are both fun to drive & well built. I had 2 minor service issues with my ML55 in the first month, each was handled quickly & efficiently. I've had the Denali 2 1/2 months & have had no problems with it thus far. Drive them both & good luck in your decision, either way I believe you're the winner. Fell free to E-mail me with any questions.
Randy: "bordeauxml55amg@aol.com"

dt77

Will the 02 Denali's get Quadrasteer ? If it does, turning radius will be as small if not a little smaller than the ML.

dt77

mdallasmartell

I have a 2000 ML430 with 6800 miles. I love this car except the rattle/creaking/clicking noise coming from the rear drivers side door area. I think it's coming from that area. I have used armor-all on all door seals (mistake?). It makes this noise over rough pavement. It makes same noise with back seats down or up. My dealer is usually no good at this sort of thing... please help

itsui

I just got a 01'ML320. Is anyone can gave me some information about upgrading the light bulb for my ML. Which brand I should use and where I can get a good deal? Thanks for your help!

pathdoc

I think this is a chronic problem. I have a 99 430 ML that has had this problem for the last 1 1/2 years with the dealer able to achieve only temporary fixes (tailgate latching mechanism repairs, rear seat adjustments, reat plastic panel adjustments,etc.). Finally I just gave the ML to my wife to drive since it doesn't bother her and will wait till the warranty is up and then dump it.( Probably for a LX 470)

kkwok

I have owned a 98 ML320 since January of 98, and had my share of quality problems that most early production owners had "suffered". I have tried EVERYTHING to try minimize the effects of these defects by visiting the dealers every few months for the past 3 years, but to date nothing seemed to have helped.

I have recently read from the forum that some owners had been able to negotiate with Mercedes such that they offered to buy back/ trade-in for a 2000 model. What procedure have you gone through to do this? And what price did they offer for the trade in? I would GREATLY appreciate if someone could help out! At first it seems to make sense for me to sell the car and get another one, but my car only has 15000 mile on it and it would depreciate extremely badly JUST because it is a 98. thanks!

dt77

recently auotexpress uk reviews a bunch of bulbs. if u look back in this discussion ..u might find link..anywya ..Philips Vision Plus came out tops. superb light output. color is similiar to stock halogens. i personally like optilux xenon whites. i think they are whiter and brighter. but due to quailty problems that have plagued several batches, some stores have chosen not to carry them anymore. I, myself reverted back to stock bulbs for now. Might try the VPs. they are supposed to be the 'best' right now.

dt77

sshowitt

WWW.Fosmo.com has the Philips Vision Plus H-7 for low beam and now the H-1 for high beam. If you want to economize, get the Philips Premium H-1 high beams for half the cost, but I do recommend the Vision Plus H-7s for the low beam. As stated before, you may want to replace the 1156 backup bulbs with a high intensity bulb, this can be had from Pep Boys for about $10.00 or less for the pair.

nikorr

Maybe you have too much pressure in your tires...You should have around 29 psi...with normal load....... Marcel

dt77

yup. heard good things about fosmo.com

i was enquiring about if the silvervisions [turn signal bulbs which are coated silver and still blink amber] would fit the ML. i was thinking of getting them for a while. but thier support couldn't confirm. do u know if it can ? apparently, they are pretty 'standard; bulbs.

dt77

http://fullspeed.to/ml

mlevinedc

Since the Philips Vision Plus is not available stateside, would anyone be interested in going in with me on ordering a case/tray of H-1's and H-7's? I can't seem to find out if either is available in a Rally or off-road higher wattage; anyone know? I have HID Xenon low beams as OEM on my Audi A6q and replaced the high beam H-7 with 130w off-road Halogens. That has worked out well for these country roads in Northern CT.

Ideas?

londonfin

Thanks all for your input. After spending some time driving both ML's. I think they are a better fit for my needs than the GMC Denali. Now the hard part is trying to decide between the 320 & 430. I definately like the power of the 430 but am not sure about the cost. I really don't need the GPS but must admit it gives some "wow" and adds to the cool factor. My local dealer says they take a straight $1,000 off MSRP on either. I have not yet tried any internet shopping sites or other nearby dealers. I have asked around and this is supposed to be the best dealer around for service and TLC. They really go out of their way to help you. That is worth some money to me but I would not want to overpay significantly. Any ideas? When will I know about new features for 2002 and is it worth waiting?

Thanks again, Jack

drew_

Do you know what the bulb sizes are available for the Silvervisions? If you do, I can tell you whether they fit the ML.

As for higher colour temperature bulbs, the Philips Bluevisions available in H7 size and they're higher colour temperature, i.e. whiter, than the VisionPlus bulbs. They were also highly rated (4 out of 5 stars), but you do lose some light (over 100 lumens, I think).

drew_

www.fosmo.com sells the Phillips VisionPlus H7 bulbs for only US$32+ a pair. If you're interested, I believe they also carry the rally bulbs. They're not street legal though, since they're supposed to be for track use only and will be glaring to other drivers.

drew_

The review can be found here:

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/michaelab/carcare-newsection/print_carcare.php3?id=84


Drew
Host
Vans, SUVs, and Aftermarket and Accessories message boards

carbon_00

Martin,

I would have your service rep check the strike plate on teh door latch. That fixed it for me.

Cheers

tnkenyon

Just negotiated an ML320 today. Leased a white/java w/ 3rd seat/bose/leather/roof (42k sticker). Dealer had to trade for it so won't have it for a few days. Did 48 mos at a 6.55% approx. APR with a 21.5k residual, comes out to a 1000 off sticker like your guy said. They started at 500 off sticker. pymnts 600/month, nothing down.

tarik

A classified ad from - where else - Germany:

One of 4: ML 7.3l Brabus V-12, Vmax: 275 kph (172 mph), 39,000km, blue met, creme leather, TV/video, fully optioned, DEM 617,000 (US$ 280,000) when new, now DEM 275,000 (US$ 125,000)

Just in case you want to blitz by an officer at 170 mph, just to question his sanity in court later, here is the contact#: 011 2261 817530

Another interesting one:

E 55 AMG T, Lorinser kompressor-kit, 420 hp, DEM 203,000 (US$ 92,000) when new, now DEM 115,000 (US$ 52,000) obo.

I think I would have died laughing, had they said ...when new, now only some ridiculous amount in DEM, obo...

Now I understand why Germans are often considered "freaks" .

Ashamed Tarik

tarik

Thinking about it, what kind of engine power rating does it take anyway to push an ML through the air at this rate of speed? Anybody care (dare) to calculate?

The cool thing is that you could lose every stock MB in your rearview mirrors, since they are ALL governed at 155 mph, imagine the surprise for AMG-ers...

Flabbergasted Tarik

mark214

Does anyone know of a brand of remote control car starter that will work on the M class? My dealer said that MB doesn't make one, and the only place in town (St. Louis)that I have found which regularly installs them did not know of any that were compatible with the M class electronics.

I posted this on the accessories board too, but not sure how much traffic that really gets.

ctic

What's that incline problem with the fuel guage you talked about earlier on? My fuel guage has always been quite sensitive, the yellow lamp goes on and off depending on whether I'm uphill or downhill. But it doesn't bother me that much because the yellow light almost covers 1/5 of the total guage, so when it goes on there is still a lot of gas left.

Other comments:
I just bought 9 qts of 5W30. I don't know why they'd be selling 0W30 in California because it will never get that cold down there.

This has been a recurring problem but I finally solved it tonight. When pumping gas, the pump hanlde will often shut itself off before the tank is full. I thought it was due to an imperfect seal. By twisting the handle left and right I finally found a spot where the seal was tight and the handle didn't shut off until the end. This was a hassle in the past because I kept having to hold the pump handle.

itsui

I got my 01' ML320 with M1,M2,M7 and dose system. The best is I only paid $100 over the dealer invoice price.

zamorano

my 1999 gear box is giving me a lot of problems after a 2hr trip. When you turn off the car and you turn it on again, it gets stocked on 2nd gear only (emergency mode). At the dealer (Mexico) they don´I have an idea of what could be causing the problem. Apparently is a module that controls the low range function. Does anyone had the same experience? Help!!! Thanks

dt77

"Fully interchangable with standard PY21W bulb.
Complies with ECE regulations and is fully road legal.
Base: BAU15,s "

dt77

gpvs

Has anyone purchased from them before? I'm trying to price up the Philips Vision H7's, and they have a big note that says US are sold individually, but when you check out, they mention 2 bulbs for something like $31. I'm assuming that's for two, then.

dennett

A bunch of people here and in the other MB threads have ordered and been very satisfied with fosmo's service. I ordered a pair of the vision plus H7s, I believe they were only $32.27 including shipping, they should arrive today. I'll let you know how it goes. Fosmo does have that big note that says bulbs sold individually, but the H7s clearly say sold in pairs, I think they're the only one sold that way. My confirmation said one pair.