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

djdj · December 2001

Its all SUV's.
I found the wind noise was even worse in the RX300. I tested the Lexus thinking it would be as quiet as their sedans and found it surprisingly loud. Much more than the ML (with a conventional sunroof).
My skyview roof makes a lot of noise even closed. Also, today the dealer admitted they can leak 'a little' water in carwashes. Some how MB didn't put that in their literature. Wonder if that is the real reason why they discontinued them.

stevento · December 2001

Tom,
Thanks for your response. After I read
your post, I have questions about options.
>I'm Tom Pham from San Jose, Ca. Last Saturday, I
>finally purchased a 2002 ML320 in desert
>silver/java
>with M1, M5, Bose w/6 CD and heated seat and >will add
>a polish step bar, polish grill guard and rear >spoiler
>next week. I was thinking to buy an Accura Mdx >but
>decide to buy the ML instead.
Your price 45, 600 (incl tax+lic).
Your options is M1, M5, Bose w/6cd and heated seat
(is it included in M1 or it is M2). Do you
include Step bar, grill guard, rear spoilet to
your price?
Thanks a lot.
Steven
PS: If possible, please email me at
stevento@lycos.com

perkins5 · December 2001

Hi, has anyone experienced a cool draft while making a right or left hand turn during the winter. I routinely get a sensation of cool draft when my heater is on and ONLY when I am turning my ML 320. Wierd??? (I am unble to locate the origin of the air.)

Thanks, Bob

howvood · December 2001

Nothing else is needed. When you have the MCS out, you will see the connector that goes to the cd. You will need a torx screwdriver to remove the cover, the "blank" panel is removed, the cd unit inserted and connected and the MCS re-inserted and it is done. Check a recent post on MBNZ.org for a post that explains it very clearly.

bonnemazou · December 2001

Hi,

Did anyone see or better get an 2002 ML320 or 500 Designo. Do you think they are worth the extra 3-3.5K to fork. Does the leather fell significantly richer.

Thanks for the answers.

edward24 · December 2001

Jon 90 Thanks for the info. Where did you get a $3500 discount? If anyone has a line on a dealer in the southeast who will give that discount I would appreciate hearing about it

ctic · December 2001

Do you turn your head while you're making turns? Maybe you're turning your head so fast that it feels like there's a draft. Next time try not turning your head and see if there's a draft.

wniel · December 2001

With the heater on after the cabin's temp. gets stabilized you will get cool air out of the center vents with warm air still coming out of the side vents. When making turns you will sometimes feel the air from the center vents depending how the direction of the air is set. The same thing will happen in the summer time when making turns, I will at times feel an increased amount of cold air from the A/C.
Wally

tidester · December 2001

I think its possible that the effect is due to stratified air in the cabin (cool at the bottom and warm at the top). When you turn, the whole air mass shifts with the cool air "spilling" toward the outside of the turn and likely causing some convection along the way.

This is what you might be feeling. Try turning more slowly and see if the effect is reduced.

tidester
Host
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mark156 · December 2001

Hey Guys, it's finally here. I pick up my 2002 ML500 at 11:00 today. As I mentioned before it's Desert Silver/Java, has parktronic, bi-xenons, M3,M5,M7. I'll let you know if their are any glitches.

Mark

gild150 · December 2001

Mark:
Just curious when you ordered your ML500? I ordered mine with exact options (except for parktronic) as you have on 11/14/01 and I still don't even have a build date.
Thanks,
Steve

ctic · December 2001

I haven't been here for months. What happened to drew?

stever · December 2001

He's around in cyberspace, but Drew hasn't been with edmunds.com for a couple of months now.

(congrats on your new ride, mark156).

Steve
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mark156 · December 2001

Oh my gosh... this SUV is wonderful!!! I've put almost 60 miles on it already. I ordered mine on October 12, 2001. They told me within two or three days that my build week would be December 10th with delivery the week of December 17th. Everything went smooth. I love the bi-xenons and parktronic. The ML has a very slanted front (much more than my Jeep Grand Cherokee) so, I feel comfortable pulling up to things since it's hard to see the hood. It's also wonderful when backing. I backed into a parking place today and all I did was make sure that I was aliened and just watched the parktronic indicator on the back ceiling as I inched closer to the vehicle behind me.

Mark

gild150 · December 2001

Mark:
Thanks for the information. I am happy to hear that you enjoyed the xenon lights since I have doubts if they are worth the extra $900.
I just can't wait to get mine.
Steve

Jon90 · December 2001

i got the price in Washington DC, great dealer there. I think they deal on volume, they also do porsche, audi and one other i dont remember. Post your email and i can get you the details if you like

Not quite southeast, but pretty close, worth the drive for a couple grand if they arent dealing near you....

mollybee · December 2001

Hi, first time to post here.
I got mine on 12/9 and put around 200 miles on it now.
I just passed by the dealer shop and picked an available one.
This is my first SUV. I did not notice the wind noise even up to 75mph that other people said but the engine noise is louder than I expected.
Also, the Bose sound package does not meet my expectation. I could not get any juice from it. It sounds so weak. Tried all kinds of cds, radios. couldn't make it better.
BTW, mine driver side mirror did not dim out during the sunset, but it works fine at night with car light. weird.
Internal rear view mirror works fine though.

ctic · December 2001

Door seals in the ML are an anomaly. The doors are hard to close due to the tightness of the seals, you really have to ram them shut. Yet they don't have the typical MB thunk of the sedans. But they don't seem to block out any noise. Just today 3 people were chatting next to me while I was parked and I could hear them clearly like the windows were open. In fact whenever a heavy vehicle pulls up next to me I always turn around to check if the door is completely closed because the noise is so loud. I also had the door seals replaced when they were new because they were folding on themselves, but it didn't help the wind noise at all.

If your Bose does not sound good, try the Bose in another ML. There might be something wrong with yours.

jorgegvb · December 2001

I purchased my '02 ML 320 on 11/14 and I absolutely love the vehicle. Great rides and handling, overall quality is excellent compared to my last to Jeep's. I haven't had many of the problems others seemed to have experienced, maybe I just got lucky.

A few of the things I find annoying.... The auto-level volume control drives me nuts and I find the panic button way too sensitive. I bet I have set off the alarm by accident 7 or 8 times already. Speedo is numbered by 20s instead of by 10s, I seem to always be second guess my speed. Also, the wipers leave a thick strip of film/residue to the left of the drivers side of the windshield from top to bottom. All wipers do this somewhat, but this vehicle is so thick it is distracting. Glove compartment is way too small! Where do you keep your owner's manuals and binder?

I would have to agree with the comment made earlier that the Bose system does not meet my expectations, especially for a $1,200 option. Should sound like a concert hall! I am not an audio expert, but I wonder if an amplifier would help. Sound is weak and is crying for more power. The $500 Jeep GC Infinity upgrade was far superior.

I wish the tailgate had an exterior handle to assist in closing. You have to either put your hand on the paint or the license plate to close it. Also, I think I will have to install some type of step bar/running boards. I have noticed smaller clients (<5'8") have a hard time getting in and out.

Odd observation.... I don't think I have ever had a vehicle with a gas gauge that is so exact. Most cars the needle hardly moves until you have a 100 miles or so after filling up and drops off rapidly after that. My gauge is seems to be extremely accurate.

Most of the issues I mentioned are just me being picky, every vehicle has issues. Mine are mostly petty. A couple of these things may have a dealer solution like turning off the auto-level on the volume.

One last thought... A lot of recent posts concerning the price. Seems like discounts in the $500-$1500 range are pretty common, I got the latter. A couple of buyers had have said they got $3,500 off, but that is pretty rare from what I have read here on this forum.

mark156 · December 2001

jorgegvb, pretty rare indeed.

M.

tidester · December 2001

Congratulations, molybee, and welcome to the Town Hall!

tidester
Host
SUVs

roger23 · December 2001

I purchased from my MB dealer, and installed on my ML500 (took me 2 minutes), a chrome "lip/handle" specifically made to assist in closing the tailgate on the ML. I now use it every time I close my tailgate.

mark156 · December 2001

Roger, I saw that license plate frame in the "accessories" catalog that has a handle built in. I think I might get it too.

I'm so happy with my new SUV. My bose system is excellent. I've not heard an fluctuation in the volume.

For those who get the bi-xenons, the light in the headlight assembly that's closest to the grill is for "flashing" the high beam when the headlights are off. If you have the headlights on, the xenon "bright" light will operate (shutter operated). Since the bi-xenons have to charge up, the other light is available for flashing other drivers. My dealer didn't know this or even their head mechanic. It amazes me how people in the business are so clueless.

M.

mollybee · December 2001

I totally agree the noise problem.
The door is hard to close. My kid did not shut it tight the first day. I did not notice it until he told me the light was still on.
There is no indicator on the dash board like other cars.
I tend to check the door every time when I hear loud noise now.
The trip gauge is cool though. It tells you the mpg. It is funny to look at it goes up on the highway, then goes down at a stop sign.
BTW, I saw a G500 at the dealer shop. I wanted that one but the dealer said I have to wait for a year. Thus I picked the ML500.
For the ML320, he said he could give me around $3500 off msrp, but not ML500.

myml · December 2001

mollybee,

what/where is that dealership that will give you the ML320 for $3500 off MSRP ?

thanks.

mollybee · December 2001

In north California, SF bay area.
If you are close to the area, let me know. I will give you his number.

myml · December 2001

mollybee,

I'm in the SF bay area ... you can email me at aj_mar@hotmail.com.

thanks.

kfmaster99 · December 2001

I am seriously considering buying either a X5 3.0 or a ML320 (other possibilities are 525 and C320 wagons). The motivation is that these two are the best rated in IIHS tests and heaviest mid size SUVs (Rx300 rate highly, but weights 1000lb less) and I believe in a two vehicle accident, the heavier car will fair better. While testing drive a ML320, the sales person insists that cars are safer than SUV. He insisted that MB engineering had determined that a C320 is safer than a ML320. In a single car accident, this may be. But if a C320 collides with a ML320 head on, I would say the Ml320 will come out way ahead. What do you all think? Any data on this?

djdj · December 2001

I agree with 'ctic' - check out another ML at the dealership and have the service advisor listen also. I love the sound system in my 2000. I play the radio/CD player pretty loud and have never come near the top of the volume control.

Instead of a "Door Ajar" warning light, note that the overhead lights don't go out if someone hasn't closed a door all the way. I also think that any car that has a warning light to tell that you that your tilt steering wheel isn't locked should probably have a door ajar light, but the overhead lights being on achieves the same result when you look for it. This also applies if the car isn't turned on, so I frequently watch the interior lights dim out when I shut the car door in the garage.

I hope you new owners really enjoy your ML's. I love mine. For me, its the most comfortable car I've driven. I frequently make 5 hour business trips and the seats are great; the only thing I need is a change of scenery.

ctic · December 2001

All things being equal, the heavier car will come out ahead.

Door ajar: That's correct, if a door is open

1) Your interior light will be on,

and from experience:

2) You'll also hear more road noise
3) Your kid may say "Daddy, Daddy, my arm is wet!"
4) One second your wife is there, the next second she's gone!

ctic · December 2001

Let me be the first to wish everyone here a Merry Christmas! I've been in this forum for a couple of years, and it has consistently been the most informative and enjoyable ones to participate in.

sto1 · December 2001

Hi,
Please send me the number of the sale person who
give you 3.5K off MSRP. Here is my email
stevento@lycos.com
Thanks,
Steven
PS: Merry Christmas

tom00 · December 2001

Just leased a X5 and decision was down to ML or X5. Vehicle is for my wife, she like x5 better and I liked ML. The ml has more cargo space. I don't know any ML lease rates, but BMW has reduced lease rates thru year end.
The NHTSB test cars as well as the Insurance institute. Both the X5 and ML have scored high with the Ins one. The cars may be able to avoid accidents. you have to determine whether you like riding high or not and go with personal preference.

pepe11 · December 2001

I know this issue has been discussed but I don't remember the specific outcome. My '00 ML320 has Mobil One synthetic oil. How often should I change it? I do about 12k miles/yr.
I would appreciate any and all opinions.

thanks and happy holidays,
Pete

kfmaster99 · December 2001

Tom00,
We are also getting the car for my wife. We both like the handling and ride of the X5 better than the ML so that is the direction we are leaning. The dealer in San Diego where we checked out the X5 told us the leasing money factor is 0.0023, but I have heard people getting better rates on 330i and 530i. Could you tell us what is the money factor you got for your lease on the X5?

mark156 · December 2001

Tom and Kfmaster... have you seen at the "RED" lighted dash at night on the X5? The Mercedes is much softer looking with the mellow white lights.

A friend of mine leased the X5 3.0 and loves it. I didn't care for the red glow myself. That's why I leaned towards the ML (also wanted the third seat option). I've had mine for 5 days now and I'm very happy so far. My truck almost got stuck in the car wash today. The tires are so wide that the little 'wedgie' thing that pushes the tire down the track went under the tire. Apparently, the tires hit a narrow spot in the track and got stuck for a few seconds. When the next 'wedgie' came along, the ML started rolling again. If another car would have been behind it, I would have gotten really nervous.

M.

ctic · December 2001

We're just having that discussion on the C-class board. Change it when the FSS says to. Mine has been telling me to change around 10K each time, all city driving.

thor3 · December 2001

Don't know the intent of use for the X5 but the ML is a true SUV body on frame construction.. very capable in most terrain... the X5 is a good performance SAV and not ranked as an SUV for anything but road and light rough road... the cargo capacity speaks for itself... also if you get the performance package on the X5 you will need to invest in different tires if you drive in snow/ice...

If you are shopping for an X5 you might want to test the E320 4matic...very capable and reliable... more cargo capacity than X5.

pox · December 2001

Mollybee

Could you please give me the name of the MB Dealer in the SF Bay area that was ready to give you a substantial discount on the 2002 ML320? My E-Mail is spennathur1@attbi.com.

Many thanks.

Pox

pepperhead · December 2001

Thanks! I'll take a look at that discussion in c class. I think 10k is a bit long. I'm not sure I want to trust the computer to look out for the best welfare of the car. But thanks for the response.
Anyone else waiting a full 10K to change oil??

Pete

gloriad · December 2001

I'm the new proud owner of a 2002 ML320 with M1, M2, M5 and Bose. Have had it for a week now and love it. Still trying to adjust the seats for that perfect ride as I do 3 hrs of driving a day here is So Cal. Need to get used to the firmer ride. I have noticed alot of wind noise at speeds over 45. Can't seem to tell where it's coming from. As for the Bose I do get alot more static than I do on our Maxima. Dealer tried to sell us a 100K extended warranty for $900, no deductible. Sounds like a good deal. Any thoughts? Thanks.

ctic · December 2001

If the warranty is a MB warranty it's a really really good deal. Can't remember but I think it usually costs about $3K.

mtsang · December 2001

Congrats on your new ML. Mine is identically configured.

The cheapest MB "top-of-the-line" extended warranty that I found was from a dealer in CA. I got a quote of $1600 for 4 yrs/100K mi whichever comes first (no deductible). $900 is a very good price if it's for the same thing. Would you mind letting us know your dealer contact? Thanks.

fedlawman · December 2001

You mentioned you live in So. Cal. and commute 3 hours a day. Can I assume that you drive mostly on dry, paved roads?

Just out of curiosity, why did you choose the ML320 for this duty?

thor3 · December 2001

Remember that there are many aftermarket warranties... make sure that this is a real MB warranty issued by MBUSA.

As far a price is concerned there are two programs that MB offers a Standard and a Premium. The folks making comments above likely purchased the Premium which sells from @ $1500 up to $2500 from an authorized dealer... they should all be the same price but some have cut their price significantly against MB's wishes... This is the Premium Plan and covers powertrain and many electrical, mechanical parts and labor at any MB dealer in the US. This also adds 4 years or up to a total of 100,000 miles - so you could conceivably get 8 years worth of warranty coverage provided you don't go over the total 100,000 mile limit.

The Premium warranty is still not as comprehensive as the original New Factory Warranty - for example many trim items would not be covered under the Premium MB Extended Warranty... you should ask you dealer for specific coverage items... what you read is generally what you get, nothing more.

MB also offers a Standard Extended Warranty that extends the warranty on the major powertrain items but is very limited above this... it is less money and is perhaps what the dealer was quoting you for $900. OR the plans use to be available (check with your dealer) in either one, two, three, or four year plans... the prices get higher with the more years but all of the plans were good for the 100,000 total mileage. This was made so that folks that put high mileage on their vehicles would not be forced to purchase 4 additional years of service when they may actually get to this mileage (100,000) prior to even their first 4 year original warranty... but they gain the benefit in mileage because they would have been out at the original 50,000 mile point.

Ask your dealer for specifics... don't just buy because it sounds good... you need to know what your purchasing... if it is the standard plan it really may not be worth it... there have been extremely few powertrain issues on the ML's...Ask if this is the Premium Extended MB Warranty and how many years it is for...once again all of the MB Extended Warranties go to 100,000 miles so you need to figure if you need one, two, three, or 4 years for your driving habits...IF MB HAS CHANGED THE PROGRAM SINCE I PURCHASED THEY POSSIBLY MAY NOT HAVE INDIVIDUAL YEAR PROGRAMS(THEY COULD NOW ALL BE 4 ADDITIONAL YEARS OR 100,000 TOTAL MILES WHICH EVER COMES FIRST- DOUBT IT BUT CHECK...BECAUSE THERE IS NO SENSE IN PURCHASING ADDITIONAL YEARS IF YOU KNOW FOR A FACT YOU WILL NEVER USE THEM.

You may also wish to post this question to the other valuble ML info. forum where I know this subject has recently been discussed.

http://www.mbnz.org

Good luck and let us know what your dealer says!

gloriad · December 2001

Thanks Thor, CTIC, Mstang for your insights on the extended warranty. It is from MB. I was to get a copy of the warranty coverage but the finance guy failed to put it in my envelope. He recommended it since I drive so many miles. He started out at $1200 but if I sign up within the next couple of weeks I can get it for $900. I will get a copy of coverage this weekend and will let you know. I purchased ML in Laguna Niguel--what a pleasure doing business there! Got a great deal.
Fedlawman--All my driving is on paved roads--LA, Orange and Riverside County-all freeway driving. I purchased the ML for the Section 179 business deduction--must be over 6000 lbs gross vehicle weight. I actually liked the drive of the X5 but I didn't like the many problems, smaller interior and higher price. I did consider the Sequoia--it was much quieter and a pleasure to drive but just a little too big for me.

lambo_oreo · December 2001

Hi all. I just got a 2002 ML 320 Silver w/ M1, M5 , Bose, Roof Rack and other cheap accessories. Paid $39500. Is this a fair price or did I get screwed?

lambo_oreo · December 2001

I see that they discontinued the fabric net that separates the back space from the rear seat and replaced it w/ a metal one. I am afraid that the new matal one will rattle. Can I still buy the old mesh net? Will it still work on an 02 model?

fedlawman · December 2001

You're right, the Sequoia is a monster...same I reason I didn't consider it.

Happy motoring!

stevento · December 2001

Hi,
Where do you buy your ML 320?
Steven

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

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