Smooth ride, solid feel. Excellent pickup, and very spacious and roomy.

It is easier for me to write strengths--there isn''t enough room here for weaknesses. Perhaps the two-inch docket of service calls and visits is a representative of some of the weaknesses in the automobile. Other weaknesses are in the quality of management at the service centers in the dealership--the service has become "inward" focused, and on generating revenue, rather than "outward" focused and on customer satisfaction.

A most embarrassing experience, after realizing that the product is a let-down for both an automotive engineering leader as well as American pride! Mercedes Benz no longer can claim to hold their place on top for the best vehicles built--instead, their foray into the SUV arena has been, admittedly, a shameful experience for them. The tragic slide in quality for this one-time engineering marvel and stalwart continues at a pace that has left me reeling. I have visited the dealership at an average of once a month for electrical, mechanical, structural, and cosmetic problems with the interior of my ML320. The vehicle is unreliable, with the electrical system playing tricks on you with its intermittent problems that go away and recur without any seeming pattern. For a vehicle with such a prestigious brand name and image, they insist that the driver''s side door on the SUV being off by over 1/8th of an inch from the frame compared to the front passenger''s door is an acceptable tolerance for them!

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GMC Bravo, Isuzu Rodeo, Lexus LX 470, Jimmy, Oldsmobile SUV, GMC Tahoe, Nissan Pathfinder, many other SUVs.

Great power. Pampering luxury

None that I can think of.

I am surprised to read the many complaints people had. I think this is absolutely the best SUV I have driven. I love the luxury and the powerful engine. The combination of refinement and rugged all weather readiness is perfect. I have had it for about a year and a half and there has not been a single problem with the SUV. I love it!

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Toyota RAV4, Jeep Grand Cherokee

Great Handing.

Poor Engine quality. Poor paint quality. To many problems with electronics. To much time in the shop. Very poor quality repair service.

Great Handling SUV, Best in it''s Class. Reliability is Very Poor though. Everything you have read about on the Ml''s reliability problems is true and I am here to tell you that. Where do I Start. First, the brake pads had to be replace after 20,000 miles on both of my ML''s. 2nd, one my Ml''s had to have the Rear outside panel next to the rear window replaced because it was cracked. 3rd, both had to have the gas guages replaced. 4th, One of my MLs has had the most wrong with it. Here is a list. - cooling fan relay had to be replaced, it fail causing the battery to go dead. - electronic problems, instrument panel went dead. - headlights keep burning out, dealer doesn''t know why. - Now for the major problem. the car was using up a quart of oil a week. Brought car in to have the engine rebuilt. tech at dealer said they have done a few of these. We get car back after a week in the shop, drive for about 100 miles and engine blows up. Smoke everywhere. Can''t see where I''am going. Lucky not to get in an acciedent. (plus Have you ever tried to steer or stop a car without power steering and brakes?It''s kind of scary.) Have car towed back to dealer. When car is towed away I find a piece of engine block the size of a quarter. First thought we blew a rod. Had to WaIT THREE HOURS FOR MERCEDES ROAD SIDE ASSISTANCE. Call dealer next day, they are all very sorry. They call me the next day and tell me they are going to replace entire engine. Dealer said piston broke and shot through the engine causing the hole in the engine block. I never heard of such a thing. I still have a hard time believing the dealer. Another week goes buy and I get my ML back. We drive it for about 100 miles again and the engine light goes on and the gas mileage is about 12 mpg. We send it back to the dealer and they are so sorry. They find the fuel regulator is bad and replace it. We get our Ml back again after a few days. Hopefully everything is fix this time. We made it past 100 miles this time and its been about a week with no problems. And if that isn''t enough My other ML is starting to use up oil also. Here we go again. We also talked to the dealer about the poor paint quality on the ML. They didn''t have any answers. I know nobody is going to believe any of this but I have the work orders to prove it. I also know other people with the same oil consumption problems. Onwer

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none. Test drove a lot of them.

Safety, Performance on dry and slippery roads, cargo volume vs. competition

Headlights could be brighter or Xenon for the price

Traded in my 1999 ML430 on 2001 ML430. 1999 had too many squeaks and rattles, and a sunroof that would not open. Repairs took 5 weeks! Finally negotiated the dealer to trade me up to a 2001. Best decision I have made as teh 2001 is rock solid. My wife drives the car and she would not even consider driving anything else, including other MB products

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Acura MDX

-comfort, handling and power -stereo/CD/phone system -room -ability to convert interior space as required for various loads

-very, very, very poor electronics and switch gear. Replaced window switches, headlight system twice, navi. system works on occasion, various pieces have fallen off inside vehicle. -rain-sensing wipers---useless!!!

This is a wonderful vehicle to drive and proves to be very comfortable for long trips. It is solidly built and the 3.2 v-6 supplies sufficient power and returns excellent gas mileage. Electricals and interior pieces are very poorly made and attached. Navigation system is a joke outside of metro areas. Should have waited for an ''02 with automatic HVAC and revised window switches.

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- Toyota Land Cruiser - Dodge Durango

359 Horse power, and the way it handles on highway. I have not yet tried it off-load coz i work mad hours to meet the payments LOL. Great on snow. If you ever have driven a jeep Grand Cherokee on snow this feels much bettere and more comfortable. it''s a Full time All Wheel Drive vehichle. It comes with every option apart from the phone.

Shock absorbers, they are weak as hell I would chose an ACURA 3.5RL than mercedes. I think they should put ABC (Active Body Control) as an option costs about $4,000.00 on this SUV''s. I hate it when I have to use a rough terrain. Does not have a voice recognition or smart card(Keyless go) option.

I was shopping for an SUV and a happened to chose ML55 AMG top of the line SUV. I love this car more than anything else apart from my son ALEX and my wife KATHY.

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BMW X5 and ACURA MDX

Perfect combination of luxury for pampering day to day driving and great 4 wheel drive for the 1 foot of snow days. Great smooth powerful engine and refined driving experience. Great for going to Home Depot as well as to the opera.

I love it. Not a single problem so far.

Great SUV. Great combination of luxurious drive and 4 wheel drive capabiltiy. I got the sky top with it and absolutely loved it. It''s like an SUV with a convertible top. Haven''t yet had a single problem with it so far with 15000 miles on it and unlike the BMW X5--the only other SUV I was seriously considering--it comes with three rows of seats and can seat 7 easily, functioning like a minivan when I need it.

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BMW X 5, Lexus RX 300

Solid Body, fast vehicle,

lousy hard seats, average stereo, high fuel burn/premium, constant small problems. Head light bulbs burn out constantly. Not really Mercedes Quality

SUV has very strong engine. Solid body, good brakes. However quality problems by the bucket full.This is not Mercedes Quality. Our Subaru Forester needed far less maintenance. Bough a new Landrover Freelander. Quiter engine, better stereo with CD player,better visibility to the rear as not darkened by so called privacy glass as was in the M Class.

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Subaru Forseter, Landrover Freelander

Its Horsepower, the admiring that others SUV and car drivers give it...its look of luxury and high class status...

They already fixed the problems I have listed below in the newer model, the xexon headlights and air conditioning in the backseats...

I love this SUV, I have rode in alot of other SUV''s and they always seem to be cramp and have a very bumpy ride, also, other SUV''s lack te power the ML 430 and ML 55 have...Powers a most in a SUV because it''s big body makes the vehicle move slower on the get go...

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Nissan Patherfinder

Safety features in this car are outstanding (ESP for stability control, BAS/EBP for active braking, 4ETS permanent 4WD for great traction). The car has an integrated electronics system and everything works in unison. Great visibility. Great cargo space for a vehicle 180" in length! Ergonomics are fantastic. I went with the third row seats - they were better than the MDX or Ford Explorer, by a great margin.

Not many - but lack of steering wheel mounted audio controls is one. If you''re a speed demon, you might want to test the 290HP ML500.

This is overall, an excellent vehicle. I was in the market for a luxury SUV for the past three years, holding off each time due to various reasons. In the meanwhile, the market expanded to include several competitors - the QX4, X5, MDX, RX300. With a steady stream of competition, the ML320 only got stronger. This year''s, 2002 - was just too hard to pass up. The ride is outstanding, for a vehicle that''s ladder-on-frame. The handling - my wife categorized the car as having a ''death-grip'' on the road - total control of the vehicle and the road - confidence at it''s best! The technology in this vehicle puts it head and shoulders above the rest. I ultimately came down to a decision - MDX, X5 or ML320. MDX was just a fancy Honda Accord - if you want one of these, wait for the $30k Honda version. This one isn''t a luxury car. The X5 - they''re burning down homes, but they do handle very well :) It was too small for my needs. The ML320 - fits into tight NYC spaces, holds LOTS of stuff, and you feel incredibly comfortable the whole time. I highly advise you don''t be prejudiced by any review - test one yourself! I''d recommend the X5 to people without children. The cargo area is too small. The MDX I wouldn''t recommend to ANYONE - it''s not worth it. The ML320 is perfect for the family that needs the cargo space of an SUV, but doesn''t want a monster, and wants to be safe (this IS the safest car on the road, and you''ll feel that way), and comfortable. Look for the MBNZ forums to see some great reviews and descriptions of the many safety features.

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MDX, X5, QX4, RX300. Test drive all of them - and finalize on two or three. Test those two or three the same day - and you''ll know what car you want!