Superb handling in any kind of weather. Good gas mileage for a truck. Outstanding turning radius. Smooth, comfortable ride. Powerful engine. Too many safety features to even list. Lots of passenger and cargo room. Third row seating is easy to move in or out. Looks great!

Squeaky brakes in cold weather. The oft-mentioned stupid cup holder placement. Cup holders should always be in the lower middle of the console. Never anywhere else. The CLK also has a screwy cup holder placement. Right at your elbow. Now that's handy. Those wacky Germans! But I digress. Stereo/phone controls are almost out of the driver's reach. A few people I know have commented on the "low tech" styling of the console. It's a truck. If you want to be cradled in the lap of luxury you don't need a truck. You need a Bentley and a chauffeur.

Overall, I have been very pleased w/my ML. It drives almost as smoothly as my husband's CLK, turns on a dime, parks easily, looks great and rarely complains. I will admit it doesn't like cold weather. It tends to gripe a bit (squeaky brakes) when the temperature drops but, then, so do I. Even so, it can easily cut through a foot of snow and icy roads no longer intimidate me. Yes, the cup holder placement sucks and the stereo/phone controls should be on the left but most of the complaints on this site are typical of a new car. If you don't want to deal w/new car bugs you should buy a vehicle that has been in production for about 15 or so years. I have had very little trouble w/my ML and the service staff at Holloway is great. I go in for all A & B services and, of course, every winter I have to go in for the grumpy brakes. That's really not bad. Also, the gas mileage is excellent for this type of vehicle; I average 23 mpg on the highway. This is really a well-made light truck w/no more bugs than any other luxury SUV entry. Plus, it looks a lot better than those other SUV's. The giant station wagon look (Lexus, BMW) has never appealed to me. Not to mention... the star is a definite asset. We are a 2 M-B family and love our cars despite the few design flaws and occasional illnesses.

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M-B CLK430, Lexus RX300, BMW X5

Power, safty, handling fit and finish and the bold looks of the ///AMG package

14/17 fuel economy

This is the ultimate driving SUV (sorry BMW) It handles better than any other SUV I have ever driven and will do 0-60 faster tthan most sport sedans and even a Porsche Boxster. No problems and I always look forward to driving it. the driver adaptive transmission works as it shoul and the touch shift is a blast to use. All scheduled services paid for by MBZ which is a great service. This is also the safest SUV on the road.

Powerful engine (3.7 liter on the ML350), much-improved throttle response, solid as a bank vault, high-quality interior appointments, superb seating for all, Bose sound system, integrated phone, glass breakage detector on alarm system, lots of interior room, great ride at speed, low-range transmission when you need it, cup-holders perfectly positioned and lots of them, concierge on the Tele Aid system treats you like the king you should have been, great service at M-B dealership when having free scheduled maintenance performed (4 years/50,000 miles).

Fuel mileage needs to come up 2-6 miles per gallon. There are more-powerful motors pushing similar-sized rigs and getting much better mileage (see Acura MDX/Honda Pilot, et al.). I've never been in a Mercedes-Benz in which the arm rests were positioned for a tall driver (too low). The volume knob and telephone keypad on the MCS system need to be on the left side of the face plate, closer to the driver. The sun roof needs one-touch close. Way too much wind noise from leading edge of open sun roof (E-Class was silent in comparison), egress from second row seating could be better (stretch the wheelbase 2"). Window sticker says 232 hp/254 lb-ft, and owners manual says 241 hp/259 lb-ft. Which is it?

The new ML350 (3.7 liter) is a great light truck. I have driven a 1987 420SEL, a 1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee, a 1999 Tahoe and own a 2002 Suburban. I traded a 1997 E320 sedan for the ML350. This vehicle is powerful, quiet, luxurious, solid as a bank vault, and as comfortable as my E320 was; plus, it holds lots more stuff. I am 6'3", and find it very comfortable to drive. The back seat is much more comfortable than the X5's. There are so many improvements since the 1997 E-class: the remote locking/unlocking system actually works from a distance of more than two feet, the Bose stereo is great (historically, M-B radios have sucked), the interminable throttle tip-in is gone, one-touch down and up windows, one-touch open sunroof, anchors for the floor mats, one-touch gear shifting on the auto trans, adjustable rear climate control -- things that cheaper vehicles had for years, M-B has finally installed. And they have kept the high build quality, and a competitive price (price a Lexus GX or BMW X5 and you'll see what I mean). The integrated telephone works perfectly, and numbers stored in the portable unit download to the in-dash unit. There's loads of room in the back, and the second row seats fold perfectly flat in a flash. Mercedes refined the things that needed to be improved, and kept the things that were already perfect. And, unlike many other mid-sized SUVs, the M-class has a gross vehicle weight rating in excess of 6,000 pounds, so the self-employed can accelerate the depreciation in the tax year of purchase up to $24,000, a tax savings of over $9,000! Owning a Mercedes-Benz really is affordable!

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Jeep Grand Cherokee, Chevy Tahoe, Chevy Suburban

The star on the hood

Too many to mention...poor build quality, cheap materials, funky electronics, poor factory support.

Leased this 2002 ML320 to replace my 1999 ML320. The 1999 had many, many problems, but I was assured by the service manager that the 2002's were much improved. What a lie! The alarm started going off at random 3 days after I took delivery. The dealer nor MBUSA could not fix it on three tries. I asked them to either fix it, or buy it back. They refused. Hired a lawyer, and am pursuing a Lemon Law claim. Mercedes Benz is not what it used to be. Quality & support are ZERO. Avoid this vehicle at all costs!

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2002 BMW X5 -

Wheels still attached and radio still works!!!!!!!!!!!!

Poorly built, unreliable vehicle. Dealer has tried, but no cigar on fixing this yellow (Lemon) beauty!

Lemon may not be strong enough. I own 4 cars, 2 suvs. This is the worst vehicle (I have owned 21 new cars) that I have ever bought. It is an Edsel!! Z71 suburban has 36000 NO Problems! All other cars no problems. Windshield squeaks SUV stalls, Mercedes has no fix. I bought another damn Chrysler. Rubber around windows has changed color and texture. My car is a Lexus, I would not take 100 Mercedes for one Lexus. Beware if you are thinking of buying one. ML has been in the shop 28 of the last 30 days!!! Does the word LEMON come to mind!!

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Z71 Suburban Like a rock it has been perfect, even haulign trailer (4000 lbs)

Great Handling Smooth ride Great safety features Reliable Quite on the highway at high speeds

Cup Holders are anoying MOOORE LEATHER AND WOOD TRIMMINGS NEEDED

Ive drivin SUVs all my life, and i allways will. Driving an SUV gives me a sense of security that no car can give. About a year ago i traded in my toyota Land cruiser for a 1998 ML320. I noticed a big difference. It was the first SUV that i drove that actually felt like i was driving a car. Dont get me wronge it doesnt drive like an E-Class or a S-Class, but it sure was different. the traction control on this light truck is great...ive done accidental sharp turns at up to 40 miles per housr and that baby was stuck to the ground at every heart beat. Anyone who trades there ML-Class Benz for any other SUV probably can't afford the payments.

My wheels didn't fall off...yet.

The truck has been in the shop for 1)window switches failed (ie., window wouldn't go up/down--of course the window was down while driving in the rain to the dealer), 2) Locks that seemingly decide to fluter up/down at will while driving (just to let me know that they are working I guess--since they often failed too), 3) check engine light that comes on so frequently you'd think the bulb should've burnt out by now, 4) turn signal that wouldn't shut off, unless I literally made a 360 degree turn, 5)my horn decided it had enough, and JUST STOPPED WORKING !!! I traded in a very nice Nissan Pathfinder for this POS !

I purchased a '98 ML320 with 36k miles, and within one week the problems started. Been to the MB dealership more often in six months, than I've been in six YEARS with my other SUV.

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Nissan Pathfinder

Sound system, ride, leather quality, customer service, build quality, safety, acceleration, comfort, interior and exterior materials

MPG IS RIDICULOUSLY LOW, ground clearance (if you have back problems, then I wouldn't recomend this car), wind noise at high speeds, handling is par

On a family vacation, I decided to rent a Land Rover Discovery as our get around car. Well, I must say that I litterally has to jump into the car. The doors are narrow and the ground clearance is HIGH. But otherwise it was a dream. The interior and exterior materials, the ride, styling, and performance was beyond exceptional. The sound system amazing. There was enough room in the car for 5 people. My rental didnt have the 3rd row seat. Legroom was great. It was surprisingly smooth, but a little on the noisy side because of its height. Great car with the exceptions of some very minor details.

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Isuzu Trooper, and other assortments of vehicles

Power, Room, Comfort, Handling,

No telescoping steering wheel, No audio controls on steering wheel

Fantastic vehicle!! I read all these reviews before buying and looked very close at the competition. I finally chose this over the BMW X5 mostly because of the interior room difference. (I like the exterior looks of the BMW better). This is the best vehicle I have ever owned. Just took family on Vacation and it performed perfectly. Took it offroad in Connecticut to fish, and I was amazed at how well it handled tough conditions. I think mercedes has really got their act together on this vehicle, dont listen to the old negative comments..

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Also own Lexus LS400 and Acura RL

GOOD LOOKING VEHICLE, LOTS OF QUICKNESS AND PEP, EXCELLENT TRACTION AND FUN TO DRIVE.

MERCEDES DIDN'T PUT THE MERCEDES TOUCH INTO THIS VEHICLE WHEN ASSEMBLIED. TOO MANY REPAIRS AND LOW END QUALITY OF SWITCHES, BUTTONS, CUP HOLDERS.

FIRST MERCEDES EVER PURCHASED. PURCHASING EXPERIENCE WAS VERY GOOD BUT AFTER THAT SERVICE WAS DISASTROUS. I HAVE HAD MANY REPAIRS, TOO MANY FOR A MERCEDES LABEL. REAR COIL SPRINGS, DOOR LOCKS, FRONT BRAKES, FUEL PUMP, POWER WINDOWS, CRUISE CONTROL, ECT. MY WARRANTY IS OVER AND I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO OBTAIN SERVICE LIT WHICH MERCEDES PLAYS DUMB ABOUT.

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OWNED JEEP CHEROKEES, SURBURBANS, & BLAZER