2012 MERCEDES ML350: M is for moderation

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 06/01/2012 (5223 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

IT’S certainly no secret that automakers and their dealers want you to check off the option boxes when you make a new vehicle purchase. It’s simple economics. The more you spend the more they earn.

That said, in many cases you can spend way too much on optional equipment and accessories. This is particularly true in the truck and SUV market. If you’re not careful when choosing options and trim lines you can easily transform an everyday domestic or import SUV with a $40,000 price tag into a wannabe luxury vehicle that rings the register at nearly $60,000.

The kick in the pants is when you go to sell or trade off that overloaded beauty in a few years. The grim reality is that even if your vehicle features all the goodies like navigation, chrome wheels, leather interior and a moon roof, it’s going to be pretty much worth exactly the same amount on the used car market as a similar model without all those options.

If you have that kind of money to spend on a new vehicle in the first place, my advice is to buy a luxury vehicle with zero options. It will hold its value and you’ll still get pampered in the lap of luxury.

Which brings us to the all new 2012 Mercedes-Benz ML 350.

With a starting price of $57,900 it comes standard with an amazing host of creature comforts and also offers ride dynamics and safety technology that aren’t even available on the majority of other midsized SUVs on the market.

We had the opportunity to test drive the new M-Class at the North American press launch earlier this year in Montana. With a combination of winding highways that feature what is best described as “recommended” speed limits and gritty backcountry that allowed the M Class to demonstrate its off-road chops, Big Sky Country proved to be the perfect proving ground for this capable cruiser.

From a visual perspective the new M-Class wears the Mercedes-Benz star loud and proud on a prominent front grill. Here in Canada all M Class models have also received an AMG appearance package that fattens up the front and rear fascias, resulting in a bolder and more aggressive look than the previous version. The brushed-aluminum skid plates found on the front and back also beef up the look and tie the sculpted body lines together nicely.

Compared to the previous model the exterior improvements are welcomed but where the new M-Class really shines is inside. Even in the base trim these new models are just as refined as any luxury vehicles available on the market today. The doors close with a satisfying thud and the cabin is extremely quiet, the best comparison I’ve ever heard is ‘bank vault’ quiet. Soft-touch materials abound and even in stock trim the leather wrapped steering wheel is among the nicest on the market.

The new M-Class comes standard with the Audio 20 CD system that includes a radio with twin-tuner, TFT colour display with a seven-inch screen, an MP3/WMA/AAC-compatible CD player, a USB interface with CD Cover Art display (if saved on the storage medium), an AUX-IN socket located in the centre armrest and a telephone keypad. The Bluetooth interface also offers hands-free telephony and Audio Streaming for the transfer of music.

The new direct-injection 3.5L V6 engine produces 302 horsepower and 273 lb-ft of torque and offers exceptional performance. It comes mated to the smooth shifting 7G-TRONIC PLUS automatic transmission.

The ML 350 BlueTEC features the new 3.0L Turbo V6 Diesel Engine. It offers an impressive 240 horsepower and an even more impressive 455 lb-ft of torque that not only promises outstanding towing capacity but also offers an increase in fuel efficiency. The diesel engine is not only much quieter than diesels of past, it also burns so clean you’d literally have to put your nose right up to the tailpipe to detect even a whiff of the dreaded diesel odor. With a premium of only $1,500 more for the diesel engine it is one of the few options I’d be tempted to order.

Both the gasoline and diesel engines also promise a 15 per cent increase in fuel efficiency compared to the outgoing models.

Even in stock trim the ML 350 with either engine features all-wheel-drive and we had the opportunity to put them through the paces on a moderately challenging off-road course that featured a number of steep inclines and declines. Although you likely won’t be winning any monster truck races these machines are more than capable of taking you off the beaten path and will surely perform well in winter driving conditions.

On the road the new ML drives much more like a car than its SUV profile might suggest, and thanks to the aforementioned quietness of the ride the entire experience is on par with any luxury vehicle (including cars) on the market today. Cornering is tight and predictable and that dreaded tipsy feeling that can be found in many other SUVs has been virtually eliminated. The brakes are also top shelf and bring the ML to a comfortable and confident stop.

Even though Mercedes-Benz has vastly improved the new ML and dropped the price by nearly $5,000 compared to the outgoing model, an ML 350 will still set you back almost $60,000. That said these vehicles certainly aren’t for everyone, but when you start checking off option boxes on lesser offerings from other domestic and import SUV manufacturers the difference in price is less than you may have initially thought.

Sure, if you tried hard enough you could add more than $12,000 worth of sporting, appearance and creature comfort options to the price tag, but if you ask me the new ML features enough standard bells and whistles right out of the box to keep you happy for many years to come.

willy@freepress.mb.ca

THE SPECS

ENGINE: ML 350, direct-injection 3.5L V6. ML 350 BlueTec, 3.0L Turbo V6 Diesel.

TRANSMISSION: 7G-TRONIC PLUS automatic transmission.

DRIVETRAIN: All-wheel drive.

OUTPUT: 3.5L V6, 302 horsepower, 273 lb-ft of torque. 3.0L Turbo V6 Diesel, 240 horsepower, 455 lb-ft of torque.

FUEL CONSUMPTION: 3.5L V6, city – 12.3L/100 km, highway – 8.9L/100 km. 3.0L Turbo V6 Diesel, city-10.5L/100 km, highway- 7.3L/100 km

MSRP: ML 350, $57,900. ML 350 BlueTec, $59,400.