RE: Shed Of The Week: Mercedes ML430

[KTF]

gizlaroc said:

all the interior materials were high quality and not cheap like modern cars, and it just felt special.

You must have had a different ML to the ones that everyone else has been discussing...

[Motorrad]

I can't think of a vehicle I'd desire to own less.

[andybu]

Shed would be better off looking for an early Mercedes Sprinter van. Simpler mechanicals, better build quality and remarkably rapid. Especially when piloted by young courier drivers working on a commission-only basis...

[KTF]

andybu said:

Shed would be better off looking for an early Mercedes Sprinter van. Simpler mechanicals, better build quality and remarkably rapid. Especially when piloted by young courier drivers working on a commission-only basis...

Have you seen the state of the early ones? The bean counters had their way with them as well.

[Valgar]

The only redeeming feature is the engine, and I'm sure that would get old every 200 miles at Shell.

Didn't the M-Class come completely rock bottom during these annual JD Power Surveys?

[KTF]

The sound is crap but Clarkson didnt think much of it either...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8C9DJAsGPYM

[QuattroDave]

KTF said:

Have you seen the state of the early ones? The bean counters had their way with them as well.

It's always the bloody accountants fault isn't it! Some of us (yes I am one!) do value overengineering, we're not all skimping here and there! :P

Having said that it's also because of particularly tight pursed bean counters that some of the worlds most amazing cars exist as without being able to turn a profit on the run of the mill cars engineers wouldn't get the special projects with which to create the really nice cars!

[gizlaroc]

KTF said:

You must have had a different ML to the ones that everyone else has been discussing...

No, not at all.

Compare our 2002 ML with our 2010 ML, the plastics are all soft touch on the 2002, the leather is proper nappa leather compared with a mix of leather and plastic, the switchgear all felt solid compared to cheap on the later car, and even the carpets hoover up so much better on the 2002.
I won't even start on how poor the interior materials were on my 2010 E350 estate, shocking!!

I think the problem was the pre facelift cars had loads of issues, and they never shook this image off, however speak to the guys who run Merc indy garages on the merc forums and they all say the 2002-2005 cars were actually pretty damned good.

[rogerhudson]

It looked as if the designer had taken a G series, made a model out of soap and left it in a warm bath for 15 minutes then gave it a quick rub. Horrible.
I never see G-wagens down in shed territory, tells you all you need to know.
Mercedes bought Puch in Graz to get some good technology, portal axles and tank-like chassis.
The M series has too much 'electronic frills', a posers 4x4.

[gareth_r]

Could be amusement to be had in a cheap set of off-road tyres (or at least as cheap as possible), and a few trips to the local pay 'n' play site.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxXuptjJA4M

[anonymous-user]

Shed of the week.....half right

[pennswoodsed]

No need to soft pedal it ,Americans have lost the right stuff. Alabama usually ranks near the bottom for education .
Sad really , MB was at one time a fine motor car .

[rxtx]

ecs0set said:

Synchromesh said:

Tiph Needle? Tiff Needell surely or am I missing something?

I couldn't decide if this was some sort of humour or if PH has sunk to new lows or if I'm just old for remembering Tiff in his prime.

I think it's just an extremely poorly written article, it even mentions a forum member. Weird.

[Oilchange]

Nit a single redeeming feature by the looks of it. Thirsty, badly built and ugly...

[daytona365]

Makes me wonder why people pay up to 100k for their very fast bricks, when this is maybe 90% as capable for less than an ice cream ?!

[Mr2Mike]

An ML430, he said,
is a shed without cred.
The stylists vision was led
by a misshapen loaf of bread,
the chassis was hewn from lead
with handling like an old bed.
No thanks, I'd rather drop dead.

[AC43]

daytona365 said:

bricks

OK engine wasted in a brick.

[Willy Nilly]

j_s14a said:

^^^^^^
Agreed

These were awful things when new, and even worse now. TBH I wouldn't consider buying a 4x4 for under £1k unless it had a Toyota badge.

How knackered would a Toyota 4wd need to be to only make £1000?

[Baryonyx]

What a crap car. Interesting shed though because it brings discussion to a notably poor car that wouldn't be discussed much here otherwise.

[405dogvan]

Someone earlier said "money pit" and that's exactly what it is.

My last-boss-but-one bought one from a 'mate' - he'd owned it from new - said it was 'mint' (gave NO history with it!!).

Mint, in this case, meant electronics with a mind of their own, chassis rust which caused it to fail it's MOT, an automatic gearbox on the verge of simply quitting and a RAFT of other irks.

It did <20mpg despite being slow - ate tyres (likely worn/misaligned suspension) - everything cost HUGE amounts to fix and it drove like a van and has pretty-much zero off-road capability (it got stuck in his driveway once, that's a dirt road, not a field!!)

After 8 months and a few grand thrown at it he tried to move-it-on but even at half what he'd paid, no-one would touch it - a dealer eventually took pity and gave him a PX which wasn't too insulting (and then promptly stuck the car on eBay with no faults mentioned)

It may even be the same one - same nasty color/interior combo/wheels - nightmare car.

Edited by 405dogvan on Saturday 22 August 01:49

p.s. I drove it the same week I first drove an X5 - this explains why I actually rate those I guess ;0

Edited by 405dogvan on Saturday 22 August 01:51