RE: Shed Of The Week: Mercedes ML430

[RoverP6B]

There's a video link a few pages back of a few of them (and some BMW X5s and an X6) off-roading in Latvia, they seem to do OK.

[Mr2Mike]

nitrodave said:

what are these actually like off road? anyone experienced one in the rough stuff?

could it be a good weekend green lane basher?

http://4x4abc.com/ML320/offroad.html

[gizlaroc]

Mr2Mike said:

Why would I possibly want a car that fails in almost every aspect? I much prefer cars that handle, have reasonable performance and that don't look like an over-inflated barrel.

It fails what YOU are looking for in a car.

I needed a van, but didn't want to have one as a second car as I also wanted something I could go out with the family in.
I wanted something that I could do 500 miles in a day in in comfort and with it loaded up.
It did that job perfectly.

I would never want a Type-R, my brother had one, he thought it was great, I didn't get it, it was cheap inside, rode terribly, and looked very chavvy and riced up. But he loved it and that is all that mattered.

Mr2Mike said:

Reliability is also a big plus.

My ML had 80k on it when I bought it and was already 12 years old, over 50k miles and 2 years it never let me down.

[gizlaroc]

20m rock face climb...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1zd_b1IlpM

Offroad in S. Africa..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3ZuRXOuxI4


Not the best in the world but they do OK.

[QuiteQuietCerb]

Have one a430 with 7 seats and the big sunroof, it's fantastic, never let me down, goes well and sounds great not a sports car but not meant to be

[Felters]

Old topic resurrected...

I'm "living the dream" having bought a 99 ML430 for a grand. Had a specific need for a car that was high off the ground so that my wife and her dodgy hip could get in and out easily. We also spend relatively little time in the UK so it has to start after standing and be reliable. So six months in:-

- it starts easily after standing outside for six weeks or so
- passed it's MOT after three new brake hoses. No other advisories
- needed a new hose for the power steering.
- it does drink a bit but we don't do much mileage in the time we are there
- my wife finds it very easy to get in and out. Flat leather seats at hip height makes it all easy.

So all in all, not a drivers car but it does the job we had in mind. Getting an equivalent Toyota/Mitsubishi was way out of budget and I'm not sure that we've had to spend anything that wouldn't need replacing on a 19 year old banger.