Shed Of The Week: Mercedes ML430

The magic wand of depreciation casts its spell on another big Merc, but is an ML really worth it?

Remember your first day at school? That scratchy feeling on your neck caused by wearing a tie for the first time, your brand new, uncreased satchel glinting horribly in the sun, sweat trickling down your back, something else leaking down your leg. No wonder you got bullied.

Remember when SUVs were new and exciting?

We're not like that in Shed of the Week. When a new boy comes into class we like to extend a hearty welcome. Even if it is a potential horror that actually deserves a good old-fashioned spreadeagled toasting by Harry Flashman and his beastly chums. A warm welcome then to Shedland for the W163 M-Class, or ML-Class as it's now known. Or is it GLE?

In a joint venture with Mitsubishi, the original M-Class was meant to be a Shogun-platformed replacement for the ancient G-Class, but Mercedes abandoned that in favour of developing its own big, modern SUV at a new plant in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

Production started in 1997 and got a flying start courtesy of a starring role in Jurassic Park - The Lost World. But there was a problem: quality. That T-rex didn't really need to peer through the sunshine roof at the terrified occupants. It could just as easily have looked through the door shutlines.

Cheapest new V8 ML is £87,000!

The hapless quality control guys in Alabama were faced with a thankless task implementing Mercedes' accountant-dictated master plan. In what may have been a political move Mercedes shifted assembly over to Graz in Austria from 1999 to 2002 to try and regain some credibility, but the jury is out as to whether it made much difference. One thing is for sure, and that is that the poor build quality of those early Ms dirtied the model's face for quite some time.

The 4.3-litre V8-powered ML430 hoved into view in 1998, followed a year later by the ML55. Famous M-Class owners include Tiph Needle and Pope Benedict XVI. The pontiff's ML430 was, unusually in the motor trade, quite literally bombproof. It had a big bulletproof plexiglass telephone kiosk perched on the back with its own oxygen supply. Popes have also used the G-Class which, like the Defender, gloriously emerged from its death struggle with what was meant to be a superior interloper.

Depending on when it was actually built, our 2000 Shed could be a Graz car. Whether it's any better than a US one is debatable, but at least it's from three years into the production run so might be less nasty than its predecessors.

Looks good enough from here...

Those who have driven an old M-Class will probably not have much positive to say about it. The separately-chassised driving experience is wobblesome, the steering rack seemingly came off an oil tanker and, despite its apparent size, there's not much room in the back. Jeff Goldblum complained bitterly about it (probably).

What could be lurking in this Shed? Mechanically, the 430 motor does have a bit of a reputation for liking a drink, not just petrol but also (on high-milers) oil. Blue smoke could be tired piston rings, but if it's only there on startup after a few days sitting around it might just be leaky valve guides or seals, which is not quite so expensive to fix. Or you might just need a new MAF.

Old engine mounts can lead to busted radiators. Electrics are another potential worry: windows, mirrors, auto 'box. Can't see if it's got a steel sunroof, but if it has, check it: they go skew-whiffed and get into a terrible mess.

Oh. Not actually that big in the back

Interior materials on the early models reflected the M-B accountants' master plan. It's common for the A-pillar and D-pillar coverings to crack and/or separate, for the centre console cover to look like someone's been kicking it repeatedly over several years, and for there to be a whole lot of creaking going on.

But let's look at the full end of the glass. 268hp V8, 0-60 in seven and a bit seconds, decent crashability, leather, and M-B's Sort Of Wood®. The ad is a bit heavy on dogs' lipsticks, but a bit of shouting is fair enough. After all, the cheapest new M-Class is over £48K, and the only petrol one on the books (the ML63 AMG) is £87K. Our one gives you change out of £1K. Ah, the sweet smell of depreciation.

As they say, it's a lot of car for the money. Or a lot of trouble for the money.

Here's the ad.

Blue

Blue, 5+ owners, Air-Conditioning, Cruise Control, Alarm, Alloy Wheels (17in), Electric Windows (Front/Rear). 5 seats, PART EXCHANGE VEHICLE TO CLEAR!, , 2000 Mercedes Benz ML430, this car is very clean tidy car - great petrol 4x4!, , Current MOT Till December 2015, vehicle is HPI clear, starts and drives very well, service history!, , Come and take it away!, Call us now for a test drive!, £995 p/x to clear
4.3 ML430 5dr