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 when SUVs were new and exciting?
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 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...
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
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.
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
Strange that they aren't liked as I had received 10 phone calls or messages about it within 15 mins of the advert going live.
It had some of the foibles you mentioned, including cracked D pillar covers and a touch of surface rust around the rear number plate but it sold for full price to the first person who had rung up (a local kebab shop owner who wanted it for one of his delivery drivers.....!!!!)
Build quality made my P38 RR look like a Rolls Royce, it's steering was like turning the QE2 and to use my well-worn phrase, 'every journey was an adventure'
My dear old dad used to say "A second class ride is better than a first class walk"; sorry dad, but in this instance, you were wrong.
I quite like it, its a grand, its a big shiny (if you polish it) Mercedes off roader, great for winter, and it sounds like it should last that long. Looks less try hard/gangsta than an aging X5, nobody would ever know that you arent wealthy and have had it from new, the 430 badge suggests you arent all that bothered about cost but fuel cost isnt *that* bad these days and it takes normal unleaded.
Well, apart from the odd fuel bill or two
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