New Mercedes owner - 2004 ML350
Discussion
Just wanted to say hello 
to everyone here since I have just taken delivery of a 2004 ML350 "Inspiration" (3.7 litre V6 petrol). I believe it was one of the special edition runouts prior to the new model being introduced in 2005.
I'll get some pics/writeup in Readers' Cars soon, although I'm sure you've all seen one before.
Happy to answer any questions on the car in case anyone is thinking of owning one.
to everyone here since I have just taken delivery of a 2004 ML350 "Inspiration" (3.7 litre V6 petrol). I believe it was one of the special edition runouts prior to the new model being introduced in 2005.I'll get some pics/writeup in Readers' Cars soon, although I'm sure you've all seen one before.
Happy to answer any questions on the car in case anyone is thinking of owning one.
I've done about 3000 miles so far. Overall I am pretty happy.
The mechanicals feel very solid. This generation of ML had a traditional body-on-frame construction, rather than the "car like" unibody construction of modern 4x4s. It feels indestructible when driven. Bumps, potholes, kerbs are dispatched with ease. You feel confident in pushing the car to its limits.
Grip is excellent. This is my first 4x4 so I can't say how it compares to other 4x4s, but it has far more grip than any other car I have driven. It recently acquitted itself well on the M1, in very heavy rain, with lots of surface water. It behaves logically and predictably. Again this makes you feel confident driving it.
Inside, everything works as it should and there are no major surprises. The seats are hard-wearing and comfy over long distances. The climate control is easy to use, with everything from very warm to ice-cold air available quickly. There are some non-intuitive operations (I challenge anyone to set the clock without recourse to the manual) but it's mostly as you expect.
Nothing has gone wrong. There have been no bills. It doesn't appear to use any oil or coolant.
There are two negatives. The first is the (3.7 litre petrol) engine. It's fine around town and at motorway cruising speed, but on those occasions when you really need the power and torque - motorway slip roads, for example - it just can't deliver. Overtaking on country roads consists of pulling out, nailing the throttle pedal to the floor and praying that nothing comes the other way as you slowly inch past the other driver. It simply isn't up to the job of propelling a 2-tonne vehicle under demanding conditions. I imagine it wouldn't be much good for towing either.
The second is the fixtures and fittings. Most of them appear solid, but there are some awkward design cues and cheap looking plastics that just don't belong in a Mercedes-Benz. For example, the (plastic) bonnet release is so flimsy that every time you pull it you feel as though you are about to break it off. The foot-operated parking brake is released by a dashboard lever that is again flimsy and loose-fitting. When you pull it, the parking brake releases with a thud that makes you think you have just broken it - lack of refinement there. The seat folding levers follow the same principle of "pull it until you think you are about to break it off, then pull it some more and it will work". The stereo looks cheap (although it sounds OK). And there are some astonishing omissions on the spec. For example, there is no trip computer at all. A 2004 Mercedes Benz and there's no trip computer! You can't even tell your fuel consumption or miles to empty - both features that I had in my 1993 Jaguar XJ! I think the accountants went too far with that one.
Overall, I think this is a car with well engineered bulletproof mechanicals, with an interior that shows a few too many signs of cost cutting, but which is solid and functional. It should do at least 50K with minimal expenditure. I intend to hang onto it.
The mechanicals feel very solid. This generation of ML had a traditional body-on-frame construction, rather than the "car like" unibody construction of modern 4x4s. It feels indestructible when driven. Bumps, potholes, kerbs are dispatched with ease. You feel confident in pushing the car to its limits.
Grip is excellent. This is my first 4x4 so I can't say how it compares to other 4x4s, but it has far more grip than any other car I have driven. It recently acquitted itself well on the M1, in very heavy rain, with lots of surface water. It behaves logically and predictably. Again this makes you feel confident driving it.
Inside, everything works as it should and there are no major surprises. The seats are hard-wearing and comfy over long distances. The climate control is easy to use, with everything from very warm to ice-cold air available quickly. There are some non-intuitive operations (I challenge anyone to set the clock without recourse to the manual) but it's mostly as you expect.
Nothing has gone wrong. There have been no bills. It doesn't appear to use any oil or coolant.
There are two negatives. The first is the (3.7 litre petrol) engine. It's fine around town and at motorway cruising speed, but on those occasions when you really need the power and torque - motorway slip roads, for example - it just can't deliver. Overtaking on country roads consists of pulling out, nailing the throttle pedal to the floor and praying that nothing comes the other way as you slowly inch past the other driver. It simply isn't up to the job of propelling a 2-tonne vehicle under demanding conditions. I imagine it wouldn't be much good for towing either.
The second is the fixtures and fittings. Most of them appear solid, but there are some awkward design cues and cheap looking plastics that just don't belong in a Mercedes-Benz. For example, the (plastic) bonnet release is so flimsy that every time you pull it you feel as though you are about to break it off. The foot-operated parking brake is released by a dashboard lever that is again flimsy and loose-fitting. When you pull it, the parking brake releases with a thud that makes you think you have just broken it - lack of refinement there. The seat folding levers follow the same principle of "pull it until you think you are about to break it off, then pull it some more and it will work". The stereo looks cheap (although it sounds OK). And there are some astonishing omissions on the spec. For example, there is no trip computer at all. A 2004 Mercedes Benz and there's no trip computer! You can't even tell your fuel consumption or miles to empty - both features that I had in my 1993 Jaguar XJ! I think the accountants went too far with that one.
Overall, I think this is a car with well engineered bulletproof mechanicals, with an interior that shows a few too many signs of cost cutting, but which is solid and functional. It should do at least 50K with minimal expenditure. I intend to hang onto it.
Some other points I forgot to mention:
Rear visibility is poor until you remove the rear centre headrest - then it's very good.
Front visibility is generally good, but as is common with modern cars there are big blind spots around the A pillars.
Ride quality is good. It isn't very refined, but it's pretty much immune to the type of surface you are driving over. So it's good all-round, rather than being excellent on the motorway and poor elsewhere.
Rear visibility is poor until you remove the rear centre headrest - then it's very good.
Front visibility is generally good, but as is common with modern cars there are big blind spots around the A pillars.
Ride quality is good. It isn't very refined, but it's pretty much immune to the type of surface you are driving over. So it's good all-round, rather than being excellent on the motorway and poor elsewhere.
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