MERCEDES M-CLASS
The
Mercedes-Benz M-class Has Established Itself As One Of The Top Female Choices In The Luxury 4x4 Sector. Vanessa Hinkley Gives Her Verdict
It took a long time for Mercedes to get around to building a Range
Rover rival, but with the M-class, British buyers decided it was well worth the wait. This Alambama-Benz (they build most of them in the States) is now nearly as numerous as Jeeps Cherokee and Land Rovers Discovery on the school runs: youll see them queuing up outside the gates at 3.30pm every day of the week. Whether youd want one would depend first and foremost on whether you like big, chunky 4x4s like this of course. If you do and many women seem to for reasons I find difficult to understand then this one has a great deal of appeal.
At first sight in the carpark, I thought it was a car that competed with models from the next class down: compact 4x4s like Land Rovers Freelander or Hondas CRV. Yet look more closely and a different story emerges. The tape measure reveals it to be almost three inches longer than a
Land Rover Discovery and five inches longer and taller than a Jeep Grand Cherokee. If you're still not convinced, take the family along on your test drive. As long as the model in question has the (extra cost) third row of seats and not many do as far as I can make out - seven people can be accommodated with ease. MPV-like innovations include a sliding second row of three individual rear seats that allow you to increase either passenger or luggage space. When you do decide to fold them flat (not the easiest of procedures), there's no need to rearrange either the cushions or the head restraints. Small criticisms include the absence on the options list of a built-in child
seat, the way that cans placed in the cupholders can obscure door mirror vision and the lack of a separately opening glass section on the tailgate for dropping in smaller items (a la Cherokee). Nor does the tailgate split for seating at picnics (like a Range Rover), though to compensate, it does rise high enough so that someone as lanky as 6ft 6in can shelter from the rain
Under the bonnet, there are four engine choices. The ML350 that I tried features the 245bhp 3.7-litre V6 used in the S and SL-class ranges. Alternatively, theres the ML500, a 292bhp 5.
0-litre V8 version. Far more sensible is the entry-level ML270 CDI with its five-cylinder, common rail diesel engine. The ML350 I was driving could be seen as the pick of the range. With rest to sixty in 8.
7 seconds on the way to 128mph, it's as fast as an equivalent Range
Rover. Even in an extreme slalom situation, Mercedes will challenge you to notice any difference between this car and an equivalent E-class saloon or estate. Thanks to independent suspension front and rear, it rides like them too. The first thing most will notice is the front end treatment, which looks far more aggressive than the old car and gives the M-class the on-road presence it deserves.
The front and rear bumpers are said to improve low-speed crashworthiness and also serve to add 51mm to the length of the car, and important consideration if fitting an ML in your garage is something of a close squeak. The front headlamps have inevitably been given the jewel-effect clear glass treatment and the fog lamps have been moved down into the front bumper. As in most contemporary Benzes, the side repeaters are now housed in the door mirrors, whilst the rear lights look as if theyve been left on a hob for a minute or so with their smoother appearance. Its inside that owners of older M-class models will start getting slightly green-eyed.
Like the A-class, the centre console reflects the design seen in the S-class model, whilst the minor controls have been smartened up with flashes of chrome and red detailing. Rear
seat passengers are now treated to their own ventilation controls and also get a pair of double cup holders. Like most owners, I didnt go off road but if you do, permanent four-wheel drive and the inclusion of a tough
Land Rover-like box-section steel chassis bodes well for grip in the gloop. Get in a slippy situation and there are no awkward extra levers to worry about (or a separate gearbox gate like the Range Rover's); just a simple button on the dashboard to shift you into low range. Once you're there, a sophisticated electronic traction control system called 4-ETS adapts the anti-lock braking system to stop the wheels from spinning. When a wheel starts to lose grip, the 4-ETS software springs into action and gently brakes it, simultaneously diverting power to non-spinning wheels with more traction. As long as at least one wheel has grip, the M-class will clear almost anything. Ultimately, with a modest 213mm of ground clearance, you might have to give best to a Range Rover but the circumstances would have to be extreme.
As with all Mercedes models, the prices (which in this case range between £31,305 and £44,730) look steep until you begin to put them into a perspective. Consider first of all the high residual values you can expect when the time comes to sell. Then think of the fact that an equivalent Mercedes E-class estate would cost you around £4,000 more. Then finish off with the consideration that Range Rover prices start at around £44,000.
How could you resist?
If I was after a vehicle of this type, Id find the M-class a tough act to better.
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