Car Review of the 2004 Mercedes ML500 Mid-Size Luxury Sport Utility Vehicle

Base MSRP Range: $37,300 - $45,750

Base Invoice Range: $34,689 - $42,548

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MSRP As Tested: Not Available

Versions: ML500

Vehicle Category: Mid-Size Luxury Sport Utility Vehicle

Engine Location: Front Engine

Drive Wheels: All-Wheel Drive.

Engine as Tested: 5.0-liter, Dual Overhead Cam, 24-valves, V-8, 288 -horsepower at 5,600 rpm and 325 lb-ft torque at 2,700 rpm.

Transmission As Tested: 5-Speed Automatic.

Fuel Economy (city/hwy): 14/17.

Standard Safety Features: Driver and front passenger airbags, Side air curtain, Optional ">Antilock Brake System

Competition: BMW X5, Volkswagen Touareg, Infiniti FX45, Lexus GX 430, Porsche Cayenne, Acura MDX, Cadillac SRX.

Review

There are two types of vehicles: regular and luxury. Regular is like ordering a hamburger dressed with lettuce, tomato, pickles and onions on a sesame-seed bun. Luxury would be a hamburger layered with arugula, Brandywine tomatoes and slices of fresh truffles on a Ciabatta loaf. They’re both hamburgers, but one will cost you $2.50 and the other $12.

The same is true in the automobile industry. You have your regular SUVs: Ford Expedition, GMC Envoy and Chevy Tahoe. All are good, rugged vehicles that look natural towing a boat or hauling lumber, and can even be outfitted with upscale amenities such as, leather, DVD systems, parking assists, satellite radio and lots more. And, then there are the luxury SUVs: Acura MDX, BMW X5, Lincoln Navigator and our vehicle for the week: the Mercedes ML-500.

Luxury SUVs offer a decent amount of offroad capability; after all they’re wearing the adjectives “sport” and “utility,” though most will rarely set one tire tread onto terra firma. These guys are made for the country club, valet parking and three-car garages. They’re towing, payload and traction control stats are impressive, but where they truly excel (and why they’re purchased) is in their ability to showcase the owner’s financial success and taste for the finer things in life. After all, why eat a greasy, fast food burger when you can dine on a ground sirloin burger that’s been slow cooked over hickory?

When it comes to prestige and appeal, Mercedes-Benz is at the top.

The ML-500 looks like an upscale product. Outside, its tri-star, chrome badge glistens as it sits at the head of a sharply sloped hood. It has a compact appearance with almond-shaped headlights; chrome trimmed front grille and chrome door handles. Rugged, it is not.

Inside, the setting is impressive. The dash is “traditional Benz” with its cluster of knobs and buttons scattered over the control panel. Not as intuitive as most domestic vehicles or even a high-class Lexus, you’ll want to read the 320-page owner’s manual to understand and decipher the ML-500’s gadgets (unfortunately, there aren’t any cliff notes). However, should you sit down with this tome, you’ll uncover the secrets behind changing the air condition’s default temperature, presetting the radio controls and programming the navigation system. It’s the only way to know how much bang you got for your buck. The ML-500 is an impressive, almost overly engineered machine whose true ability is only experienced when you know how to operate it.

Feeling intrepid?

Should you decide to venture off the beaten path and risk scrapping your $47,000+ vehicle, the ML-500 is up to the challenge. It boasts a downhill traction control with crawling mode for very slow and steep off-roading; a full-time four-wheel-drive system that provides 48 percent front and 52 percent rear torque distribution; and electronic four-wheel traction control. On top of that, it can tow up to 5,000 pounds. It may not look rugged, but the ML-500 is no wimp.

Safety features

When it comes to safety, the ML-500 is the valedictorian in its segment. Eight airbags surround the passenger compartment - they seem to be aimed at nearly every body part. There’s the dual front airbags, front and rear door-mounted side airbags and curtain side airbags. The latter work in conjunction with the door-mounted side airbags to help prevent both front and rear passengers from hitting their heads on the side window or roof pillars in a severe side collision. These puffy air cushions can also block glass splinters or other objects that could cause injury in a side impact or rollover.

Safety measures are also included in the ML-500’s body-on-frame design, which features a crumple zone built into the nose of the vehicle and around the windshield pillars. This thoughtful engineering helps dissipate crash energy around the sides of the vehicle, providing added protection for the occupants of both the M-Class and a colliding vehicle.

As with all 2004 vehicles, the M-Class features the LATCH universal child seat mounting system; however, unlike some SUVS where you have to dig into the seat to locate the LATCH, the M-Class have placed them in clear view. In fact, it’s the easiest LATCH placement we have seen and a welcomed “little extra” to anyone having to install a child seat.

A new baby on the way

Rumor has it that Mercedes-Benz is planning to introduce a smaller, luxury SUV in 2005 called the X-Class, which would be positioned to compete with the BMW X3 and Land Rover FreeLander. It would be the “Baby Benz” in the luxury SUV segment, measuring approximately 177-inches bumper to bumper and packing a 3.5-liter V6 engine. Check back with us for more details.

We like the Mercedes M-Class for its overachiever mentality, especially in the safety department. It’s decked out in true Mercedes-Benz quality under the hood and inside the cabin, and offers specialized off-road capabilities for those with an adventurous spirit and fat checkbook.

Ratings (1-10)

• Style: 7
• Performance: 7
• Price: 9
• Handling: 7
• Ride: 7
• Comfort: 7
• Quality: 7
• Overall: 8.2

More Data

Where Built: Alabama

Major Options: Third row seating, Headlamp washing system, Bi-Xenon headlamps, Glass sunroof, Power rear quarter windows, Parktronic parking assist .

Seating: 7

Number of Rows: 3

Length in Inches: 182.6

Warranties: 4 years/50,000 miles bumper to bumper, 4 years/50,000 miles corrosion protection, 4 years/50,000 miles free scheduled maintenance unlimited roadside assistance.

Weight in Pounds: 2,892 lbs

Cargo Capacity in Pounds: 1,726

Gross Maximum Vehicle Weight in Pounds: 6,283

Towing Capacity in Pounds: 5,000 lbs with class three hitch.

Gas Tank Capacity in Gallons: 22.6

Destination Charge: $720