I just wanted to get all of your expert opinions and experiences with the ML Class. Most of them that I am looking at are around 45k to 65k miles...I have gone through the posts on reliability, I hate to buy a black hole for my wallet. I am a pretty decent wrench, and plan on getting shop manuals etc...I see the brakes are a little weak, but was curious about the Tranny, Motor, rear end, 4 wheel drive stuff etc... Could I expect 150k to 200k out of one of these puppies without major repairs? And any opinions on the V6 vs the V8 (3.2 vs 4.3) ?? Any years with particular problems? Thanks alot guys, if I get one I'll surely join the board here! Thanks in advance for all of your input!!

 

I (actually more my wife) drive 99 ML320 model.
From what I know the 98 had lot of prototype flaws, that have been mostly fixed for the 99 and later models.
It takes about 20 HP to push that size vehicle at 60 MPH.
Question if you need additional 200, or more HP for the acceleration?
200k on the car? Will take some time to find that kind of experience, although I have run into 2-years old BMW with 150k on them.
But I don't think you want to buy a car involved in that kind of traffic. [:@]

 

Thanks for the reply, I was just curious if the 3.2 or the 4.3 motors had any particular track record versus each other. I am not too concerned about the horsepower...and I figured the mileage would be pretty close...

 

PropWasher,

I've had a '98 ML320 for six years (still only 60K, though), and the experience has been good. It's a little expensive now that it's out of warranty and normal wear-and-tear items (breaks, tires, belts, etc) need to be replaced. I've had some of the typical ML problems others have had (fuel pump, mass airflow sensor, window switches), but since the car was very inexpensive to own while under warranty, I don't mind paying for a few thousand in repairs now. Dynamically, I think the car stands up very well against newer SUVs. I just rented a Nissan Murano for a week, and while it was a very nice car, I didn't feel like it was superior to my ML in any significant way. Newer MLs feel a bit more solid than my 98, which sounds little tinny when you shut the doors, but it's not a big deal.

My father has a 2000 ML430 which I've driven quite a bit, and the principal differences are these in my opinion:
- The 4.3 is a very peppy motor, but not enough to justify the weight and fuel penalties (he averages 14 mpg).
- The ride is much harder than the 320 due to stiffer suspension and lower profile tires.

It just depends on how much you value the added thrust and whether you like a very stiff ride.