Mercedes-Benz M-Class (05-) ML350 SE 5dr 4x4 review
Mercedes-Benz M-Class ML350 SE Road Test
Test date 27 September 2005
Price as tested £41,535
For On-road manners, plenty of space, build quality, steering, brakes
Against Better as a diesel, equipment only adequate, just five seats
The original Mercedes ML, launched in 1997, was criticised from the start for crude on-road behaviour and a low-rent interior that made it sit uneasily with the three-pointed star’s status. As time went on, rivals such as the BMW X5 and VW Touareg exposed the ML’s weaknesses further still, although the allure of owning a Mercedes 4x4 meant nearly 40,000 found homes in the UK during its lifespan. Now Mercedes has responded with this, the all-new second-generation ML.
It’s 158mm longer than the old car, 71mm wider and 95mm longer in the wheelbase, not to mention 5mm lower than before. The changes alone help the new car to look far more dynamic than its rather brick-like predecessor. The designers have created an aggressive-looking car, with dramatically cut wheelarches extruding from the body and a recessed area between the wheels not unlike that of an X5’s. There are also AMG-style vents on top of the bonnet and a mini aerodynamic diffuser in the rear bumper, along with more traditional off-roader cues such as an imitation sumpguard and proud sills. Overall the effect is extremely positive, and there is also a strong family resemblance to the rest of the Mercedes-Benz range. Time spent in the wind tunnel has cut the drag coefficient from the old ML’s 0.40 to 0.34.
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