Vehicle: 2006 Mercedes-Benz ML500 with Premium Pkg
Price as tested: CDN$75400

Performance: Just like the R-Class, M-Class has 2 engine choices. This time around, we chose 5.0 liter V8 32-valver DOHC version as our tester. This engine is definitely no sloush as it has 302 horses and 339 lb/ft of torque on tap. Power has never been an issue with Mercedes V8, the same goes for their latest version. As usual, fast and furious throttle response is just the appetizer of Mercedes performance powerplant. The main dash is their high level of refinement, flexability, responsiveness and subdued engine note wrapped up the equation. On the other hand, its 7-Gronic transmission is simply a gem as it provides great up and downshifts. This tranny also has excellent gear ratios and responsivness. The extra 7th gear provides excellent freeway cruising economy as overdrive.

Handling: Since M-Class shares the same chassis as R-Class, they also share the effective 4WD system. This 4WD system works flawlessly as it provides seamless operation on delivering proper torque to the right wheels, when getting stuck. This review cannot be completed without mentioning how much the new M-Class improves over its predecessor, dynamically. Its steering feels sharper and feels much better. The outgoing car’s numb on and off-center feels are things of history. Both suspension and springs absorb both large and small bumps relatively well. They are also firm enough for steady highway cruising. The body rolls are very well-controlled for an SUV. On the other hand, it retains Mercedes’s typical excellent ride comfort to wrap up the exceptional overall dynamic package.

Brakes: The biggest criticism of M-Class has to be its brake pedal feel. While its definitely cannot be considered as poor, it just feels weird. The modulation point feels awkward with hard to determine threshold. There is a jerky feel when nail the pedal for a complete stop from 80 km/h. At first I thought its just this ML500′s particular problem. After driven back-to-back with another ML350, I have confirmed both of these cars have poor pedal feel. I hope Mercedes can fix it as soon as possible, since braking performanc has always been one of the forte of Mercedes’s active safety engineering. For an SUV as heavy as M-Class, this shouldn’t be an exception.

Interior: The biggest criticisms of previous M-Class have to be its lackluster interior quality and design. Mercedes has addressed this issue one and for all. Gone are the old crappy plastic with poor panel fitting. The new M’s interior is able to rivalled anything else in its class. There are plenty of soft-touched plastic abound. All the switchgears have a solid and tactical feel. The instrumentation gauges are clear and analog. As usual, Mercedes’s excellent seats remain intact. Those seats are even covered with much higher quality leather materials, unlike the outgoing car’s leather which feels thin and cheesy.

Conclusion: After serving Mercedes for eight years, the outgoing crappy box was overdue for a complete makeover. The new M-Class has addressed all the criticisms of the outgoing car while adding lots of goodies in order to become the head of its class again. While its no longer the benchmark, it still has enough merits to run with the best of the best in this ultra-competitive segment. Most of all, the old crappy box is a gone for good. The new M finally is an SUV worthy of wearing the three-pointed star.

OVERALL VERDICT FOR 2006 MERCEDES-BENZ ML500
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Performance: 4.5/5
Handling and ride/fun-to-drive: 4.25/5
Interior/ergonomics/user-friendliness: 4.5/5
Fit-and-finish/build quality: 4.5/5
Cargo/accessibility/layout: 4/5
Value-for-money: 4.5/5

Overall rating: 4.5/5