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Another German Tank - ML350 CDI

22K views 94 replies 28 participants last post by  Alex_225 
#1 · (Edited)
Well, with the news of another little one on the way (due March) it was time for my other half to part with her CLS350 CDI. It's been a great car, quick, economical and comfortable for nearly three years. But, it is compromised on space and only a 2+2 so with a third beast...I mean child on the way it was time for a size upgrade.

Typically, I couldn't persuade my other half to look at an estate car. She loved her CLS and likes the whole Merc feel having owned an SL350 before. So of course she took a shine to the ML.

We went on the hunt and found a chap who specialised in only MLs so to be presented with 12 to choose from ranging in age and mileage we opted for this.

It is a 2011 350 CDI so the same engine as the CLS and my S Class, has 231bhp and 400lbs-ft of torque. For a big old beast it gets to 60 just over 7 seconds but can average 35mpg. Plus despite being shorter than the CLS it is significantly more spacious. It's got 84k on the clock, a very comprehensive history and the condition won us over completely. This is also a Sport model so has a few sporty trim touches, 20" wheels and slightly firmer suspension. Plus it's spec'd with 'leather' and alcantara.

It was clean when we got it but it can never be too clean so a standard wash and then a once over with some Dodo Juice Lime Prime, just a nice easy way to get a decent shine until it's machined in the new year.



Now this may be divisive but I really fancied trying this. It's the Car Gods 54 Holy Water. I know it's Tetrosyl based stuff but seems like a comprehensive range and I couldn't resist. Let's see how well it lasts and if it beads or sheets. Certainly feels lovely and slick.



So here's the car....









Rather partial to Chemical Guys Inner Clean for the plastics and Dr Leather spray for the 'leather'.









The mats look worse in the photos than in real life. I'm tempted to replace them but they're original and ridiculously hard wearing. Plus they'll see all weathers so may keep them in for now.

Say what you like about Artico and these fake leathers, they wear incredibly well. My old E320 had it and the ML does.





Another set of over engineered cup holders that light up, which I quite like! haha



Couldn't resist giving the engine a quick once over.



So there we have it. Our new work horse and family car and very pleased with it so far. We'll likely own it for a good few years, put 8-9k a year on it and carry the family around. :thumb::thumb:

It's taller but shorter than my S! haha

 
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#69 ·
I should image any Merc would fair pretty well. Its why I have always insisted Lindsey has bigger cars... thankfully we've not had to test it in our case.

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#75 ·
I'm not a fan of touch screens in cars for a few reasons, the lack of tactility and the annoying smears it leaves on the screen. That said it works well enough and isn't the worst I've encountered.

The little thumb pads on the wheel, I quite like. Handy for skipping songs and you can essentially navigate the whole system without taking your hand off the wheel.

It's that track pad in the centre console I just don't like. The Command system in my 2008 S Class has the wheel, that not only you can feel how many clicks you make, like an iDrive system it stops when you get to the end of menus etc. You can feel your way round the seeings. It seems they employed this in many of the subsequent Mercs across the whole range. My neighbour has a 2015 GLA with the same control.
 
#72 ·
As long as you can use the command rotary for the main functions, I don't see any harm in the touch screen. But it's not an ideal solution due to all the fingerprints it causes.

I drove a facelift Mercedes W221 S class to Holland a few years back, and the new track pad things are very annoying. If I remember correctly it has two mini ones on the steering wheel.

Lindsey's Lexus has the track pad too. It truly is an idiotic way to use the system. I think the Japanese sometimes do things just to be different. But that does result in some stupid alternatives.

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#73 ·
Yeah I too am not a fan of those touch pads on the wheel. I can see what they were trying to do but it hasn't really worked. Where as that rotary wheel is brilliant, and why not just make the top of that a touch pad if you really need one?

Here's the real kicker for me though, why not just support Apple CarPlay and Android Auto so you don't have to come up with your own solution?? Although....I'm keen to see how the interface has evolved in the new C-Class.
 
#74 ·
Thats how it works in my 7 series. You can use the top of the rotary wheel as a touch pad. Handy when you dial phone numbers, or find people in your phone book, as you can draw the characters as well as select them.

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#76 ·
Well, unsurprisingly the ML has been declared a write off. Sad but after the damage done, we wouldn't have wanted it repaired anyway.

Good news, we received a pay out only £200 lower than what we paid for it last year so really couldn't complain. We went to view a couple of potential replacements today as there's a seller who specialises in just MLs about an hour from us (where we bought the last one). We actually went to look at another 2011 model with 66k on the clock, it wasn't as tidy as we'd hoped but really fell for this one. It's a 2011 ML350cdi Grand Edition, so a nice step up in spec on the last one and less miles. We upped our budget but I reckon it looks excellent.





Full leather with white piping looks excellent inside, leather dash to match and a kind of AMG/sporty steering wheel is a nice touch too. Those 21" tyres might be pricey but freshly powder coated so are blemish free!
 
#78 ·
It really does, a sea of Mercs we've also had haha. I've still got a silver S Class and a CLS, seems people weren't very adventurous with certain models. Black seems to lend itself very well to the ML, seeing it literally side by side with silver and grey ones.

What's quit cool with the Grand Edition is the headlights are tinted inside as are the mirror indicators so contrasts nicely with the silver wheels and trim.

Like you say, sad about MK number 1 but at least this one is an upgrade in quite a few senses. :)
 
#79 ·
VERY nice!

I love the exterior style, very menacing. Bet that interior is just as amazing.

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#80 ·
Thank you. Yeah it’s definitely a little bit more styled than the normal ML. Doing away with the round fog lights and going for LED strips makes it look far more modern.

The interior is a nice step up. Really nice condition but also just a bit special. It’s all Artico leather so not as soft as real stuff but lasts really well. Feels like a cross between the interior of her old ML and the interior of the CLS she had before.
 
#82 ·
To be fair the E would be as sensible a choice. We have three kids so need a decent boot so an estate would work. Sadly it's the other half's car and she won't entertain an estate car haha

To be fair the ML continues to impress me. I loved the comfort and space. Not far off the comfort of my S Class in terms of seating position and cruising. I'm far more taken with the looks and styling of this particular version.
 
#83 · (Edited)
Looks really good, I thought the Grand Editions had full leather though or is that the usual - leather seat facings only?.

We went to have a close look at one last week as an ML was top of our list as a replacement for the Kodiaq. I was completely shocked at the interior quality, it was a facelift model (12 plate) and robust but absolutely not premium, lots of hard, hollow sounding plastic - the Range Rover Sport at a similar price next to it was miles ahead in terms of interior ambience - I'm presuming the Grand Edition has a better finish?

I was totally gutted because I was certain an ML was the next family car but my wife says its a definite no now. My only Mercedes owned a 1st gen CL felt and looked incredible inside, up there with a Bentley quite easily, the ML we saw fell way below what we currently have in a Skoda, perhaps I was expecting too much
 
#85 ·
Looks really good, I thought the Grand Editions had full leather though or is that the usual - leather seat facings only?.

We went to have a close look at one last week as an ML was top of our list as a replacement for the Kodiaq. I was completely shocked at the interior quality, it was a facelift model (12 plate) and robust but absolutely not premium, lots of hard, hollow sounding plastic - the Range Rover Sport at a similar price next to it was miles ahead in terms of interior ambience - I'm presuming the Grand Edition has a better finish?

I was totally gutted because I was certain an ML was the next family car but my wife says its a definite no now. My only Mercedes owned a 1st gen CL felt and looked incredible inside, up there with a Bentley quite easily, the ML we saw fell way below what we currently have in a Skoda, perhaps I was expecting too much
That's right the Grand Edition has full leather where as the standard models have half leather and half alcantara. Also comes with a sportier steering wheel and a leather trimmed dash and door cards.

The thing with the ML is that it's quite a utilitarian vehicle, it's a lovely comfortable drive but it's designed I guess to be functional. Compared to the CLS she had previously, you're going from leather everywhere to plastic door cards and trim. Certainly compared to a CL it's going to feel spartan, much like my S Class that is genuinely more comparable to a Bentley of it's era in terms of luxury.

The ML is more a 4x4 than an SUV so it's permanent 4WD not switchable or a haldex type set up. I was always just impressed with it's comfort and practicality, 2-3 kids in the back regularly, massive boot and the 3.0 V6 diesel is an excellent engine. The Grand Edition just adds back all the leather my other half had in her CLS. :lol:
 
#88 ·
Well so far so good. My other half's CLS350cdi and ML350cdi both had the same engine, the CLS was excellent in every respect, the 9 months with the ML was proving to be the same.

My S320cdi technically has the same engine but there were a few tweaks made to the 350 models but again I've done 12k and the engine itself has been fine other than needing an EGR valve which is likely with a low mileage diesel.

There's two bigger jobs that can come up on these, one is the conductor plate in the 7G autobox, which of course my S needed. That's a £1k job and you can't get the parts aftermarket, have to come via Germany direct from Mercedes. The other is related to an oil leak of which I really can't recall the cause but I think a gasket or something that is also a £1k job.

Generally speaking though, the MLs at least are really solid cars and on a run will hit 38/39mpg. We're both of the opinion that when you pick up a car with £40k+ off the price, even the odd expensive fix makes them a bargain :lol::lol:
 
#89 ·
Pretty much all Mercedes engines are bulletproof. It's all the gizmos that tend to give problems.

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#94 ·
We had two with that engine, and the engine was the only part that never needed work. I think I sold my S class with about 260K and it ran like new.

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