Review
The Mercedes ML Class is anything but politically correct. One of the largest of the current crop of road-biased 4x4s, it's big enough to make even a BMW X5 look scrawny by comparison. The aggressive image won't be for everyone, but the strong performance and a painless driving experience make it a strong all-rounder.
The big Merc's chunky styling looks good, although this will never be a car to suit shrinking violets. The cabin is impressive, too - far better than the woefully cheap-feeling interior of the original M Class. Now there are high quality materials and switchgear, masses of room for both front and rear seat occupants, a generously proportioned boot and decent levels of standard equipment.
Advanced suspension means that it drives well, too - especially when fitted with optional air springing. Comfort levels are impressively high over rougher road surfaces, cruising is quiet and refined at motorway speeds - and although you wouldn't say the M Class was exactly enthusiastic for corners, it puts in a credible, grippy performance when the going gets twisty. All versions benefit from Mercedes' excellent "7G" seven-speed automatic gearbox as standard.
All of the currently available engines offer decent performance, although only the ML350 V6 petrol and ML320 CDI V6 turbodiesel stand any chance of turning in better than 20 mpg on a regular basis. That said, the V8-powered ML500 has the sort of straight line performance to make you laugh out loud, at the cost of horrendous running costs. An even more powerful ML63 AMG version follows later.