Mercedes-Benz M-Class W164 (2005-2011)
11 reviews
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Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class was previously being manufactured under the name 'Mercedes-Benz M-Class'
Great quality ride! – Another quality vehicle made by Mercedes. The engine is a 3.0 litre turbo diesel V6 with 167 KW of power and 540 Nm torque! It pulls my caravan like it's not even there. It's super comfortable and has all the luxuries you could need. It's not everyone's cup of tea as some people worry if something goes wrong it will cost being that it is a… Read more
Mercedes. Parts are not pricey at all and there are many after market parts available for these. I'm an Automotive Engineer by trade however so it is easy for me to work on these. If you do need work done there are many garages and dealerships willing to rip you off by charging exorbitant labour rates none of which the mechanics see by the way as they're only paid a pittance unless they own the business and it is them that are ripping you off! Like many cars built in this era there are weak points with the interior materials being plastic etc and if exposed to sun they do deteriorate. Plastic gets brittle etc. Having said that plastic parts for these are readily available on temu and aliexpress for very little money. The engineering on these cars is excellent though and they drive wonderfully. I did avoid the model with air suspension not that I would mind them but they do tend to leak in the air springs when they get older, o-rings leak etc. Easy for me to repair and cheap but just didn't want to have to do that just like I did with a Range Rover I owned in the past. My next car would be another one of these but maybe a few years younger with lower mileage! Although this one is still just beginning life at 245000kms, it runs like a new one!
One of the worst cars we have ever owned, stay away from these ML's they are so poorly made ! – Central locking stopped working, rear seat belt jammed , alternator stopped charging , O2 sensor stopped working , engine rear main seal leaking and the list goes on, all this and only 120 thousand K'S , and this Benz has been serviced every 5 thousand k's , Mercedes says every 15 thousand, what a joke ! Show details
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Great car except foir a couple of real bad points!! – I have a 2011 ML 300 with 130,000km with 20" alloys, sidestep and these upgrades. I would say the ride in this vehicle may be the best of any I have been in, it is beyond comfortable, The quality of the interior and exterior and fittings and materials are excellent and nothing has broken or torn or really worn. The car is a great cruiser at all… Read more
speeds. The bad news is the poor acceleration due to turbo lag especially from stop and is an accident waiting to happen. Can't overemphasise how pathetic it is. The other poor point is the brakes. They do stop but the pedal travel is way too long and cause mistrust. My wife loves this car. As good as the ride and crusing in it is, I can't handle the poor acceleration response.
Fantastic AWD! – I'm the 3rd owner of a May 2008 build ML320 CDi diesel. 10/10 in every respect except ... yes, the front bucket seats. What was Mercedes thinking? Nissan make more comfortable seats than this marque. Why? Lack of lateral support, sore bum. Problem completely solved with a pair of custom pure lambwool seatcovers. Now brilliant! All Mercedes… Read more · 1
common rail diesel engines are detuned (because not everyone commits to ontime servicing or uses premium diesel fuel, so I went to Coolum Motors (see Steve) and have him do a custom tune (remap, no piggy back needed). You won't believe the extra power and driveability. The 7 speed gearbox is now smooth and it revs right out smoothly and effortlessly.
Exhaust emissions and diesel smell is noticeably reduced and exhaust output is now dark brown with a hint of carbon and not filthy black as was the case. Best $1500 I've ever spent. Worth it if you're hanging onto your Merc. We are! Torque is up from 510Nm to just over 600Nm. A custom remap by an experienced technician will not shorten engine life - provided the computer combustion re-map is done properly and with care.
Another tip: Buy only BP Ultimate if you can. It doesn't bust dirt in 2 tanks BUT it does keep things running smoothly under the bonnet and BP Diesel fuel has a slightly higher octane rating than Caltex. I also use a small amount of ProMa DT5 fuel treatment to keep everything running sweet. You'll notice the difference.
Also, ensure that at each 15 000km service that your mechanic thoroughly cleans the inlet ports to remove as much of the carbon deposits as possible. Diesel engines gulp air and if the intakes are restricted (like human arteries), then the driving experience will be rather lack lustre. Cleaned regularly your ML will drive like new again.
I love quality engineering and when the vehicle was new would have cost $106k. I paid $46K 5 yrs later and feel I've got a bargain. Depreciation is a vertical dive with luxury European cars so now will only buy good used vehicles.
If you have one of these well sorted AWDs and care for it, you'll enjoy many years of satisfying motoring.
Great car would buy again – We had the ml amg for around three years till we trade in. We found the car perfect for our family of 4. Performance amazing and the handling to match. Fuel little heavy but as expected. We always felt safe and secure in the ml and that's why we purchased. Should of had a touch screen as others car had but didn't. The heated seats… Read more
where great with the option to turn on wife's seat on a hot day.
Tyres expensive and rims protruding tyres are never a good idea.
I would buy again even with the above minor things.
Didn't purchase new shape as don't like the coupe look.
Matt.
Love the comforts like heated seats, torque, handles well. Down side easy to forget the stalks on th – Great car, handles well, love the heated seats, very powerful, looks good. Downside easy to forget the stalks on the right near the steering wheel are gears not indicators especially if you're on the freeway doing 100 km and you indicate left it puts car in neutral. Bluetooth can't connect to music on iPhone need to buy special adaptor.Software in car out dated. Show details
Looks can be deceiving! – Run away folks and never buy an ML350. I assumed since it was German engineered, it would be perfect like the BMW which I've owned several BMWs since the 90s. I chose the 2006 ML350 over the X5 based on being of a more luxurious look. I didn't expect the quality to be that of a $10,000 new vehicle. It was just that, a piece of junk. From the… Read more
balance shaft issues to the power steering issues to the transmission issues, it never stops. Repairs in the thousands! Saddest part is Mercedes knew about their defective issues and don't stand behind their known defects leaving the customers in a bad way. Shame on Mercedes! I will never buy a Mercedes-Benz again and will stick with BMW always. My Mercedes-Benz SUV piece of junk everyday vehicle is now garaged and I'm forced to drive my weekend BMW M6 as my everyday vehicle until I figure out what to do to get rid of it without taking a huge financial loss but still maintaining my honesty conveying the good, the bad and the ugly which is how I live my life. Mercedes don't care about reputation nor repeat business from loyal customers; they just care about money..
ML350 CDI - AMG – Purchased new in 2010, really nice car, optioned with AMG Exterior Pack & Luxury Pack. After 5 years of ownership have to say pretty disappointed with the reliability of the car, however the car is loverly to drive and has lots of features. Negatives: Both rear struts had to be replaced (thankfully under warranty) Front fog light keeps… Read more
burning out and melting the lense (Not covered under warranty they say...)
Wheel speed sensors keep failing - different wheels $750 to fix each time - started just after 3 years so no warranty.
Glow plugs now need replacing and it has only done 40k kms. Yes it will cost a lot to fix these too.
Servicing costs are just ridiculous
Tyre wear is just terrible even with alignments
Some exterior parts are now fading and coming off the car (high mount brake light lens)
Positives
Excellent transmission
Nice on the hwy and country roads
Lots of space
Good air con
Nice leather dash board
Overall a good car let down by some quality issues and bad parts.
ML 320 CDI – Great SUV. You have class, power and mid size room.(prado size) You feel safe punching along at 110kmh+ on most roads. Great features. This one had the distronic cruise control (radar) that slows you down with the brake to keep pace with traffic and then speed you back up when the obsticle is gone. Heaps of gadgets that work well. GPS system is… Read more · 4
spot on. Rear boot area is a good size.
Cant fault the engineering.
Options are where they get you on a new purchase. Options are too hexy.
Good – Overall we're happy with the 500 and we just bought a smaller B200 for my wife to scoot around in. Mercedes has been a nice change in out lives. I have not gone off road with it but it does not seem like it was really built for it even though it is considered to be an SUV. Nice handling, the wipers come on automatically when it starts raining… Read more
(this surprised me LOL) very comfortable and heated seats. Came with a decent Benz golf bag! Very good looking set of wheels - comfort and class. The key/door unlocker only works from a short distance. For some reason I cant figure out how to set the phone system up to work with my mobile - I wasn't given any instruction from the dealer.
Mercedes Benz ML 320 CDI – The Mercedes ML 320 CDI is an outstanding SUV. Its so smooth to ride in, it has great economy. 8.4 to 9.4 on the highway & around town. Tyres are expensive, especially 18inches but its a Mercedes. The turning circle is unbelievable for an all wheel drive, park assist, the heating and A/C perform very well. Show details · 5
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