Test drive Mercedes Benz ML class w163 2001-2005 SUV

Mercedes M-Klasse

$25000--55000
The first SUV this brand, the first Mercedes produced in the USA, and at the same time ... one of the most unsuccessful Mercedes.
 
The latter is not the fruits of the fabrications of autopilot journalists, but the harsh verdict of mechanics and owners who had the imprudence to repair and buy ML immediately after its appearance on the gray market. The American assembly was sometimes below all criticism - the car was as if assembled at the end of the month.
Cold-hot. The quality of the interior decoration clearly does not even reach the level of the Mercedes decoration in the body of W124. The control unit of electric windows with strong clicks on the keys used to fall into the central armrest on which it was installed. When driving in the cabin, something is constantly creaking, since the interior details are made of not the highest quality plastic with large cracks and gaps. All this is in a strange way combined with the BOSE, which are included in the standard equipment with leather seats and the expensive musical system.
There is no heating of liquid for windshield, which appeared about 20 years ago on cars in the body of W123. There is no light bulb that signals the flow rate of this fluid. 5 liters are placed in the tank, but non -freezing ends always unexpectedly for the driver.
Even in the options, there are no automatic climate control, instead of it-the air conditioning with a very strange algorithm of work. If you direct the flow of warm air into the legs, then the windshield begins to freeze. If on the glass, the legs are freezing. In intermediate positions in winter and legs freeze, and the glass does not thaw for a long time.
The hole for air intake in the salon has no protective grid, so garbage (poplar fluff, kidneys from trees, etc.) constantly sucks into it. The fan motor takes the first blow to himself, as it is installed in front of the salon air cleaning filter. In the summer, especially during the flowering of the poplar, when the fan is turned on, strong vibration may occur, which is shaking literally all the torpedo. You should not be scared, but you will have to get to the motor and clean it. It is easy to do this, as it is located under the steering column and is attached to the latches. The filter of salon air cleaning in Russian cities is enough for about a year. The first sign of the need to replace it - the stove stops warming, and the air conditioner is cold.
In bad weather, usually well -readable large external mirrors are quickly sprayed. The algorithm for working their heating is strange for SUV: it turns on only along with the heating of the rear window and, since the power goes through the relay, turns off after a while. They did not begin to make it constantly working, as in Mercedes-Benz cars, or triggering at a certain temperature of the outboard air (when it cold). It is not very convenient in bad weather and parking in reverse - the car is large, the glasses are dirty, and there are no parking sensors even in the options.
In fairness, it is worth noting that on the restyled version of Mercedes-Benz ML, which appeared last year, many of these shortcomings have been eliminated. The quality of the interior decoration has been improved, fully automatic climate control appeared, xenon headlights and as an option-parking sensors. But in our reviews of three -year -old cars, the updated ML will fall only in two years.
American puzzle. But still, the main claims of the mechanics make the chassis of M-Klasse: the suspension of the car is frankly weak. Ball supports, steering rods, bushings of the front stabilizer are quickly dying, sometimes pulls out the bolts of fastening the front shock absorber to the lower lever and so on. Here is the real chronicle of one car-Mercedes-Benz ML 320 release of the beginning of 1998, recorded from the words of its owner.
With a run of 20 thousand kilometers in the area of \u200b\u200bthe rear suspension, a strange creak appeared. A trip to an authorized service revealed a source of this sound - rear shock absorbers. It is necessary to change, but then a pleasant surprise became clear - the rear shock absorber is only supplied to the spare parts assembly with a spring and only a set - two shock absorbers plus two springs. It costs $ 720 per set. At the same time, the examination revealed the need to replace the front ball supports. Original ball (the only set at that time), bought from the dealer, for some reason were not in boxes, as the original Mercedes-Benz spare parts usually go, but in bags. Having opened the bags, it was found that on new ball ... torn anthers. Fortunately, those that were removed from the car were intact. I had to combine new balls with old anthers and get a discount.
After another 5 thousand kilometers, the suspended bearing of the cardan shaft burned down. It was burned out - all went with the flowers of the rainbow. By the way, the bearing in itself is tiny that it gives out the parquet essence of this SUV. Unfortunately, it does not deliver separately, only assembled with a cardan shaft - $ 800. But the locksmiths immediately stated that there were no guarantees that the new one has been going on for at least a year, and they advised to look for an alternative. She turned out to be a suspended bearing from ... Gazelle. I had to digest the fastener and change the product of gas to the Japanese bearing - the benefit is collapsible.
Course on the euro. Alas, all these defects are typical for Mercedes-Benz ML 320 of these years of release. Car mechanicians say that ball supports and stabilizer racks in this model can be changed at every visit to the service. In addition, they complain that on the machines of the American assembly, the nuts are boiled like on old Lada. But with cars assembled in Austria, there is no such problem.
Mercedes-Benz ML engines are similar to the S-Klasse in the S-KLASSE in the body of W220 and do not deliver special troubles to the owners. The only weak place can be called the fragility of the ribs of the timing belt tensioner. By the way, the dazzling owner can save on the engine. The Mercedes-Benz ml 320 installs four lambda-zda produced by Bosch worth $ 180 each. So, their catalog number of 12 digits only the last sign differs from the lambda-zonda of the same Bosch, installed on ... injection Samara, which costs only 100 rubles ($ 3). The main difference between these lambda-zonds is different chips of connectors. But this is easy to fixed.
In addition to a 3.2 liter motor, there are others: 4-cylinder on ML 230 and V-shaped eight on the ML 430, but on Russian machines of the release we are considering, they are rare. In addition, the ML 430 motor, strangled to the strict environmental demands of Americans, may not justify the hopes of the future owner who paid about $ 15 thousand for this model more than for ML 320.
Unfortunately, in the secondary market, European assembly cars are very rare. In Austria, they were collected in very small batches. Outwardly, the European is distinguished by non -toned rear lateral glass. In addition, these glasses are made opening, while they are tightly glued to the Americans. And one more thing: a manual gearbox can be installed on European assembly machines, while only a machine gun on the Americans.
The abundance of offers of used Mercedes-Benz ml from the States may be associated with another unpleasant feature. The fact is that the Russian Interpol regularly exchanges the bases of stolen cars only with European branches of the International Police. From America, information comes extremely irregularly. If a situation suddenly arises, as a couple of years ago, when a database of stolen cars in three years has come from Europe at once, then many owners of American cars may be in a very unpleasant situation.
    
Text Alexey Khresin, photo Alexey Ilyin
      
We thank for help in the preparation of the material Technical Center Contract-Auto, (095) 444-6472.
In the saving mode
The control lamp on the instrument panel will remind you of the need to visit the maintenance station to the driver ML 320. So, 7 liters of synthetic engine oil will cost $ 60 and about $ 40 for work. Oil, fuel and air filters are inexpensive - about $ 100 for everything at once. You can save and install the Champion air filter, then it will be even cheaper.
Somewhere a year, you will have to change the salon air cleaning filter-the filtering element costs $ 30. With a run of about 20 thousand km, the front pads will require replacement. The alternative to the relatives can become the LucaS pads that have recently appeared about $ 100, which is one and a half times cheaper. The rear pads are nursing two times longer: about 40 thousand km, but only the original will have to buy - there are no others. The spark plugs are changed at least once a year, and although each cylinder accounts for two pieces, they are inexpensive - $ 50 per 12 pieces.
After all these procedures, it is useful to diagnose suspension and electronic equipment. Each test costs about $ 15. By the way, if the time has come to change the wiper's brushes, it is not necessary to go to the company station for them. From the conveyor, ML 320 leaves with the brushes of Trico, in length identical in that they are suitable for the 41st Muscovite.
       
Mercedes M-Klasse 230 320 430
Working volume (cubic cub) 2300 3200 4300
Power (L.S.) 150 218 271
Maximum speed (km/h) 180 180 200
Acceleration to 100 km/h (sec.) 12.3 9.5 7.9
Fuel consumption (l/100 km):
highway 9.4 9.9 10.5
city \u200b\u200b16.1 17.9 19.0
The price is $ 25-30 thousand $ 28--38 thousand $ 45-55 thousand.
       
The cost of spare parts for Mercedes ml 320
Front pads (set) $ 150
Steering thrust is small (pcs.) $ 97
Front ball supports (set) $ 156
Rear ball supports (set) $ 225
Terminer of the timing belt tensioner $ 50
 

A source: "Autopilot"