Test drive Mercedes Benz ML class W166 since 2011 SUV
Representative SUV for 3 million rubles. This is how it happens ...
The choice of a car is in many ways a paradoxical process. No, at first it seems quite obvious due to the sum of certain factors, such as the budget, addiction to a certain design, lifestyle and even personal complexes. But, as a rule, the result is a compromise. Of course, there are exceptions. This is when everything is based on decisive I want, but the options are not accepted. Vadim Mikhailov, a businessman, driving experience of 25 years, travels Toyota Land Cruiser 200, wants a stylish SUV of a representative level, a budget of 3,000,000 rubles.
Car requirements
IMAGE
I would like a solid SUV with makings of a representative class.
Economy
It does not particularly bother, but a relatively small appetite is welcome; A prerequisite: must be diesel.
Shodal qualities
Dynamic, but it should not pass on the off -road; It is desirable to have locks
and other attributes of a full -fledged SUV.
STYLE
It is desirable that it is not catchy, but memorable.
INTERIOR
A spacious salon, roomy trunk, a good audio system, thoughtful ergonomics, solid finishing materials. Different chips are welcome.
EQUIPMENT
I believe the budget should include everything that I can only assume. The presence of a high -class audio system is only welcome.
Mercedes ML 350 CDI 2 990 000 R.
Agree, there is little from the SUV in such an interior
Selected because: fits into the budget and, in addition, personifies the designated style.
Style
A dull and absolutely not memorable appearance. Boring
Shodal qualities
On the highway is magnificent-shredded. Pretty dynamic. He writes well turns. On a serious off-road, it is better to meddle in the presence of an optional offrout package.
Interior
Able and even comfort. Acceptable
Economy
8 liters of diesel fuel for a 258 liter engine. With. In general, nothing. County
Equipment in the standard
By and large, everything is. It will fit
I don't think the owners will subject this car to such tests
+Dynamics, handling, spacious salon.
-Informativity of the brakes, faceless appearance.
With my growth, of course, there is not much space behind, but, in principle, it is enough
Mercedes-Benz ML 350 CDI brand and model
Dimensions 4805x1926x1796 mm
Diesel engine., 6-cylinder., 2987cm3, 258/3600l.s./min-1, 620/1600 Nm/min-1
Transmission automatic., 7-site., Complete drive
Dynamics 224 km/h; 7.4 s to 100 km/h
Jeep Grand Cherokee 2 639 375 R.
In such a surroundings, this car does not look like a stranger. However, it looks good on the asphalt
Selected because: a real SUV with a long history and rich equipment.
Style
A memorable car. Appearance on the verge of kich. Brutal
Shodal qualities
Contrary to my expectations, a rather assembled car. He does not have problems on off -road, but stock tires are definitely not for pokatuks outside the asphalt.
Interior
Very soundly worked out, plus quite spacious. Laconic
Economy
The same 8 liters of diesel fuel, although the power is smaller. Nicely
Equipment in the standard
There is almost everything, and even more. Intriguing
The steering wheel is somewhat knocked out of the general style of the interior
+Dynamics, handling, spacious interior, rich equipment, off -road inclinations.
-So -free miscalculations in ergonomics.
Mark and model Jeep Grand Cherokee 3.0td
Dimensions 4822x1943x1764 mm
Diesel engine., 6-cylinder., 2987cm3, 241/4000l.s./min-1, 550/1800 nm/min--1
Transmission automatic., 5 -t., Complete drive
Dynamics 202 km/h; 8.2 s to 100 km/h
So I had the next period of choice. No, two-hundred-ka is quite happy with me, just from the habit of changing the car every year three (usually this warranty period) is difficult to refuse, and my already four. Well, it’s not the new Land Cruiser to take, and you can’t call the controllability of this elementary elephant, and when driving I want to not strain so, especially in winter. Why not think about Mercedes ML? So, for the starting point. But for the purity of the experiment with a choice, I would like to have an opponent. True, when I was offered Jeep Grand Cherokee as the same opponent, I doubted the purity of the experiment. Yes, what doubted there, I was sure that I was offered absolutely unlawful things for comparison. The priority was initially obvious: Mercedes ml. In the mid -90s, among my friends, Jeep Grand Cherokee was very popular. But literally six months later, this brutal SUV from a new, sparkling car turned into a growing and creaking plastic structure. And Mercedes? Remember the ML model from the Yura Park with its futuristic design? It was a real breakthrough! And the liquidity of a German car in the secondary market is very high. I am not talking about the image of the brand is just an axiom. Nevertheless, even understanding all this, I did not refuse comparison ...
The monitor screen is active, and this is very convenient, however, it is a little overloaded
And here is the first revelation: the exterior ML disappointed me. And this is not about the absence of some special charming design is openly boring, if not dull. And the complete absence of the same class belonging. Grand Cherokee is completely different: to the best of the evil, as befits a real SUV, and the presence of kitchie elements (such as a radiator grille) does not harm him. In general, everything is honest. In the cabin of both car you can get a job without problems: in ML and in Grand Cherokee, it is convenient and comfortable. This is enough for me. As for ergonomics, it cannot be evaluated by the first impression: as a rule, you get used to most unusual elements quite quickly. Surely a certain adaptation will require a Mercedes automatic transmission selector located on a steering column, or a clearly overloaded interface of a jeep multimedia system. And from the heart -rending cries of the Grand Cherokee parking sensation, I shuddered throughout the test. But these are all the little things of serious, really annoying problems, I did not find. On the highway, ML demonstrates complete compliance with the class: comfortable comfort. I did not expect any special surprises from the work of the automatic transmission, and therefore it can be appreciated by the hard four. The manual transmission of the automatic transmission also did not impress a particular impression, but I rarely use this function of the box, so I did not particularly experiment with it. But the dynamics of Mercedes is better than Jeep. But I liked the brakes more with the American: they cleared more clearly, and slowed down so much. On the German, you need to contact a brake pedal very delicately: I was a little overdo it, and look at the windshield. The suspension of Grand Cherokee is more rigid, but this is not a dentisting rigidity, but the ability to move quite comfortably along a bad road. In addition, Grand Cherokee has a much larger off -road set. On ML, it is limited: only the Offroad key is present in the basic configuration, using which, you can increase the wheel slipping threshold and shift the switching point of the machine. The sensitivity settings of the accelerator and ABS are also changing. There is a car with a car on the machine.
Already external factors say that the Grand Cherokee is a real jeep: even massive towing loops are present, and Mercedes only entangled in the scum, like an ordinary car. And the three -level pneumatic suspension? And the hook of the rupture extending from under the bumper under the musical accompaniment? No, this is a real SUV! Claims can only be to gear relations in the steering mechanism: if necessary, the steering wheel will have to be pretty twisted. With all that Grand Cherokee is good on the asphalt serpentine: a hard suspension provides minimal rolls and excellent handling. But here Ml can not only compete with him, but also go to the leaders. I already talked about the dynamism of the car, but it is also well controlled. True, the first impression can ruin the rolls in the turns for comfort you need to pay the appropriate settings of the suspension. But in fact, as soon as the excess roll gives the impression that the car was leaving out of turn, it is enough to add gas, and the car will confidently preserve the given trajectory. No, there is no need to talk about validity, and even about imposing behavior.
Remember, at the very beginning I talked about the paradoxical choice of car? So it turned out: yesterday I was sure that I would never buy Jeep Grand Cherokee, and today I not only compare it with Mercedes ML, but I also give it priority in many ways. Judge for yourself: in a rather good set of Overland jeep with a diesel engine (and an SUV without a diesel engine for me is not an SUV) costs about 2,640,000 rubles. The price of the Mercedes ML 350 CDI in the basic configuration is already about 3,000,000 rubles. And if you try to bring it closer to the Grand Cherokee configuration, adding a hatch and an offroud package, then the car will become another 500,000 more. As a result, for a smaller amount of 860,000 rubles, you get a much more car. A certain reassessment of values \u200b\u200bin my mind has occurred. But I won't buy Grand Cherokee. No, all of the above remains in force, he just lacks thoroughness, or something (or is it a biased to the Americans). In general, since I do not intend to change the criteria, it seems that I will have to increase the budget and climb the class above.
MY CHOICE
Long before this event, I already knew that I would not buy the one or the other car. However, I still really wanted to get to know them better, especially to compare. And I must say, the experience of communicating with them only approved me in my thoughts. For which I, in fact, are very grateful, because some reassessment of values \u200b\u200boccurred. And now if they suddenly ask me what to choose, a new EMKU or Chirka, I can argue with reasonably recommend this or that car, given the preferences.
EDITOR'S CHOICE
Despite the fact that this time our test pilot remained, as they say, with his own, we made our choice. Like it or not, Jeep Grand Cherokee, in our view, still meets the requirements that the future owner hypothetically wants to see, based on preferences and budget. However, this does not mean at all that part of these requirements is not met by Mercedes-Benz M-class. However, if you take into account the large off -road background, then it is clearly inferior to its opponent in the basic configuration.
Source: Magazine 5 wheel [October 2012]
