Mercedes-Benz ML55 AMG

Take the engine of a sports coupe, the height and ride of an SUV, and the luxury of a Mercedes.  Combine all of these, then give it to AMG, the premier aftermarket modifier.  The result is the Mercedes ML55 AMG, the first SUV with the luxury of a Mercedes and the edginess of an AMG product.

Throughout its short run, the ML55 AMG kept the same engine: a powerful 5.5-liter V8 rated at 342 horsepower and 376 lb/ft of torque.  It sat low to the ground for an SUV, which made cornering almost race-car-like.  Mercedes enhancements such as a COMAND system (Cockpit Management and Navigation Display) made the SUV feel futuristic and fun.

Soft yet strong leather on the interior matched the soft yet strong tires on the exterior; the former was a good thing, the latter not so much.  The ML55 was never able to get completely away from its Mercedes background and run freely outdoors-drivers would complain about tires that popped as easily as water balloons when taken off-roading.

A major drawback of this SUV was its 14 city/17 highway fuel "economy" and the corresponding 25-gallon tank, which always seemed too small.

Regardless of all the stats we can throw at you, this SUV was damn fun to drive.  We were sad to see it go.