Mercedes-Benz M-Class (1997 - 2005) Reviews, Pricing & Specs

I have a 1999 ML 320, which was my moms car but was very recently passed down to me. This car is an amazing vehicle and currently has 198000 miles on it and is 15 years old. There has never been a issue regarding reliability. Living in New England with the awful winters, it handles exquisitely in the ice and snow (especially with the low range button for blizzards). I think it is very comfortable. The leather is very comfortable, high quality, and extremely durable. The dashboard is a soft-tex material too which is very nice. I think my parents bought it with the premium package and an upgrade to a BOSE stereo system which still sounds great today. Also, I have plenty of leg room and head space when sitting inside the car and I am 6'1''. For performance, it may have only 215HP but it uses all of them and accelerates pretty quickly for its age and weight. The engine creates a a lot of torque and we have successfully been able to tow a boat (towing rated for 5000lbs). If I need to merge onto the highway really quickly it will accelerate extremely quickly if you floor it. Handling is impeccable. I've recently taken it off-roading and it had no problem (which I would expect because this model was used by the german army for military stuff). Maintenance from what my parents have told me was somewhat annoying. Although there are things that just need to be replaced throughout the life of a car, the catalytic converters would break alot in both of my parents mercedes (my dad has the ML350) which sucks because they're made from platinum, therefore making them very expensive ($2000). However, it didn't have to go to the shop very often for repairs. Rusting isn't really a issue. The only place where there is rust is along the trunk handle (which is a small area) and a little along the handle to open the hood. Overall, this is an extremely well-built, well-engineered, high-quality SUV and I definitely intend on staying with Mercedes-Benz when I am older and mostly likely buy and ML for myself.May 24, 2014

The brakes are in great shape. The car really handles well in traffic and on the road. Its a quiet ride such as the one that would be expected from mercedes benz. .A joy to own and drive.Great car to drive and own. It gives you the power that you ask for when you need it for passing or getting on the freeway and it really rides like a car that is much bigger.Nov 23, 2011

Performance: great engine, it is very powerful and performs well. Build Quality: solid car (small truck). Other than a computer issue and brakes all other repairs normal. This car does require a lot of brake jobs and they still squeak. A weakness with Mercedes. Appearance: Good looking car..won't win any awards. Cost of ownership - normal for car of this quality. Fun car to drive, Plenty of get up an go.Jun 07, 2011

I have had this car for a about a year and a half with 109000 miles currently and no maintenance issues. I change the oil regularly and had an alignment and new tires, thats about it. It handles well and feels very safe for my baby to ride in. There are like 12 airbags and it has quite a spacious interior. The obvious cons are that the electronics are a bit outdated and the walnut trim as well but it is a very good looking vehicle (orion blue with grey leather) and I will likely have this for many years or buy a new one! Jan 12, 2010

Great balance in an SUV. Enough power, good mileage, nice amenities, classy MB look. It is meant to be a truck, not a car, so if you don't want a truck go elsewhere. But some of us want the toughness of a truck, with luxury amenities. Fun to drive -- you feel like you can handle anything that comes at you. Flies along at 85 mph comfortably on the freeway. Some of the consumer magazines have poor mouthed these, with the result that the prices on used ones are amazingly reasonable. We've got both a 2001 (175,000 mi.) and a 2002 (54,000 mi.). We'll be keeping them both for the foreseeable future. Feb 15, 2009