In this day and age of SUV mania the consumer has many choices. From lowly Geo Trackers up to the ML's, Land Rovers, and the brutish Hummer, virtually every manufacturer is producing an SUV of some fashion. A few years ago Mercedes entered the fray in the US with the ML-series. Starting with the ML320, now with the ML430, and the upcoming ML55 sports SUV (SSUV?) Mercedes has populated the US market with an array of luxury SUVs. For over twenty years Mercedes has produced a much more stout SUV that has been conspicuously absent from the official US lineup. The Gelaendewagen or "G-wagen" is something of a Land Rover on steroids with German engineering. Think of a cross between an S500 sedan and the Hummer. At $135,000 a copy and with only a handful being imported into the US, those lucky enough to get their hands on a G-Wagen are assured exclusivity and an all-terrain vehicle that means business.

 

The Gelaendewagen has the posh interior appointments we have come to expect (and love) from Mercedes but also sports such functional features as true locking differentials on both front AND rear axles. This would be the vehicle you could drive to work in a 3-piece suit and pull any common SUV or truck out of the bog just for fun.

 

The suspension consists of solid axles front and rear. The drivetrain is comprised of the new M113 5.0 V8 from the 2000 S-class/SL500 mated to the electronically adaptive 5-speed automatic transmission found in other high torque Mercedes vehicles. All this is connected to a fully automatic high/low range transfer case, permanent all-wheel drive and cockpit controlled locking hubs. When not seriously off-roading, full time 4-wheel drive ensures stable traction in any situation.

 

Mercedes Benz 5.0 Liter Powerplant
The M113.960 displaces 4966cc's or 303 cubic inches. With a 10.0:1 compression ratio it makes 302 HP @5600rpm and 339 lb-ft of torque from 2700-4250rpm. Its alloy construction, 3 valves per cylinder, two spark plugs per cylinder, variable intake manifold, and modular construction are shared with the other engines in the Mercedes lineup.

 

Driving Impressions
Yeow! You wouldn't expect a 5260lb SUV to accelerate like this. Sixty miles per hour comes and goes in only 7.5 seconds. Even more impressive is that this vehicle can accelerate like a sports sedan yet still climb an 80% grade without breaking a sweat. The ultra torquey 5.0 V8 from the 2K S500 is just as impressive here.

 

The 4-wheel disc brakes haul this big SUV down without fade or drama far quicker than contemporary SUV's. The car-like ride of the ML is replaced by a more utilitarian "truck" reaction to bumps and irregularities. The solid axles combined with the lockable front and rear differentials conspire to harshen the ride over the ML. The ride is still far smoother than domestic trucks or truck based SUV's. Despite its utilitarian suspension design this sizeable SUV handles quite well. 18" rims with 60 series sidewalls give you the ever-popular tall stance and seating position. That seating position provides for excellent visibility, which is a real plus when offroading or just forging through traffic. Chassis stiffness is the usual MB "bank vault".

 

Soft leather and plenty of wood cover the interior. The gated shifter is retained with a separate lever for the transfer case. The fully locking front and rear differentials are engaged by pushbuttons on the dash. So once seated, you never have to leave your private command center.

 

Complaints? The steering wheel does not adjust but fortunately the seat does. The ride could also be a bit more compliant but after driving the 2000 S500 we're spoiled. It could be said that the ML is a minivan with hiking boots. If so this is a Hummer in a tuxedo. One is for the set that drives to and from the country club and uses 4-wheel drive to traverse the golf cart paths or for light slow/slush. The other is for someone who wants the safety, engineering, luxury, and "Mercedesness" of a top-notch sedan with the real ability to go anywhere-anytime-in any conditions.

 

All the comforts a seasoned Mercedes owner would expect. Heated seats front and back with full electric adjustments up front. The CD player is conveniently located under the driver's seat.
Lighted Mercedes-Benz door sill logo gives off a cool blue glow when the doors are opened...

 

Why this truly capable vehicle has been absent from Mercedes' US lineup is a mystery. Similar examples have won previous Paris-Dakar rallies and have always been a favorite of foreign militaries since the mid seventies. If your worst off-pavement excursion is a gravel road, open field or a bit of snow go for the ML. However, if you want to go anywhere a wheeled vehicle can travel this is it. If your life depended on it (does roadside assistance really find you when you're stuck somewhere out in the country?) this is the one to be in. Persons in the horse community, desert, tundra, or anyone who appreciates bulletproof ruggedness, your Gelaendewagen has just come in.  - Lee Scheeler and Benzmac