Considering 2006 ML350
 

I thought I might try a post over here and see what you guys think...

I searched the forum and there does not seem to be much out there on reliability, problems, issues etc... on the latest ML.

Consumer Reports and the experience I had with my W210 (traded for a Lexus) tells me a should steer clear...

Should I give MB another try - or am I signing up for the same 'ol MB electrical gremlins, poor quality issues, dealership hassles, and expensive repairs?

By the way, GS300 has not had one problem... ZERO... in 65K.

Dealer quality is extremely important. If your local dealer is useless, why put yourself through the hassle?

BTW: We have 2 local dealers fighting for our business. As a result, both are excellent! :D

Thanks, Page62.

Although a helpful dealer is definately a bonus and I appreciate a warrenty as much as the next guy, the car will be for my wife and two little ones. The hassle involved with needing to go back and forth to the dealer multiple times, drop off the car, pick up a loaner, return the car etc.. even at no cost - to resolve silly problems at this point is unexceptable.

I would like to have a luxury SUV that will not be problematic and am willing to pay a premium for it.

Does MB have have a product for me?

Take a look at the new GL. They've got plenty of power, lots of room, and they ride great.

Thanks...

I am actually concerned about performance AND reliability. I really want to buy another New ML350... or perhaps hold out a few months for the ML320CDI.

However, I am having trouble doing so due to my past experience with MB quality (W210). The car is for my wife and kids... I travel often and do not want them to be stuck with the warrrenty work hassel over and over again. Furthermore, we would like to keep this car for 6 to 8 years and do not want to be stuck with astronomical repairs after the warrenty period has expired.

I would not hessitate to buy a GX470 were it not for the distictly Japanese look and feel. The latest MB marketing campaign focuses on MB's history and soul - I think this resonates well with those who have tasted the Asia products. Japan lacks this... I want an MB in my driveway again. But, I can not justify it if it will be troublesome.

MB did NOT have a product for me in 2001. Do they in 2006?

I agree with you on the Lexus thing. Very compentent, reliable vehicles. But to me they're lacking the "someting special" that German vehicles possess.

MB is working VERY hard to get their product quality up to par. They are stressing that the 2006 ML is ALL new for a reason -- the previous one had so many quality problems (as you found out) that it hurt their reputation. Badly. They want to emphasize that the new one is much improved...

In a word, No.

The new ones are a * lot * better than the '98 ones, but they are not there yet. Still being built to a price point these days, rather than "Die best oder nicht"
(The best or nothing)

Buy what makes you happy.
An owner of an MB pays for technology they may never use unless they are involved in a serious collision, at that point the vehicle saves the lives of Mom and the "little ones".
Period
dpk

go to the Mercedes ML forum at edmunds.com, some interesting post on the 2006 ML.

Just to B.S. a bit, I saw a very light metallic blue 2006 ML today and for the first time I thought to myself what a rather good looking SUV. I don't think I'd want a light blue car - but the ML looked sweet.

When checking out a new ML at the dealer recently I was surprised by the cheap plastic grill it had. I know crash and pedestrian crash performance along with vehicle manufacturing cost are an issue. I couldn't help but think how you and a friend are standing at the front of your new Mercedes ML admiring the new purchase, and then you tap on this cheap plastic faux chrome grill.

If reliability is the most important thing a first year model is probably not going to give you the best odds. Thing is. my experience with Mercedes is that they have never left me stranded, maybe some fustrating dealer service when taking care of some issues. But when it comes to accident avoidance and driving in poor conditions - I personally am most comfortable with Mercedes products.

Mercedes-Benz Roadside Assistance is the best the industry has to offer.
While other manufacturers only offer the equivalent to a AAA membership, MB maintains a fleet of vehicles and qualified Technicians to keep you on the road even after the warranty period free of charge.
(stick that in the tailpipe of your wanna-be mercedes)

All cars today, including Toyota/Lexus, are built to a price point!! Far too much competition now for anyone to afford to build cars to a certain standard and then charge whatever it cost - if cars are built like that they won't sell and the cheaper ones will. That as the story of the W140. Over built and in the end, in order to sell them, they had to lower the selling prices and so the W140 was not a profitable model for Mercedes-Benz.

Getting back to the main issue, MB's initial quality shot up by 30% last year to third position in the JD Power and Associates Survey. They said they have been working very hard to fix quality issues and have also spent a lot of money to do so. The car is too new for any sources of information on its reliability to really hold water. However, like Ethan suggested, I'd check out the forums at Edmunds and see what new owners of that SUV are saying and then go from there. In deciding, just remember that the car is too new, but several new models have been shown to be great improvements over their older versions and MB actually used to get its reliability straight from day 1 on all models. Lexus/Acura/Honda, etc certainly do today. MB could have joined them. I have read several reviews of that SUV but none so far in which problems cropped up during the test drives which is encouraging.

Also remember what dpk said about the safety technology in the ML which Mercedes does best. Not to mention the roadside assistance which I still use with my 23 year old Benz. So check out the comments on Edmunds with regards to reliability and make a decision. Good luck!

My .02 cents...
 

I had terrible luck with the only local MB dealer so when my wife needed a reliable SUV...I bought a Honda Pilot a couple of years ago. Sure it is not a MB but, I had ZERO problems, uses regular gas, decent mileage, seats seven people and I had no need for the Roadside assistance...
Buy what you want and works for you.

Good luck with your purchase!

It's "Der Beste oder nichts"
 

And I don't think MB ever had that motto.

But, I think the current ML is showing good results quality-wise. It really has nothing in common with the prior generation M.

MB never officially had that motto but that has always been the "unofficial" motto for MB as Gottlieb Daimler always used that motto for his company back then (DMG) - which later merged with Benz & Cie to become Daimler-Benz.

Yes, the new ML is completely new bumper to bumper, but that's even more of a reason to worry about purchasing it in its first year of production.