I agree with the wagon suggestion. I own a '98 E320 4matic and I have found it to be more reliable than any previous Volvo wagon I have owned. Pleant of room, I use the car for work as a educational sales rep and I bring a lot of materials to my school customers. The car drives great, very good acceleration and handling. I also agree that the wagon looks a lot better than the first generation of MLs.

Best of luck and certainly go with the 4 matic if you get ANY snow or ice at all during the year. The 4 matic is fantastic in poor weather, I was very surprised at how well it handled in snow/ice on the roads.