Mercedes Benz ML 430 for 2001: A high-brow SUV By Price Cobb I have heard about it. I have seen it. Even touched it. Now at long last I have finally driven it! The high-brow SUV Mercedes-Benz ML 430. It’s no secret that I think very highly about the entire range of products produced by Mercedes-Benz. I still feel that some of their products are the worlds best in their categories. This one is close. As is everything in this world, looks are in the eye of the beholder - and I’m betting most of us will lust after the ML-430. Visibly heftier on its wheels and tires, this Mercedes-Benz stands apart from any of the standard issue American made SUVs, only lacking in a visual statement from the rear quarter view. Already a well-equipped package, Mercedes-Benz adds new this year a traction control system for downhill slaloming, and a crawling mode for more control in steep-sensitive off-road driving. For increased personal safety, Mercedes-Benz has thrown in the Tele-Aid emergency calling system and dual stage “smart” front air bags. Tele-Aid is activated through the touch of one of several buttons (similar to GM’s On-Star) that establishes a cellular connection with operators who can respond to your needs accordingly. The coolest part is if you are in an accident, the system works automatically relaying any pertinent information. If the driver cannot respond to calls placed to the car from the operator, then the local police, fire and emergency services are dispatched. Neat huh? The dual-stage air bags respond with force appropriate to the severity of an accident. Mercedes-Benz has added a sensor to the front passenger seat that detects a passenger in the seat, and if one is present, will activate the airbag. If the seat is empty, the airbag wont deploy in a collision. Climb aboard and you will find a very typical Mercedes-Benz interior. It is quiet, well appointed, extremely comfortable yet understated. I love this sort of thing. The car exudes class through the simple choice and blend of colors and materials. I sure wish other car companies would take a look at this kind of simplicity. You may sit a bit higher in the ML 430 than a passenger car, but that is to be expected from any SUV. Even so, the ML 430 maintains an acceptably low center of gravity (among SUV’s anyway), as this sensation of height is derived equally from the vehicle height itself, and from the higher-mounted seating off the floor of the car. It’s a commanding view. My family and I were lost with the complexity of the center-dash CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) called a “Modular Control System” by Mercedes Benz - essentially a multi-function display that is popping up in many newer cars today. We’d all better get used to it, and although we love the information it provides and the consolidated functions, this system is just too complicated. Most airliners today fly with what is called a “glass” cockpit. Basically, a control panel with all of its older analog instruments replaced with several CRTs. With these systems capabilities it will not be long until we can pop in our favorite DVD and watch a movie while cruising down the highways of America. Aarrrgghh…I just want to drive 155! Oops… I mean 55! The ML 430 takes a back seat to the almighty AMG ML 55 in power (342 horsepower and 376 pounds-feet of torque). Even so, the 4.3-liter aluminum-alloy V-8 with 268 horsepower and 288 pounds-feet of torque does okay. My problem is I love power. Raw pavement ripping, earth moving power. As close as this ML 430 comes to that is on paper, especially once you drag it up to Denver’s mile-high altitude and saddle the little V-8 with 4700 lbs of, shall we say, “ground hugging” weight? You get the picture. More than adequate power, but I am always whining for more. What I truly love about this Mercedes-Benz above all else is this: The ESP (Electronic Stability Control - or, German for “the car know’s what it’s doing if the driver does not”), which keeps this thing wonderfully behaved in slick conditions. In addition, the Mercedes-Benz console-mounted shifter easily permits manual gear selection. Now I purposely tried to spin the ML 430 - and like a helping hand outstretched from Stuttgart into my car - the ESP stepped right in and kept the Mercedes-Benz pointed in the right direction, no thanks to me. It works by sensing yaw (or rotation) and stops it all by applying the appropriate brake(s) and reducing throttle if needed. Like the old joke, “How do it know”? Might ESP actually stand for Extra Sensory Perception? Marvelous, just marvelous. Unlike most cars today that encourage manual gear selection in an automatic equipped car, the Mercedes-Benz does not force you to put the shift lever into a separate slot to activate the sequential or manual shift action. Once the lever is in D(drive), just slap the lever left or right to affect a shift up or down. Some might argue that a left or right movement is not in line with what we might think is a natural method of selection (oh really?). I’d argue right back that most manufacturers’ method of moving the lever to yet another gate and then pushing the lever forward to up-shift and pulling it back to down shift is just as goofy. My only beef is with how Mercedes-Benz controls power to the four wheels in its 4wd system, for off road use. Their system is lighter and simpler than what I might propose, but I have a problem with taking away energy (by applying brakes) from a wheel that is spinning. In a perfect world you would have the power redirected to a wheel with grip via the differential, but in the ML’s case the power is taken away from the offending wheel by force via the brakes. The power does find its way to another wheel to help continue forward motion because with an open differential the power tends to go to the wheel with the least resistance. It just seems that this is a rather arduous way to accomplish this feat. After a week of travels and trials in the Mercedes-Benz ML 430, I won’t bore you with the details of what this SUV is equipped with. The list would be shorter if I told you what it doesn’t have - like cooled seats. Suffice to say it has everything you can imagine, and possibly want or ever need. And all of which in this SUV is the very best of all that, to boot. Quite, comfortable, swift and agile the Mercedes-Benz goes about its business without notice. I will say that there might be only one other SUV that might cause my family to even take a look at. This Benz is that good. As the saying goes, “Try it…you’ll like it.” That I can promise.

Mercedes-Benz M-Class - One part luxury, One part Billy-goat By Vince Bodiford I’m happy that Price Cobb tested the bigger V-8 powered ML 420 and I chose to test the V-6 powered ML 320. I like V-6 power, mostly because of economy without sacrificing power. The M-Class Mercedes-Benz cars are real SUV’s that are also civilized, even down-right refined and maybe even cultured. After Mercedes-Benz set a new high-performance benchmark last year with the new ML55 AMG and making numerous refinements to the entire M-Class lineup, the automaker now introduces two new safety advances to the award-winning M-Class sport-utility, Tele-Aid and smart airbags. But neither comes a surprise from Mercedes-Benz. The M-Class consists of the ML320 with a 215-horsepower V6, the ML430 with a 268-horsepower V8 and the ML55 AMG - the fastest sport-utility in America - with a 342-horsepower, handbuilt V8 powerplant. The M-Class SUVs harness their power and torque through a newly-expanded full-time four-wheel-drive system for 2001, which provides 50/50 torque distribution through front and rear fully independent suspension and several new features. One of the most innovative and versatile systems in the SUV market, the M-Class driveline utilizes front, center and rear “open” differentials, which require no driver intervention and can propel the vehicle even if three wheels have lost all traction. Fundamentally, the safety of Mercedes-Benz automobiles is most meaningful in one way - real life. All new developments are put into production based on careful analysis of actual traffic conditions and accident histories. The technical safety aspects of the M-Class don’t just meet government standards, but also reflect in-house Mercedes-Benz accident research. The M-Class is designed for the greatest possible impact safety, based on Mercedes-Benz’ own stringent passenger car guidelines which date all the way back to 1951, when the company patented its energy-absorbing car body with front and rear crumple zones. Standard equipment on the ML320 includes interior features such as a leather steering wheel and a leather gearshift knob. Additionally, the interior is trimmed in real burl walnut. Footwell lights illuminate under the instrument panel on both the driver and passenger side. The exterior of the ML320 features body color bumpers, rub strips, rocker panels and mirror housings. The ML320 also wear 5-spoke alloy wheels unique to the model. Already the luxury leader in the sport utility vehicle category, the ML430 also shares technology leadership with the ML55 AMG. Both ML430 and ML55 AMG come with a standard GPS navigation system featuring a large, integrated display on the center console. The new display also incorporates audio controls and is set up for modular add-on cellular telephone and CD player systems. The new navigation system is an easily installed accessory for the ML320 as well. All 2001 Mercedes-Benz models come with a four-year/50,000-mile warran­ty, which includes tires, batteries and ad­just­ments for the full cover­age peri­od, plus free scheduled maintenance. In addi­tion, the 24-hour Mercedes-Benz Roadside Assistance pro­gram covers all Mercedes cars, re­gard­less of mod­el year.