2012 Mercedes-Benz M-Class

So good I bought two

By ML Family (FL) on Monday, March 25, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 20,000

Pros: "Quality build, safety, available options, drive"

Cons: "Gas mileage (only sllightly)"

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 10

"I am a stickler for research to be sure. I do this so I can be sure to get the best value for my money. My wife finds this frustrating but in the end I know I have what I want. That said, I researched all the European and Asian options and found the ML 350 to be the best value on the market. In fact, I just purchased my second one. I have been a BMW man for almost 20 years. My 2010 535i was an awesome sports car but lacked the space I needed. In my opinion the Japanese options just weren't up to the quality standards of the Germans. They just felt really light weight compared to the Europeans. The Audi was more like the Asians than the German's. I liked the BMW X5's handling a little better than the ML's but only slightly. Other than that, the ML won on all counts. Mercedes-Benz offers a great list of options for this vehicle. I got my first ML back in Sept. 2012 and now have a second one. My second one has ALL the options and they work as described. Gas mileage isn't so hot but if you calculate the cost of the ML compared to the competition it's only a little higher. Another factor that moved me to a second Mercedes is the service. When I recently had service done on my BMW 535i, the BMW dealership gave me a Toyota Yaris as a loner (REALLY???)."

3 people out of 3 found this review helpful

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Mechanically solid, but ergonomically annoying

By MCJ (CA) on Saturday, November 24, 2012

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 1,500

Pros: "Ride, acceleration, dynamics, styling."

Cons: "Annoying ergonomics, balky transmission."

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 2

"Bought a 2013 ML350 4Matic in Sep 2012 as an addition to a '97 4Runner SR5 (manual transmission!) and '02 Pathfinder SE. It has the P01 package, Harman Kardon Logic7 sound, MB-tex, and AWD. Readers be aware that for 2013, there are both 2WD and AWD versions. .. Pros: Comfortable, controlled ride, which is impressive as it weighs about 1200 lbs (!) more than my 4Runner. Acceleration is strong, but requires premium fuel. Quiet at highway speeds. Interior pleather feels like real leather. Steering is very light but accurate, not floaty. Easy to drive long distances in this thing. Upgraded sound system is excellent from an audio standpoint, clunky ergonomics aside. Better than my Infinity/Alpine aftermarket setup in my 4Runner. .. Cons: There are multiple ergonomic and electronic quirks that are very annoying if these things are important to you. 1) Backup camera only functions when radio is on. Why?!? 2) Shifter is on the steering column where the wiper stalk usually is. Takes a lot of getting used to. 3) There are 4 different button clusters for audio controls (2 on steering wheel, one on upper console, one on lower console) but only ONE location (and the hardest to reach) will allow you to do adjust both volume and track +/- at the same time. Some buttons (e.g. the "disc" button) do not do what they say they do. 4) Navigation is inferior to both Garmin and TomTom. It will guide you the wrong way on one-way streets and otherwise get you lost. 5) Balky transmission, especially from a stoplight. Transmission does not drop down to 1st promptly, so when you start again, the transmission is caught off-balance in 2nd or 3rd. The subsequent hesitation followed by "clunk" and "screech!" scares both the driver and passengers. .. Overall, this is a very comfortable, mechanically sound car. But the ergonomic quirks and balky transmission are not acceptable in a car of this price. Toyota and Honda gets this right in their plebian models -- what's wrong with MB?"

35 people out of 35 found this review helpful

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