Mercedes ML 270

Depends on what sort of offroading you do.

Work out parts and servicing and accessory availability too...

Overlander - BMW 4wd of yr.. says it all.

Depends on what the article was comparing it to?

Pajero and ML both have full independent suspension don't they? Maybe they are not too different in terms of wheel travel.

Amount of wheel travel doesn't matter so much. So long as it has enough for where you want to go.

Utemad

Hi Jim

More importantly, look at the wheels it has! Are they ultra low profile types that effectively cannot be let down for sand driving? Does it have a real spare or just a space saver? As far as I know, all these types of vehicles have high speed tyres and you cannot put decent All Terrains on them due to the speed rating.

The BMW, Mercedes, Tourag etc... are good fast gravel road tourers that IMHO should not venture out of mobile phone range, mainly because of the tyre type. While these types of vehicles are probably capable of some rough stuff, would you seriously take one of these on a 4WD run like you would a Pajero?

Anyway, just my opinion

Cheers

Captain

Know someone who bought one when first came out and said it was a complete turkey, quality control was appaling, Apparantly this has improved dramaticly so avoid early ones. Apparantly they are ok off road but do tend to bottom out pretty quick, so really depends how "off road" you are intending to go

Jim, we've been driving an ML 270 for almost two and a half years and 108k, purchased new May 2002. It is the updated model and is apparently a far cry from the first effort. We find the vehicle extremely economical for a 2.2 tonne 5 speed auto diesel. It has averaged 8.3 lt/100km since new. Extraordinary performance with accelleration to boot. Yes, wheel travel is not as great as the live axel vehicles, but the traction control and and other goodies that I don't understand certainly make up for that. They will scramble where my previous Patrol and two Landcruisers just would not go. I have a dear friend who drives a current model Patrol who will reluctantly attest to that. The ML's are based on the old Benz Gelanderwagen, which never really took off in Australia, but are as tough as boots. Unlike the other Euros, the ML has a full chassis and dual range transmission. 17" rims are the go on my model, and at last suppliers are starting to trickle a few more tyre options through. They do not come with a full size spare, but that was easily overcome by twisting the Benz dealer (yes they bleed just like everyone else) into providing a full sized rim and tyre, so now we have two spares, or one and a half! We have done the Tanami and Gibb, plus lots of other stuff that is not marked on maps. We are delighted with the vehicle. Service costs and parts are not as bad as you might think (oil changes every 18 - 25 thousand). When the new model comes through in a couple of years I will almost certainly consider one over and above the other "show pony" Euros. Cheers.

Don't have any personal experience, however an acquaintance has one and is too scared to take it on the beach. Did once and had to take out a loan to replace the rigid rear mudflap which tore off.

Not a serious vehicle for off road use IMHO, but as has been said above ... all depends upon your intended use.

Jim,
I heard that the Tires are extremely expensive to replace again because of the speed rating about $800-$1000 a piece........! I have been known to be wrong

Theres afew ex ML owners on the www.lcool.org 120scool email list, who have now gone to a 120 series prado, who all have tales of whoa re the freightliner built ML....

Jim.
Dont believe to much of what is written in car mags, cash for comment is alive and well, you will notice that a new australian built wagon was being reported as the greatest vehicle ever, before the wagon was released. The Rexon is geting a very bad report but it is better than the ausy wagon. So dont be suprised when a vehicle that the reporter can not get for free or cheap is given a bad report. I have driven both the merc and the pajero and they are very different vehicles. The merc is miles ahead in performance but the pajero is more suited to trips because of the internal space. I would love to have the merc for a dirt road machine but the pajero is my preference in the hard going because of the superb rear diff. The merc is american and has connection to the G wagon, it has more in common with the sedans. All the above aside you could take the merc bush but you will not be able to get a workshop manual or any information on servicing from merc, if you have a problem they just say bring it in on a truck and we will fix it. If you only wont to drive on short trips the merc may be the best because of the great performance and economy, Eric