Mercedes-Benz ML-Class (2005 – 2012) Review

Mercedes-Benz ML-Class (2005 – 2012) At A Glance

Comfortable ride, tidy handling, excellent engines including 320 CDI, plenty of safety kit, upmarket interior.

Only has five seats, a BMW X5 is a sharper drive, expensive to buy new.

Child seats that fit a Mercedes-Benz ML-Class (2005 – 2012)

Our unique Car Seat Chooser shows you which child car seats will fit this car and which seat positions that they will fit, so that you don't have to check every car seat manufacturer's website for compatibility.

Which car seat will suit you?

Real MPG average for a Mercedes-Benz ML-Class (2005 – 2012)

Real MPG was created following thousands of readers telling us that their cars could not match the official figures.

Real MPG gives real world data from drivers like you to show how much fuel a vehicle really uses.

Diesel or petrol? If you're unsure whether to go for a petrol or diesel (or even an electric model if it's available), then you need our Petrol or Diesel? calculator. It does the maths on petrols, diesels and electric cars to show which is best suited to you.

Satisfaction Index

Reviews for Mercedes-Benz ML-Class (2005 – 2012)'s top 3 rivals

Volkswagen Touareg

Luxurious, safe, accomplished 4x4. Comfortable on road, very capable off it. V10 TDI is astonishing,...

BMW X5

Spacious and practical interior. Huge road presence. Good choice of engines including xDrive 30d. Available...

Audi Q7

Massive road presence. Seven-seat interior. Lusty engine line-up.

Ask Honest John

How does the ULEZ scrappage scheme work?

"My daughter has an 11 year old diesel Mercedes M class that is current valued at approx £11K but is non ULEZ compliant. She lives within the boundary of the scheme. Given that it is too good to go to the ‘crusher’, sale or part-ex are her only options so were she to part/ex it, would it also qualify under the scrappage scheme and if so how do the mechanics of it work? Does TFL issue some kind of certificate of qualification to give to a dealer etc?"

The ULEZ scrappage scheme will shortly be expanded to anyone living within the ULEZ zone will be eligible to apply, although the criteria (if any) for this expanded scheme has yet to be confirmed. You can read the current criteria here in more detail https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/driving/ultra-low-emission-zone/scrappage-schemes/car-and-motorcycle but in short you can be paid £2,000, or a cash sum plus transport passes if you scrap a non-compliant car. Given your daughter's car is worth £11,000, scrapping the car under the scheme would represent a substantial financial loss. If you sell or part-exchange the vehicle it cannot then be scrapped by you, as you will no longer be the owner.

Answered by David Ross

What are the best tyres for my Mercedes-Benz ML-Class?

"I'm hoping you can offer some advice. My car needs new tyres to pass its MoT. I'm currently using Pirelli P Zeros. I do a lot of towing (up to max allowed for this car). What replacement tyres would you recommend, and would 'all-weather' tyres be a better bet?"

All-season tyres are rated very highly by our readers for their comfort and winter road handling. I'd recommend Michelin Cross Climate or Continental's AllSeasonContacts - both are praised for the low road noise and soft ride comfort.

Answered by Dan Powell

Should I buy a high-mileage Mercedes-Benz ML?

"I currently have a 2013 Nissan Qashqai petrol. I've had it from new, but really want my dream car, which is a Mercedes ML. However, I can only afford a 2007 or 2008 model with high mileage, but been told that buying a high mileage Mercedes-Benz is not a problem. Is this true? "

The MB badge does not guarantee problem free and the ML is in fact an American car, not a German car.

Answered by Honest John

Electrical fault with Mercedes-Benz ML

"I am having trouble with my 2010 Mercedes-Benz ML-Class. Sometimes when I turn on the ignition the electronics do not turn on and the car will not start when engaged. If I turn the key off and try again it may or may not work but it will work after a few tries. I noticed the problem about a month ago but it seems to be getting worse. Can you offer any insight? "

Reads like a bad earth to the glowplugs relay, or failing glowplugs. That's assuming it's a 350CDI, which most 350s are.

Answered by Honest John

More Questions

Driving Mercedes-Benz ML-Class (2005 – 2012)

• Engines range from ML300 CDI BlueEfficiency to ML63 AMG
• Readers report Real MPG to be between 11–36 mpg

The new ML is longer, wider and lower than before. Altogether more impressive without looking aggressive. It's a monococque instead of a body on a ladder frame chassis, so is much stiffer and not prone to rattles. Basic spec brings you a 7 speed automatic transmission with steering wheel rocker switches for manual gear changing and a column selector for D, R, N and P, Speedtronic cruise control with speed limiter, ABS, offroad ABS, ASR, BAS, Downhill Speed Regulator, ESP and 4-ETS.

For improved offroad ability you can specify the addition of Airmatic air suspension that enables you to increase the ground clearance to centimetres. This costs £1,265.

Having plumped for that you can go one further with ‘Off Road Pro' that increases Airmatic gound clearance to a maximum of 30 centimetres and also includes a low range transfer box, centre diff lock and centre and rear diff locks.

All new MLs can tow 3,500kg braked trailer weight. They have a 462 litre luggage area to window height, 801 litres to ceiling height and up to 2,012 litres of loadspace with the rear seats folded. It's worth mentioning here that the rear seats fold in a particularly satisfying manner. Just tip the 60/40 split squabs and fold the backrests down. They also go back down without trapping the seatbelt latches, which is a nice touch.

The range kicks off with the 224bhp 3.0 V6 320 CDI and the 272bhp 3.5 V6 350 (same price), rising to the 306bhp 5.0 V8 500. Next April we'll see a lower priced 190bhp 3.0 V6 280 CDI and next summer the terrifying prospect of a 510bhp ML 63 AMG.

We started by driving the cars off-road round a tricky course through woodland, then progressed to on-road afterwards.

The first car we drove was an ML350 Sport on 19" wheels but fitted with the Off Road Pro pack. 17" wheels with proper off road tyres would have been better for the job, but Mercedes wanted to show how it would manage on high performance road tyres.

Making the appropriate decisions is very easy. With the Off Road Pro Pack and low range selected by steering wheel rocker switch you can lock the box in D1 and use the speed limiter to select the maximum speed of your descent from 3mph to 10mph (3mph is recommended for the steep ones). Then, when you get to the bottom, use the column shift to select D and romp up the other side. It was very effective, marred only by the 350 petrol engine's relative lack of torque at low engine speeds. When cresting an ascent, the comparatively low bonnet gives you a view ahead a vital fraction of a second earlier than with square-fronted 4x4s.

We then moved on to an ML320CDI with Airmatic, but without Off Road Pro. This proved even more impressive because of the far greater low speed torque of the engine (maximum from just 1,600rpm). You drive it differently, using the DSR downhill speed regulator rather than engine braking in a low gear and it works very well. Obviously, for ultimate off road ability you would go for the ML320CDI with Airmatic and Off Road Pro on 17" wheels with off road tyres. But, as was proved, very few drivers will ever need that level of off-road ability.

And that's just as well because on the road the ML320CDI Sport shows a strong turn of speed and decent (though not sportscar) handling through the bends. You don't need to bother with the gearchange rocker switches because, as with the CLS350 I drove earlier this year, the box makes very good decisions for itself. The only downside is very low geared steering. It feels like a big 4x4, not a car, and on ultimate handling I reckon the Cayenne and some versions of the Touareg are more ‘sporty'.

Then we tried the car on standard suspension and standard 17" wheels. The ride is a little bit more comfortable on these but the car pitches and squirms and does not give a driver anything like the confidence or the pleasure of the 19" wheels. So, mystery cleared up. That's why Mercedes put us through the off road course on the 19" wheels. To show us that the best wheels and tyres for on road use could also make a decent fist of it off the road.

Any glaring faults? Well, my co-driver was a big bloke and he has some difficulty inserting himself into the driving seat under the immensely strong door frame that slopes sharply back. And with the Airmatic at maximum height, ride not only becomes bone jarring, it's a long jump down to the ground.

It's a good vehicle, though, and makes Mercedes competitive against BMW, Porsche and VW. If some sort of fuel economy is important to you, then Mercedes has a better diesel than BMW. But before you buy an X5, a Cayenne, a Touareg or a new ML you should do your homework and preferably drive all of them.

Mercedes-Benz ML-Class (2005 – 2012) Models and Specs

On sale until February 2012

On sale until July 2010

On sale until July 2009

On sale until May 2009

On sale until August 2008

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What to watch out for

Model History

• January 2005
• April 2008