Category: Large 4x4s 
Price Range: £30,280 to £75,823
Good level of standard equipment, plenty of interior space, quite good road manners.
Poor-quality interior, not very capable off-road.
Not so much an off-roader as a big, prestigious, 4wd estate.
The M-Class isn't expensive to buy, in either Mercedes or luxury 4x4 terms. Mercedes' Active Service System calculates when garage visits are due according to driving behaviour, and oil-change times have been extended to 12,500 miles. The V6 petrol engine returns a meagre 21mpg; the diesel does just 30mpg and the V8's petrol thirst is just horrific. Mercedes' luxury off-roader seems to have hit the spot, with heavy used demand. It's facing increased competition, but even so manages to retain a healthy 50 percent of its value over three years. The affordable ML320 makes the most sensible future used prospect, offering value as well as that badge. The bargain of the Mercedes range - and pretty good compared with rivals like the Land Rover Discovery, too, which can cost several thousand more. Standard equipment includes air-conditioning, five-speed automatic transmission and cruise control.
Latest Readers' Drives About the Mercedes E-Class Coupe
wrote on 27 05 2006