Category: Sporting 4x4s 
Price Range: £30,280 to £75,823
Massively improved interior quality, good ride on-road, potentially capable off-road, refined and punchy diesel V6
Feels slow-witted in bends, petrol V6 is disappointing, mushy brakes, not very roomy, expensive
Much better than the old M-Class, but no class leader. ML320 CDI is the one to have.
There's a huge quality improvement here. The new M-Class is designed and built to meet European, not misjudged American, standards of perceived quality, with padded surfaces down to floor level, fine fit and finish and the air of substance you'd expect from a Benz, especially an off-road one. Switches and controls operate with a damped, firm action, and the only slight doubt is something most owners will never encounter: on extreme off-road terrain, the body creaks a little. As for reliability, this is a complex car with ample scope for electronic gremlins. Unfortunately, some recent Mercedes-Benzes have proved problematic here, so we must wait for the M-Class to prove itself reliable. Durability is enhanced by galvanised body panels, a full-length plastic undertray and scratch-resistant 'nanoparticle' paint.
Latest Readers' Drives About the Mercedes E-Class Coupe
wrote on 27 05 2006