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.
We've already mentioned the excellent ride of an air-suspension M-Class, and noise levels are impressively low for the most part too with little roar from the tyres and fairly muted wind rush. Space, however, is less impressive despite the claimed improvement over the old car. A tall driver, sat comfortably, leaves surprisingly little legroom for a rear seat occupant behind. There's plenty of storage space inside, especially in the centre tunnel where the removal of the gear selector opens new storage opportunities. The rear seats fold forward to make a flat load floor, as you'd expect, and lazy owners can gain access to the ample boot space via the optional powered tailgate.
Another option is the external spare wheel - normally you have either a spacesaver or a gunge-and-pump kit - which is mounted on a heavy cradle which must be swung out before the tailgate can open. It's part of a range of hunking-up options which includes running boards, a chrome package, a cosmetic exterior/interior sports package and an interior package to include wood trim and extra cabin lighting. Surprisingly, you can change your mind about trim, options and even the paint finish as little as six working days before the delivery date.
Latest Readers' Drives About the Mercedes E-Class Coupe
wrote on 27 05 2006