Category: Sporting 4x4s 
Price Range: £38,905 to £75,823
Sport trim's aggressive new look, new kit, great engine range.
Rivals are sportier and all-round better to drive.
Not quite a sporting SUV, but a decent alternative nonetheless.
The Mercedes ML will irritate those who savour a fine ride, with firm and fidgety progress over anything less than perfectly laid tarmac. The ride struggles with surface imperfections even when riding on the SE's smaller 18" wheels.
Air suspension is available on some models, but our advice is to buy a Land Rover Discovery if ride comfort is a priority.
The ML's equipment level has been nothing short of transformed. SE models now boasts rear parking sensors, heated faux-leather seats, an electric rear tailgate, rain sensing wipers and hands-free Bluetooth as standard. Sport models add the larger 20" wheels, chrome highlights in the grille, aluminium roof rails and alcantara seats - but you'll have to pay an extra £2,500 over the SE trim.
Sat nav is still only found on the options list, with the basic system costing £1,365 and the hard drive-based version - with a 4GB music system and voice activation -costing £2,350.
Switching your fake leather for real hide adds another £1,150.
Latest Readers' Drives About the Mercedes M-class
wrote on 27 05 2006