By Steven D. Gatt, Automotive Editor
Sport Utility vehicles are all the rage, so is it any surprise that Mercedes-Benz decided to join the fray? Not really, considering Lincoln and Infiniti each have one and Lexus, with the recent introduction of the RX300, has two. Even Cadillac has one in development. Most of these companies are making upwards of $10,000 profit per vehicle.
On a recent trip to the west coast we decided to pick up the all-new Mercedes-Benz ML320 and put it through a rigorous test including a long drive along the famous Pacific Coast Highway. We started our journey on a Friday from San Francisco. With reservations in Mendocino, we decided to take Highway 101 north to State Route 128 west to the coastal highway.
Westbound, this was one of the most beautiful drives during our entire trip which covered some 1,600 miles. State Route 128 had many tight and twisty turns and nearly no room for error because of the giant redwood trees that were just off the shoulder.
It takes an above average driver to handle many of the roads in northwestern California. While on SR 128 we came upon a motorhome and the ML certainly was out handling and driving the motorhome. The driver quickly pulled aside and let me by but soon we came upon a late model Honda Civic that was moving slowly. Not long after we came upon the Civic, the humongous motorhome caught up! It was amazing to see someone push a motorhome uphill through a narrow winding road and keep pace with cars with such ease.
It was at this early point in the trip that I learned the capabilities of the ML. But not once during the trip did I truly get to push the limitations of the ML. There was no room for error. One wrong braking point into a corner or turn-in and we could have ended up in the Pacific Ocean
The driveability of the ML was very impressive; it was very car-like without the tippy feeling that is often associated with sport-utility vehicles. You would never now the ML was all wheel drive except during low speed tight turns, when you could feel the all wheel drive gearing working.
Arriving in Mendocino around 7 p.m., it was already dark, so finding the path to the bed and breakfast was even more challenging. We stayed just one night at the Mendocino Farm House Bed & Breakfast, a beautiful large home tucked away from the city and the coast in the middle of a thick stand of trees. After the long flight and drive we relaxed in the sitting area in front of a large fireplace. Our room wasn't large but very comfortable, with one of the thickest down comforters I've ever slept under. A free-standing fireplace, in the room, made for a romantic crackling as my wife and I fell asleep.
The following morning, awaking early, due in part to jet lag, we rose to the smell of pancakes and another warm fire in the sitting room. We enjoyed the orange marmalade pancakes and set out on our tour of Mendocino.
Mendocino is a small, quaint coastal town with many shops showcasing arts, crafts and good food. We spent several hours just walking around the downtown area looking in the shops. In the afternoon, we proceeded to the coast and enjoyed the beautiful vistas. The rocky coastline had many jutting points which the waves pounded against with mighty force. Some of the cliffs were 300 feet high, with the waves and mist rising up from the ocean. It was a truly awe-inspiring place.
From Mendocino we traveled south along the Pacific Coast Highway, State Route 1, for several hours of beautiful coastal driving. We stopped along the way in a few of the small towns for gas, food and shopping. We finally turned off the coast at Jenner. From Jenner we drove across to Calistoga, the Northern starting point of the Napa Valley area. One of the biggest mistakes we made was not getting reservations before heading to this region. Napa Valley is very popular no matter what time of year it is. We ended up staying 30 miles south of where we wanted to be. This, along with the heavy traffic from other tourists, made it difficult to see everything we wanted to.
The following day, Sunday, we visited a small outlet mall and the Berringer Winery for a historical tour and tasting of their fine wines. Later that day we drove to Modesto to visit some relatives. We spent the night in a local hotel and planned our assault on San Francisco the following day. The Napa Valley area from Calistoga to St. Helena down to Napa is very beautiful and one could spend an entire vacation there, but for us, it was time to move on.
Before conquering the San Francisco area, we had to get past the traffic. Surprisingly, it wasn't that bad, probably because we waited for the morning rush hour to subside. Arriving in San Francisco, we parked the ML and walked through Fisherman's Wharf and Ghirardelli Square. This took a few hours so we couldn't tour Alcatraz. We then proceeded to take on the hilly streets of San Francisco. Many of the streets have extreme, almost vertical, ascents and descents. One famous street, Lombard, has six hairpin turns in one block! After our driving tour of San Francisco, we headed south towards Half Moon Bay and Monterey.
We literally drove through Half Moon Bay stopping only to watch the best sunset of our journey. Monterey was much like Mendocino, with beautiful ocean views and a plethora of small shops. Much of Monterey was centered around the Aquarium. It was one of the finest aquariums I've visited, with a special shallow tank with Sting Rays in it that you were encouraged to pet. For the record, they feel like slimy, wet velvet.
From Monterey we slowly traveled further south to Los Angeles, stopping several times along the way to see wild dolphins in the ocean. We had hoped to see whales during our trip, but to no avail. We arrived early Wednesday in Santa Monica and walked the famous pier and beach. We were offered tickets to many tapeings of Hollywood shows but we declined most of the offers except the one to see Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher. If you want to see The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, you'll have to call ahead and then get in line early so that you can get a seat. There is a lot to see and do around Los Angeles but we skipped over a lot of the more 'touristy' activities. Much of the Los Angeles portion of our vacation was dampened by rain and horrible traffic.
Escaping from L.A., we headed to San Diego for one specific reason: The world-famous San Diego Zoo. Once free of the L.A. traffic gridlock, the drive was easy but much less scenic than the coastal drive earlier in the trip. The San Diego Zoo is a do-not miss attraction. From the Anaconda snakes to the playful Polar Bears to the Giant Panda Bears from China it was well worth the $19 admission. From San Diego we drove back up to Los Angeles for the flight home. All told, we drove a total of 1,626 miles.
We spent eight full days in California, with much of that time spent inside the ML. We became very familiar with it; it is comfortable with good ergonomics. The radio is high up on the dash with easy to use controls that would be familiar to any Mercedes-Benz owner. Just below the radio was a open storage cubby hole, for small items like sunglasses or pens and pencils. The heating,ventilation, air conditioning controls were just below the storage space and were very easy to use with their three dial setup. Finally, on the forward center console, there were the buttons for the fog lights and the heated seats.
Driving often required concentration, which created a fatigue factor that was accentuated by the lack of support, especially laterally in the seats, of which, more lateral support could have been offered. Improving the seats should be a priority for Mercedes-Benz in this vehicle.
The ride inside was similar to any other Mercedes-Benz. One doesn't realize they're in a truck when driving the ML. The leather interior only accentuated the luxuriousness. The wood accent on the dash and door trim wasn't overdone as it has become in so many other vehicles. You get that go-anywhere feeling of a truck with the ride feel of an E-Class sedan. Ride height is high providing excellent visibility all the way around. We did not get an opportunity to go off roading but this is a Mercedes-Benz after all. How often are buyers really going to take it off road? Probably never.
Versatility is part of the game in the sport utility market and in the Mercedes-Benz ML, each of the second row seats fold forward to provide a flat loading area. The rear cargo area had a nice cover and all of the rear windows were deeply tinted to keep private things private. Also improving cargo area is the spare tire that is stowed under the truck, so it doesn't take up any interior room or block rearward visibility by mounting it on the door. Early in 1998 a third row of seats will be available as an option for those that need to carry up to seven people.
Even though it is a Mercedes, the ML has flaws. During our week with it, the passenger door panel came loose, probably from closing it hard one too many times. It was easily fixed by hitting it with my fist back into place: It was a snap-fit design. I also think it was missing two other important features. Number one would be an onboard compass. Number two would be an onboard navigation system(which is becoming a standard accessory on luxury automobiles); it was often difficult to find the right way through California without a really good map.
One would expect a Mercedes-Benz to be very expensive, but surprisingly, it is very competitive in the market segment. With a base price of $33,950 and a total as-tested price of $40,115, it is costs nearly the same as a Jeep Grand Cherokee or Ford Explorer Limited. Options on the evaluated ML included heated, leather covered, 8-way power seats, overhead trip computer, privacy glass, Bose audio system with 6-disc CD changer and a glass sunroof.
The all-new V6 engine achieved excellent fuel mileage for its class. Mercedes-Benz reports to the EPA mileage ratings of 17 mpg city and 21 mpg highway. We averaged 20.2 mpg over the duration of the trip, much of which was spent going uphill, where the motor and transmission had to work hard to hold a constant speed.
In recent years, foreign manufacturers have been building more plants in the United States. Mercedes-Benz has jumped on that bandwagon as well by building an all-new plant in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, where the ML is assembled. The plant features a unique assembly process working in harmony with local suppliers: The suppliers are delivering fully assembled components to the plant only hours before they are needed. This system is called just-in-time, or JIT, manufacturing.
The new Mercedes-Benz ML320 sets a new standard in the sport-utility field with the best on-road feel of anything in its class and amazing versatility, all at a competitive price.