Tested: 2000 Mercedes-Benz ML55 Brings AMG into the SUV Fold

From the December 1999 issue of Car and Driver.

Think back to 1995. In a world of Ford Explorers and Jeep Grand Cherokees, did you ever imagine the emergence of today’s Cadillac, Lincoln, Lexus, Infiniti, and Mercedes luxury sport-utility vehicles? Five years ago, a luxury SUV seemed as likely as a former WWF star’s becoming a governor.

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Well, it’s happened. Luxury SUVs such as the Lincoln Navigator, the Cadillac Escalade, the Lexus RX300, and the Infiniti QX4 are littering parking lots at country clubs and grocery stores across the nation. And now, Mercedes brings AMG hammer power to the sport-utility class with its ML55 AMG.

The soul of this super-ute dwells in its engine. AMG starts with the 5.0-Iiter 24-valve V-8 from the SL500 and S500 and adds a stroked, forged-steel crankshaft that, in turn, adds nearly a third of an inch to the stroke, pumping displacement from 4966 to 5439cc. (Yes, by inflating 5439cc to 5.5 liters, Mercedes has co-opted Ford’s truth-in-displacement badging ethic.) The ML55’s 5.4-liter V-8 makes 342 horsepower at 5500 rpm, which is 74 horses more than in the ML430. AMG added a larger cross section to the magnesium intake manifold to increase airflow, replaced the hollow-cast camshafts with even lighter modular ones, and increased the stiffness of the valve springs.

With all this tuning, our ML55 test vehicle sprinted from zero to 60 mph in 6.8 seconds, 1.6 seconds faster than an ML430. The quarter-mile blew by in 15.3 seconds at 92 mph, or 1.3 seconds and 6 mph better than its non-AMG sibling. We clocked the ML55’s top speed at 141 mph, making it the fastest SUV in the world. Impressive numbers for a 4913-pound truck. Fuel-economy estimates suffer only slightly. The EPA figures for the ML55 are 14/18 mpg city/highway. The ML430’s is 15/19 mpg.

AMG didn’t tinker as much with the ML’s existing independent front and rear suspensions. Stiffened dampers, front torsion bars, and high-performance summer tires—Dunlop SP Sport 9000s, sized 285/50WR-18, with a tread pattern that looks like it belongs on a Porsche—are the only changes made that affect handling. The ML55 also sits on hefty-looking five-spoke, 18-inch aluminum wheels. With these changes, the ML55 stands 0.8 inch lower than lesser MLs. On the skidpad, the ML55 scored 0.74 g of grip. Surprisingly, that ranks it just 0.01 g ahead of the ML430.

We noticed only a little body roll while driving on tight, two-lane country roads in North Carolina, but the tires squealed a bit earlier than we expected. Spirited driving also reminded us that even with the high-performance engine, suspension, and tires, the ML55 is still a sport-utility vehicle with a high center of gravity. All the performance add-ons in the world can’t make a tall SUV body feel as buttoned-down and secure as a sports car.

Unfortunately, we didn’t get a chance to drive an ML55 on wet or snowy roads, but the aggressive tread pattern makes us fear the worst. Judging by experiences with our long-term Lexus RX300 and ML430, tires are absolutely critical for grabbing traction in bad weather, even with four-wheel drive. A good set of winter tires, we think, would be mandatory for any ML55 driven in the snow.

Highway travel, though, is more encouraging. More than 1000 miles on hilly roads and interstates rolled by effortlessly in one weekend. The ML55 feels as solid, comfortable, and stable on the highway as our long-term Mercedes E320, a car deemed “best highway transport” by several editors here. Sport seats designed exclusively for the ML55 are also terrific for both short max-lat trips and leisurely long hauls alike. In city driving, the ML55 feels energetic, and it can dart into and out of lanes quickly and easily.

For braking duty, AMG installed 13.6-inch rotors in front and 13.5-inchers in the rear. (Mercedes increased the rotor diameter on the 2000 ML430 model to match the AMG’s in front and increased the rear to just 0.5-inch less than the AMG.) The ML55 has four-piston front brake calipers, a design that permits increased brake-pad surface area, all of which improves brake feel and helps to reduce fade. With these race-car-like calipers, our ML55 took 181 feet to stop from 70 mph, 17 feet better than our long-term ML430. Both front and rear calipers are painted a gloriously glossy red.

Of course, the AMG crew made changes to the outside of the M-class, too, so everyone would know the ML55 is different. Two long, narrow bulges on the hood (Mercedes calls them “power domes,” even though they are completely cosmetic) recall the ’50s-era 300SL Gullwings and the current SLK. There’s a slick front bumper with integrated fog lights, muscular-looking fender flares, a redesigned rear bumper, and dual chrome exhaust pipes. The outside rearview mirrors retract at the touch of a button, and high-pressure headlamp washers will make a puddle in your driveway when you demonstrate them to your neighbors.

Nice AMG touches inside the ML55 include burled walnut trim stained almost black on the door panels, the instrument panel, and the steering wheel. The gauges are black on white during the day, but the numerals glow orange at night. Chrome rings surround the speedometer, the tachometer, and the fuel and temperature gauges. All ML55s also have charcoal-colored leather covering the seats, the armrests, the shift knob, and a portion of the steering wheel.

As the logbook for our long-term ML430 attests, a lot of drivers thought the interior of 1999 and earlier M-classes wasn’t up to Mercedes standards. Mercedes has revamped the interior of every 2000 M-class to include a softer dashboard, newly sculpted door panels, a redesigned 60/40 split-folding second-row bench seat with an armrest (which makes that seat a bit less comfortable for three than the previous bench split into thirds), chrome rings around the air-conditioning controls, and a more durable cup-holder mechanism. So, even without the AMG bits, the M-class interior is a nicer, warmer place to spend time.

Every M-class model also gets a new five-speed Touch Shift automatic transmission. When you’re in drive and you want a lower gear, you flip the gear lever to the left, and unless it would overrev the engine, you get a downshift. Flipping it right briefly brings a single upshift; holding it to the right for a moment returns it to drive. As in the S-class and all other Mercedes applications of this shifter, it’s not a true manumatic in that the transmission controller always reserves the right to select any gear below the one the driver has selected. We tended to use it only for manual downshifts when slowing for a curve or when stopping, returning the system to drive for acceleration.

Also new across the M-class line is a modular control system (MCS) that employs an LCD screen to control the sound system (which now includes an in-dash CD player), a navigation system (standard on the ML430 and ML55 AMG and optional on the ML320), and an optional phone. The MCS takes a minute or two to learn, but after that it’s easy to use.

Next year, Mercedes will build 3000 of these souped-up sport-utes at its Alabama plant. Half are to be sold in the United States. The base price of the ML55 AMG is $65,495, a whopping $21,150 more than the 2000 ML430. Yes, the ML55 performs better than the ML430, and it’s more exclusive, but 21 grand more than the price of an ML430 is a hefty premium for a different look and a 1.6-second improvement in zero-to-60-mph time.

Mercedes says ML55 AMG buyers will have considered a Porsche 911 but couldn’t justify a purchase because that car has little room for bikes, bags, and other gear. ML55 AMG buyers will also have considered a Lexus GS, a Mercedes E-class, or a BMW 5-serics but will opt for a more adventurous, outdoorsy image than those cars can provide. For these few folks, the ML55 will be perfect. Even though the ML55 AMG is bound to lose to a Lexus GS400 and a BMW 5-series if challenged at an autocross, the ML55 is still an excellent combination of performance. luxury, utility, exclusivity, and style that will make a powerful statement, in more ways than one, to the country club set.

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Source: Reviews - aranddriver.com