From the February 2002 issue of Car and Driver.
As mid-cycle product updates go, this one’s a peach. Mercedes slipped a bigger V-8 into the ML430 sport-ute and called it the ML500. This second-quickest Benz ute climbs farther up the performance ladder, closer to the pavement-eating ML55 AMG.
By increasing the engine’s bore just 0.27 inch, the 24-valve V-8 now displaces 302 cubic inches and has 20 more horsepower (288 at 5600 rpm) and 37 more pound-feet of torque (325 at 2700 rpm) than last year’s 4.3-liter mill. Once spanked at the drag strip by the sportier BMW X5 4.4i, the ML500 now finishes first, scampering to 60 mph in a definitely untrucklike 6.7 seconds, 0.2 second quicker than the Bimmer.
Keep the throttle pinned and let the throaty 90-degree V-8 ratchet through the five-speed automatic transmission, and the big Benz doesn’t stop pulling, further widening the gap with the BMW sport-ute. At 100 mph, the Benz is 1.8 seconds ahead, reaching the century mark in 18.6 seconds.
That amount of zip makes you forget you’re hauling around 4869 pounds. The wide, flat torque curve (peak torque occurs from 2700 to 4250 rpm) provides prompt throttle response, and the tranny makes nearly transparent shifts.
But when you have to turn, it’s back to Physics 101. This powerful specimen is still a truck, and its tires howl and its heavy body lists as it generates 0.75 g of grip. Still, that’s a 0.02-g improvement over that of last year’s model, thanks to the single running-gear change–17-inch wheels and tires replace last year’s 16-inchers. Mercedes, however, didn’t see fit to change the ML’s standard electronic stability program (ESP). When activated, it puts an end to any spin, but putting the dash-mounted ESP switch in the off position disables only the engine cutoff function and leaves the brakes to curtail slides. This Benz avoids even slight slides at all costs, and it’s like having the fun police continually on call.
We doubt many potential ML owners will fret over an aggressive anti-skid system, however. They’ll pay more attention to the revised bodywork and interior.
Both the ML320 and the ML500 have new front and rear bumpers, taillights, clear headlight lenses, and those 17-inch wheels. The changes are subtle but easily identified. Other than badges, the only exterior differences between the ML500 and ML320 are the ML500’s wider tires (275/55VR-17 versus 255/60SR-17) and chrome strips on the ML500’s tailgate and door handles. The ML55 AMG’s exterior is unchanged.
Inside, this ML now has curtain airbags in addition to the front and side airbags, burled-walnut trim around the center console, and rotary climate-control switches. A navigation system is a $1700 option on the ML320 and standard on the two upper-end models. Absent are steering-wheel-mounted radio controls, which would be appreciated because operating the dash-mounted radio and navigation system requires an uncomfortable stretch. The new climate controls, however, look smart and are easy to use.
The rest of the car is standard-issue Benz M-class. You sit high, thronelike, and the hood slopes away dramatically, providing excellent forward visibility. The full-time four-wheel-drive system is always on call, and the electronic traction-control system acts like a limited-slip device. A standard hill-descent system automatically creeps the ML down hills when a dash-mounted button is pressed.
But this Benz is no hard-core off-roader. On road, it feels more sedan than truck, more family hauler than sports car. BMW’s X5 4.4i clearly trumps it in on-road handling (our long-term X5 4.4 towed a race car to the track and was then used for demonstration hot laps there, a feat we wouldn’t enjoy in the softer and duller Benz), but the Mercedes does offer far greater cargo space and optional third-row seating. With just the middle seats up, the Benz has 35 cubic feet of space compared with the X5’s 24. And the ML500 is less expensive–$45,615 to the BMW X5 4.4i’s base price of $50,045.
But wait, the plot thickens. With 288 horsepower, the ML500 outhorses the 2001 X5 4.4 by six. For 2002, BMW added 8 hp, so it has a scant two more than the Benz. With Chevy surrendering the Ford Mustang/Chevy Camaro performance race later this year, could these two V-8 utes be the ones to take their place?
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Source: Reviews - aranddriver.com
