The Mercedes ML500 Is A Big Hitter With A Big Reputation. Andy Enright Judges Whether It Lives Up To The Hype

Don't you just love those lists in the Sunday supplements that inform you that those products you never even realised had come 'in' are now completely passe? If that is indeed the case, then the Mercedes ML500, a car that most would see as a pretty hot ticket, must be about as 'over' as it comes. Drive one and you probably won't care if it's in, out or shaking it all about. Luxury 4x4s don't come a lot better than the ML500 we take a look at here.

It may be big and clever but for most of us, the ML500 isn't hugely relevant. 'Normal' folks will buy the £36,715 ML 320CDI diesel while the super wealthy will prefer the awe-inspiring 510bhp ML63AMG version. The ML500 is a compromise. It's a super refined, beautifully finished all-wheel drive smoothie that'll leave you with enough change for a half decent meal out from £50,000. Two versions are offered, both saddled with identical price tags. Customers choose from a well appointed SE version or a more focused Sport model. Both are very appealing but it's worth framing the ML500 in terms of its direct competition.

Being perched near the top of the M-Class Range prices the big Mercedes out of reach of the likes of the Volvo XC90 and the Jeep Commander and into direct comparison with the Porsche Cayenne S, the BMW X5 4.4, the Range Rover 4.4 Vogue and the Volkswagen Touareg V10 TDI, vehicles with power outputs of 340, 320, 305 and 309bhp respectively. The Mercedes manages 302bhp, so it can't lever the power advantage usually associated with the three-pointed star. To do that, you need to pay a whole lot more money for the AMG touch. This is genuinely tough competition and every model here has the sort of image that Mercedes hoped its old M-Class would garner. That was a car that had the looks and the badge but fell over in terms of perceived quality. It got better as the years passed by, but by then the damage was done. This generation of M-Class needed to be right from Day One and fortunately it is. It now feels like a proper Mercedes-Benz product.

"The value proposition is straightforward. The ML500 is quicker, more economical, more versatile and better equipped than any directly comparable rival"

It goes like one too. Sixty mph from standstill is dispatched in just 6.9 seconds en route to a top speed pegged at 146mph. Try matching that in any of the aforementioned rivals. It isn't going to happen. Suddenly you twig that in offering the quickest car with the lowest power output, Mercedes might have stolen a march on the opposition. A kerb weight of 2,100kg helps to explain things. That's fully 380kg less than a Range Rover and also helps lend the Mercedes an agility and deftness of touch that the more tank-like 4x4s can't hope to hold a candle to. The benefits of advanced construction mean the ML500 is able to offer supreme build quality without weighing as much as a Federal Reserve bank vault. This has repercussions in terms of fuel economy too. Drive the M-Class in a halfway sensible fashion on open road and you'll achieve 27.2mpg. Exercise similar restraint in the diesel Touareg and you'll only get 28.8mpg - and that's not exactly a case of comparing eggs with eggs. In the Porsche 25.2mpg. Now you're beginning to see the measure of Mercedes' achievement with this model.

The efficiencies aren't solely attributable to a clever chassis design either. That 4,966cc V8 engine is a very efficient and refined unit, emitting 319g/km of carbon dioxide. While that sounds a lot, it is way better than all of the aforementioned rivals, bar the BMW which squeaks it by a mere 2g/km.

Drive is transmitted to bitumen via a seven-speed automatic. Stay with us, here because the automatic is no ordinary slushbox. It's got more in its locker than mere wafting, and with seven ratios to blur between, you're always plugged right into the meat of the torque curve. The column-mounted Direct Select shifter takes a little getting used to and points to the M-Class' American heritage, but if you're set to do a fair degree of traffic-bound commuting, the 7G-TRONIC is a wise choice. Steering wheel-mounted gearshift buttons are also offered.

The exterior if the ML500 is, if anything, even better looking. The lines of the old model have worn so well that the current generation M opts for an evolutionary look, keeping the same sporty stance and raked forward C-pillar but adding more pronounced wheelarches and a rising swage line along its flanks that may look a little too Toyota RAV4 for more conservative tastes. It marks a definite swing towards the sports end of the sports utility market and differentiates the Mercedes nicely from cars like the Land Rover Discovery and the Volkswagen Touareg. The next X5 will have its work cut out to offer styling quite as slick as the M-Class.

Although the sharply raked back windscreen and contoured body panelling give the M-Class a sporty, compact appearance, the tape measure shows just how artful its stylists have been. It's 150mm longer than its predecessor, 71mm wider and the wheelbase has grown by 95mm. It is also 7mm lower. Aerodynamics have been improved from a CD value of 0.39 to 0.34 with fuel economy savings of as much as ten per cent.

Both the front and rear suspension has been thoroughly revised for this generation M-Class, with a double wishbone front and a multi-link rear arRangement. For those that really want the ultimate in ride quality, Mercedes also offers an Airmatic air suspension system option that teams up with an Adaptive Damping System that adjusts the responses of the shock absorbers According to the situation in hand. There's also an optional off-road biased air suspension option which adds a two-speed transfer case with an off-road ratio, manually or automatically selectable diff locks and a version of Airmatic which raises ground clearance by 110mm to as much as 291mm. This means that the M-Class will now ford water up to two feet deep.

At 880mm, the distance between the front and rear seats is a full 15mm greater than in the old car, achieving a level more akin to a luxury saloon. Despite the additional rear legroom, luggage space goes up. Fold the 63:37 rear bench flat and there's 2050 litres (up by 30l) available. Removable cushions can be ordered as an option, which means that an entirely flat load floor can be attained, stretching 210cm to the back of the vehicle.

On first acquaintance, the ML500 doesn't appear a stand-out performer but if you're in the market for a luxury 4x4, it's a car you overlook at your considerable disadvantage. With smart engineering, a pair of very attractive trim packages, unparalleled all-round versatility and capability, it quietly emerges as the pick of the lot.