I want to hit fuel economy head-on this week and as everyone knows, if you’re going to hit something head-on you should be driving an SUV. Luckily, I’ve been cruising around town in the Mercedes ML550 this week, and it’s one of the nicest SUVs you can buy.
Great Looking Mercedes-Benz Crossover
The ML550 has a 5.5-liter, 32-valve, 382 horsepower, 391 pound-feet of torque V-8 engine, mated to a 7-speed all-wheel-drive automatic transmission with several useful modes, including hill descent control. This crossover-style SUV will do 0-60 in a tire-blistering 5.6 seconds and has a governed top speed of 136 MPH.
And the ML550 gets about 15 Miles Per Gallon. And therein lies the rub. When the marketing and design people at Mercedes-Benz agreed that the ML550 was a car they wanted to build, gas was probably in the low $2 per gallon range. I saw prices creeping towards $5 per gallon this week in Los Angeles, and nowhere in a road trip through California was it lower than $4.25. V-8 powered trucks and SUVs are sitting on dealer lots everywhere, unsellable at any price.
The ML550 is a great ride, a great crossover, a capable SUV, truly comfortable and luxurious, with everything you ever wanted in an SUV. But has the time for this kind of car come and gone? Maybe so. But 4 of the last 5 vehicles I’ve reviewed have been big V-8 cars and SUVs. Automakers simply cannot turn on a dime and produce gas-sippers when the price of fuel spikes as it has in the first half of 2008. It will likely be 2010 and maybe even 2011 before the effects of this fuel crunch reach the showroom floor.
Capable AWD and Active Suspension
So, what is there in the meanwhile? Well, let’s evaluate the ML550 on its merits and maybe the net result of the fuel crunch is a better deal at the showroom on this great Benz.
The ML550 is towards the top of Benz’ ML line of crossover SUVs. As I mentioned, it’s got a powerful V-8 engine that gives it sports car acceleration, and it’s got great handling. There’s a “sport/comfort” button on the dash - and I left it in “sport” mode the whole week. The ML also offers you a button to raise and lower the ride height if you’re going off road. Leave the ride lowered and the suspension set for sporty driving and you won’t miss your Benz sedan. The ML550 moves out at the touch of the gas pedal and has enough get up and go to leave you giggling.
Luxurious Mercedes Interior
The interior is all good Mercedes luxury. Leather seats, backup camera, GPS, nice interior lines, rear seat DVD entertainment system, multi-function stereo with CD changer, satellite radio, iPod and MP3-ready - basically anything you could possibly want is there in the ML550, and you won’t be disappointed in the ride or the interior. Outside, it’s all Benz - you will look great driving this SUV.
Base price on the ML550 is $52,400. As tested, with the Premium Package (which gets you the DVD entertainment system, adaptive damping, back-up camera, hands-free phone system, seat heat, headlamp washers and so on), the leather/wood package, and the AMG Sport Package, the car costs $67,030.
Has the day of the SUV gone forever?
The theory goes that if you’re in a position to pay that kind of coin for an SUV, you don’t care what gas costs. But that’s not what dealers are seeing - apparently even those who can reasonably afford gas today still balk at the high price of a fill-up, and they’re taking big losses to trade in their Suburbans and Excursions and their Hummers and Escalades all over the country.
So what’s the bottom line? It’s simply this: if you want an SUV to keep for many years, one that you will really enjoy driving, and you’re OK with 15 MPG, you owe it to yourself to shop the ML550. If the idea of a Benz appeals, but you’d like to spend less money up front and get better gas mileage, consider the ML320. Mercedes-Benz 6-cylinder engines offer plenty of power and you get the same great comfort, luxury, and handling.
