[Suzie's Dad]

Hey guys!

I finally got my ML550 a while back so I thought I'd check in and see whassup with the X6 crowd. Checking the threads I see a lot of same old same old -- love the car, hate the rear-view camera, etc.

FYI, here are my impressions of the Mercedes.

Very soft and comfortable ride (air suspension) with adequate but not great roadholding in sport mode. The steering is lighter than I would prefer. Running boards are even less practical than on the X6; it is almost impossible not to get your pant leg dirty when getting out of the vehicle. I have had a couple of very minor issues: one of the headlight washers sometimes sticks open, the HomeLink loses its memory occasionally, etc. But other than that I am delighted. Really good seats (heated and cooled and adjustable every which way), excellent Harmon Kardon Logic-7 sound system with speakers everywhere you look (it plays MP3/WMAs from DVDs, USB sticks, SD cards, iPod, you name it), you can watch DVD movies when stationary (and you can buy an in-motion converter if you are so inclined), and I don't mind COMAND (Mercedes' version of iDrive) at all -- it is reasonably logical, has very nice graphics, and accepts addresses very quickly as it is hard-drive based. My phone paired with no problems and the phone book downloaded even though the phone is not officially approved, so I can't complain there. Sweet V8 engine, powerful and smooth, but heavy on gas. The truck has all the gizmos: 21-inch AMG wheels, AMG body kit, leather dash, swivelling bi-xenon headlights, etc. You have to get used to brake feel as it is brake-by-wire; it takes some practice to come to a smooth stop. The gearshift on the steering column like the previous generation 750i also took getting used to, but now it is second nature, and it sure leaves a lot of space between the seats. The paddle gear shifters work well, and the seven-speed gearbox is smooth. The rear view camera is fine, but at this time of year with so much crap on the roads it is usually too dirty to be of much use. The power hatch is nice, and unlike on the X6 it can be closed remotely. For some reason, the vehicle has a 1970s style foot operated emergency brake -- strange. I don't miss HUD as much as I thought I would because most things I would want to see on it (digital speed, NAV directions, etc.) can be displayed on the ML's multi-function display right in front of the driver, so you only have to glance down a tad.

Time will tell whether Mercedes have evercome their quality problems, but in the meantime I am very happy with my purchase. Obviously not as much fun as an X6, but more practical, more comfortable, and priced between the 35i and the 50i.

[For any newcomers to this board, the reason I am posting is that I was a long-time member of the forum almost from day 1 and I had an X6 50i on order until I changed my mind and went over to the dark side. I'm just checking back in and updating some of the original members.]

This pic was taken to show my after-market 20-inch OZ wheels with snow tires, and I just drove through a mess of slush, but it's all I have at this point: