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Wednesday, May 17, 2000REVIEW
Mercedes-Benz ML55
By Ann M. Job
The Associated Press
There's no doubt about it — the performance specs of the 2000 Mercedes-Benz ML55 AMG are impressive: 0 to 60 mph in just 6.4 seconds, top speed more than 140 mph.
Then it hits you — this is a sport utility vehicle. How does it wind up with the performance stats of a high-end sports car? How has the ML55 AMG come to be the fastest production SUV in the world?
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MERCEDES-BENZ ML55 Base price: $64,900. As tested: $65,545. Type: Front-engine, four-wheel drive, five-passenger, sport utility vehicle. Engine: 5.5-liter, 90-degree, aluminum V8. Mileage: 14 mpg (city), 17 mpg (highway). Top speed: 140 mph. Length: 180.6 inches. Wheelbase: 111 inches. Curb weight: 4,861 pounds. Built: Tuscaloosa, Ala. Options: None. Destination charge: $645.
Those three letters — AMG — tell you. AMG is a German aftermarket firm that for decades has been modifying Mercedes cars for maximum power and performance. For the 2000 model year, AMG's magic has produced the ML55 AMG, a limited-volume M-Class that comes at a sizable, $21,150 price premium over a regular V8-powered M-Class.
With a manufacturer's suggested retail price including destination charge of $65,545, the ML55 includes every factory option available on the M-Class. It also comes with upgraded leather and wood interior, a bit more aggressive body styling than a regular M-Class, bigger tires and brakes and all that power and speed.
The heart of the ML55 is the all-aluminum V8, which AMG ships to the M-Class assembly plant in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
The 5.5-liter engine's special forged-steel crankshaft adds eight more millimeters of throw for each piston and connecting rod. Cylinder bores are larger in diameter than normal, and the magnesium intake manifold has a wider cross-section to supply more air to the bigger engine.
Camshafts are a new, lightweight, modular design and there are higher-tension valve springs, too.
All these modifications crank up the horsepower to 342 at 5,500 rpm, and torque zooms to 376 foot-pounds at 3,000 rpm. Compare that to the 268 horses and 288 foot-pounds of torque in the M-Class with 4.3-liter V8 and you can understand why driving the ML55 feels appreciably different.
The engine specs also compare with the 282 horses and 324 foot-pounds of torque provided by the 4.4-liter V8 in the BMW X5 SUV, which has a 0-to-60-mph time estimated at 7.5 seconds. In the Lexus RX 300 with 220-horsepower, 3-liter V6, 0-to-60 time is estimated at 7.7 seconds. The RX does not offer a V8.
The ML55 is the heaviest of all these vehicles with a curb weight of 4,861 pounds.
With the standard five-speed, electronically controlled automatic transmission marshalling the power, the test ML55 zoomed forward from a standstill. It wasn't a neck-snapping sensation, because the transmission seemed to manage the power smoothly.
I never hesitated when changing lanes or darting around a double-parked car. The ML55 had plenty of zip for these maneuvers, even on hills. Its ability to respond to quick needs for power made me feel I had lots of driving options.
On the highway, the ML55 easily got up to speed, and over the speed limit. The smoothness of the power coming on was what I remember most.
The power can be a bit difficult to manage off-road when a driver may need to carefully modulate speeds over bumps and through deep ditches.
The ML55 includes the M-Class's full-time four-wheel-drive system. It includes electronic traction control that can brake a wheel that doesn't have traction while differentials direct power to one that does.
For heavy going off-road, there's also a dual-range transfer case controlled by a button on the dashboard.
Fuel economy, not surprisingly, is poor. It's not great on a regular ML430 to begin with — just 15 mpg in the city and 19 mpg on the highway — and the ML55 is rated at 14 and 17.
Despite the larger 23-gallon fuel tank, I spent a lot of time at the gas station, putting in the recommended premium fuel, and never achieved better than 15.9 mpg on the highway.
Mercedes didn't change much on the independent front and rear suspension of the M-Class. Shocks are stiffer than on a regular M-Class and 18-inch, low-profile tires replace the ML430's 17-inchers.
The ride was a bit busier than I expected, with quite a few vibrations felt in the tester, even on relatively smooth concrete.
The ML55 takes curves and corners with gusto, but with a ground clearance of 7.6 inches, it's still an SUV with a high center of gravity and can feel uncomfortable in aggressive maneuvers.
The small turning circle of 37 cubic feet was terrific in parking lots and neighborhood streets.
Inside, it's all luxury. For 2000, all M-Class models were updated with restyled door panels, friendlier dashboard, improved cupholders and redesigned 60/40 rear seat. The tester's front seats provided good support.
It takes time to learn the ins and outs of the controls on the middle of the dash that consolidate adjustments for the navigation system, air conditioning system, audio system and phone.
Everything in the test ML55 felt solid — from the thud of the doors to the oh-so-heavy weight and stiffness of the back seats as I maneuvered them forward and down for expanded cargo space.
Note that unlike most other SUVs, the ML55 carries its spare tire inside a cover in the back cargo hold. It's easy to reach the tire there, but this arrangement can get in the way of loading big items into the cargo area.
Mercedes projects sales of 1,500 ML55s in this, the model's first year. With sales of 867 through April, the company looks to be on course for that number.
Starting MSRP with destination charge for the 2000 BMW X5 is $49,970, while the Lexus RX 300 with four-wheel drive starts at $35,100. A 2000 Mercedes ML430 starts at $44,395 for MSRP and destination charge.
Because the ML55 AMG is a new, low-volume model, Consumer Reports does not list data.