• Summary

    2 out of 5 2.0

    What does this car say about you?

    I now fear it says that I can't afford to buy a decent 4x4, or that I am drving my wife's car.

    What do your friends / family / neighbours think of the car?

    They ask how long I have to keep it for.

    Would you buy this car again and why?

    Never, it is underpowered and very uneconomical and tiring to drive as a result. I like Mercs (my other half has a new SLK which is lovely) but this ML totally missed the mark in my view.

    What are you likely to buy next?

    I bought this as a cheap stop gap awaiting the arrival of the new Audi Q7 and RR Sport (they were ending their model life). I will most likely get either of those.

  • Buying experience

    5 out of 5 5.0

    Type of dealer you bought from?

    Franchised

    Did you buy this car new?

    Yes

    What price did you pay?

    £43,000

    When did you buy the car?

    January 2013

    Did you get a good deal and why?

    I took the car on a 2 year finance lease and got a massive discount. Monthly costs are miniscule when set agains cars with a similar headline price.

    Is there any special reason why you bought this car?

    I needed to replace my Q7 whihc was just too big.

    What was the dealer like?

    This is my second car from Loughton Mercedes in less than a year and they are the best dealers (for any make) i have dealt with.

  • Driving it

    2 out of 5 2.0

    What's it like to drive?

    Terrible in almost every way. It is comfortable but grossly underpowered - i can get 40mpg if I drive it like a hearse but any sort of hustling and it down to mid 20s. My Q7 averaged 34mpg over two year and was much nicer to drive.

    What's it like to park?

    Very easy as it is so tiny for a 4x4 - it is very narrow also.

  • Living with it

    3 out of 5 3.0

    Have you had any problems with the car?

    Sat Nav has failed once but it recovered of its own accord.

    What's most practical about your car?

    It is a lot smaller than my Q7 was so it is very easy to park. A reversing camera would have been nice though.

    Favourite gadget, option or accessory?

    The way the command system reads out my SMS messages when they arrive.