AutoWeek - 2008 Mercedes-Benz ML550 (short take)

Merc1 · **AutoWeek - 2008 Mercedes-Benz ML550 (short take) -** 12-12-2007, 02:23 AM

OUR TAKE: Anyone who thinks of this as anything other than a high-riding, muscular sedan is fooling himself. Hey, it's one thing to have nearly enough torque to move mountains, it is another to know that it's there but never use it for such manual labor.

This is the life of the ML, has been and always will. If five percent of all Jeeps make it to the off-road world of dusty trails and slanting rugosities, then the percentage of these Mercedes-Benzes to do that is infinitesimal. Like point-oh-oh-oh percentage we're talking.

This is okay. It's not that it couldn't if it wanted to; it just doesn't want to get mucked up, which is entirely different than a Land Rover's DNA (or, for that matter, even the stout G-wagon, whose recent ancestors have done duties in the depth of mines and the tips of mountains.) The ML is a gentleman's--more precisely, a gentlewoman's--work horse. The stables and paddock are more asphalt-laden than filled with mud.

That out of the way, this is a great, comfortable and confidence-inspiring car (see, there's that word) that works very well in snow or sun. It holds its own with toboggans strapped to the roof or soccer cleats shoved in the back. It's also a great grocery-getter--a very, very fast grocery-getter, to boot.

And that motor! Oh, the power and performance is without exception a wonderful tool to have at your disposal. Yes, there are obviously more efficient engines on the market, but who among us doesn't enjoy that thrum of a monster V8. C'mon, now, don't you fib….

As-tested price: $65,850
Drivetrain: 5.5-liter V8; awd, seven-speed automatic
Output: 382 hp @ 6000 rpm, 391 lb-ft @ 2800-4800 rpm
Curb weight: 4819 lb
Fuel Economy (EPA/AW): 15/12.6 mpg
Options: Premium package III including DVD navigation, rearview camera, hands-free communication, rear audio controls, satellite radio, premium sound, power liftgate, auto-dimming mirrors, memory seat function, power folding mirrors, headlamp washing system, bi-xenon curve illuminating headlights, corner illuminating fog lights, adaptive damping system, air suspension, three-zone climate control, infrared glass, cargo management system ($8,500); Distronic system ($2,200); leather package ($1,975)

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