Not only has the world's oldest auto company developed and unveiled the industry's first true high-performance sport utility vehicle -- the ML55 AMG -- but it also has made a number of refinements to the entire M-Class line for 2000
ON THE ROAD - There are three different powertrains available in the M-Class. The first is a 3.2 liter V6 that powers the ML320. The ML55 AMG uses a 342-horse, 5.5 liter V8 while the ML430 we tested came with a 4.3 liter V8. Each uses a single overhead camshaft, which Mercedes says is more efficient and economical than other designs, and three valves per cylinder. New this year is a program that gives buyers of 2000 model year M-Class SUVs free routine maintenance for the first four years or 50,000 miles. The 4.3 liter V8 in the ML430 develops 268 horsepower and 288 lb-ft of torque. Power is more than adequate, though its acceleration is not lightning-quick. Rather, power comes on smoothly and deliberately, with a sweet V8 exhaust note emanating from the tail pipe. Mated to this is a smooth-shifting five-speed automatic transmission and full-time four-wheel drive. This system is unique in that it uses three open differentials to deliver power evenly throughout the system. It also has a button-controlled low range.
The Mercedes is a complex, elaborate car. Everything from the power windows to the brakes to the air conditioning system, is fully computerized. This means that it could take volumes to fully describe the car and how its systems interact. And in fact it does; the owners' manual weighs in at 250 pages, and there is another book, with an additional 210 pages, that describe COMAND, which controls the stereo, phone and navigation system. Some people swear by this sort of thing, saying that it gives you an unprecedented level of control over the car, it's features and how it works for you. Others say it's so complex few people will ever fully understand their car.