Why you should buy the 2009 Mercedes ML320 BlueTEC:
You equate sitting up high with safety, diesels with saving money, shiny things with luxury, comfort with performance, shopping with sports, and CSI with entertainment. As a member of the mass affluent you're not rich enough to be special, but have enough money to at least think you are. You married your husband for his money.

Why you shouldn't buy this car:
You have a strong aversion to minivans, ones masquerading as SUVs or otherwise. As a member of the truly wealthy, you need a vehicle that conveys the blue color of your blood and can be used to haul dead game back from your shooting estate. You thought diesels were supposed to be fuel efficient. You thought Mercedes were supposed to be made in Germany by lab coat-wearing, scheisse porn-enjoying technicians. You married your husband for his money, but in this case its real money.

Suitability Parameters:
Speed Merchants: No
Fashion Victims: Yes
Treehuggers: No
Mack Daddies: Yes
Tuner Crowd: No
Hairdressers: Yes
Penny Pinchers: No
Working Stiffs: No
Technogeeks: No
Poseurs: Yes
Soccer Moms: Yes
Nascar Dads: No
Golfing Grandparents: Yes
Very Serious Businessmen: Yes
Sheiklets: No

Also Consider:
• Lexus RX 400h
• Land Rover LR2
• Volkswagen Touareg TDI
• Audi S6 Avant
• BMW X6 xDrive35i
• 1984 300 TD Wagen with suspension lift kit

Vitals:
• Manufacturer: Mercedes
• Model: ML320
• Model year: 2009
• Base Price: $48,600
• Price as Tested: $58,165
• Engine type: 3.0-Liter V6 Diesel
• Horsepower: 210 HP @ 3800 rpm
• Torque: 398 lb-ft @ 1600-2400 rpm
• Transmission: 7-Speed Automatic w/paddles
• Curb Weight: 4,974 lbs
• LxWxH: 188.5" x 71.5" x 83.7"
• Wheelbase: 114.7"
• Tires: P225/50 R19
• 0 - 60 mph: 8.0 seconds
• Top Speed: N/A
• EPA Fuel economy city/highway: 18/24 MPG
• Jalopnik Fuel Economy: 23 MPG (city/highway mix 25/75)
• NHTSA crash test rating: *****/*****

Also see:
• 2009 Mercedes ML320, Part One
• 2009 Mercedes ML320, Part Two

Exterior Design: ****
Compared to the boring first generation ML, the new one is a dramatic step forward. Compared to the rest of the midsize SUV market it's still rather exciting, embracing a flowing profile enhanced with some neat details. The three-bar grille is cleverly indented and, with a satin finish, nicely offsets the rest of the vehicle. Whereas most SUVs finish with a large, flat window bordered by a E-pillar, Mercedes has eschewed past standards in favor of a rearward-slanting C-pillar, giving the appearance of a rear window wrapping around the greenhouse.

Interior Design: **
This SUV has a well-designed and comfortable cockpit, but there's some strange materials and supremely stupid ornaments. The seats are well-sized and feel snug yet unrestrictive, but are unfortunately covered in MB Tex, a nasty fake leather. The column-mounted shifter isn't intuitively designed, but it opens up the center console and leaves an excellent amount of space. The LCD screens behind the front seats are large, clunky and protrude so far it causes claustrophobia. It's almost tacky. On the other hand, the interior lighting is wonderful and casts a warm light over the attractive wood touches. Then there's the size; it's big on the outside and tiny on the inside.

Acceleration: **
Put foot to floor and the turbodiesel throws its torque behind the heavy package. It's not overwhelming but there's a great feeling with all of the torque available low in the range, revealing nice grunt at around 2,000 RPM. Unfortunately, any acceleration other than from a dead stop will cause much displeasure from the 7-speed transmission while it tries to figure out what gear to choose. This is the fault of programming on the intake side, which we'll get to later. Great torque, bad management.

Braking: ***
The ML's 13-inch brakes provide the sort of smooth and gentle glide you'd expect. Given the vehicle's heft I'd prefer a stronger and firmer feel but, honestly, the types of drivers who choose an ML are the same who slam on the brakes at the slightest hint of trouble so maybe they're doing us all a favor.

Ride: ****
This is one smooth-riding car in the true tradition of Mercedes. Even across the worst streets Texas could throw at a vehicle, the ML320 swallows the bumps and uneven surfaces. There's a "sport" and "comfort" mode for a choice in driving styles but, even in "sport" mode it's glass smooth. The big knock against it is, from the enthusiasts perspective, it leads to dull handling. But this isn't an enthusiast's car.

Handling: **
What has always impressed me about most Benzes is the ability to produce a ride so steady you could keep an uncooked egg on the dash coupled with handling, though not BMW-level in its exhilaration, that's extremely competent. Unfortunately, this didn't translate well to the latest ML. Unlike most SUVs there isn't an excess of body roll, but there's no steering feel. Not only is it numb, it's downright difficult to operate. My old diesel Mercedes sedan had a Wheel-of-Fortune-sized steering wheel and, sadly, this is what was carried over to the latest generation of diesels. At least the older one had a quick steering ratio, allowing predictable turns. Not so much with the ML

Gearbox: **
It's hard to judge the 7-speed transmission, which does an admirable job of keeping the mileage high and revs low in seventh, without judging the mechanics behind it. Specifically, we're displeased with the intake and injection programming, which doesn't react to the position of the throttle but rather reads a difference. So, if you're already on the gas and move from 30% of throttle to 50% it doesn't read it as going to half-throttle, it reads as "go faster" and thus doesn't make a big change. In practice, acceleration feels strangely disproportional to throttle input. Even with this fixed, and the rather quick shifts, we're not sure if seven isn't overkill.

Audio: ****
The Harmon Kardon LOGIC7 surround sound system has a stupid name but sounds great. When you buy a premium auto you expect premium sound and the crisp speakers coupled with the powerful subwoofer do the trick. The iPod integration is perfect, allowing easy selection of songs and the additional option of a straight audio-in port is much appreciated for those still not rocking iPods. If we have one complaint about the system, it's with the steering wheel controls, which are far from straight-forward.

Toys: ***
Heated steering wheel? Really? Perhaps the Texan in me couldn't appreciate the additional heating package, but if I go back in my head to when I lived in Illinois I'd probably have also felt it ridiculous. As for the real toys, the Mercedes COMMAND system is at least as frustrating as iDrive. The maps for the GPS system are well-designed but the buttons are a generation behind even cheap domestic systems. I've already complained about the LCD screens in the back, but their use and function are also unnecessarily complex. As with the powertrain, it's good stuff poorly managed.

Value: **
At the base price of $48,600 the ML320 BlueTEC is, in comparison to the $47,100 gas-powered ML350, a good value, providing more power and improved economy at only a slight premium. On the other hand, the addition of the rear-seat entertainment system, the heating package and the audio package jacked the price up to nearly $60K, which is an awful value, especially considering that this is essentially a glorified minivan with fewer seats.

Overall: ***
Considering our love of diesels and our dislike of marshmellowy SUVs I feel conflicted with the ML. There are a lot of aspects the target buyer will like and, actually, it's one of the most attractive four-door Benzes. Unfortunately, for everything I liked about the ML320 there was something that made me either bored or seriously displeased.

The ML gives SUV drivers a luxurious package with semi-impressive mileage that averaged north of 23 MPG over 450 miles and 75% highway driving. Not bad, but not earth shattering either, especially given the current cost differential between gas and diesel. The driver seeking true performance will find the turbo diesel boring and the buyer looking for supreme luxury will, in the end, be disappointed by the material choices and lack of space.

Also see:
• 2009 Mercedes ML320, Part One

The minute I knew I'd be reviewing the diesel-powered Mercedes ML320 BlueTec crossover I drove with my grandparents to Austin to spend some time with my grandmother's German friends Annalie and Boris. True to his heritage, Boris still owns a diesel Mercedes sedan and I wanted to see if this new, ‘Merican-made Merc could live up to his expectations.

While loading my grandparents into the ML, setting out for Austin, I was reminded senior citizens pack well. There was a box of tissue, though no one had a cold. There were a dozen magazines, though the trip was only a couple of hours. There were extra pairs of shoes packed, though we only planned to stay overnight. There was even a bottle of vodka, though I did think they'd find a use for that. Conveniently, there was plenty of room in the "truck" for all this gear.

As we start the journey my grandparents marvel at the incongruous mix of luxuries and near-luxuries the ML320 affords. The material is faux-leather MB-Tex, which is short for soft but disappointing. The LCD screens embedded in the front seats are large and impressive, but they just stick out so far I'm afraid I'm going to put my dear grandmother's head through one of them if I hit the brakes too hard. They love the backup camera even though it's the least helpful one I've ever used. The sound system is pretty good, at least good enough to get my grandmother, who can't hear very well to be able to pick out a Jay-Z/Pavement mix as "Hip Hop."

On the road the vehicle continues to impress the passengers, though I'm less than moved. It handles well for its size and is undeniably smooth sailing, almost to the point of lulling the driver to sleep. The turbo diesel V6 is torquey, providing überthrust at low RPM. Unfortunately, the 7-Speed "driver adaptive" transmission is more interested in squeezing out the last drop of pee-scented diesel than "adapting" to my driving style of screaming onto the Interstate.

Climbing into a hillier, more affluent part of Austin we blend in well. Here this is the "small" Mercedes-Benz, impressing no one with its near-$60K price. The nav did a good job of getting us to our destination, but Gigi complained it wasn't the "more scenic" route we often take. There's no button to select a grandma-approved route.

Taking advantage of some time spent "resting their eyes" I sneak off to visit some old, but much younger friends. These would be the same people who remember my previous Mercedes diesel, a 1982 300D with five-cylinders of un-turbocharged molasses short on speed but brimming with character. To them, this Benzie is a bit more impressive (and equals the annual wage of any two of my friends combined). Even better than the price, I show off the adjustable suspension and raise the ML320's height to a point where I can roll over the parking barriers with ease. A feature that likely gets used more frequently at Neiman Marcus than in the woods.

When I get back to Annalie's house the vokda is gone.

Somehow, the whole group was up by 7:30 AM and ready for me to drive them for a Tex-Mex breakfast. This was my chance to grill Boris. As you might expect, Boris lives up to the stereotype and owns a late ‘90s E300 turbo diesel. He admits this current iteration, with its bells-and-whistles, is quicker and probably better. Unfortunately for me, he doesn't seem interested in a trade. He loves his sedan. He loves the look. He loves the mileage. This white SUV is nice, but it's clearly more of an American status symbol thing than what either of us thinks of as a true touring Mercedes.

This isn't to say a Mercedes can't be an SUV, it's just to say this particular Mercedes has had all of what we love about Benzs engineered out of it. Boris' car is unapologetic about its German-ness. Merely stepping into an older Mercedes, the heft of the door as it locks into place, sends a message. Driving one, even my older 300D with its relatively sluggish performance and putt-putting engine, transmits to the driver a sense of strength that has nothing to do with airbags or anti-rollover protection and everything to do with a well-built machine equally capable of driving the Autobahn as it is crashing through a bank wall. It's like driving a luxurious tank. The ML320, sadly, masks this connection behind a layer of marshmallow creme.

The trip back is comfortable. No one is hungover. I ignore the nav system and take the pretty way home even though I'm hours late thanks to the slow way in which older generations eat breakfast. I put on a newer comedy album hoping the comic's mellow style lands with my grandparents. It doesn't. Then I put on a Woody Allen comedy album from the 1960s. Huge hit.

What's old isn't necessarily bad but, in looking back on three generations of diesel Mercedes, what's new isn't necessarily better. It's just newer.

That depends: ML 320 BlueTEC buyers get a $900 tax credit, while those opting for an R320 BlueTEC can get $1,550. The GL 320 BlueTEC is the big winner with up to an $1,800 tax credit depending on an individual's tax status. We're glad to see incentives for fuel-efficient vehicles finally extending into the diesel realm. Since the price premium for a diesel is generally less than for a hybrid, credits should make diesels even more competitive; now if we could just do something about the price of diesel fuel. [Detroit News]