MSRP: $47,100 - $55,800
Invoice: $43,803 - $51,894
MPG: 15 City / 20 Hwy
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U.S.News Scores

Overall:8.3
Performance:7.8
Exterior:8.2
Interior:8.0
Safety:9.9
Reliability:6.0
Research we analyzed for this review
Pros and Cons
  • Excellent safety scores in crash tests
  • Confident handling makes for a pleasant drive
  • Accommodating seats and a quiet cabin
  • New 50-state turbodiesel model improves fuel economy
  • Poor reliability history
  • Uncomfortable rear middle seat
  • Expensive for its class 

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Mercedes-Benz M-Class - What the Auto Press Says

Though it comes with a high sticker price, buyers looking for a spacious interior, reasonable off-road performance, and plenty of modern, high-tech amenities will find the M-Class ideal. For less expensive but equally luxurious alternatives, consider the Acura MDX or Lexus RX 350.

The 2009 Mercedes Benz M-Class delivers luxury and confident handling, but can't match the base power or reliability of its competitors. For 2009, the M-Class gets exterior and interior modifications, as well as a new BlueTec diesel model with clean enough emissions to meet the standards of all 50 states. "Mercedes' M-Class upgrades should be enough to carry it until the third-generation model arrives in a few years, but until then, we hope the price won't head much higher than the current 2008 ML350 base price of $44,825, which includes an $825 delivery charge but not a six-disc CD changer or heated front seats," says Truck Trend. "Regardless, the M-Class is now a slightly sharper SUV than it was before."

The 2009 Mercedes-Benz M-Class is available in several trims: the base ML350, the new diesel-powered ML320 BlueTec, the ML550, and the ultra-performance ML63 AMG.

  • "Base prices are competitive, but the sticker's bottom line grows daunting as options are added. Aside from around-town ride comfort that could be better, the highly refined, rock solid, and engaging-to-drive M-Class is what a premium midsize five-passenger SUV ought to be." -- Consumer Guide
  • "Bluetec technology has been around for a few years now, but the ML320 Bluetec, which debuts this fall, is among the first diesel Mercedes SUVs to be available in all 50 states." -- Forbes
  • "When we recently tested the 2008 Mercedes-Benz ML550, we were surprised by how good an SUV the M-Class still is in a very competitive segment." -- Cars.com
  • "First introduced as a 1998 model, the ML has morphed from a body-on-frame, truck-like SUV to a softer and plusher unit-body vehicle that is more competitive with machines like the Lexus RX." -- Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
  • "Highly improved and now with a decent record for reliability, the M-Class continues as one of the premium class acts in the SUV world." -- Arizona Republic
  • "[T]his Benz's combination of top-shelf luxury, superior fuel-efficiency and environmental friendliness is bound to win over a good number of deep-pocketed SUV shoppers. In this era of volatile fuel prices and an uncertain automotive future, clean diesels hold considerable appeal as a green alternative to the status quo." -- Edmunds

M-Class Performance - 7.8 (Good)

Reviewers generally praise driving feel in the Mercedes M-Class, which includes the world's first-ever seven-speed automatic transmission in an SUV. "Aside from squishy brake feel, the ML's road manners are predictable and hard to criticize, albeit a bit deliberate," says Car and Driver. Test drivers also have positive things to say about the new diesel-powered ML320 BlueTec model. Read More

M-Class Exterior - 8.2 (Very Good)

The 2009 M-Class receives positive comments regarding its exterior, which gets updated styling for this year. Car and Driver says the M-Class is "no longer a stubby, high-riding box on wheels. This new version is a much more graceful truck with longer and wider proportions, a flowing roofline, and prominent wheel housings." Read More

M-Class Interior - 8.0 (Very Good)

The M-Class' five-seat interior is spacious, comfortable, and luxurious. "The cabin's standard wood trim and other high-quality materials create an upscale ambiance," says Consumer Guide. "However, many interior panels are not soft to the touch, and only the ML63 has standard leather upholstery." For 2009, the M-Class gets modifications to the cabin design. Auto writers praise the front seats but have mixed reactions about the rear seats. Read More

M-Class Safety - 9.9 (Excellent)

The 2009 Mercedes M-Class does very well in federal government crash tests. It also features a long list of standard safety equipment. For 2009, all models come standard with the Mercedes Pre-Safe system, which helps prepare the vehicle and passengers if it senses an impending crash. Optional safety features include including a Parktronic system. Read More

M-Class Reliability - 6.0 (Mediocre)

The 2009 Mercedes-Benz M-Class reliability score shown is the Predicted Reliability rating provided by J.D. Power and Associates. This score is based on trending the past three years of historical initial quality and dependability data from J.D. Power's automotive studies, specifically the Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS) and the Initial Quality Study (IQS). The M-Class comes with the Mercedes limited warranty, which runs for 48 months or 50,000 miles. Note that quality glitches have plagued the Mercedes brand in the past. Read More

Review Last Updated: 8/24/09