We are probably the last generation to drive a naturally aspirated, 5-liter V8 SUV, before the whole world goes electric. So, what the hell? I chose the Mercedes-Benz M-Class; the latest version is called the GLE. The car they chose to drive through Jurassic Park. I went for the one with the largest engine - the ML-500!
Finding the right one
I avoided the first few years of the W-163, which was originally released in 1997. The 2004 model ML-500 (V8, 4966 cc, 288 hp), just before they released the completely new 2005 model, hit the sweet spot. The east and west coast, especially, California, New York, New Jersey have hundreds of MLs available. However, they are always the ML350 which is the lower powered version
The V6 ML-320/350s (V6, 3724 cc, 232 hp) are great, easy to find, and they got me hooked. However, i held out for the the V8’s which blew me away: the ML-500 and the ML-55 AMG.
Whether it's racing along the interstate or trying to drag race between signals on a weekday to work, the ML-500 (V8, 4966 cc, 288 hp) is nothing short of addicting. The retro interior look and wood finish are just the icing on the cake.
Well, now that my love affair with my ML500 is a decade old, I justify the higher maintenance and annual depreciation of my ML as the price of love. My older, mature self realizes that this was not my first love. I sat down and made a list. The ML barely makes it to the top five.
But it's still my love! A Mercedes out of warranty means you better be ready for greasy hands, DIY projects, and to steer clear of Mercedes-Benz service centers like the plague.
It helps that the M-Class is the first Mercedes-Benz
passenger vehicle manufactured in the United States—designed and produced in
Alabama. And the fact that the W-163 ran from 1997 to 2005 meant there is a huge
spare market for the model in the US.
DIY projects
My first DIY project was to add a bull bar/rail to the front bumper. This would add a more masculine look to the ML500. I realized there is a difference in the fixtures under the 1997 to 2002 MLs and the 2002-2004 MLs, though they all belong to the W-163 chassis generation.
The same holds true for fog lamps, as the 2002-2004 MLs have a bumper with a better-integrated fog lamps.
If you want to see what the MLs can look like, check out the second Jurassic Park movie (The Lost World), as shown in the picture below. Mercedes-Benz used the Jurassic Park movie to launch the M-Class.
I had no idea what I was in for. Stay tuned for the ride of a lifetime!
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