My First Love - The Mercedes-Benz ML-500

We are probably the last ones who are going to drive a naturally aspirated, 5-liter V8 SUV. So, what the hell, I chose the Mercedes-Benz M-Class. The car they chose to drive through Jurassic Park. I went for the one with the largest engine: the ML-500!

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 V6 ML-320/350s (V6, 3724 cc, 232 hp) got me hooked, but the V8’s 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.

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.

I had no idea what I was in for. Stay tuned for the ride of a lifetime!

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