Since we are throwing stones... I find it hard to believe that ML went from

"It holds the dubious dubious honour of coming rock bottom of the 2004 Top Gear Survey - and compared to the likes of VW's Touareg and Volvo's XC90, the M-Class also seems rather too agricultural to be competitive these days." and

"the M-Class came last in our ownership survey, so we'd advise that you just, er, don't. If you have to, then buy an ML500, because no one wants them, so the dealer will bite your hand off at the elbow," to best of class. Car and Driver doesn't think so...

"It looks like the last M-class has been gutted—seats, dash, and all. The new goods look like they came directly from any glitzy Benz sedan, and the sheetmetal has been sculpted. Don't look for low-range four-wheel drive (or any traditional shifter), though—this one's built for the roads of Beverly Hills. Even at $40,500, I'm sure there will be a lot of takers."

"Here's the good: a brawny V-6 coupled to a transmission that shifts when it should, a new exterior that makes the old one look hopelessly dowdy, and that high-chair seating I think 80 percent of SUV buyers are looking for. That's it. Our test car crashed and clopped over frost heaves, tossed heads like a mid-'80s Jeep Cherokee, and had way too much hard plastic inside for a $40,500 vehicle. Since the M-class has a new chassis, I was expecting E-class slickness and poise. The ML, however, feels harsh, maybe even a little clumsy, and I was disappointed at the lack of practical details inside, such as underfloor storage."

But I have some time this afternoon and will head over to my local Merc dealership for a test drive.

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the REAL Shaka Zulu
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Silver w/ Black Interior
'03 4.4i w/ Sport & Winter Pkg
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