I've had 3 Ml's in the past and still love them today AND took them off road!

The RRS will be a real step up for you but I still like the old ML's - Let me know what your after for her when you sell it!
BTW Chipped auto ML's go like a MO FO - be warned!

Smarticus wrote:

Supertrotter wrote:

TDV6 is slower than admittedly quick Merc 320CDi but get the RRS chipped. Equal performance then and all the above benefits!

Or get a TDv8 and spank the Merc's arse

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Hi Nask70!
I drove an old ML 270CDI, and had the same dilemma between the HSE TDV6 vs 320cdi ML.
Looking at objective facts, my choice was based on this:

In Favour
As others have stated here the HSE RRS has a lot more to offer for less price. If you just add what you pay for the ML's pneumatic suspension, navigation and leather interiors… you almost get to the same price tag. The pneumatic suspension is for me a “must have” in this type of vehicles, and makes all the difference in comfort, handling and versatility. The navigation and leather… well this is something that these days almost any honda civic has!
And then you still have all the nice gadgets and features, that on the ML you just keep adding to the price.
The TDV6 is indeed a nice engine, and the gear box does a good job.
The 4x4 capabilities are just unbeatable. Not that I do a lot of hard TT, but you are always at ease to go offroading without being afraid, and that is surely one of the reasons to buy this kind of vehicle. Again this is another optional that has a steep price in the ML.
The interior design is more “Sporty 4x4” then “Sporty station wagon”. Of course this is a question of personal taste.
Over here ML’s and X5 are everywhere, and you always stand out with an RRS.
Finally a very reassuring and important 3 years of Warranty!

Against
The TDV6 might be in comparison a better conceived engine, but it has less power, and the RRS is a lot heavier… so the RRS is always significantly behind the 320cdi ML in every measure of performance. (I notice only a slight improvement from my old ML). In the ML you can feel the power behind the wheel and do a real Sporty driving, I think the RR Sport… really needs the chipping to have the same feeling.
I might not fancy the ML interior design, but I do admit it has better build quality. I’m not saying the RRS is low quality, but you can notice all round the ML is on a slightly higher standard. One thing people will immediately notice, is what I call the “Closing door test”. You can notice the lightness and smoothness when you swing a Merc/Bmw’s door that never misses and always closes with that distinct damped sound. This is obviously just a detail, but is (for me) significant of the amount of effort, quality and refinement you have on these cars. Not the same on the RRS, especially on the front doors. (Btw… not the same also on my old ML, which in build quality was surely one of the worst Mers ever made!)
LR dealer’s network and service here in Portugal is crapy, many LR owners prefer to go to nearby Spain dealers for cheaper and better service.
A final reference to RRS’s Dynamic Response pack, as it significantly increases the handling and sport driving, but is an expensive optional.

So… I choose the RRS! In truth, I had no doubts since I first saw it. Bottom line the RRS offers more for less, but in reality I think it is more of a passionate then a rational choice. Not considering the price tag, the ML might present better numbers and performances, but the RRS is far more about other things then numbers and rationales…

Tim in Scotland wrote:

Well for a start if you want 4WD then you will have to pay extra for it on the Merc, and it isn't cheap................. a standard ML has as much offroad ability as a Honda Civic

The ML was famously worst car in the 2005 (or was it 2006) Top Gear reliability survey.... I've previously known 2 families with MLs, both of which thought they were a pile of crap. Obviously, there'll be plenty of solid ones out there (like certain people here have had nightmare RRSs even though the majority are just fine) but personally you wouldn't see me in one.

The "new" ML is supposedly considerably better in terms of build, reliability etc....  

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Just remember that it is a LONG time since Mercs were built like the old 'Hewn-from-granite' W124's and a like.

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06 RRS TDV6 HSE, Java/Ebony, PTI, Running Boards, Privacy, S/C Grille/Vents, Stormers, Tasmods - GONE - (