This is going to hurt, but.....

[Birger]

... in a recent letter to the editor of the respected German auto mag "auto, motor und sport" someone suggested that waiting months and paying mega-money for the W164 wasn't worth while, as you could already get it right now - and cheap - at your local Kia dealership.

This of course is rubbish - but take a superficial look (especially from the front) of the W164 and the Kia Sorento, and ..... hum, well, let's say that with the money and resources on DC's hand, they could maybe have tried something a little more different.....

Kind regards from (nevertheless) a future ML320CDI owner,
Birger

[Wolfgang]

[Birger]

Hi, Wolfgang

and Happy Neues Jahr [:)]

I know, and you know, that these two vehicles are light years apart - but there are some details, like the headlights, that are also to me too close for comfort.

Anyhow, I guess you also read the letter - it was something like two issues back (the first one out after the ams presentation).

Best greetings from Luxyland to California
Birger

[Wolfgang]

Happy New Year to you too, Birger! [:D]

[maneesh]

... sometime in early 2004, I was driving on a local highway and thought I saw the W164. I sped up like a mad man to 90+mph to get a closer look at the truck. To my surprise (and disappointment), it was the Kia Sorento.

Yep - DC could've made the ML look a bit different but for some reason chose not to.

[celm77]

Well, lets put it this way. The Kia is a W163 on steroid.
Now since the design of W164 shows its relationship to 163, that leads to think that it looks like Kia.
Having said all the above, I am not yet used to the new W164 but I guess with time I get used to it.

[GregW / Oregon]

There are definite similarities, but that's because Asian manufacturers have always copied the Germans to move upmarket. You can also see some BMW in the lower front bumper of the photo posted.

If you were to put the two side-by-side I'm sure the differences would be evident. As you say, they are light years apart, at least in engineering, safety and refinement.

[Andrew]

Sure side by side there will be differences, if not, see you in court.

To use nice words, the unwanted flattering is in copying the style, emulation, the aura, the impression, the suggestion, one car that constantly fools me when on the road is the Lexus LS400, countless times I have seen one in the traffic, a few cars ahead of me, on the other lane, I said to myself, ha, an S class ahead of me, I am trying to guess which one, as I get close I realize is a Lexus, I say to myself, well, fooled me again, even the emblem on the distance looks like the star, seems like the oval turns round, to the alpha numeric designation LS an inverted SL to the 400 series. (Middle to early 90’s S class aura)
Maybe someone has some good pictures to illustrate the point.

On a different note, I just went over the review of the new W164, Wow, I was leaning for a 2005 ML500 because of the ladder frame being good for towing but after going over the article too much food to digest, some notables, that seven speed transmission!! More rear leg room, center and rear locking differential, quieter and smoother while improving the off-road capability, a plushier interior, less road roar and wind noise and ten percent fuel efficiency gain, as you can see the article is long. All in all a huge technical improvement over the previous model ala Mercedes and not just cosmetics, a totally new vehicle.
Now my 99 ML430 I love, looks and drives like new and really had no need to trade, but I was willing to make a move because my truck is an early model and the 05 ML500 is an improvement and now is the dead line, I did not find any information on towing though.
Maybe someone can enlighten me on the subject.

Die neue Mkia Klasee, ja ja ja, that is a good one, thanks Wolfgang.
Are those numbers denoting the differences from the ML?