How important do you think the air suspension is for decent off-road performance. The P3 package is pricy! How hard have people pushed their 320 CDI's with and without the air suspension offroad?
How important do you think the air suspension is for decent off-road performance. The P3 package is pricy! How hard have people pushed their 320 CDI's with and without the air suspension offroad?
It doesn't matter much for performance itself off-road but it gives you the option of QUITE a bit more ground clearance (which can be awfully important!)
Vehicle: 2007 GL450, 2007 ML 320 CDI (Premium 3 Package)
Location: Texas
Posts: 44
Quote:
Originally Posted by macrophyllum
Again, thanks for the feedback. I looked at the MB USA site and I don't see a Package 3 for the ML320 CDI. Is the air suspension still available on the 2008s?
The GL looks nice, but I don't think we *need* something quite that big.
I definitely recommend getting the P3 package with the Airmatic suspension, and the factory trailer hitch, if you are planning to do any offroading. Worth the extra $$$.
I made the trip from Texas to Anchorage 5 yrs ago in a Jeep Cherokee Laredo. The CDI would be a great vehicle for the trip. Things may have improved, but I took two extra headlights, and used one....and also took a couple big chips in my window during the trip. The road was pretty beat up that summer just into AK, because there had been a big earthquake in the Wrangells the previous October, and they were replacing a big bridge in another area.
Like you, I sleep (car camping in my case) in the back--one of my "requirements" was for a vehicle where the seats fold perfectly flat....the 2006 and later ML is one of the only a handful of mid-sized SUVs that does. My CDI, like the Jeep before, is esentially a 2-seater; the back is always filled with dog crates, bicycles, golf clubs and other gear.
If you are buying new, look very closely at the "Options" that you might want. "Options" tend to be cheaper than "Accessories" for the same exact thing. Examples include the hitch, and the iPod kit. I realized later that I could have gotten the roof cross bars cheaper WITH my car, rather than later. The price difference btw the same thing as an "Option" vs an "accessory" doesn't always make sense--but often, it's a real shocker. On the other hand, depending upon what you want, you may also find it cheaper used.
I love my ML 320 CDI and have driven it off-road but not thru a lot of mud, etc.
I do not have the P3 package.
My question is does anyone know or have any experience with adding larger more aggressive tires that may add a little lift?? Also, has anyone lifted the ML any, can it be done (nothing radical).
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