Diesel is a gas with Mercedes-Benz – s ML250 Bluetec
Diesel is a gas with Mercedes-Benz`s ML250 Bluetec
A funny thing happened on the way to reviewing today’s car. I got hopelessly lost in an alphanumeric labyrinth.
It was worse than falling into a vat of Post Alpha-Bits cereal. There, you only (I think) have letters to munch on—at least until someone adds milk and mushes everything together. In our labyrinth, we had slew of numbers threw into the mix as well.
We do know that today’s test car was (and is) called a two thousand fifteen Mercedes-Benz ML250 Bluetec 4Matic. It’s a very nice diesel-powered, five-passenger, midsize SUV that stands apart from the crowd by that diesel (Bluetec) designation.
However, it’s not fairly that ordinary.
In 2014, it was the ML350 Bluetec, powered by a V-6 diesel.
For 2015, it got the present 4-cylinder diesel and the current name.
For 2016, it will be called the GLE300d as Mercedes re-catalogues its burgeoning product portfolio with a more lightly understood nomenclature. That’s lighter for them to say than for us to lightly recognize.
Story proceeds after gallery
As we understand that fresh two thousand sixteen name, the G stands for SUV, L is a consonant that simply links other consonants for lighter pronunciation, E is for E-Class, the corresponding sedan size to this SUV. The 300d is a bit confusing. We know the d-is-for-diesel, but the three hundred doesn’t seem to fit the engine, which will be the same Two.1-liter, in-line 4-cylinder, twin-turbo engine that was in our test car, one that puts out two hundred horsepower and a wheel-twisting three hundred sixty nine lb.-ft. of torque.
That’s the kind of torque that appeals to folks who grew up in the muscle-car age and is an inherent characteristic of diesel power that’s the opposite of many high-revving, low-torque, modern, 4-cylinder gasoline engines.
Many people would only realize the ML250 is a diesel if they were standing beside it and listening closely enough to hear a bit of diesel clatter at startup.
For the driver, the only indication is a slight (count 1-thousand-and-1 quickly) hesitation from the time the extra-large embarking button is shoved until the engine fires up.
When you open the refueling flap, there’s a diesel cap as well as a Bluetec fluid refill tube that needs to be packed every Ten,000 miles or so. The urea-like liquid combines with a particulate filter and today’s clean diesel fuels to meet emissions requirements.
The base price of the ML250 is $50,725 (including a $925 destination charge). The base vehicle is nicely tooled as you’d expect for a premium midsize SUV. However, begin adding the many available packages and the price climbs quickly. Our test equipment wound up with a bottom line figure of $$67,130.
A standard, seven-speed automatic transmission sends the engine’s prodigious torque to all four of the 18-inch wheels via the all-wheel-drive 4Matic system.
One thing missing from the base model is a rearview camera, something every SUV possessor and/or older driver should have.
The base version does have the sunroof, Bluetooth, heated front seats, dual-zone climate control, folding second-row seats, privacy glass, power liftgate, and rain-sensing wipers. Safety features include both traction and stability control, PreSafe crash prediction/prep, and driver inattention and collision warning systems.
Among stand-alone options on our tester were a heated steering wheel, heated rear seats (with climate control), keyless commencing, and 19-inch wheels and tires.
Helping us get to that bottom line were:
An air suspension package that added adaptive damping with a switch for Convenience or Sport driving modes.
A lighting package that added an adaptive high-beam assist and active curve illumination along with Bi-Xenon headlamps.
A first-level lane-tracking system that alerts a wandering driver. An optional 2nd level in a driver-assistance pack can selectively apply the brakes.
The premium package provides power side mirrors, auto-dimming on the rearview and driver’s side mirror, navigation and satellite radio (both with three-year subscriptions), driver’s seat memory, a 115-volt second-row outlet, and the aforementioned rearview camera.
Inwards, in addition to anthracite, poplar wood trim accented a well-crafted interior with MB-Tex suede-like upholstery, leather wheel, and sport seats and pedals.
M-B retained one of my pet M-B peeves—a cruise control stalk to the lower left of the steering wheel that’s placed where taller drivers can’t see it and where you also tend to hit it (switching cruise settings if the system is engaged) the very first few times you reach for the directional signal stalk that’s right above it. That stalk also serves as the wiper control and high rafter switch.
We didn’t master all the permutations of the numerous ways to operate the ML250’s connectivity systems, but were able to program navigation, use the phone in both the steering wheel and center stack controller, and figure out an audio system that seems needlessly elaborate.
On the road, the diesel has ample power without being stressed, and the seven-speed automatic seems to be well calibrated for the SUV.
The air suspension switches from convenience to sport modes at the touch of a button, and we found both settings comfy on a long weekend excursion, proof that this SUV is meant more for cruising than spirited driving on curving roads.
Some payback comes at the gas pump. While there is a premium to be paid for diesel fuel and the AdBlue fluid can run you a $100-$200 a year, the gas gauge moved exceedingly leisurely towards empty, and we averaged 28.Four miles per gallon.
That’s pretty good by any naming or grading convention.
2015 Mercedes-Benz ML250 Bluetec 4Matic SUV
Price, base/as tested (with destination): $50,725/$67,130. Fuel economy, EPA estimated: twenty two city/29 highway/25 combined. Fuel economy, Globe observed: 28.Four. Drivetrain: Two.1-liter I-4 turbo diesel, 7-speed automatic transmission, all-wheel-drive. Figure: 5-passenger, unibody SUV.
Horsepower: 200. Torque: three hundred sixty nine lb.-ft. Overall length: 178.Three in. Wheelbase: 108.Five in. Height: 66.9 in. Width: 79.Four in. (with mirrors extended). Curb weight: Four,246 lbs.
Fuel economy, build-quality, interior quality and convenience.
Pricey, soft-handling, traditional M-B cruise control placement, still tedious to operate on-screen functions.
A fine way to travel.
Acura MDX, Audi Q7, BMW X5, Infiniti QX60, Lexus RX 350, Porsche Cayenne, Range Rover Sport, Volvo XC90.
Diesel is a gas with Mercedes-Benz – s ML250 Bluetec
Diesel is a gas with Mercedes-Benz`s ML250 Bluetec
A funny thing happened on the way to reviewing today’s car. I got hopelessly lost in an alphanumeric labyrinth.
It was worse than falling into a vat of Post Alpha-Bits cereal. There, you only (I think) have letters to munch on—at least until someone adds milk and mushes everything together. In our labyrinth, we had slew of numbers threw into the mix as well.
We do know that today’s test car was (and is) called a two thousand fifteen Mercedes-Benz ML250 Bluetec 4Matic. It’s a very nice diesel-powered, five-passenger, midsize SUV that stands apart from the crowd by that diesel (Bluetec) designation.
However, it’s not fairly that plain.
In 2014, it was the ML350 Bluetec, powered by a V-6 diesel.
For 2015, it got the present 4-cylinder diesel and the current name.
For 2016, it will be called the GLE300d as Mercedes re-catalogues its burgeoning product portfolio with a more lightly understood nomenclature. That’s lighter for them to say than for us to lightly recognize.
Story resumes after gallery
As we understand that fresh two thousand sixteen name, the G stands for SUV, L is a consonant that simply links other consonants for lighter pronunciation, E is for E-Class, the corresponding sedan size to this SUV. The 300d is a bit confusing. We know the d-is-for-diesel, but the three hundred doesn’t seem to fit the engine, which will be the same Two.1-liter, in-line 4-cylinder, twin-turbo engine that was in our test car, one that puts out two hundred horsepower and a wheel-twisting three hundred sixty nine lb.-ft. of torque.
That’s the kind of torque that appeals to folks who grew up in the muscle-car age and is an inherent characteristic of diesel power that’s the opposite of many high-revving, low-torque, modern, 4-cylinder gasoline engines.
Many people would only realize the ML250 is a diesel if they were standing beside it and listening closely enough to hear a bit of diesel clatter at startup.
For the driver, the only indication is a slight (count 1-thousand-and-1 quickly) hesitation from the time the extra-large embarking button is shoved until the engine fires up.
When you open the refueling flap, there’s a diesel cap as well as a Bluetec fluid refill tube that needs to be packed every Ten,000 miles or so. The urea-like liquid combines with a particulate filter and today’s clean diesel fuels to meet emissions requirements.
The base price of the ML250 is $50,725 (including a $925 destination charge). The base vehicle is nicely tooled as you’d expect for a premium midsize SUV. However, embark adding the many available packages and the price climbs quickly. Our test equipment wound up with a bottom line figure of $$67,130.
A standard, seven-speed automatic transmission sends the engine’s prodigious torque to all four of the 18-inch wheels via the all-wheel-drive 4Matic system.
One thing missing from the base model is a rearview camera, something every SUV possessor and/or older driver should have.
The base version does have the sunroof, Bluetooth, heated front seats, dual-zone climate control, folding second-row seats, privacy glass, power liftgate, and rain-sensing wipers. Safety features include both traction and stability control, PreSafe crash prediction/prep, and driver inattention and collision warning systems.
Among stand-alone options on our tester were a heated steering wheel, heated rear seats (with climate control), keyless kicking off, and 19-inch wheels and tires.
Helping us get to that bottom line were:
An air suspension package that added adaptive damping with a switch for Convenience or Sport driving modes.
A lighting package that added an adaptive high-beam assist and active curve illumination along with Bi-Xenon headlamps.
A first-level lane-tracking system that alerts a wandering driver. An optional 2nd level in a driver-assistance pack can selectively apply the brakes.
The premium package provides power side mirrors, auto-dimming on the rearview and driver’s side mirror, navigation and satellite radio (both with three-year subscriptions), driver’s seat memory, a 115-volt second-row outlet, and the aforementioned rearview camera.
Inwards, in addition to anthracite, poplar wood trim accented a well-crafted interior with MB-Tex suede-like upholstery, leather wheel, and sport seats and pedals.
M-B retained one of my pet M-B peeves—a cruise control stalk to the lower left of the steering wheel that’s placed where taller drivers can’t see it and where you also tend to hit it (switching cruise settings if the system is engaged) the very first few times you reach for the directional signal stalk that’s right above it. That stalk also serves as the wiper control and high plank switch.
We didn’t master all the permutations of the numerous ways to operate the ML250’s connectivity systems, but were able to program navigation, use the phone in both the steering wheel and center stack controller, and figure out an audio system that seems needlessly elaborate.
On the road, the diesel has ample power without being stressed, and the seven-speed automatic seems to be well calibrated for the SUV.
The air suspension switches from convenience to sport modes at the touch of a button, and we found both settings convenient on a long weekend excursion, proof that this SUV is meant more for cruising than spirited driving on curving roads.
Some payback comes at the gas pump. While there is a premium to be paid for diesel fuel and the AdBlue fluid can run you a $100-$200 a year, the gas gauge moved exceedingly leisurely towards empty, and we averaged 28.Four miles per gallon.
That’s pretty good by any naming or grading convention.
2015 Mercedes-Benz ML250 Bluetec 4Matic SUV
Price, base/as tested (with destination): $50,725/$67,130. Fuel economy, EPA estimated: twenty two city/29 highway/25 combined. Fuel economy, Globe observed: 28.Four. Drivetrain: Two.1-liter I-4 turbo diesel, 7-speed automatic transmission, all-wheel-drive. Bod: 5-passenger, unibody SUV.
Horsepower: 200. Torque: three hundred sixty nine lb.-ft. Overall length: 178.Trio in. Wheelbase: 108.Five in. Height: 66.9 in. Width: 79.Four in. (with mirrors extended). Curb weight: Four,246 lbs.
Fuel economy, build-quality, interior quality and convenience.
Pricey, soft-handling, traditional M-B cruise control placement, still tedious to operate on-screen functions.
A good way to travel.
Acura MDX, Audi Q7, BMW X5, Infiniti QX60, Lexus RX 350, Porsche Cayenne, Range Rover Sport, Volvo XC90.
