Mercedes ML 320 for towing?

dixie

dixie

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I am thinking of changing my clanky Daihatsu Fourtrack and have a couple of vehicles in mind, that are close by.

One is a Jeep Grand Cherokee which can clearly tow but is very expensive to run.

The other one is a Mercedes Benz ML 320 - now I know nothing about these cars & wonder if anyone has any experience of towing horses with them.
This one is a petrol auto.

I need to tow a IW 510 with a 17hh IDxTB who likes to bash the floor, particularly when I'm on the hill back to the yard, which is very steep - talking half a mile in first gear. so this is my main concern, can it do the hills?

On paper it sounds good but in reality I've no idea.
 
We have the slightly smaller desiel ML 270. Tows like a dream. Don't even notice the huge 511 on the back. Automatic too which is so much easier. Never ever got it stuck and has been used to tow lorries out the muddy carpark :D

HOWEVER I hope you own your own petrol station if you've getting a petrol version: they drink petrol! :eek: The desiel is ok but couldn't even contemplate running a petrol. They're also very hard to sell on because people with enough money to run a petrol have enough money to buy a newer version. :o
 
I used to have the Jeep cherokee 2.7d and it was absolutely fine cost wise!

I did use a friends ML for towing and have to say it was so smooth that I had to keep reminding myself the trailer was on the back!

If I had the choice it would be the ML but the Jeep was absolutely fine.
 
Hmmm, maybe I should hold out for a diesel, both of these are petrol autos & in fact the jeep is a 4.7L V8 ! I wouldn't mind so much but I have to drive 20miles to the yard before I even go out with the trailer.
 
Def diesel for the ML. Then they're are about the same as any other big car. They are fabulous to tow with. They drive like a luxuary car but can do all the work of a landrover (and better)
 
I love mine. I have had it 3 years and it took some persuading by hubby to change to it - I previously had a 2.8 TD Pajero (3 door) which I was completely in love with but when I had my daughter hubby decided we needed something with 5 doors!!!! It is different in it is your luxury car type 4X4 and you very much feel like you are in a car rather than a 4X4- at first I had to keep reminding myself I would be able to tow with it (and I know it sounds ridiculous but felt guilty about putting stinky horrible horse stuff in such a nice car!). However it is fab - I have used it for short journeys to local venues plus longer motorway journeys of several hours and it holds its own every time, plus is very comfortable. I have the automatic petrol version and yes it does use the fuel up, but it's not horrendous (believe me, we wouldn't be able to afford it if it did stupid mileage!). I tow an IW HB510 and 16.hh TB with it. Would highly recommend.
 
Great, thanks for your input. I was unsure about the Mercedes as it seems too "nice or maybe towny" but its does sound like the business.
 
Both of them will tow easily. I've had the Jeep and I sold it because it got about 19mpg when towing one horse in an IW505 and got a 3.5 tonne box instead (which gets 35mpg). I haven't had the ML320 but actually towed with the Mercedes S class 320 (very large saloon with the same engine). It towed beautifully, I actually preferred it to towing with the Jeep because the Jeep was so overpowered for the job it was actually a little bit jerky at times, while the S class was smoother. I'd get the ML in preference to the Jeep as its a nicer car to drive when not towing - Mercedes do a lot of tuning of their engines compared to Jeep. Jeep until very recently used the Mercedes engine and now use Fiat I believe, but even with the same engine, the Mercedes is much smoother and quieter to drive than the Jeep because of the tuning.

That said, the Jeep has the edge on really bad off road conditions - I found it would tow out of the deepest mud that other people were having to be removed by tractor out of. And the ML 320 does tend to be prone to exhaust fumes coming into the cab, although Mercedes and none of the dealers will admit it...

The 320 diesel ML is more efficient in terms of mpg for non towing driving as well.

But they're both excellent vehicles. Have you also considered the BMW X5?
 
We have a jeep cherokee it cost £600! it does about 16miles /gallon but it is so good at towing! its a 4ltre engine but can pull two 16hh horses with ease:eek:! but it is so cheap that when it starts to go pear-shaped (our last one lasted about 2yrs) you can just replace it!! we were being followed by a landrover discovery that was pulling a 16hh warmblood and a cob (14hh) and we had to wait for them all the time!! (we where carring a 16hh tb and a 14hh cob aswell) i really do advise you get one!
daisy
 
Mithras said:
Both of them will tow easily. I've had the Jeep and I sold it because it got about 19mpg when towing one horse in an IW505 and got a 3.5 tonne box instead (which gets 35mpg). I haven't had the ML320 but actually towed with the Mercedes S class 320 (very large saloon with the same engine). It towed beautifully, I actually preferred it to towing with the Jeep because the Jeep was so overpowered for the job it was actually a little bit jerky at times, while the S class was smoother. I'd get the ML in preference to the Jeep as its a nicer car to drive when not towing - Mercedes do a lot of tuning of their engines compared to Jeep. Jeep until very recently used the Mercedes engine and now use Fiat I believe, but even with the same engine, the Mercedes is much smoother and quieter to drive than the Jeep because of the tuning.

That said, the Jeep has the edge on really bad off road conditions - I found it would tow out of the deepest mud that other people were having to be removed by tractor out of. And the ML 320 does tend to be prone to exhaust fumes coming into the cab, although Mercedes and none of the dealers will admit it...

The 320 diesel ML is more efficient in terms of mpg for non towing driving as well.

But they're both excellent vehicles. Have you also considered the BMW X5?
Click to expand...

X5 ??? do you think the OP is a drug dealer !!!!! next you will be sugesting a black range rover sport with tinted windows :D
 
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