The Mercedes-Benz M-Class, first offered in 1997, is a five door SUV with light off road capability. The M-Class is built in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama. The M-Class was the first vehicle built by
Mercedes-Benz that was built around what will sell in the American market and it was also fully built in the United States as well. While the M-Class certainly received its fair share of negativity before it hit the market, it went on to do really well in the sales arena. The only Mercedes-Benz class vehicles that do sell better than the M-Class in the United States are the C and E classes.
The M-Class got a lot of attention because it was the first SUV to offer an Electronic Stability Program that would help to detect loss of control and intervene with braking mechanisms to hopefully put the vehicle back on course keeping its occupants safe. This type of system is important because it can help reduce vehicle crashes by 30%. The M-Class also offers the consumer front and side impact air bags with occupant detection for the front passenger seat.
The first models received a lot of negative press because they appeared to be cheaply made. In 2001 the M-Class received a makeover and press got a bit better. The M-Class models were known as ML55, ML55 AMG, ML320, ML350, ML430, and the ML500. All of these vehicles feature a V8 engine
The 2006 model was made public in April of 2005. The new model has a much more sporty look which is much different from the previous models. It's said that the 2006 model is much higher quality than previous models were after Mercedes-Benz spent 600 million dollars to improve the Alabama factory. Four valve engines are replacing the 3 valve engines in the 2006 models. New features are a seven speed automatic gearbox, steering HID headlights and adjusttable height air suspension. The base price for the new 2006 model is a modest $40,000, not bad!
