2008 Mercedes-Benz ML320CDI Test Drive and Review

It's too bad about diesel. I know that it's very popular in Europe, and has been for quite some time. But it's just now that diesel technology actually could have a chance in the US for SUVs and other passenger vehicles, and now the price of diesel has outpaced even the price of gas.

If I plunked you down in the driver's seat of this week's test vehicle, the 2008 Mercedes-Benz ML320CDI, and I didn't tell you that it was diesel-powered, you might not even realize it. It doesn't have the old-school diesel clatter. It doesn't require any special starting procedure. It doesn't smell, it doesn't perform oddly, it isn't slow. It just works, and works well.

It's just too bad that the math is working against diesel. For an additional $1,000, you get a vehicle that goes about 20% further on fuel that's 5 - 10% more expensive than gas, making the math more complex, and the inconvenience more of a factor.

Photo © Jason Fogelson