Overview & Reviews

The 2012 Mercedes-Benz M-Class is all-new.

• High-quality interior and construction
• Engine choices include gas and diesel
• Comfortable seating
• Excellent braking distances.

• Disappointing steering response.
• Expensive compared to some rivals
• No third-row seat option

User Reviews:

Showing 1 through 10 of 28.00

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  An brief unbiased review - 2012 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By xiaoz - July 15 - 11:18 pm

  Pros: *Very nice fit and finish for the exterior and especially, the interior. *Smooth ride, quiet cabin, no vibration noises. *Excellent Harmon Kardon sound system *Good driver all around visibility. *Good head room and leg room. *High resolution command or navigation screen that maintains readability even with sunlight shining directly on it. *Quick and effective blindspot warning system(a must have option) *Bluetooth connectivity is easy for the use of phone and audio devices. Cons. *Average performance: engine works hard for acceleration, heavy car feel during quick maneuver. *Time consuming use of the MB command controller(address entry for navigation)

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  Good Car But Sleazy Dealer at Barrier of Bellevue - 2012 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By a_edmunds_user - August 31 - 2:21 pm

  Handling is firm and precise. Acceleration is good. It feels as nimble as a mid-size sedan. In fact it can make much tighter U-turns than my old Lexus ES300. It is also very smooth and quiet. One downside is the fuel efficiency is not nearly as good as its labeled. I could get only 12 mpg in city and 17 mpg in city-highway combined. For potential buyers in the Seattle area, be aware of the dealer at Barrier of Bellevue. During my price negotiation the dealer quoted the Mercedes Conquest rebate amount for October as $1,000 while the actual amount was $2,000. He also hid the fact that people from my company would automatically qualify for a fleet discount of $3,000 from MSRP.

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  Traded in 2010 Infiniti FX35 for 2012 Mercedes ML350 - 2012 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By julia2010 - April 14 - 7:03 pm

  Miss my FX35! After Infiniti, ML350 feels like a big bulky bus - plush and comfortable yet a bus. There is nothing fun or sporty about driving it. The engine is powerful and the car drives well but its just lacking that sporty feel you get from driving FX. On the plus side, visibility is a lot better than FX and the cabin gets a lot more light. On the down side, my 4 yo keeps pointing at Honda minivans and yelling - look, thats Mommys new car. The backup camera view is fuzzy compared to Infiniti - dont know if mine is defective or thats how it is. Not too thrilled with my purchase so far but hope it will grow on me.

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  Open DTS case for misfiring - no fix available - 2012 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By latette - July 30 - 8:39 am

  Love the looks, mileage and ride of the ML blueTec, but having to drive for a mile or so, every morning since I drove it off the lot, misfiring is getting old! Upon returning it to the dealer I was told that there were numerous open complaints on the issue, but a fix was not yet available. They hope to have a fix out soon.....$57k and I need to drive a misfiring Mercedes through my neighborhood every morning.....I guess that will teach me for buying the first year of a new body style. So now I wait.......or do I start the lemon law process...time will tell...

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  The jury is still out. - 2012 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By mrigal87 - June 8 - 9:41 am

  I leased the 2012 ML 350 about 2 wks ago. This is my first MB. So far, its been in the shop twice at 2 different dealerships. After several days of driving, I noticed the vehicle would start to shake when I reached 65mph. Also, the windshield wipers chatter horribly and are very loud. So I took it in. They worked on it for an entire day. The same problems persisted. I took it back in a week later to another dealership. The shaking seems to be much better, however, the wipers are chattering worse than ever as I discovered today during a rainstorm. Yes, the vehicle is beautifully appointed and looks great etc. but it is very irritating to be in and out of the shop with a brand new vehicle.

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  This is a Great SUV-It is NOT an E-Class! - 2012 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By jcollum68 - June 13 - 7:16 pm

  Leased this vehicle for my wife. I drive a BMW 550i which I much prefer. I always laugh reading other reviews on here and people complain it isnt sporty. It is an SUV, of course it is not sporty! The ride is phenominal and at 80 mph you can whisper to someone in the backseat. Great fuel economy, my wife only drives around town and gets 21 mpg! Good acceleration, just no low end torque, but come on, it is way fast enough for 99.9% of the people buying it. Fit and finish is amazing, nice materials. One year later, my wife still cant figure out the Navigation, so is it confusing or is it her (hmm). Steering is too light for my tastes. Overall, a great vehicle-it is what it is!

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  So for 60k I cant get a radio that works? Really? - 2012 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By trntexas - April 4 - 1:33 am

  We replaced our 08 ML. The fit and finish are as expected, the performance for a 6cyl is good, but...I have a 2011 Jeep Compass (I wont spend the money. Its a car, its not a fashion statement) and the radio will quickly connect my phone through bluetooth for complete hands free. It downloads my contacts, it has voice recognition, it streams music from my micro sd card, and it streams music from my internet connections(pandora, slacker etc). The Merc wont do it. My wifes phone is the same as mine. Now while the average user may not appreciate this. When you pay 3x for a vehicle you dont expect customer service or the factory to make excuses for why it doesnt work. Disappointed for sure.

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  My Problems- Disappointments - 2012 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By purple1447 - July 10 - 6:30 am

  Just to share my story. I purchased a ML350 SUV in 2013. Nice looking vehicle and I was ready to enjoy. Well, here is what happened. First, I had a problem with the drivers seat. They fixed that after two tries. I did hate to complain, but the vehicle cost a lot of money. Second problem. I have a noise somewhere near the steering wheel and tires. It sound like a screw was loose and the vehicle could come apart, or at least the front part. I took the vehicle in, the man said it was ok. NO. NO. I went back a week later and they kept it for 12 days. They say it was a coupling near the steering whell and the bushing. Well, they fixed that too. Still, the problem is not completely fixed.

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  Love our ML - 2012 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By etherboy - June 1 - 2:32 pm

  Bought the ML after testdriving X5, Lexus 470, LR4, and QX56..were actually on way to buy QX when we decided to just look at the ML. Test drove the 350 and took it home to see how it would accommodate our family roadtrip needs..perfect. When we ordered, only the 350 was available but was able to upgrade to the 550 a day later. Its awesome..a real sleeper. Steering not nearly as precise as the X5 but better than the QX. The safety features by far exceed any of the other SUVs we tested. Exterior not very sexy..would prefer a Cayenne or X5 or even the QX but for a family tourer with performance the ML550 is hard to beat! And we get 19.5 mpg average.

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  Look elsewhere.....Mercedes has lost its edge - 2012 Mercedes-Benz M-Class
  By mabcpa1 - October 15 - 11:43 pm

  Recently leased the new 2012 ML 350 and what a disappointment. Interior fit and finish not up to usual Mercedes quality and required replacement parts.....on a new Mercedes. Ride is terrible. There is a problem with the rear suspension that makes this car bounce like crazy over any little road bump and the dealer claims there is nothing wrong. The precise handling I have read about in other reviews of this car is completely lacking in the car I got......my Honda minivan drove with less effort!!! I am so sorry I got this car and especially at over $700 per month for the lease. The BMW X5 drives much, much better. Maybe I should just go back to my Honda!!!