The 2014 Mercedes-Benz ML350 near Chicago comes right out of the box as one of the most attractive SUVs on the market. With the legendary Mercedes-Benz star leading the way, the ML350 sits firmly planted on the road with standard 19-inch wheels and muscular side panel moldings. Standard equipment on the base level ML350 offers things such as LED running lights, a sunroof, power lift gate, heated seats, rear reclining seats, an eight speaker sound system with USB/auxiliary jacks and so much more. Inside, the styling is clean cut and filled with above average class and amenities. Real wood grain and stylish metal accents cover the dash and the seats are tightly wrapped in choices of leather or MB-Tex premium upholstery. The Mercedes-Benz ML-Class SUV near Chicago comes in a wide array of engine choices, including diesel and AMG variants. The standard ML350 can pull trailer weights of up to 6,600 pounds, but any trim above that is capable of a 7,200 pound trailer rating with proper equipment. Even though the ML350 near Chicago comes nicely equipped with plenty of luxury, technology and safety features, many optional packages are available to further heighten the driving experience.

The 2014 Mercedes-Benz ML350 near Chicago comes right out of the box as one of the most attractive SUVs on the market. With the legendary Mercedes-Benz star leading the way, the ML350 sits firmly planted on the road with standard 19-inch wheels and muscular side panel moldings. Standard equipment on the base level ML350 offers things such as LED running lights, a sunroof, power lift gate, heated seats, rear reclining seats, an eight speaker sound system with USB/auxiliary jacks and so much more. Inside, the styling is clean cut and filled with above average class and amenities. Real wood grain and stylish metal accents cover the dash and the seats are tightly wrapped in choices of leather or MB-Tex premium upholstery. The Mercedes-Benz ML-Class SUV near Chicago comes in a wide array of engine choices, including diesel and AMG variants. The standard ML350 can pull trailer weights of up to 6,600 pounds, but any trim above that is capable of a 7,200 pound trailer rating with proper equipment. Even though the ML350 near Chicago comes nicely equipped with plenty of luxury, technology and safety features, many optional packages are available to further heighten the driving experience.

The sky is truly the limit with any Mercedes-Benz vehicle and the ML-Class offers premium, lighting and performance packages that add extra style and flare to the SUV. The 2014 Mercedes-Benz GLK350 near Chicago has long been praised as being one of the most aesthetically pleasing SUVs on the market. Its sharp lines and strong edges provide a very muscular look and it handles with the same stature. The SUV also remains efficient as well where a smooth 7-speed automatic transmission provides precise gear changes and can even be operated through intuitive steering wheel paddle shifters for a more thrilling driving experience. For those who wish, the GLK-Class is also available in a GLK250 diesel version, where some of the best fuel economy numbers for any luxury SUV, including hybrid models, can be found. Inside, the 2014 Mercedes-Benz GLK350 near Chicago provides a nicely refined atmosphere for up to five passengers. Just as solid as its outside appearance, the cabin of the GLK350 features strong finishes like real wood grain and soft-touch surfaces. Numerous technology and comfort features come standard on the GLK350, again with the option for upgrades directly from Mercedes-Benz. The rear storage area makes room for a generous 35.1 cubic feet of cargo, but that number can be expanded to a healthy 54.7 cubic feet with all seats folded down.

The keys to the ML350 Bluetec landed in my lap just in time for a day trip to San Diego. The SUV's indicated 575-mile range on a full tank of diesel meant I could get there and back with no stops, and still have enough to putter around the rest of the weekend. The ride was glass-smooth the entire way, and even the heavy rain I encountered later in the drive didn't slow the M-Class down much, thanks to the 4Matic all-wheel drive system, which comes standard on the Bluetec. That day, the ML's rain-sensing wipers were another welcome feature. After the road dried a bit, I made the most of the ML Bluetec's all-aluminum 3.0-liter turbodiesel V-6, which provides 240 hp and an ample 455 lb-ft of torque. That twisting force surges around the 1800-rpm mark, pushing you back in your seat as the relatively low revs climb. My only problem was that I couldn't summon this earth-moving torque on command at highway speed.

After a lane change, I would stomp on the accelerator to pass (and to feel that corrupting rush of torque again) and it would take a moment for the seven-speed automatic transmission to shift down to an appropriate gear. Getting back into the engine's sweet spot required two or sometimes three downshifts, which I usually chose to initiate manually using the steering column-mounted paddle shifters instead of waiting for the transmission to figure out what I wanted. It's not terrible, but I think the diesel's gearbox could use a recalibration for the next refresh to make highway changes more immediate. When the M-Class diesel gets going though, it really goes. Test results were nearly identical in every measure to the 2013 ML350 Bluetec we tested, which is to say it's still quick for an SUV. Accelerating from 0-60 mph required 7.0 seconds, and completing the quarter mile took 15.4 seconds. That's par for the course when compared with other diesel SUVs, such as the Volkswagen Touareg TDI, Porsche Cayenne diesel, and Jeep Grand Cherokee EcoDiesel featured in our last comparison test. In that test, the ML placed third while the Jeep took the win. Though the ML Bluetec couldn't topple its competitors in that test, compared to its gasoline-fed counterpart it's easily the better buy. The standard ML350, which produces 302 hp and 273 lb-ft from a naturally aspirated 3.5-liter V-6, is estimated by Mercedes to hit 60 mph in 7.3 seconds.

The Mercedes-Benz M-Class has been a staple of the luxury fleet since the late 1990s, but that doesn鈥檛 mean there isn鈥檛 room for change. And change is exactly what we got for the 2015 model year. While many of the features and attributes from the 2014 model remain intact for 2015, at least in the ML350 trim, an all-new ML400 SUV represents change for the long-standing luxury utility vehicle. To help you understand what is new and how the new M-Class model differs from the popular ML350, we鈥檙e comparing the 2015 Mercedes-Benz ML350 vs. ML400 to make your SUV buying experience a little easier. Some of the major differences between the 2015 Mercedes-Benz ML350 and ML400 come under the hood. The more traditional Mercedes-Benz ML350 gets its power from a naturally aspirated 3.5-liter V-6 engine that kicks out 302 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque. Behind the strength of that engine, the ML350 is capable of towing up to 6,600 pound with the proper equipment. As you probably expect, the 2015 Mercedes-Benz ML400 is the more powerful of the two models, however, it gets its power in a very different way. Rather than a naturally aspirated engine, the ML400 hosts a 3.0-liter biturbo V-6 that generates 329 horsepower and 354 pound-feet of torque. The max horsepower and torque both come at lower rpm ranges as well, making for better low-end accelerations. When it comes to towing, the ML400 offers a max rating 600 pounds greater than the ML350.