It's that time of the week again when gather the latest and greatest Mercedes reviews circulating the internet and assemble them all in one convenient, easily readable location.  In this, our newest Review Roundup installment, three Mercedes models - the GLK350, the C63 AMG and the ML280 CDI - are all tested, giving those of you contemplating the purchase of any a small idea of what to expect from each.

As is the case with all our Mercedes Review Roundups, you can find excerpts from each review as well links back to the full articles immediately below.

Enjoy.


Mercedes-Benz GLK350 (via Motor Trend)
Reviewer's rating:  Unspecified

"The off-road package is out due to lack of interest on our shores (similar packages are dropped on ML and GL too). Officials claim the package bestows Land-Rover LR2-equivalent capability, from a combination of a Downhill-Speed Regulation system that uses engine braking and the ABS gear to creep down hills at any programmed speed from 2-11 mph. An off-road switch changes the transmission, ABS, stability control, and engine control maps to better suit loose surfaces, and underbody armor made of fiberglass-reinforced thermoplastics provide protection and keep the hangy-downy bits from snagging on rocks. The COMAND system display shows steering angle, altimeter and compass info in this mode. 

Sad to say, the two diesel engines are also banished:  the 34-mpg 2.1L twin-turbo four and the 30-mpg 3.0L variable-nozzle turbo V-6. That'll leave us with a 22-mpg 3.5L gas V-6 spinning a seven-speed and 4Matic all-wheel drive (rear drive follows a few months later) wearing the fanciest walnut trim, standard dual sunroofs, and 19- or 20-in. wheels.

The baby-GL styling looks sharp on the road and cuts through the wind with a 0.34 drag coefficient-impressive for such a blocky vehicle. The tall greenhouse and standard twin-sunroof provide spectacular visibility. And while the total cargo area is smaller than the MLs, it's configured for slightly more width, meaning two golf bags can fit sideways on the floor without removing the drivers. A handy cargo net folds in half and rolls up for easy storage in the space above the minispare, below the cargo deck. Glossy burled walnut trim on the dash and doors looks dressy, but the matte-finish sienna pine trim the Europeans get is arguably more interesting. Multimediaphiles will revel in the sound system's ability to connect to and control both an iPod AND a USB stick at the same time, and Bluetooth audio streaming is just around the corner.

The V-6 and seven-speed team well together for brisk acceleration and terrific passing performance (the tranny goes right to the gear it needs). A trailer-hitch option permits towing up to 3500 lb, which this drivetrain feels capable of handling with ease. Naturally, the vehicle feels extremely stable at three-digit autobahn speeds. The steering feels rather slow and not terribly informative (often the case with off-road optimized vehicles), but it's reasonably accurate. Clever purely mechanical shock valves provide soft damping over small bumps and vibrations, then stiffen up on the big stuff to deliver a ride that's still Euro taut but feels more supple than the BMW X3's or Acura RDX's. Perhaps the closest competitor in terms of general demeanor and deportment is the more powerful and roomier Infiniti EX35. The GLK carries more stuff (up to 55 cu ft of it) and costs a bit more ($39K and up) but looks and feels worth the premium."

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Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG (via Independent.ie)
Reviewer's rating:  Unspecified

"I was driving home in the C63 AMG on a country road. A line of cars was following some stooger who was maintaining a resolute 45mph. (Why do people do this? Don't they glance at their mirrors? Don't they care how much frustration they cause? Are they not aware that all the authorities and advanced instructors agree that, if it is safe to do so, you should drive at, not under, the prescribed speed limit?) A long, empty straight opened out ahead of us. None of the cars ahead of me signalled to overtake. I checked my mirrors, signalled, moved out and sank the accelerator pedal of the C63 AMG deep into the carpet.

The seven-speed gearbox kicked down three gears. The 6.3 litre V8 engine roared and howled. Time shrank. Within about five seconds, I had overtaken the entire line. Looking down at the speedometer, however, I saw that the Mercedes had rocketed me far beyond that bourn whence no licence returns. If a speed camera clocked me on that straight, I might as well chop up my licence and sprinkle it on toast.

Oh well: it was good while it lasted, and the C63 AMG makes a fitting end. Very few cars that are more extraordinary have passed through my hands in the past 15 years.

This is M-B's answer to BMW's M3, Audi's RS4 and Lexus's IS-F. The basic C63 AMG comes in at €99,505, and extras such as leather seats, DVD video system, and navigation pack can push the price up to €116,412.

It is another one of those compact executive cars that look as if they could occupy an innocuous place in the corporate car-park but have the performance to run in the Mille Miglia. The C63 AMG, however, takes the subterfuge to a previously unexplored level of excess. A 6.3 litre engine that develops more than 450 bhp in a car this size is like a dragster's dream. In terms of output, performance, acceleration and top speed, the C63 AMG is the direct equivalent of the Chrysler Viper, which had extreme enthusiasts and racers in a tizz in the late 1990s. The Viper's engine capacity was eight litres. The C63 AMG conceals its powers about as effectively as Arnold Schwarzenegger's politician suits disguise his body-builder past. Twin domes bulge from its bonnet like a weightlifter's triceps. Vented and flared wheel arches, side skirts and, at the rear, a finned black diffuser and two pairs of twinned chrome tailpipes all announce powerful purpose. In case the driver should forget what might happen if he floored the accelerator pedal, the rev-counter displays an AMG logo and the message '6.3 V8'. It doesn't tell you and you probably ought not to find out that the engine will rev to 7,200 rpm."

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Mercedes-Benz ML280 CDI (via Jamaica Gleaner)
Reviewer's rating:  Unspecified

"On paper, the specs are impressive. Our ML280 test car came equipped with a 3.0-litre V6 Turbo diesel with 188 hp, but far more importantly, 325 ft lb of twist. To put this in perspective, the Mitsubishi Evo X makes 311 ft lb, and that's got a gasolene engine.  But wait, there's more. Mercedes 4-Matic 4WD off-road system has more electronic frippery than we would normally like. Andrew Smith, Gleaner photography editor and lover of all things four-wheel drive, hates electronics. So does this writer.  But 4-Matic is smart. It not only knows what angle the vehicle is at, but critical stuff like slip relative to intended direction (i.e. yaw) as well as roll is a part of its decision-making process. Couple this with the ability to route more than 90 per cent of engine torque to any one wheel means that unless it is being piloted by a complete doofus then the M-Class is going to get its occupants where they need to go. With complete confidence and safety. Utterly.

We had this chassis in situations where we unloaded at least two of the wheels regularly when we were traversing through trails in the Stony Hill area. We did this on dewy grass in the morning, up 35 slopes lined with bramble and marl, and negotiated one sandy 30 banking under power that was pockmarked with undulations. Not once did any of the wheels slip. Not once. Sometimes the pucker factor was very intense, because faith had to be put into the unseen (the drive electronics). But the system always proved itself. Places where we took the X5 we visited with this machine, and the Merc exhibited more poise and balance in the roughest bits. The ML280 was also equipped with a descent control, and get this, the speed of descent was adjustable from 6 km/h (crawl) to 18 km/h!

Now, earlier it was mentioned that the 3.0 litre V6 produces a tractor-like 325 ft lb of torque. In the stop light grand prix, torque is king, not horsepower, and much of that power is available from low down. Red line is 4200 rpm, so one would think that top-end power is not really its forte until you realise that this beast is also equipped with a seven speed automatic transmission. Not a CVT, actual planetary gear sets are used in its construction. Speed here is deceptive; 40 mph feels like 20, 90 mph makes the driver feel as if the car is just beginning to move. And that 90 comes up pretty quick; 0-100 flashes by in just under nine seconds. Using the power intelligently, a seasoned driver will be able to gobble up huge stretches of tarmac in a blissfully short time. And at the end of that journey, you and your precious cargo will emerge rested and uncramped. And I cannot think of a better mission statement than that."

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