You know, the guys over at Motor Trend are pretty damn lucky.  It seems like every other day they test drive a Mercedes and some other car, write about it, and on top of it all, they get paid to do it.

Guess what?  They're at it again, this time comparing Mercedes' redesigned ML500 and the 2006 Range Rover Sport.  Although on paper the two cars are considered in the same class, I personally find the two very different. 

On one hand, you have the ML.  The Mercedes is more of what you'd expect from a typical Benz SUV - luxury, subdued looks, probably more of a family vehicle.

Then, on the other hand, you have the Range Rover.  When I see a Range crusing down the freeway at night, I expect to see at least a 5% limo tint on the windows, 22"+ rims, and a steady stream smoke emanating from from the passenger's freshly rolled blunt.

Not that one is necessarily better than the other, I just think the two attract different audiences (i.e, families vs. drug dealers).

So who do you think prevailed?  Ultimately, the luxury and ride quality of the Mercedes beat out the hip hop flavor and street cred of the Range Rover, but it was still a close battle.

Check out the article over at Motor Trend for an in-depth view of how the two stacked up against each other.