In 1997, the crossover term applied only to psychics and gender swappers. The Honda CR-V, the Subaru Forester, and the Toyota RAV4 were thoughtfully mapping a car-based path for the Lexus RX300, the BMW X5, and the Acura MDX to follow. The course was clear for mid-size SUVs to ditch trucky underpinnings in favor of lighter, more supple chassis components.
Then Mercedes-Benz muddled the movement by introducing its ML320 with husky body-on-frame construction. Did Stuttgart know something that other SUV engineers had missed? Could the first premium mid-size sport-ute thrive with Gelndewagen bones inside a minivan body?
Remarkably, the M-class lacked the fortitude to venture far off-road, and its street verve fell well below Mercedes car norms. Interior furnishings were functionally flawed, conspicuously cost-conscious, and fraught with quality glitches. More remarkable is that this didn't seriously impede the M-class's acceptance. In eight model years, 620,000 of them have been built at the Vance, Alabama, plant, about half for U.S. consumption. Tarnish has barely dimmed the silver star's magnetic attraction.
Creating the first mid-lux SUV is one thing; surviving today's dogfight is quite another. Ten brands stand ready to turn $40,000 to $60,000 into the mid-size SUV of your dreams.... Read full article