Agree, my buddy had a ML55 which really was a POS. It started my dislike of MB till recently where they have cleaned up their act. The new ML63 is sweet however compared to a well equiped CTT, it falls short. The only advantage is exhaust note and maybe a smoother ride. The CTT will have better offroad abilites, better handling, better amenities, lower weight, and will be as fast or faster with a little tune.
I got some bypass pipes and that added power and a more aggresive sound. The ecu tune just made it a monster.
My CTT makes grown men cry with the fast turns and acceleration. My friends are little biotches!

 

To the the CTT feels a little soft. The steering wheel is for sissy's. IF you don't agree, then you don't have one, or haven't driven one. Its too loose for my tastes. I looked into the upgrading route...new exhaust and a few minor tweaks and mods was pushing the price to well north of $12K. To dump another $12K into this $132,705 car that is now worth $92,500K with 12K miles seems ludicrous. The export market has died for the CTT.

Porsche is diluting their brand and making "too many cars." The CTT are available all day long at discounts where I am located. There are just too many built to sustain good pricing.

My question is, what mods would you make to the CTT? Why must you have to make mods to make it better.

Say what you will - and I still own my Cayenne and who knows, I may very well get gun shy and not pull the trigger....but, the new ML63 with performance package is packing 50 more horses and 50 more lb/ft of torque for $100K. I think its quite impressive what MB did with this car and Porsche should take notice.

Also, to me, the MB seats are worlds more comfortable. The porsche sport seats dont fit me and the comfort seats are very flat and really not that supportive. The interior of the MB is worlds nicer than the Cayenne, even with all the little bells and whistles I put into the truck.

Dont get me wrong, I think the Cayenne is spectacular in a lot of aspects, but I honestly think MB is putting a stake in the ground and claiming the win in the mid-sized freakishly fast SUV kid hauler category.

Also the saftey features and testing of the ML isnt that unattractive either....

And all this for $106,575. You can't get into a CTT for anyplace close. 50 more horses!!!!! Screw weight! No one ever asked me how much my car weighs. And, Since I am keeping my 11 997.2 Turbo S - its just such a better car than the CTT. Porsche is the 911 company. MB is the daily driver company.

 

You make a good case. I vote ML, and for those comparing the old ML55 to the current model, you have not driven both I have.

 

I have to agree with alot of what you said, for a long time i've been a porsche person, claiming their superiority in every aspect, and my dad always bought mercedes cars, which I never understood. But after maturing to the subject a little, I've really grown to love mercedes car's, they really can't be beat in terms of luxury, ride quality and comfort. We're getting a new model GL550 when it is released and my dad will also be getting the new body style s63 amg, which I'm really excited for seeing how great Mercedes recent releases have been. I think that Porsche will always rein king in the sports car department but for a daily driver I think Mercedes is king and would support the notion to get the ML63.

 

I own a CTT and disagree totally about the steering. At freeway speeds it is not loose at all (feels like a sports car) and at parking lot speeds it is no where near as loose as my MB or Lexus.
My CTT is doing over 600hp and it cost me less then 4k for these mods. Does not sound as sweet as an amg note, but still much better then stock.
On all your other points, you have good points and it is a matter of opinion and taste. The new MB's are fabulous cars and I actually would rather drive my E350 bluetec to work instead of the CTT for comfort and MPG's. Plus it has great massage seats for just $600, who would not get this option.

I think you will be really happy with the ML63, and it will probably be a better DD, but for me it is not a trade up.

 

So I drove it twice since my last post....Its really insanely quick and handles great.

Help me choose a color -
I am in an ANTI-BLACK phase. Too many black cars and I want something else.
1. Slate Grey
2. Diamond White
3. Palladium Silver
4. Iridium Silver

I live in NJ - I park my car outside in my driveway every night. I'm sick of washing my car constantly.

Lastly - Does anyone know if there is a 21" all season tire available? I looked this past winter for my CTT, and could not find anything which I why I purchased a set of 20" Techart's with snow's on them.

Thanks -

asg

 

ASG,
I would vote for slate gray or white. So does the ML63 ride smoother then the CTT even when the CTT is in comfort mode. The CTT is not that smooth of a ride in comparison to a full size RR or panamera.
Also have you considered the new RRSC with the 510hp. Not as fast or handle as good, but great for what it is.

Are they giving any deals on the ML63 or are they giving you a dealer line of why you should be lucky to pay sticker.

 

Short answer is - I feel the 63 is a better product overall. Ride- yes, it's less rumbly than the CTT. In comfort mode - the ML has a sportier feel than the cayenne. Steering is spot on in the 63. And the seats - ML63 FTW!

I most certainly do not pay sticker. There are not a lot of cars around with the performance package. I would not be interested in this car without it. Deals aren't great but it's enough off to not make me wince.

 

I prefer the CTT over the ML.......but that is just me - i am a Porsche guy

If i were looking at the ML63 i think i would also go check out a Range Rover Supercharged too - seems like more of a fair comparo?

either way you go - they are all insanely nice trucks and you are lucky to be having this "issue"

 

I think it's important to keep in mind the reason for why you're buying the car in the first place. From what I gather, you're looking for something that's fast, handles well (but doesn't need to handle like a sports car) and is comfortable for 5 people. It sounds to me like the ML63 puts a check mark in all these categories. MB makes great daily drivers. Other than maybe the SLS, they're not sports cars and shouldn't be compared to such. They're made to get places in a lot of luxury at a very fast pace. I'm not a huge fan of the ML's new styling (kind of bland), but they do produce a convincing package.