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Show The Park Record Sat/Sun/Mon/Tues. May 14-17, 2005 C-17 The latter will conn1 in hand}' should buyers be willing to lake their beloved prize off-road ing. If so. the '06 ML is available with one of two permanent four-wheel-drive configurations, both with a full array of state-ofthe-art electronic aids. You'll g<i hill start assist (in prevent you from rolling backward out of control:, downhill speed control ito prevent you from rolling forward oui of control, and updated software for both the 'antilock brake and trartion-control systems. ompetitors have come and gone. but the original luxury sport-utility vehicle - the Mercedes-Benz has prospered for major years without eit;hl change. That's almost unheard of and cspctialh amazing considering how many competitors have arrived in lhal lengihy period, whether tlu-y he from Inliniti, Lexus. Cadillac or Lincoln. Right years ami a whopping 1)20.000 vehicles later, we're reminded that Mercede's original 1998 formula was right on the money, requiring only minor adjustment along the way. Siill. all good things must come to end, which is not necessarily a bad thing if something better is waiting in the wings. In fad. that something - the 2006 M-Class - is much more than a redesign. The Alabama-built truck is based on an entirely new and much stronger imiiized framelcssi platform, replacing the old bodyon-frame structure. The entire vehicle has been redesigned with the specific goals of providing more room (a criticism of past models! luxury and refinement. Along_wirh an aggressive look on the outside, something the ML has needed, the 2006 model boasts a completely new and distinctively styled interior. A smaller multi-function steering wheel Tronls bright new instrumentation set into a rather dramatic-looking pod. The center stack of vehicle controls is dominated by a large navigation screen and dualzone climate control. Richer materials add to the improved ambiance expected in a vehicle in this price range. In addition to more head, shoulder and rear seat knee room, the ergonomics are first class. Some thought Mercedes might stretch the new M-Glass to allow for a third row of seats. However, company officials say that few owners appreciated - or wanted - the extra size and people capacity. The ML350 is powered by a new 268-horsepower V6 and the ML500 by a 302-horscpowcr V8. Borh are mated to seven-speed automatic transmissions controlled by paddles on the backside of steering wheel or by a tiny lever on the instrument panel. Only a couple of inches in length and electronically attached to the transmission ralJier than through cables or levers, its use is simple in the extreme. Push down an inch or so to engage drive, up for reverse or tap the tip to place die transmission in park. The space on the center consoler required for a conventional shift lever is thus available for storage space, flanked by a lengthy pair of grab handles. By RICHARD RUSSELL WHEELBASE COMMUNICATIONS IN NICE, FRANCE Serious ofl'-roaders will have to wail until calendar 20U6 for the ''Offroad Pro engineering par-kag'-" with a two-speed Iransfer rase • with a low-range gear set (or extra grunt' and twin locking dilTerendais. The optional Airmatic suspension electronically controls shock absorber and other functions. Left in "normal" mode, the system automatically varies the ride between soft and firm depending on road and driving conditions. T h e "Comfort'" mode softens things up and is well suited to extended highway cruising. "Sport" mode slightly lowers the entire vehicle and lightens things up at the cost of some ride comfort. Airmatic also allows the ML to be raised an additional half-inch for up to 11.5 inches of ground clearance. To clear what, exactly, we're not sure. Odds are M-B's new M-Class piece of eye candy won'I leave the pavement, but at least owners know ihry can if they want to since function and style are what the new M-Class - like the old - -- is all about. SPEC SHEET p- M •>•' 2006 Mercedes M-Class , * Four-door, five-passenger sport-utility vehicle , • aWiler V6, (268 hp) and an optlcnd 5.0 liter V3 (302 hp] Both offer : • hipfoved fuel mileage over the previous engines and were deagned with ' tow-speed lorque as a prlonly rather itian high-speed horsepower "because lhat's M a t suits the way ourcustomers drive their M-Class.' tne engineers say • T h e M-Class boasts a new painl lectinology desoned to minimize Die effected minor scrafcnes * T n e new M is 5.9-trtchas longer. rwo-tenlAs-ol-an-inch lowe^, 2.(^nches wider and rides on a vtfieefbase that is 3 7&-inches longer inan fiat of the previous version. • S a f e t y : Mercedes claims the 2006 ML is (he sales! spori-utiiily vehde on the pianei thanks lolronl sMeand-side-ajrtainairbags stability control, antfiock brakes, and PRE-SAFE, which prepares ffie car and occupanls lor a crash, usng information supplied by antflocK-bfake and slabiiity-con1 (rrj sensors to identify imminent tiouWe PRE-SAFE puHs tne Delia fight • adjusts Ooth l i e seat bosom and bac* lo Ihe optimal rdaHonsTup and in , Ine expectallon o l a roll-over, doses tne sunroof. *MPGtcttv/hwy):nja • Base price: $40,000 (esi) -; ",;-.% ; . Huge Event Savings on Mercedes Inventory! New ML Models from $39,995! and "si Experience a vehicle unlike any other, purchased from a sales staff unlike any other. Over 75 years of Certified Mercedes experience. C 2 3 0 SPORTS SEDAN $34 9/MO* 39 MO. LEASH COMK SHI: THE OPEN ROAD LIKE NEVER BEFORE IN A MI-RCKDES CONVERTIBLE CLK 320 * CLK 500 • CLK 55 • SL 500 • SL 55 AND THE BRAND NEW SLK. 350 ROADSTER * Slock #M5450. MSRP $32,860 Lease OAC. S3,825 plus tax, lie, fees. 10K Miles per year. Res.Siy.387 KenGarff reincinOer... Stick with the dealer you really know. 7O YEARS Mercedes of Salt Lake Mi;rceties-Bcnz Certified Pro-Owned '04 Audi \6 575 South State Street Downtown SLC www.kengarffmercedes.com S37,900 '01 BMW 330 XI IOk miles. Clcun, Chronio-* 4-Door. Auto, Clean '03 Audi Allroad '03 Jaguar S-Typo S31.900 '02 BMW X5 4.6 $49,900 Black/Hl.u;k Maul. 2«k miles BACK-U-UP PROMISE 524,900 /QH1 \ \\J\J I } '03 Mercedes 560 SL S 10,500 Blown, 115k miles. Clean $31,900 '04 Mercedes C240 W4 S29,9()0 BIJCU/T.III, 27k miles. New Car Tr.vJe -IMatic, lUack, 17k miles. Ortm.-d '04 Jag XType '02 Mercedes SI.500 $28,900 AWD, Desert Silver/Tan, 17k miles S49,(-100 Silver Arrow million. 33k miles. Certified Value - Up to 10 Year/250,000 Mile Limited Engine Warranty Protection - Free 24/7/365 Roadside Assistance Selection - 24 Vehicle Brands Available Convenience - 26 Sales & Service Locations from Ogdon to Provo _ ... cabin Is elegant and trimmed in higher-quality materials. In this case, simple doesn't have to mean boring. This year there are plenty of intriguing extras In the five utes. available models (base, LX, LX Sport, The replacement ibr the long-run- SE and Limited) aside frvm the stanning Windstar doesn't make a huge dard features that include air condistatement ft not a radical departure tioning, remote key/ess entry, power ftvm normal thinking, it doesn't have locks, mirrors and windows. the most horsepower it its class. It Freestar holds up to seven people doesn't even look all that different with a third-row seat that can be from its predecessor. folded flat into the load floor or And that just might be why it will flipped around into a rearward-facing score with buyers. position. Fond calls it "stadium seating, "and what it means is that when Ironically, in anonymity, the Freestar is a player in a business ft fled you park the Freestar at your favorite with big names. Why? It's unclut- game you can tailgate out of the back. tered and focused in its purpose. The optional second-row captains Mostly, it's designed to do what mini- c/tairs slide from side to side on rails vans of this world were originally and also fold and tumble forward like intended to do: carry your family those on the Ford Explorer and from Point A to Point 6. Expedition sport-utility vehicles for easy access to the third row. For 2004, Ford dropped the Windstar name to give its resty/ed Under the hood is a new standard Canadian-built minivan a fresh 3.9-liter V6 that makes 193 horseapproach in a segment where the bar power, a bit less actually than the old has quite suddenly been raised. 3.8-liter engine. But there's also the Nissan unveiled its rvomy new Quest option ofa new 201 -horsepower 4.2this year and Toyota redesigned the liter V6 that comes standard on rock-solid Sienna. high-end Freestars, That's less - How does. the Freestar cope? considerably less in some cases - Thankfully, there's more than a name than what the Sienna, Odyssey and change at work. Ford wanted to break Quest offer, but the Ford provides through the clutter by un-cluttering more peak torque, which is, perhaps, its minivan. Gone is t/ie Windstar's more important unusual, plastic-laden instrument Where competitors offer a fivepanel that sometimes seemed a tittle speed automatic transmission, howtight for the driver. Enter a new two- ever, all Freestar models come with a tone panel that's squared off wit/7 /bur-speed automatic. sharp lines and a clean and crisp But, when it comes to minivans, angular design. A first impression being on the leading edge of innovamight even lead you to think things tion doesn't automatically guarantee are downright barren inside. a sale. So where does Ford hang its From the cupholders to the instru- hat? Safety, of course. The company ment panel, everything is direct for is already banking that ti?e Freestar tfie driver and easy to find. Vet its will go one step farti/er than the interior has an ambiance to it; the excellent Windstar. The Freestar has O •:; -....f. ?_" , simplicity - •._. f all the things the new 2004 Ford Freestar does right, keeping life simple and people safe might be this minivan's best attrib- t&Fr larger /bur-wheel disc brakes with standard anti-lock on all models and a new 'panic brake assist' system to help }ou stop better in emergency situations (it comes on models equipped with AdfanceTrac stability control). Freestar can also be ordered with a 'safety canopy' airbag system that deploys from the headliner to cover most of the side glass area in the even of an accident The system includes side-impact air bags for the front passengers. As for extras, the Freestar can be ordered with a DVD entertainment system and a power litigate will arrive later in tlie model year. For now, it's all about getting there safe and sound, without fuss and muss, from Point A to Point B. SPEC SHEET 2004 Ford Freestar •Four-door, saven-passenger mini van • 3 9- or 4 2-liter V6, producing 193 horsepower and 201 horsepower, respectively •Four-speed automatic transmission •Simple, but functional, the Freestar dossn'l add a lot of bolls and whistles yet still also offers some unique elements like a third-row -seat that folds flat and flips around for tailgate parties. • A plus in the cargo department is Fort's third-row head restraints that don't require removal to lold the seat * W t h a smooth, quiet nde under any conditon. Ford upgrades its minivan lineup with a vehde that doesn't feature much innovalion over its competitors, but offers solid improvements over its predecessor. •Standard safety: Front airbags; anti-lock brakes. •MPG (cityrtwy): 17/23 (3 9-liter V6) •Base price: $23,800 By JASON STEIN FOR WHEELBASE COMMUNICATIONS |