[thstone]

Good decision to trade up from the Escape. However, the ML's have never been very well regarded. They have a rep for spotty build quality, a lot of reliability issues, and were generally slower and poorer handling than their competition from BMW and Porsche.

If you can't afford a used Porsche Cayenne, then I'd highly suggest a BMW X5 over the MB ML. There are a ton of used X5's for sale right now so you are likely to find a very nice one well within your price range.

Typical worries on an X5 are mostly electical as the engines are fairly bullet-proof (especially the I6). Typical known problem areas are electric window regulators, electric door locks, remote door locking, nav system, and thermostat.

The X5 17" and 18" wheels/tires are affordable but the 19" or 20" wheels/tires make the SUV handle like a sedan. 20" can be somewhat harsh riding, so the 19" sport wheels are a good compromise.

X5 brakes are excellent but somewhat expensive to replace. Replace the rotors with the pads for the best braking performance.

Be aware that the Sports suspension improves the handling tremendously but the ride quality might be too harsh for some people. Test drive with/without so you understand the tradeoffs.

Best of luck in your search.