2010 Mercedes Benz ML350 BlueTEC

The original Mercedes-Benz M-Class gave the automaker its foothold in the SUV market and in America. Legally branded the ML-Class, to avoid problems with BMW and Infiniti, the M-Class was the first vehicle to come from the company's Alabama factory back in 1998. More than a decade later, the ML-Class is in its final years of the current body style, but it's still among the most desirable utes in its class. Priced from about $47, 000 up to more than $92, 000, it's also the only SUV we know that's available with a choice of gas, diesel, or hybrid powertrains. Originally conceived as an Explorer/Grand Cherokee fighter, the M-Class' competition at its current price point comes from all continents. The challengers include the BMW X5, the Infiniti FX, the Volkswagen Touareg, the Porsche Cayenne, and even the Jeep Grand Cherokee.

The current M-Class bowed in 2006, and it's still fresh and attractive today-with far more visual staying power than the first-generation model. Semi-circular fenders and the long arc of the roofline mash up with an arrow-straight shoulder line and crosshatched grilles. The floating glass around the cargo area is wedged between a sloping roofline and an upturned rear fascia. It's jumpy and almost quirky, but the M-Class look works. It's mated with a more conventional cabin: Oval air vents are embossed on a dash that's very similar to that in the smartly styled GL-Class (they're mechanically related, and built alongside each other, too). You'll look into cut tubes to see big, white-on-black gauges-and maybe take a second to absorb the off-note touches of chrome on the steering wheel. Polished wood trim panels line the bottom of the center stack, the console, and the dash. Most "off-roaders" have grown prettier and more varnished, and the M-Class is, in that way, the biggest transformer of them all.

Bear with us while we walk you through all the different power choices offered by the 2010 M-Class. It's the only sport-ute we know of that offers three V-8 engines-as well as tech-savvy hybrid and diesel variants. The basic ML350 gets a gas-fueled 3.5-liter V-6 with 268 horsepower, ample acceleration times of about 8 seconds to 60 mph, a top speed of 130 mph. It's the only ML-Class ute to come with either rear- or all-wheel drive; the former version earns a 15/20 mpg rating from the EPA, the latter a 16/21 mpg nod. A step up the scale brings you to the ML550 and its 382-hp 5.5-liter V-8. It leaps to 60 mph in 5.6 seconds, tops out at 130 mph, and drinks gas to the tune of 13/18 mpg. Both of these models share a seven-speed automatic that ushers out the power urgently and smoothly. Performance is nearly the opposite of what you might expect: The ML-Class utes have communicative steering, a well-controlled ride, and strong braking feel. With the all-wheel-drive system in place (it uses three mechanical differentials and anti-lock braking to maximize traction), the ML-Class can easily handle light off-roading and even tackle some of the more hardcore duties you'd find in Jeep legend and lore.