I also prefer the ride of the G500. We looked hard at the ML500 and ML55 before settling on the G500. Keep in mind that my wife was going to be the primary driver and she was trading in a 2001 S600. The G is heavy, I think it rides a little trucklike but not bad, the solidity of the truck sold it. We both found the MLs to be a little on the "choppy" side for ride comfort, though worlds better than the BMW X5.

Go to a dealer and drive one. Bring your tire pressure gauge, set the tires at 32 as Gilly suggested. Drive it and decide, I think Dutch is right, everybody has a different threshold on ride comfort. I would also add that the ML is going to be inherently trucky, you may want to seriously consider a 4-matic wagon.

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1995 G320
1984 280GE
1971 Unimog 416