Mercedes M-Class SUV (2011-2015) - Reliability & safety
The Mercedes M-Class SUV is well screwed together and clearly a premium product
Mercedes is well known for its advanced safety technology, which usually starts out on the luxury flagship S-Class saloon and subsequently filters down the rest of the range, beginning with large, plush models such as the Mercedes M-Class. The brand's reputation for reliability and build quality is legendary, too.
Mercedes M-Class reliability
The M-Class didn't appear in our Driver Power 2014 customer satisfaction survey, but that's not to say it's a bad car – it isn't a big-volume seller, which is why you're more likely to see popular models such as the C-Class and E-Class in the table instead. Inside the M-Class itself, you'll find an exceptionally robust and plush cabin, which is the envy of rivals.
Mercedes lived up to its reputation for reliability in the Driver Power 2014 survey, finishing in ninth place out of 32 car manufacturers. Porsche ranked three places ahead and Lexus was two places ahead again, but Mercedes comfortably beat its main premium German rivals Audi and BMW. The downside is that the company's dealers didn't fare so well, finishing in 21st place out of 32 brands' retailers – but that's still ahead of what BMW and Audi managed.
See what real-world Mercedes M-Class owners think about their car.
Mercedes M-Class safety
Given the M-Class' size and Mercedes' reputation for hi-tech safety systems, it won't come as a surprise that the car has a five-star Euro NCAP crash-test rating. It has more than its fair share of safety equipment as standard, including attention assist (which monitors you and sounds a warning if you start to look drowsy), a trailer stability system, downhill speed recognition to help with descending steep slopes and a pre-safe system (which braces the car and its safety systems for a crash if it detects one is imminent).
Choose the optional Driving Assistance package and you get a series of electronic driving aids including, including Distronic Plus (a cruise-control system that automatically maintains a safe distance from the vehicle in front), Active Lane-Keeping Assist (which lets you know if you’re drifting out of a motorway lane and can steer you back in), Active Blind-Spot Assist (which tells you when there’s something close behind) and BAS Plus (which brakes harder during emergency stops to avoid rear-end shunts).
