The Epoch Times
2009 Mercedes ML 320 Blue TEC. MERCEDES BENZ MEDIA DEPARTMENT
The Interior of 2009 Mercedes ML 320 Blue TEC. MERCEDES BENZ MEDIA DEPARTMENT
2009 Mercedes ML 320 Blue TEC

By DURHL CAUSSEY

Special to The Epoch Times
The ML 320 has a 3.0-liter turbocharged V-6 diesel that includes 210 horsepower with 3,800 rpm and torque at 398 lb.-ft. and 1,600 to 2,400 rpm. It comes in a standard 4-wheel drive and has a towing capacity of 7,200 lbs. It seats five adults comfortably, and has 72.4 cu. ft. of cargo space with second row folded flat. The 2009 Mercedes ML 320 Blue TEC will take you over 600 miles on one tank of gas. Thats like driving from Los Angeles to Salt Lake City with diesel left over. This Mercedes has the cleanest diesel engine in the world as well as the quietest. The Mercedes engineers have reinvented the diesel engines
of old without the noise, odor, and emissions. And by injecting a solution known as AdBlue into the exhaust, Blue TEC can reduce smog-causing NOx to its harmless nitrogen and water essentials. Just because the ML 320 is easy on the environment doesnt mean that performance suffers. It accelerates from 0 to 60 in 8 seconds and still averages 1824 mpg. The ML 320 looks elegant on the outside, but wait till you see the interior. Front headroom is 39.9 inches and front leg room a comfortable 42.2 inches, with rear head and leg room only about two inches less. Rack-and-pinion steering with constant power assists and a turning circle: 37.9 feet curb-tocurb makes the Mercedes easy to
handle, and smooth to drive, all with the feel of beauty to the eye and elegance to the touch. Also, inside is a new COMAND system that comes equipped with a high-resolution color LCD screen, a 6-disc CD/ DVD changer, and Bluetooth capacity for hands-free calling. Upgrade to options that let you control IPods and other portable music devices, enhanced voice recognition software, and navigation. Many engineering experts say Mercedes makes and designs the best cars in the world. To become a believer of this philosophy, all you have to do is drive a Mercedes.
Durhl Caussey can be reached at this paper or dcaussey@sbcglobal. net.
Stylish New Accord Leaves Absolutely Nothing to Complain About
By CHRIS JACKSON www.car-data.com

Todays Solution

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Utilization Opp. of short Doings Tough Malaria Leaky faucet noise Strange Prohibits Partial

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L L A U E D N S S GO T TWE T HOU HO R E O E R S O T I J AMB E R E R P R K S I Y T A

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Generally speaking, things that appeal to the mainstream and try to be all things to all people dont hold my interest for very long. I want a car to make a statement other than, I am just like everybody else. Because of this preference, best sellers like the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry tend to fall outside my sphere of interest. From a car-guy standpoint, these automotive appliances lack personality, charisma, and soul. Ah, but perhaps this will not always be the case. The completely redesigned 2008 Honda Accord breaks from the please-everyone mold with a bold new design and a look that actually stands out from the crowd, at least for the moment. (The Accords new design is already influencing the products of the second-tier manufacturers.) The new class, style, and a range of upscale options give the Accord elegance and comfort that one might not expect to see in a lowly family sedan. The new Accord isdare we say?rather stylish. It doesnt look like an automotive appliance, even though that is what it is at heart. A generous dose of chrome on the very squared-up grille contrasts nicely with a sharply angled nosea silhouette thats already being copycatted by other manufacturers. The new design is more complicated, with complex angles and lines that are nothing like the previous Accords smooth flanks. It is also three inches longer, an inch wider, and an inch taller than the car it replaces, allowing for increased interior room. The interior is different, too; the only things familiar are the texture of the upholstery fabric and the lightfooted feeling of the steering and controls. The new Accord is more spacious front and rear; in fact, the rear-seat passengers have almost as much room as those up front. Up front, the design of the underside of the dash improves leg room and a wider console offers more elbow room to front-seat passengers. Several handy cubbies in the console are ready to swallow any necessary small cargo. There is a lot going on when it

comes to the instrument panel, but the layout prevents it from being confusing. At night, the Accords various controls are lit in different colors to further distinguish them. An eightinch display screen in the center of the dash carries navigation information in Accords so equipped, and vehicle information in those without. Bluetooth connectivity is available for the first time; dual-zone climate control and a moon roof are also on the options list. Accords have always been light on their feet, and the newest incarnation is no exception to that rule. Variable gear ratio power steering is used to improve on-center steering feel and to reduce the driveline binding that is common in front-wheel drive cars. Beneath the skin, the engine and fuel tank have been remounted, lowering the center of gravity and improving
the Accords stability. The suspension is sophisticated enough, with double wishbones up front and a multi-link rear; but the Accord is more of a family hauler than a sports sedan. I never did get around to checking to see which engine my tester was equipped with; Honda didnt provide a window sticker, and I was never compelled to open the hood. An Accord is an automotive appliance, and doesnt invite you to poke around its inner workings. As long as nothing is wrong, there is no reason to go in there. A choice of four- or six-cylinder power is offered, both with the ubiquitous i-VTEC intelligent variable valve timing. The 2.4-liter four-cylinder is rated at 177 or 190 horsepower, depending on trim, and is good for 31 mpg on the freeway. The 3.5-liter V6 doesnt give up much, topping out
at 29 on the freeway, and its got 268 horses on tap. The fuel economy figures come thanks to Hondas Variable Cylinder Management system, which is able to shut down up to half of the engines cylinders when they are not needed. Five-speed manual and automatic transmissions are offered. That said, you cant mess with blandness. Stylishly inoffensive is a good way to describe the new Accord. Its carefully crafted to leave absolutely nothing to complain about, other than a lack of personality. Which is fine; folks who want a midsize sedan with character are buying Nissan Altimas, Volkswagen Passats, and Subaru Legacies. Accord pricing starts at $20,360 for a base four-cylinder sedan. V6 models start at $25,960. This article is courtesy of www.car-data.com.

UNITED STATES: The new 2008 Honda Accord concept is shown Jan. 8, 2007 during the press days at the North American International Auto Show at Cobo Hall in Detroit, Michigan. JEFF HAYNES/AFP/GETTY IMAGES
Fill in the boxes using numbers between 1 and 9 so that each column, each row, and each 3x3 square contain all nine numbers only once.

Crossword

Compass point Asian country White ___ Supplies food Auf Wiedersehen Ended Worthless Detector Part of doorway Environmental protection agency (abbr) 58 Chief 61 Otherwise 65 Pea holders 68 Move stealthily 69 Bloc 70 Strand of hair 72 Greek stringed instrument 73 Swing 74 Flavor
Tree gum European monetary unit Punch Ca. University Lighted sign Formal you Time period Clock time Utters Joint Ids counterparts Grains Yowl Short-term memory Volume (abbr.) European peninsula Spains peninsula Synthetic resin Lowest point Jolty Assure
62 Deprivation 1 Avails 2 Tier Coarse Vane direction Drum Seaweed substance Breathing need SE African country Spots Greek island Bashful FBI employees Air blowers Dual 64 Womens magazine 66 South southeast 68 Clock time

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Across

Espy Failed to remember Draw Despot Rough clothing Mythical logger Paul Thousand (abbr.) Sorbet Freak Wafer Ice sheet

This week's solution

The Epoch Times

April 23 29, 2009

2009 Mercedes ML 320 Blue TEC

By DURHL CAUSSEY

The ML 320 has a 3.0-liter turbocharged V-6 diesel that includes 210 horsepower with 3,800 rpm and torque at 398 lb-ft and 1,600 to 2,400 rpm. It comes in a standard 4-wheel drive and has a towing capacity of 7,200 lbs. It seats five adults comfortably, and has 72.4 cu ft. of cargo space with second row folded flat. The 2009 Mercedes ML 320 Blue TEC will take you over 600 miles on one tank of gas. Thats like driving from Los Angeles to Salt Lake City with diesel left over. This Mercedes has the cleanest diesel engine in the world as well as the quietest. The Mercedes engineers have reinvented the diesel engine of old without the noise, odor, and emissions. By injecting a solution known as AdBlue into the exhaust, Blue TEC can reduce smog-causing NOx to its harmless nitrogen and water components. Just because the ML 320 is easy on the environment doesnt mean that performance suffers. It accelerates from 0-60 in 8 seconds and still averages 18-24 mpg. The ML 320 looks elegant on the outside, but wait till you see
the interior. Front head- hood of the room is 39.9 inches and ML 320 Blue. COURTESY OF front legroom a comMERCEDES BENZ fortable 42.2 inches, with rear head and leg room only about two inches less. Rack-and-pinion steering with constant power assists and a turning circle: 37.9 feet curb-tocurb makes the Mercedes easy to handle, and smooth to drive, all with the feel of beauty to the eye and elegance to the touch. The Mercedes ML 320 starts at around $47,000. Also inside is a new COMAND system that comes equipped with a high-resolution color LCD screen, a 6-disc CD/ DVD changer and Bluetooth* capacity for hands-free calling. Upgrade to options that let you control IPods and other portable music devices, enhanced voice recognition software and navigation. Many engineering experts say Mercedes makes and designs the best cars in the world. To become a believer of this philosophy, all one has to do is drive a Mercedes. Durhl Caussey writes a car column read around the world. He may be reached at this paper or dcaussey@sbcglobal.net.

Under the

2009 Mercedes ML 320 Blue. COURTESY OF MERCEDES BENZ