In 1997 Mercedes-Benz launched the edgy, if not somewhat lumpy looking, M-Class compact SUV that was part of the first wave of luxury sport utilities. Outside of Germany, the M-Class was Mercedes-Benz’ first venture into the SUV market.

Today the M is now the ML, and it drives into a vastly different automotive landscape. We all know the gory details from credit crunches and gas prices to job losses that have helped to depress the SUV vehicle segment. Even within the Mercedes-Benz line there is overlap from the GL and GLK models. Depending on towing or seating needs, you can slide up or down easily between the three models.

Power is the name of the game and the ML550 features some juicy power from a 382-horsepower V-8 engine with 391 pound-feet of torque that features the typical levels of Mercedes’ refinement and smoothness. The acceleration is strong and there is plenty of power to really move this machine – but you’ll pay for it.

My test vehicle came with a modern and refined seven-speed transmission automatic. The gearing really takes advantage of the engine’s power and torque. The shifts are quick and crisp; just don’t try to outsmart it because it doesn’t like fast downshifts combined with letting off the gas right away. The power hangover comes in the form of Environmental Protection Agency mileage estimates that are not that great: 13 city and 18 highway. I averaged just more than 15 mpg (woohoo) during my time with the ML550.

The styling of the ML fits the SUV segment and no longer looks like a luxury minivan in disguise as it once did. Highlights include a bigger grille flanked by new headlights and crisp body lines. I liked the slick running boards and the handsome alloy wheels. The overall impression of the exterior is that it looks like it came from the over-the-top AMG performance garage except that it sits too high off the ground.

Inside the ML550 contains every bit of luxury you would expect of a Mercedes-Benz vehicle. Behind the wheel there is a mix of needed and welcome gauges all housed in an organized cluster – nothing really sexy, but not boring either. There is a lot going on, and I thought the steering wheel had too many buttons clustered in circular groupings.

I did not like the wimpy gearshift setup that features a dainty column shifter that is not intuitive and takes some time to warm up to. The gadget function increases via the navigation system that contains the radio controls and adds unneeded complication. The COMMAND system with its 6.5-inch display also routes your eyes needlessly off the road to perform some operations.

The standard wood trim and certain other components are high quality, but I was a little disappointed by some of the hard plastic surfaces I encountered. My test vehicle came with leather, but it was an option (tsk, tsk).

A tall roof affords passengers with a decent amount of headroom. The front seats are supportive but a little firm. In the rear there is plenty of legroom and you can just squeeze in three passengers in the second row. The second row seat folds flat and allows 72 cubic feet of cargo space.

Dialing in the available air suspension you have a choice of comfort, sport and automatic settings. The comfort mode really makes this SUV dip and dive too much and there is a disconnected feeling from the road. The automatic setting is a bit better, but you still feel like you’re muted from the road. The sport setting turns the ride over to a more stiff and harsh setting that I preferred. Even at lower speeds some drivers may detect some low-speed impact magnification of pavement irregularities.

On the road, the ML550 is a competent daily driver no matter which suspension setting you select, and I did find the ML550 to have well-behaved road manners. The standard 19-inch tires roll up a big footprint and are quickly becoming the standard size for vehicles in this class.

When the American-made M-Class was launched in the late 1990s, it stickered for about $33,000 – which was a chunk of change in those days. To get into the ML line today you have to plunk down about $49,000 for the V-6 model. This does get you a much better vehicle than the original M-Class and it has grown in size.

My test vehicle came with a starting price of $54,409. It included a ton of whiz-bang standard goodies such as four-wheel electronic traction, 4-Matic permanent all-wheel drive, every luxury convenience and many more items that I can’t begin to list. Major options included the leather seating package for $1,995, rear seat entertainment system for $1,850, adaptive dampening system for $1,600 and the PQ2 Package with PARKTRONIC, Sirius, keyless go, power front seats with lumbar and over a half-dozen other items. So with the destination charge the grand total came to just more than $68,000.

As for the competition, check out the Acura MDX, Cadillac SRX and Lexus RX. Of those models, I put the ML550 at the head of the pack.

2009 MERCEDES-BENZ ML550

ENGINE: 382-horsepower V-8

TRANSMISSION: seven-speed automatic

DRIVETRAIN: all-wheel drive

FUEL ECONOMY: 13 city/18 highway

BASE PRICE: $54,409

AS TESTED: $68,000

WEB SITE: mbusa.com