Which used SUV is easier to maintain?

Hello Paul, I am in the market for a used SUV and I am looking at the VW Touareg, BMW X5 and Mercedes ML, all 2010 models. I would like to know which will be easier to maintain. Ronald

Hello Ronald, the 2010 Mercedes Benz ML will be an easier used Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) to maintain in Uganda. The three German brands VW Touareg, BMW X5 and Mercedes ML have close ratings in build, quality fortunes and technology challenges, performance, safety and comfort. However, when it comes to maintenance, the ratings change significantly in favour of Mercedes Benz. 
My considerations for maintenance are; ease of access to or availability of the slow moving parts (brakes, suspension, engine repair, gear box repair and body parts) and the cost of these parts. Whereas there is relative ease in availability of regular maintenance service parts (filters and brake pads) across the board for VW, BMW and Mercedes, the latter has a bigger market for used car sales, new and used parts sales.  
There is room for improvement in the availability of VW Touareg and BMW X5 parts availability as online purchases of the two brands seem to be slowly growing, which will eventually raise their local parts availability curve. That notwithstanding, the three SUV brands share similar technological and reliability challenges faced by most car brands. 
Cars built after 2006 tend to require costly major engine, steering or suspension components replacement after 10 years. So, local availability of these components as new or used parts becomes crucial to an ownership decision.