OT: Opinions on Mercedes GL450
05-14-2008, 12:49 AM
#1
OT: Opinions on Mercedes GL450
We need a bigger car and unfortunately you can't get the Cayenne with a 3rd row seat. I like the look of the x5 more but it doesn't have enough space. What do people think of the Mercedes GL450?
05-14-2008, 03:09 AM
#4
Track Day
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We've had one for little over one year. Wife drives it daily and yes, while it's a truck, it drives pretty smoothly. Best of all is the 3rd row. Tried the Q7, QX56, X5 - even the Caddy, but the GL seemed to have more overall space and comfort. My .02!
Good luck with your decision.
Good luck with your decision.
05-14-2008, 06:59 AM
#6
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I am in the same dilemma. Our Cayenne too small and we need to move to a bigger truck, GL is nice, but I was positively surprised by the interior packaging in a Volvo XC90. In the XC90 you can fit 3 rows nicely, and its still not that much bigger than the Cayenne on the exterior.
05-14-2008, 09:36 AM
#7
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I have limited driving time in the GL, But talked my sister into one to replace her 03 Range Rover. The times I have driven it, I felt it to be typical Mercedes..Solid but a little boring with direct but numb steering. I have driven the R Class and thought it was terrible. Careful with the options on the GL..Its easy to take a $57k base car past the $70K point. At that point, get the GL550
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05-14-2008, 09:58 AM
#8
Race Director
The new BMW X5 is so much nicer!
05-14-2008, 11:47 AM
#10
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My wife absolutely loves her X5 4.8 and I too am thoroghly impressed with the vehicle. Granted the 3rd row is rather tight but it is there. I drove the Merc and Range Rover as well and was not overly impressed with either.
05-14-2008, 12:01 PM
#11
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The X5 and GL are not in the same catagory of vehicle. The 3rd row for the X5, while it's a great suv and sporty; is an after thought. That vehicle is not a true 6 passenger- the GL320/450/550 competes directly with the Lexus LX570/Suburban/Land Cruiser ect.
The GL will fit 7 adults or 6 adults VERY comfortably.
No LARGE suv drives like the GL. No caddy, or GMC and it's got way more standard stuff AND a lower price point then the Lexus. A few of the earlier models had to have the 7 speed tranny's CPU changed out. But of the ones I've seen and sold- they've performed beautifully.
As for the interior; I'm not sold on certain things; but overall it's a great SUV.
Go on an extended test drive and you'll see what I'm saying.
The GL will fit 7 adults or 6 adults VERY comfortably.
No LARGE suv drives like the GL. No caddy, or GMC and it's got way more standard stuff AND a lower price point then the Lexus. A few of the earlier models had to have the 7 speed tranny's CPU changed out. But of the ones I've seen and sold- they've performed beautifully.
As for the interior; I'm not sold on certain things; but overall it's a great SUV.
Go on an extended test drive and you'll see what I'm saying.
05-14-2008, 12:02 PM
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05-14-2008, 01:39 PM
#13
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We have and ML and my wife loves it. it's way to squishy for me and i wish we had a Cayenne.
that said, as the kids get older, we're already in need of the 3rd row. as we add carpools and softball bats, we'll need it. i drove the GL and the R class. my personal preference was the R class since i'm not towing a boat and don't need all that tonnage.
in any regard, the diesel is the way to go. from my wife's POV, it's better mileage. from my POV, it's torque central. as i recall it's nearly 400 ft-lb of torque.
i saw TH's comment but locally, the R class is selling and the diesels go right away. maybe it's the tree hugger community here in seattle :-)
that said, as the kids get older, we're already in need of the 3rd row. as we add carpools and softball bats, we'll need it. i drove the GL and the R class. my personal preference was the R class since i'm not towing a boat and don't need all that tonnage.
in any regard, the diesel is the way to go. from my wife's POV, it's better mileage. from my POV, it's torque central. as i recall it's nearly 400 ft-lb of torque.
i saw TH's comment but locally, the R class is selling and the diesels go right away. maybe it's the tree hugger community here in seattle :-)
05-14-2008, 02:45 PM
#14
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We have and ML and my wife loves it. it's way to squishy for me and i wish we had a Cayenne.
that said, as the kids get older, we're already in need of the 3rd row. as we add carpools and softball bats, we'll need it. i drove the GL and the R class. my personal preference was the R class since i'm not towing a boat and don't need all that tonnage.
in any regard, the diesel is the way to go. from my wife's POV, it's better mileage. from my POV, it's torque central. as i recall it's nearly 400 ft-lb of torque.
i saw TH's comment but locally, the R class is selling and the diesels go right away. maybe it's the tree hugger community here in seattle :-)
that said, as the kids get older, we're already in need of the 3rd row. as we add carpools and softball bats, we'll need it. i drove the GL and the R class. my personal preference was the R class since i'm not towing a boat and don't need all that tonnage.
in any regard, the diesel is the way to go. from my wife's POV, it's better mileage. from my POV, it's torque central. as i recall it's nearly 400 ft-lb of torque.
i saw TH's comment but locally, the R class is selling and the diesels go right away. maybe it's the tree hugger community here in seattle :-)
05-14-2008, 08:29 PM
#15
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We've had our GL320 for over 1 year and it is an impressive package. Mercedes really hit a home run with its interior and exterior design. I wouldn't change a thing as far as design goes. The third row seat alone trumps every other SUV made.
The chassis is softly sprung but it provides a butter-smooth ride. Great for highway, so-so for around town. It is also whisper quiet, especially so with the climate control glass option.
The diesel engine has plenty of grunt. It is very impressive.
The transmission on ours is very clunky during downshifts at low speed. It's going in next week for a new CPU. The dealer had tried to fix the problem a couple of times but now they are going to try a new transmission CPU(thanks to a previous poster!). Hopefully that will remedy the problem.
Overall, my wife absolutely loves it and I would give a perfect score if not for the tranny and slightly soft suspension.
The chassis is softly sprung but it provides a butter-smooth ride. Great for highway, so-so for around town. It is also whisper quiet, especially so with the climate control glass option.
The diesel engine has plenty of grunt. It is very impressive.
The transmission on ours is very clunky during downshifts at low speed. It's going in next week for a new CPU. The dealer had tried to fix the problem a couple of times but now they are going to try a new transmission CPU(thanks to a previous poster!). Hopefully that will remedy the problem.
Overall, my wife absolutely loves it and I would give a perfect score if not for the tranny and slightly soft suspension.