In years past, family truckster duties were handled by vehicles such as the affordable Chevrolet Suburban and the Jeep Grand Wagoneer. Mercedes has had just such a rig on the market for a much shorter time: the GL-Class. Motor Trend recently made one its long-term test vehicle. It ended up being loaded in more ways than one: with people and gear, and with sticker price. \
So far, the 2013 GL350 BlueTEC 4MATIC has been used for “commuting, weekend errand-running, and road trips” it costs $90,000. It seems as if Michael Febbo has enjoyed every penny of the GL350. His first update detailed his love of its comfortable seating and thoughtful HVAC vent arrangement. “Ride and handling are superior as well.” The SUV’s biggest weakness is the inability of the buildings around it—namely, drive-throughs—to accommodate it. Installment number two picked up after a 1,600-mile road trip with all seven seats occupied. The added weight wasn’t able to upset the ride and handling and the miles melted away. No wonder Febbo deemed it one of the best long-distance people haulers in the Motor Trend test fleet.
We’ll have to wait to see if his opinion changes in the coming months. Click the links below to discover what kind of fuel mileage the big diesel is getting and how much it’s cost MT to maintain such a high-end SUV. via
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
