hraracer

Any know why the GL Diesel can tow much more than R Diesel?

I don't remember where I read it from, but was it 7500 lb (GL) vs. 4800 lb (R)?

Any feedback is greatly appreciated.

TMAllison

The GL is a truck and the R is a mini-van.

If you're going to tow 4500lbs I'd get a bigger, longer wheel base than both of those have.

hraracer

such as...

brake size, GVWR, hitch design, rear overhang dimension... etc. If anyone knows.

Gerneral assumption does not help me.

Thanks!

husk323

Right now you can get two R320's for the price of one GL

dgiturbo

I am pretty sure that the R class is not rated for towing.
The GL an Ml were listed as 4800 pound capacity on the older website (2007), but now they are rated at 7200 pounds.
If I had to guess, I think the frame construction of the R has something to do with it?
Check the website or stop by a dealer.

TMAllison

Ya oughta learn to ask more specific questions the first time out then shouldn't ya.....

lkchris

That's just in the USA and is typical of MBUSA.

In the USA there is no tow hitch available from Mercedes for the R-class but there certainly is in the rest of the world.

In the rest of the world tow hitches are available from Mercedes for all models, but in the USA it's only the ML and GL.

Diesel Benz

In Europe at least the tow hitch is not supposed to take significant vertical load, some 85 kg or so max. The allowed weight for towing is typically dependent on the weight of the car itself and to some extent brakes etc. I'm not sure if it still today makes a difference if the car is four wheel driven (but aren't both of these 4WD cars).

The Euro figures for the R are: 750 kg for a trailer without brakes (this is the maximum allowed in EU for any car) and 2100 kg for a trailer with brakes.

The Euro figures for the GL are: 750 kg and 3500 kg, which is uncommonly high. Also the drawbar noseweight is 140 kg for the GL, higher than the typical 85 kg.

dieseldoc

Get the GL for Towing. Body better designed for towing than R