carpersn

Guys (and any gals...)...THIS VEHICLE ROCKS. When i arrived, i was chagrined that it was locked, but did manage to talk a rep into sitting in it later that night.

Firstly, the proportions are awesome-it is the best-looking SUV on the market, period. The interior is extremely similar to the M-class, as we knew, but the dash does have high-class stitching on it in place of plain old angles...it looks very nice.

It is almost deceptive how large the thing actually is b/c the rear quarter glass is well-designed and conveys a smaller rear end. The power-fold third row seats do indeed fold totally flat into the floor, as do the second row (no humps to deal with ala previous gen. ML). The fit and finish was EXCELLENT (there was a silver and an obsidian black present).

Steering wheel controls actually include linguatronic-type buttons unlike the ML (little round buttons in the very center of the controls on both sides of the wheel). 18 in. wheels looked great, good size for the vehicle. The info sheet posted (which i will try to enhance and post as well) lists UHI cradle as standard, as it also does heated seats and the fixed sunroof over the rear seats.

2nd row leg room is great-better than the Tahoe, but not quite as much as the R. Third row is where i was scared, but both my wife and I had NO complaints...possibly slightly less than the R's third row, but adults could CERTAINLY ride comfortably back there. Ceiling height is huge, so head room is of NO concern.
There is much more room behind the raised 3rd row of seats in the GL than the R, at least as much as the Tahoe has if not more (plus they fold separately so you could potentially have one side with a passenger and the other for luggage).

The hood is perhaps my favorite aspect of the car; the pictures do not do justice to the raised "aggressive" look of the engine bay...

I am happy to answer ANY specific questions if i can...i cannot wait to get one of these, just wish they had been able to tell me when the diesel will be here (my dealer says his contacts tell him simultaneously if not RIGHT after the E, but they are not publicizing this)

DETROIT ROCKED! Oh, the new S65 wasn't bad either

ClayJ

Fantastic report. Very good news indeed. Thank you.

carpersn

P.S. There is NO WAY AUDI will sell these to anyone actually interested in a usable third row. My knees were in my chin (and i am only 5'9"), my feet were turned sideways and my head was scraping the ceiling back there. Otherwise it is a nice replacement for the Allroad, but it is NOT competition for the R or the GL.

JackStraw

http://www.mbusa.com/models/future/glclass/size.do

Thanks for the report. I am a bit confused by your statement regarding the storage space behind the third row. If you follow the link posted above, it is claimed that the cargo volume in the 7-passenger configuration is 10.6 cubic feet. This compares with 15.3 cubic feet behind the third row in the R.

Looking at the pictures of the GL and having seen the R in person, I have no doubt you are correct, but MB's own specs seem to contradict this.

carpersn

somewhere it is typo'd because there is no question that there is much more room behind the 3rd row of the GL than the R-that's why i did not end up purchasing the R I ordered...

AutoSaurus

I just made it to the show also. I agree that the GL looks great in person and I also love the hood. It is very aggressive. I own an 06 ML too and agree that the interior is nearly identical as mentioned above.

I could not get anyone to open either one of the GL's but it was 4pm and very busy. I'll walk back over later tonight and ask again.

The headroom didn't seem to be a problem but the knee room is going to be close fit for me.

The MB booth as the S, GL, R and E wagon all locked up for some reason. How can you sale a vehicle if you can't at least sit in it. Its not like these are coming out next year...we're talking weeks on the S and a few months on the GL. Very, very disappointed in this. No owner lounge this year either!

I did check out the Q7 across the aisle and found the same crunched legroom in the 3rd row. I'm 5'11" and it was impossible and my head hit the ceiling.

I'll be here through saturday so ask any questions.

rdk

Would you ask when the GL 63 AMG will be available? Thanks.

mbr129

Ask when were getting a GL 420 CDI. 315hp and 515 lb-ft of torque while getting you in the 20's for HW mileage. THAT is what this vehicle needs.

Legoinsaniac

I went to the auto show this weekend, and I definetly have to agree that the GL is looking pretty cool. Does anyone know if they are going to discontinue the ML? I'm curious if sales will drop for the ML because it now has to compete with the GL. They are different SUV's though....the GL is much bigger.

Here's a picture I took at the auto show

Jakpro1

price..Price...PRICE???? My Kingdom for a rough estimate on price????

Sorry for the over drama. Any news outta Mo-Town??

ClayJ

Thank you for the pic! Great stuff. I am actually starting to get excited about the GL.

Here's the latest on production and pricing that I have:

(Posted on BenzWorld from Press Release)
Mercedes, a subsidiary of DaimlerChrysler AG, produced a record 95,558 vehicles in Vance last year, including the redesigned M-Class sport utility vehicle and the all-new R-Class sports tourer.

The German automaker sold 5,400 M-Class SUVs in December, a record month for the company, said Ron Mueller, manager of the sport utility and touring division of Mercedes-Benz USA. The rising sales for M-Class, which in 1997 became the first vehicle produced in Alabama, are an indication that the popular SUV "still has a lot of life left in it. In fact, it's gaining momentum with age," said Mueller. "At the rate we sold them (in December), that's more than 60,000 a year," he said. "That's insane! The M has performed just way beyond anybody's expectations."

Mueller said American consumers are still discovering the R-Class, a category-defying vehicle that combines an SUV with a sedan. Mercedes sold 5,000 of the vehicles during the last three months of 2005, including 2,400 in December, Mueller said. "It's gaining traction, particularly in New York and Los Angeles, and that's where the trend should catch on," Mueller said. "It's a very hot car for us right now, and we've just started launching it in Europe, where we think it's going to be huge. They embrace new concepts a lot faster than we do" in the United States, Mueller said.

The GL, now in test production at Vance, is a full-sized SUV that should have broad appeal, Mueller said. Its projected price in the mid-$50,000 range is $15,000 to $20,000 below the average prices for its chief competitors, he said. "It's going to be a heavy hitter for us. It wouldn't surprise me at all to see it take off the way the M-Class did," Mueller said. The M-Class, a so-called crossover SUV, had a 12-month waiting list less than two months after production started in Vance, according to Mercedes."

(Oh - and I don't want your kingdom JakPro -- already have one...but nice of you to offer! )

chinhster

Grrrrr... I just bought an ML500 last week because I had assumed the GL would be in the 80s. I would've easily paid $10K more for the GL.

My only complaint about the ML is that it looks a little small. The GL looks perfect.

PHYBENZ

The ML will not be discontinued. They serve different purposes. Thank you very much for the picture though, and if anyone else has pictures, POST THEM! Or if you need me to host pictures, message me...

mbr129

To me there are a few reasons I would want a GL:

-Independent suspension all around for a better drive
-Fold flat 3rd row seats and better foot space on 3rd row (thaks to the firstpoint)
-Typical MB nice stuff (safety, luxury, good looks, etc)
-The avilable off-road package. Not for off-roading, but for the ground clearance and locking differentials. If I'm getting a clumsy SUV, it better get me through ANYTHING.
-But the BIGGEST reason to get it is the diesel engines, particularly the 420 CDI, if they ever offer it.

What scares me is the reliability. If Toyota Land Cruisers could be had with a nice diesel engine I'd get one in an instant (despite solid rear axle and crappy 3rd row seats). That thing is bullet-proof. I'm just not willing to tolerate 12/16mpg.

Thankfully, I can wait a while before making this decision.

S65_AMG

I dont know if anyone has mentioned this but the GL will be available with a rear view camera like on the S class

carpersn

distronic, although i don't think distronic plus...and standard heated seats (an MB first?)

PaulX608

We haven't seen one in person yet, but my wife really likes the press we've seen on the GL. Might be a good replacement for our W163 in the future. And we LOVE our ML. I tried to get her on board with the R500, but she was not happy with the headroom, or lack thereof, especially in the back. Looks like the GL has that issue covered. Can't wait to see and drive one. Thanks to all you guys who've posted pics and detailed first hand descriptions.

Trimmer2

I'm still on the fence regarding the Q7 or GL. I have orders in for both (ordered the Q7 and on list for GL). The Q7 "full-up" will be about $65k with lots of bells and whistles. Don't get me wrong, I really like the Merc and own an SL now but, the Q7 seems to be a pretty big bang for the buck.

AutoSaurus

As long as you don't buy it for the 3rd row. Its useless. The Q is nice otherwise. I compared both nearly side-by-side in Detroit. I like the looks of the GL better. The Q appears to have more gadgets though.

Trimmer2

I wish the Q7 didn't come with the 3rd row and had the 2nd row luxury seats for my purposes. The GL is very attractive but, I haven't seen it in person yet. I think the Q7 is bigger than most think and the GL is smaller than most think. We'll see...

carpersn

the Q is definitely NOT bigger than most think...if anything, i think it's smaller than most think. And the GL is bigger than I personally anticipated.

Good review in the new Motor Trend (march, I guess) on the Q7, but for whatever reason they barely alluded to space in any of the seats. It's just plain NOT for adults in the 3rd row, even for short distances. I'm 5'9" and my knees were in my chin and my head was hitting the ceiling in the Q7. The R or GL have true 3rd rows...

JackStraw

...but insufficient cargo space behind the third row.

carpersn

Agreed that R has insufficient space behind 3rd row, as in barely an umbrella, but the GL has as much as the outgoing Tahoe.

AutoSaurus

And Toyota Sequoia which is nearly identical in size to the GL.

The GL is bigger on paper than it appears.