Those who have bought new GL, or those who have seen and checked it out and are well informed please opine in your OWN opinion which options must be purchased and why....am ready to buy GL and making sure utilize advice on this great forum.

1. Leather v.s MB Tex...any comments if someone has compared?

2. IPOD kit is it easy to install on our own later if GL not avaialble with it?

3. I personally do not wish any exterior show, just family car with kids & parents.

Thanks in advance for input....

 

Well this car is for my wife so the options she wanted are what I"m posting.

The rear entertainment system. Since you have kids ... she said this was a deal breaker. (Of course you can get this installed at the dealer as well)

Ipod Kit (again you can get this installed at the dealer)

Thats it.

We looked at cars with leather and without and to be honest we expect this car to get dirty with all the kids so I don't think leather is a must have.

 

My opinion, none of the listed options is a must.
1. the mb txt looks the same as leather but more durable.
2. The sound quality is not good from ipod. burn mp3 CD is a much better choice (at least 75 songs a CD and the sound quality is much better than from ipod).

What is a must:

1. the navigation system for traveling (long or short trips. I found out it is very helpful). order a pre-install one because it will cost you about $500 more for dealer install.
2. rear entertainment system ( the two lcds mounted on the front-row seats' head resting). This is a factory install only but not a dealer option.
3. the electronic folded outside mirrors (factory install only) to avoid accidental damage from street parking.
4. the back up camera. this would help for city street parking but not a must if you don't do parallel parking.

 

P1: Premium I YES
Bunch of convenient features. Most important being the dvd nav. Power tailgate is very convenient also; especially for moms with kids.

R55 Appearance Package NO
Personally like this alot. Must have? For me, yes but nothing detrimental.

323 Heating Package NO
What's better then to warm your buns on a nice heated seat in the middle of winter? Unless you live in the warm states, I'd say this is a very frequently used feature. A must have? No, you won't die from a chilled bum.

324 Sunroof Package NO
I always buy cars with sunroof. I never use 'em. I still don't know why I order the sunroof option on all my cars.

334 Off-Road Package NO
It would be nice to have but far from a must have.

Power Tailgate YES/NO
Yes if you didn't order the P1 Package AND its for a woman with children. Otherwise, no.

Keyless Go YES FOR ME
MUST have. I've never had it until now. My wife drives the car and she loves it. The few times I've driven it, WOW. It is so convenient. This feature will be a must for me for all my future cars.

3-Zone Climate Control NO
I have it. Not a must have.

IV Trailer Hitch NO unless you tow
A must have if you are going to use the car to tow.

Distronic NO
I never use cruise control. I've used cruise control maybe once or twice in the 20 years of driving. So no for me. I hear its awesome tho from those that do use it frequently.

Wood/Leather Steering Wheel NO
I have it. It looks nice but not a must have. Also, its not heated and can't be bought with the heating package. Regular steering wheel is heated.

Rear-Seat Entertainment NO
I have kids. I ordered this but not a must have. But I may change my mind. First semi-long road trip coming up.

Multicontour Seats NO
Its nice to have. If you are particular about seating comfort, its a must have. If you're the type that never adjusts seats, its a waste. I have it. I like it alot but I wouldn't miss it that much if I didn't have it.

Bi-Xenon Curve-Illuminating Headlamps and Heated Headlamp Washers YES
I will never buy a car without xenons. Yes, there is that much of a difference.

Leather Upholstery NO
People will sit there and argue whether or not the material is leather or mbtex. Most people don't know the difference. Its a status thing, nothing more; unless someone can enlighten me on the superiority of leather over synthetic. I got it anyway since I'm brainwashed that leather is "better." In what way I have no idea except it smells nice.

Back-Up camera: NO
Its convenient for parallel parking but I've done it for years without a camera and never damaged my bumpers. I got it but a must have? No.

Bluetooth Module: YES
Must have if you ever find yourself using a phone in your car.

Ipod:
I don't use ipod but YES if you do.

 

I have marked Yes to the stuff I have. I personally like everything I have. I am just waiting to get the Running boards of the PE! Does anyone have the Part#?

P1: Premium I.Yes

R55 Appearance Package:Yes

323 Heating Package:Yes

324 Sunroof Package:Yes

334 Off-Road Package NO

Power Tailgate: YES

Keyless Go: YES

3-Zone Climate Control: Yes

IV Trailer Hitch: NO

Distronic: NO

Wood/Leather Steering Wheel:Yes

Rear-Seat Entertainment: Yes
Multicontour Seats: Yes

Bi-Xenon Curve-Illuminating Headlamps and Heated Headlamp Washers: YES

Leather Upholstery Yes

Back-Up camera: NO

Bluetooth Module: Not Yet- On Order!

Ipod: No

 

If you are waiting on your stealer to get the bluetooth module, bypass them and go directly to aws @ wireless4mb.com and order...mine came 2 days later at the MSRP (which i hear the dealers are marking up)...

 

Weird, noone likes the backup camera. My QX56 is nowhere near is good as the mighty GL, but we LOVE the backup camera and their version of parktronic. One back out of a Home Depot parking lot (loaded with F350's sticking out, guys zipping behind you with those flat carts etc etc..) and you will be singing the praises of the mighty backup camera and paktronic. Not sure if GL has parktronic but I would think it's a must have. Wife will love them....I'm tellin ya.

 

I have the back up camera and I like it. I'm just saying it is not a MUST HAVE. Also, many people don't have it simply because it was only available starting on the July builds. And yes, the GL does have the parktronic.

 

Xenon lights for sure. My brother is kicking himself for settling on a GL without them. We're gonna retrofit them (OEM M-B), but its much more exprensive after the purchase than from the factory.