kenfried

Thinking about a GL, but really like the small size (easy to park) and maneuverability of my 2002 ML500 in tight situations (parking lots, city driving). Any comments about how the driving/parking transition was for you from the ML to the GL. Anyone find the GL ride too floaty on the highway? ML is choppy, but no one ever gets car sickness in it, regardless of the length of the drive. Thanks for any input.

L8Apex

Yep. We just traded in our ML55 last week on a GL. Here are my initial thoughts:

1. The GL is a night and day improvement (in every way) over the ML.
2. The ride is not choppy (truck like). Very smooth, but not floaty. Especially on the highway. Obviously it is not as stiff as the 55 but it handles well.
3. The turning radius is just as good as the ML.
4. Parking the GL has taken some getting use to. The Parktronic is helpful. I would recommend the review camera option.
5. The interior is absolutely beautiful & comfy. Seats are perfect. Go for the sunroof option.
6. Performance. This surprised me. The GL will out brake and is just as quick if not quicker than the 55. Granted it does not have the torque that the 55 had but the motor pulls hard in the upper rpms and the 7 speed tranny makes sure it is in its power band. Big thumbs up on the 7 speed.
7. Gas mileage (so far) has been +2-3 miles better than the 55.

MB did a great job on this (dare I say) "truck". Highly recommend.

Go drive one.

FYI! We bought ours from Vadim @ MBLN (MBWorld member). Very professional. Plus he knows his stuff. Hope this helps. Good Luck.

kraven

I was hoping you could share your setup/options and the price you paid. Interested in the GL and live in So Cal as well, wondering what pricing is in this market area...any help is appreciated!

petery

I live in So Cal and on November 18th, I bought one from MB of Long Beach. I dealt with four dealers, House of Imports, MB of Long Beach, Fletcher Jones in Newport Beach and Vadim @ MBLN. Vadim @ MBLN and I exchanged emails but due to the distance I decided to stop there last. Fortunately I only had to visit two dealers (House of Imports and MBLB) to achieve my goal which was getting close to the Invoice price. I spent about 2 hours at House of Imports test driving and going over their inventory but left because they did not want to lower their price from MSRP. At Long Beach, I met a sales person who fitted my style which is straight forward no BS kind of guy. I took a delivery of Iridium Silver Metallic/Black with the following options if I remember correctly:
Keyless Go
Class IV Trailer Hitch
Rearview Camera
Rear-Seat Entertainment
Bi-Xenon Curve-Illuminating Headlamps and Heated Headlamp Washers
P1: Premium I
R55: Appearance Package
324: Sunroof Package
iPod Integration Kit
Hands-Free Communication System - Bluetooth
Illuminated Door-Sill Panels
Roof Rack Basic Carrier
MSRP: 70,503
MB of Long Beach: 65,500 (Initially offered 67,000 and I countered with 66,000 and surprisingly they countered with 65,500 )

Of the following, I didn't want Keyless Go, iPod, Illuminated Door-Sill, total of close to $2000 options but I couldn't find any others with the Silver/Black, RSE, Bi-Xenon, Trailer Hitch, and Camera which was a must for me. It turned out that the Keyless Go option to be the most useful option especially with two kids in the house at ages 3 and 8 months. I used Edmunds, Consumer Reports and carsdirect to Price the vehicle before I went in and found out that carsdirect price, at least for GL450 in So Cal to be most realistic. I found out GL550 to appear in 2007 but I couldn't wait that long. Happy hunting and I hope above information to be useful.

kraven

First Congrats on a beautiful vehicle...hope you and your family get many years of reliable enjoyment from it!

Very detailed, info, yes..a great help. I'm actually in South Orange County and pretty close to Vadim. I'm not at all in a rush, don't need the vehicle right now. The GL tops my list and the 550 will be around by the time I buy...not sure about the 320CDI. I also know one or two other MB dealers so we'll see how it goes. Thanks and congrats again!

Uygar

We all know that GL is the fat brother of ML. When we look at the features and option lists they nearly have the same things. Interior they are the same. The only difference is the length of the vehicle; GL is 11inch (30cm) longer than ML and you have to pay in Europe nearly €20,000 more just for 11inch and 2 seats. What do you think about this? People did not realise this difference in Europe but they will. Mercedes claimed that GL will be more luxury than ML but the Top Gear Magazine and Car Magazine also mention that there is no significant difference. Actually I was expecting to see a S class SUV in GL but we have ML + 11inch

lrrp

THe GL is much, much better looking that the ML, the rear end is much more satisfying. THe Front is very aggressive in my opinion.

As to the luxury, well, insterad of that horrid material being seen all over the dash, I have Nappa Leather on the dash as well as the arm rests, front back, rear and Nappa Leather all over the Seats. The car has a much greater appeal than the ML. ML feels a step below.

MB Fanatic

I would just go visit Vadim and test drive the GL. I too think the GL550 will be another good vehicle given the power it will have.

Steve_C7

I love Jeremy Clarkson too, but be careful to make your own opinions than taking a car magazines one for your own. I agree that it could have been far more luxurious than it is, but I do think that after you see one and then compare it to a ML, it does feel like a step up in finish. As for being the fat brother, well the only panel it shares with the ML is the front doors, everything else is new, so although it resemables a ML, I think it looks completly different. One more thing, having driven both the GL and ML for quite a bit, I can assure you that they feel like different cars.

Uygar

I used top gear and car magazine to support my idea. I drove ML too, it was good but the command system's plastic might be better. However the new range rover feature terrain response and two diff locks, which is a strong rival for GL. In Europe Range has a very strong position in market, GL could not break it with the same interior with ML. Also I share you ideas about design, but if I pay quite more money I would like to have a different interior. GL test was done by somebody else in magazine not with Jeremy.

ORK1

What's the use of two diff locks, terrain response etc. if suspension of Range Rover is weaker then even ML's? There was a very comprehesive RR vogue vs. ML comparison review in russian "OFF ROAD' magazine with pictures, showing that ML's rods (or it's called arms?) are almost twice thicker.

I dont' know what TG or Car magazine were reviewing.. May be they didn't see GL in person because pictures don't do justice.
I sat in this particular GL500 at MIMS, and loved everything in it. It looks great and it's light wood interior was beautiful too... There was a silver ML next to it, and there was almost nothing in common. It looked dull and boring in comparison to GL. It suddenly started to look girlish next to it.

Uygar

Ohhh I thought you are from USA. I heard that in Russia you have really great cars. and yes, range does not have the air matic system like ML or GL. I think in Europe we perceive GL and Range Rover differently. Range is quite old vehicle but here people always talk about its reputation, its heritage. In UK Range Rover is the best, because the heritage. However I will drive a GL 320cdi shortly, we don't have oil engine here due to high oil prices. I drove whole audi bmw mercedes vehicles. GL is a very good car, especially with 420cdi engine

It is mid night in here and I started looking GL picture, I want to drive it right now

ORK1

Only in Moscow and St.Peterburgh, since all the wealthy people moved here..well, mostly The rest of the country is pretty poor.
When i saw first pics of GL, i thought, what an ugly car, but in person it looks a lot better. I think that black it's best color. And one more thing, you can see chrome strips under windows on my pic, they don't have it in US for some reason, well at least i didn't see them on any GL pics posted here. I think that it looks better with them (especially when car is black).

I now see you meant Range Rover Sport, since i gues RR Vogue which i referred to, does have an air suspension. Well, i suppose suspension of RRS is much stronger then in RR vogue, since some components are based on land rover, so you have a point.

Uygar

I meant normal Range Rover Vouge. The RRS is actually based discovery 3 chasiss, RRS is not proper Range Rover. I drove RRS, I didn't like it. Interior is very cheap, you pay big money for RRS and you get nothing more than plastic. But the normal Range Rover Vogue is quite good and the facelifted model has terrain response but you are right with the suspension, GL and ML are amazing with air matic. In Turkey we have lots of lots of range rover sports, it became very popular. ML with AMG package is much much better than range rover sport.
Sometimes there are some difference with US and here; I think some of them are based safety regulations or other regulations that we don't know.

Steve_C7

The interior of the GL has alot more better materials, for example the dash of the ML is plastic, the GL is leather, the door inserts is leather instead of plastics and there is more wood and chrome than the ML. Also over here in Australia, the GL comes standard with the off road pro package which adds centre and rear diff locks, transfer case, beefed up airmatic and ADS. IMO Range Rovers are a statement more than substance, as they are no more luxurious than the GL, are poorly built and are no more advanced than the GL.

Uygar

GL comes with off road things as standard in everywhere. The facelifted new range rover comes with terrain response. I used it, it is very intelligent system. But it does not have rear air con, technology is not same with mercedes. By the way everybody forgot very important thing about GL, the pre-safe. I tested the system, I would prefer pre-safe with anything else. Because you could have chance to off road if you are alive. Pre-Safe technology is not present in range rover or any other brands. I think mercedes should focus on that too.

In Australia; is it true that you have no speed limit in autobahns ???

Steve_C7

The off road pro package is not standard in the US. We have some road here that are not speed limited, but they are in the middle of no-where, from darwin to adelaide and although there are no speed limits, there are plenty of Kangaroos that could be a problem at high speeds. The rest of our roads are sooo policed that you will be fined for being even 3 km/h over the limit. 25km/h over the posted limit will result in loss of license. With response to the RR vs GL, the GL just feels more solid and well built