Just got my GL320CDI last night after a 6 1/2 month wait.

For those who are sitting on needles waiting for their GL320's and wondering about latest hose versions...here it is. With a June 30 build, my GL320 has a Q3 hose on the left side and a Q2 hose on the right side. We've seen the Q3 for several weeks now, but the Q2 on the right is new. Carpersn just had a right-side Q1 hose failure recently and was told that the Q1 was redesigned. It looks like I've got the new one, now labeled Q2. Both hoses have a better clamping mechanisms than the original Q1 hoses on both sides.

On to other details...

- No option in the MFD to dip the outside mirrors in reverse. I forgot to ask the dealer so it'll be a 3K checkup item.

- No sign of the 3-2 or 2-1 transmission shifting problem that affected some earlier models.

- The car is no slouch with the V6 CDI engine. I've test-driven the GL450 and there's no comparison, but the GL320 is much quicker than you would expect for a 2 1/2+ ton SUV with a 215hp engine. The 398 lb-ft of torque helps a lot.

- MB made a nice improvement to the generally poor NAV system. The MFD shows the name of the street that you're on. My SLK350 NAV doesn't show the street name anywhere unless you freeze the map and scroll to the street.

- Voice control works pretty well to set NAV destinations. It's still not as easy as my wife's Lexus with touch screen, but it's way easier than using the joystick to enter destinations.

- The curve-illuminating headlights are AWESOME! This is a great feature. I've never realized how little illumination you get around curves with standard headlamps. These shine light into the curve so you can see ahead to where you're going to be going.

No exterior photos yet. It rained all the way home and will rain again today, so it's already dirty. I'll try to take some interior shots later today and then some outside shots in a couple of days. It's pewter with ash grey interior.

 

Congrats, and thanks for the hose info.

 

Good for you and can't wait to see those pics. We were considering your color combo when we ordered our 550 this past week and the Pewter/Ash combination looked great together.

ENJOY!

 

I know you are happy that the wait is over. Please post pictures as soon as you can.

 

CONGRATS........and get them pics now

 

Great report and good descripions. Enjoy in good health...

 

Glad you're enjoying the 320. Looking forward to seeing some pictures.

 

Took a few pics before heading out this morning. Lighting conditions were not the best but they came out OK. The ash grey tends to look lighter in photos than in real life. The photo of the back seat probably comes the closest to the actual color.

Drove 150 miles yesterday. Averaged 70 mph first 100 miles and about 50 mph last 50. Got 23 mpg on the brand new engine. Should get even better with time.

Need to pull out the manual to figure out a few things...lots of gizmos to learn how to operate!

 

Sharp... very Sharp! Thanks for sharing.

 

Looks great. Enjoy.

 

It looks very nice. One thing that is keeping me from ordering a GL or an ML is the absence of ventilated seats. So, tell me, how are the seats without the ventilation feature? Thanks.

 

Very nice!!

 

I have the MB Tex in my GL450 and after about a 2 hour drive in 90+ temperatures, my back gets wet, even with the a/c on.

 

Great looking GL! Almost identical to my 450, only I have Macadamia.

 

I have ventilated seats in my E55 and they do keep my back and legs cool enough so they don't sweat. In order to get them in an ML, I would have to get an ML63. I am not excited about getting one of them. I would rather have a GL. Oh well, back to the drawing board.

On second thought, I can get ventilated seats in the BMW X5. I am not familiar with them and I am not sure I would ever want a BMW product.

 

I looked at the X5, but if you want useful 3rd row seats, the X5 isn't the ticket. The 3rd row is a joke. Even with the 3rd row folded down, there isn't much room behind the 2nd row. I couldn't get one of my Labs in the back, let alone 2 or 3 (I have 2 Labs & foster, so I'm usually hauling 3 big dogs around).

I've never owned a BMW so I can't comment on that aspect. I'd never even ridden in an MB until I test drove the GL, but I do love it.