dromed

Hi Peeps,
Has anyone seen a 550 in person? Can they determine if the fender flares are just attachments to the old fenders or are they cast aluminum that way? I was driving home yesterday and saw many car models with exagerated flares but they appear to be some sort of stick on or bolt on.
In the front shots of the 550 it does appear that the front bumper is molded with the flare but the fenders might be a stick on. Please confirm this. If its so, a $1000 bumber and 350 flares for the fenders may give us a 550 wannabe for all our 'old' '07's!

Peace.

PS. saw an '08 C yesterday at downtown Mercedes in Los Angeles. WOW that is a really nice car and it show signs of whats to come for 09' E classe!!

Waiting-4-550

I'm hoping the 550s fender flares differentiate it from a 450.. I saw the 550 at the NY auto show and the 550 definitely had bigger appeal.. maybe that was partly from fender flares

jpeardm

My bet is that the flares are added on to the 450 body parts but without the bigger AMG wheels a 450 might not look quite right. I'll just wait 24 months and wait until all the options are sorted out on the 550 and trade on up.

Nevada Jack

My guess would be they are not add ons and are new stampings for the GL550. Trying to convert a GL to look like the 550 would be not only difficult but very expensive. Take jpeardm's advice and trade up late on.

oknish

If they have Distronic for 550 then me and you both will be trading.

GL Fahrer

The fender flares are add-ons to the wheel wells. There is no sheet metal change.
They are not just cosmetic, but actaully required for certification. The 10" wide wheels and tires protrude slightly beyond the outside of the wheel well thus requiring the added flare.

This is why you cannot get the AMG 21" wheels and tires on the V6 and V8.

And yes...the V8+ looks just silly with the fender flares and smaller wheels.

Nevada Jack

How did they do the add-ons. Are they plastic and filled, welded or what? This does not set well with me...no distronic because they could not adapt the star emblem and now add-on wheel flares. What else have they adjusted or as we say in the Navy, is anything else "jury rigged?" And while I am on the subject, why the Blue glass replacement for the IR glass...cost cutting? I am getting some bad vibes.

jpeardm

Probably applied with a combo of 3M tape and some fasteners. I'm sure they will be very secure and from the photos look pretty well executed. Maybe the distronic will show up next year. Blue glass for bling??

Nevada Jack

Not on my Mercedes! 3M tape and fasteners...let's see that rig in a year or so and then maybe it will be "well execute." Those photos are retouched up the gazoo...you can't tell anything from a rendition.

GL Fahrer

Blue Glass is certainly not a cost cutting measure. it costs more than the standard green glass to manufacture. The GL550 required "exclusive differentiation" and a "sport" direction with the overall look. Blue glass provides this. (MY'08 V6 & V8 cannot get this) Some disagree, but you know what they say about opinions; they're like belly buttons and A@#$%&*s.....everyone's got one.

Don't forget that Europe has been selling a GL with the 5.5L since launch(GL500). But when it was decided to bring it to the USA, it must have been decided that it had to be different, alot different to justify the engine premium. Big grille and big wheels (standard) were the answer. However, the 21" wheels required the extension of the wheel wells with flares. Face it, most people who buy this want to be noticed. How the fender flares are applied are not a concern for these customers. Europeans have been able to order the 21" rim & fender flare combo since launch. As long as there are no complaints from the European customers who have been ordering these, there shouldn't be any concerns for U.S. customers.

Just my humble opinion..

Nevada Jack

I read about the Blue Glass when I purchased my 2003 W211. However, the website states IR glass is standard on the 450/320. As I remember the IR glass is costlier than the Blue.

There were no complaints on the EU GL320CDI but the US model had a major hose problem and a close friend had his repurchased by MB. EU can order any thing from the goodie list but not the US buyer..again a marketing expert in Montvale making his mark.

I am sorry...this looks like a sales promotion vehicle aimed at some market which I don't know if MB has really identified. But looking at it objectively it is not my cup of tea at this point. I like the looks of it but I don't like the way it is being presented and in some ways the way it is being developed.

GL Fahrer

Let there be no mistake. The V8+ was introduced to compete directly with the Escalade and Navigator... (masculine, fully equipped, big grille, chrome everywhere and wheels stolen from MTV Cribs)
The V8+ certainly isn't for everyone. If you are more practicle, then the V6 & V8 should fit the bill. If you want to add a little more "presence" or "bling" to the equation, then the V8+ is your solution.


BTW: Blue glass is cheaper than I.R glass, but more expensive than Standard glass. It lends to the "Sporty" look adopted by M-B for some years now.
I.R. glass is not standard, it is only available on the V6 and V8 with the P2 package while Blue glass is not available at all, on these models.

GL Fahrer

Simple answer? ...yes

but that seems to be what folks want with the V8+

Nevada Jack

I appreciate your input and you make good points on the market for this vehicle. I still like the vehicle for it's "different look" but mostly for the engineering in the engine/tranny combo. It is one hell of a machine on the local roads and unbelievable on the highway. This should be a greatly admired SUV by most consumers.

I will probably decide over the weekend what direction I want to go. I have wanted a SUV or wagon for some time and I always have second thoughts in giving up the technology features of the S class.

I want to thank you for you excellent input and I am sure the other guys (and gals) appreciate it also. I guess Bling marketing works on the old guys also...:-)

Can Drive 55

GL Fahrer, if I may ask, why aren't ventilated seats offered on the GL 550 or any other GL ? I think they are available on the ML 63 AMG (at least they were in MY 2007), so they are at least designed and produced. Thanks for all of your input. I, as well as everyone else, really appreciate it.

GL Fahrer

Sorry to say that Ventilated seats are one of those options that few seem to order. It's not unusual to see ordering as low as 5 orders for every 1000 vehicles. This is the same situation with Multi-contour seats. It seems that the typical U.S. (SUV) buyer does not have the same requirements as a passenger car buyer.

Nevada Jack

I really think that it is not so much what the "typical US buyer" has a requirement for, but that the US buyer is getting tired of having the base price set low and then must add $15-20K in options to get what they feel is a complete vehicle. Things such as seating options then become "discretionary" add ons (or deletes) due to pricing structures.

And why is the EU buyer treated differently by being able to select from a long list of extras while the US buyer takes what MBUSA thinks is best for them. The truck is made on the same line in Alabama and I would imagine the production inventories provided are made by the same vendor?

Waiting-4-550

US Americans want it all at one price please

Can Drive 55

Thanks for the reply and the insight. I am thinking that most GLs and MLs sold in the states are actually ordered by management at the dealerships for stock inventory. Those people are the ones that have decided not to order the ventilated seats. Also, I am not sure how they could have ordered them in the first place, since they were not listed as being available. Oh well, life goes on and I, for one, will have to learn how to deal with the issue.

Speaking of ventilated seats, are they included in the ML63 as they were in MY 2007? Thank you for your time and candor. We may not like the answers that you provide, but we know that you are just the messenger and not the one who made the decision. We do appreciate your input. Thank again.

Can Drive 55

That is just about what we have with the GL550.

Waiting-4-550

So MB did get it right.. They'll be getting 80K out of me with a smile and a thank you very much...

GL Fahrer

European buyers are flat-out different than Americans.

Nearly every luxury buyer in the US will lease his/her car for 2-3 years then throw it away for another. What's more, the dealers do indeed have to keep stock vehicles sitting on the lot because U.S. buyers do not want to wait months for a car. They want it now.They will walk accross the street to a competitor if a similar car is available immediately. We are a dispoable society.


The German buyer, on the other hand, will buy his car, not for the prestige, but for the practicality. M-B and BMW are more mainstream autos. Which is why you can get a car with a 1.8L engine, standard transmission and cloth seats.
Why? Because they will buy their cars for ten or more years. They stress over the list of options, they call family meetings to discuss whether to get rain sensing wipers or auto-dimming mirrors!
Whats more, the dealers (in general) do not stock these cars. The Europen has no problem waiting four months for his order to be delivered since he will be living with it for a decade.
Ading to that; the majority of German dealers are owned by M-B. Which means that there is little pressure from surrounding M-B dealers.
Will they walk accross the street to a BMW? No.
Europeans have the same brand loyalty toward local manufacturers as do our friends in the core U.S.: "I'm a Chevy guy...he's a Ford guy"

Waiting-4-550

GL you are a truly knowledgeable car man.... No way a a chic could have this info... My hat is off to you and I am finding your posts quite interesting... Americans should be less disposable and more committed to their choices..... This goes beyond car purchasing!

gmartin

Maybe I'm more of a European than I would like to admit. I tend to buy and hold for more than five years. Had my last two cars for 11 years a piece. I would have bought an 07 450 in May but could not find one with the options we wanted specifically leather and 3 zone air. We had multiple dealers search and could only find ones 2000 miles away - with transport costs that would break any discount. To order a car to our specs would have taken 2 months to deliver so we waited for the 08 MY. Even though we don't want or need all the options on the 550 my wife likes the exterior better and a 450 with the options we wanted would have cost us only a few $$ less.

Nevada Jack

I agree with you about GL's postings. He has been a great help to all of us in learning what the GL550 is all about.

However, EU's are EU's and Yanks are Yanks. Our culture and economy is one of progress and vibrancy and as such we use our freedom of choice to do what we desire, when we desire. I am committed to my choices about as much as anybody but I also exercise my right to change that choice whenever I feel I want to.

The industry GL works for (I assume the auto industry) depends on us Yanks switching cars as often as we want and would not care a damn if we did it every 6 months. The economy grows with every new model and every new car sold. If we followed the EU philosophy of long term retention, the US auto industry would have a tougher time than they are now experiencing.

"I just bought a 2007 model, when are the 2008's due out and what goodies does it have?" The auto industry loves it...:-)

Just my opinion...