GL offroad capability?
Out Of Control!!
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 12,512
Likes: 627
From: Charlotte NC area
2019 WS222 S450 4-Matic / 2007 W211 E350 4Matic (Sold) / 2008 X164 GL320 CDI
The big reason, other than roads to the campsite, I have not taken the GL "off-road".
I used to drive the Range Rover (89 and 91) everywhere!
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 8,881
Likes: 1,211
From: In my garage
E55, GLS450, GL63, GLE350
They are NOT 100K assets.
Deduct all of the dealer markup, all per-unit dealer support costs (marketing co-op program costs, etc), warranty set-aside, per-unit engineering allocations, per-unit corporate marketing allocations, etc.
Additionally, the loss (inflated, don't worry) is included as a business expense, so reduces taxes paid.
If it is an imported vehicle, (or has significant imported content) many tariffs and import taxes will be refunded upon certification of loss as a sellable product.
I would bet that the corporate bottom line loss is less than 50% of the retail value.
The "Insurance company" does not write them off, the corporation does (I am very sure they self insure for this type of loss)
Some go to the crusher, others go back to the plant as "engineering vehicles")
As of your 10K estimate.
Try this little trick.
Take your car and a 5lb hammer. Give each panel down one side a good hit. Make sure you scratch any trim in the process.
Now drive to a (good) body shop and ask what it will cost to make that car look as good as new.
EDIT:
http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB120942873506551291
Deduct all of the dealer markup, all per-unit dealer support costs (marketing co-op program costs, etc), warranty set-aside, per-unit engineering allocations, per-unit corporate marketing allocations, etc.
Additionally, the loss (inflated, don't worry) is included as a business expense, so reduces taxes paid.
If it is an imported vehicle, (or has significant imported content) many tariffs and import taxes will be refunded upon certification of loss as a sellable product.
I would bet that the corporate bottom line loss is less than 50% of the retail value.
The "Insurance company" does not write them off, the corporation does (I am very sure they self insure for this type of loss)
Some go to the crusher, others go back to the plant as "engineering vehicles")
As of your 10K estimate.
Try this little trick.
Take your car and a 5lb hammer. Give each panel down one side a good hit. Make sure you scratch any trim in the process.
Now drive to a (good) body shop and ask what it will cost to make that car look as good as new.
EDIT:
http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB120942873506551291
Cool article on the WSJ. That makes sense given the accident and the potentially devistating effect salt water can have on a cars electrical system.
Let's say the cars retail for $70k, not a stretch, and they are purchased by the trucking companies insurance. The insurance company will resell those cars to help recoup their losses. The cars will be back on the road in less than 6 months at $5k below book and there will be a line around the block with people waiting to buy them.
Out Of Control!!
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 12,512
Likes: 627
From: Charlotte NC area
2019 WS222 S450 4-Matic / 2007 W211 E350 4Matic (Sold) / 2008 X164 GL320 CDI
Even if it was $20k, it would still be cheaper to repair. The cars will still have a tremendous resale value even if they have a salvage title.
Cool article on the WSJ. That makes sense given the accident and the potentially devistating effect salt water can have on a cars electrical system.
Let's say the cars retail for $70k, not a stretch, and they are purchased by the trucking companies insurance. The insurance company will resell those cars to help recoup their losses. The cars will be back on the road in less than 6 months at $5k below book and there will be a line around the block with people waiting to buy them.
Cool article on the WSJ. That makes sense given the accident and the potentially devistating effect salt water can have on a cars electrical system.
Let's say the cars retail for $70k, not a stretch, and they are purchased by the trucking companies insurance. The insurance company will resell those cars to help recoup their losses. The cars will be back on the road in less than 6 months at $5k below book and there will be a line around the block with people waiting to buy them.
You may think so, but VERY unlikely. They never had a title issues, so there is no way the trucking companies insurance company will get a salvage title, and I doubt at insurance company is going to carry the liability of selling cars the manufacturer has written off.
My guess is you have never been a product manager.
MB will write them down to next to nothing, the Trucking company will pay based on their contract. (Risk of loss may never have transferred to the trucking company. Now, MB could say it was "negligence" and try to recoup, and the trucking company will just happily p[ay to keep the contract.
MAYBE (and even this is a stretch) MB will strip them and put the driveline assembles and some larger electrical assemblies back through their remanufactured parts process, just like any other core.
There is no money and way too much risk to do anything else.
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 8,881
Likes: 1,211
From: In my garage
E55, GLS450, GL63, GLE350
You are looking at this the wrong way. It is the carrier's responsibility from point A to point B and their insurance will cover the cost of the cars. Their insurance company will own the cars. They will sell to recoup their cost. It's the way it is done.
If this happened on MB property or was being carried by MB trucks, I would agree with what you are saying but this was outside of those confines and will be treated as any accident would be treated. MB will not write anything down and will end up making money on these vehicles and will reimbursed as if they were sold as new. It's a big win for MB and they will be made whole by the trucking company's insurance.
If this happened on MB property or was being carried by MB trucks, I would agree with what you are saying but this was outside of those confines and will be treated as any accident would be treated. MB will not write anything down and will end up making money on these vehicles and will reimbursed as if they were sold as new. It's a big win for MB and they will be made whole by the trucking company's insurance.
Out Of Control!!
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 12,512
Likes: 627
From: Charlotte NC area
2019 WS222 S450 4-Matic / 2007 W211 E350 4Matic (Sold) / 2008 X164 GL320 CDI
You are looking at this the wrong way. It is the carrier's responsibility from point A to point B and their insurance will cover the cost of the cars. Their insurance company will own the cars. They will sell to recoup their cost. It's the way it is done.
If this happened on MB property or was being carried by MB trucks, I would agree with what you are saying but this was outside of those confines and will be treated as any accident would be treated. MB will not write anything down and will end up making money on these vehicles and will reimbursed as if they were sold as new. It's a big win for MB and they will be made whole by the trucking company's insurance.
If this happened on MB property or was being carried by MB trucks, I would agree with what you are saying but this was outside of those confines and will be treated as any accident would be treated. MB will not write anything down and will end up making money on these vehicles and will reimbursed as if they were sold as new. It's a big win for MB and they will be made whole by the trucking company's insurance.
Believe me, I have crushed plenty of product for reasons any consumer would consider stupid.
Newbie
Joined: Dec 2019
Posts: 14
Likes: 5
GL420CDI
GL wading and towing
We had a load of flooding here. Some unlucky guys in a BMW towing a trailer with a race car on it had it die in the middle of 2ft of water in a dip. Hydraulic locked the engine and killed the electronics so stuck in park.
I was passing with the kids, one of them climbed out a window of the BMW(!), got the towing eye, I put the suspension up, drove in, attached to my towbar and pulled the lot out wheels locked on the car with trailer and car still attached up a wet incline without even raising the engine note, when BMW came onto dry road the back end was bouncing up and down despite trailer weight as locked rear wheels started to grip.
And I didn’t have any problems with electronics despite extensively testing wading depth driving through water twice, could see water/mud line on door.
I recently sold my landcruiser and don’t miss it!
I was passing with the kids, one of them climbed out a window of the BMW(!), got the towing eye, I put the suspension up, drove in, attached to my towbar and pulled the lot out wheels locked on the car with trailer and car still attached up a wet incline without even raising the engine note, when BMW came onto dry road the back end was bouncing up and down despite trailer weight as locked rear wheels started to grip.
And I didn’t have any problems with electronics despite extensively testing wading depth driving through water twice, could see water/mud line on door.
I recently sold my landcruiser and don’t miss it!
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 2,742
Likes: 627
From: Emmett, ID, USA
2007 GL450
We had a load of flooding here. Some unlucky guys in a BMW towing a trailer with a race car on it had it die in the middle of 2ft of water in a dip. Hydraulic locked the engine and killed the electronics so stuck in park.
I was passing with the kids, one of them climbed out a window of the BMW(!), got the towing eye, I put the suspension up, drove in, attached to my towbar and pulled the lot out wheels locked on the car with trailer and car still attached up a wet incline without even raising the engine note, when BMW came onto dry road the back end was bouncing up and down despite trailer weight as locked rear wheels started to grip.
And I didn’t have any problems with electronics despite extensively testing wading depth driving through water twice, could see water/mud line on door.
I recently sold my landcruiser and don’t miss it!
I was passing with the kids, one of them climbed out a window of the BMW(!), got the towing eye, I put the suspension up, drove in, attached to my towbar and pulled the lot out wheels locked on the car with trailer and car still attached up a wet incline without even raising the engine note, when BMW came onto dry road the back end was bouncing up and down despite trailer weight as locked rear wheels started to grip.
And I didn’t have any problems with electronics despite extensively testing wading depth driving through water twice, could see water/mud line on door.
I recently sold my landcruiser and don’t miss it!
Newbie
Joined: Apr 2021
Posts: 7
Likes: 6
2011 GL450
Is anyone in this forum familiar with the GL450 w/enhanced offroad pkg, and how well it works offroad? I was impressed to see the specs in my standard GL450 manual:
Approach angle: 36 degrees
Departure angle: 30 degrees
max slope: 100% grade or 45 degrees
Fording depth: 23.6 inches
Ground Clearance: 12.1 inches
Just wanted to get the opinion of someone who has actually put their GL through the paces off road...
Approach angle: 36 degrees
Departure angle: 30 degrees
max slope: 100% grade or 45 degrees
Fording depth: 23.6 inches
Ground Clearance: 12.1 inches
Just wanted to get the opinion of someone who has actually put their GL through the paces off road...
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 3,101
Likes: 779
NGL450 w/EORP, S550
MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Jun 2021
Posts: 1,899
Likes: 507
From: New Hampsha
'17 GLS450, '14 GLK250, Grandpa's Roadster
I don't know how that post ended up here. In fact, I don't know how it ended up any where. It started out (it thought) as a response to a response to a thread in the X166 forum to a thread polling age and gender of owners. I think the evil "related threads" feature must have gotten me.
Please accept my sincere apology for this gross breach of forum etiquette.
OBTW, the GLS identifies as a W121. We have tried extensive therapy...
Please accept my sincere apology for this gross breach of forum etiquette.
OBTW, the GLS identifies as a W121. We have tried extensive therapy...
