dgt1031

anyone know when the 09 gl will hit US soil? My dealer is trying to push me into an 08, so he is saying he doenst know if the 09's will be here before december. Any update is appreciated.

Brocktoon

Gas or diesel? The '09 diesel has several drawbacks, so I'd buy now. Gas? go for the newest model year. There are several improvements, like DVD nav that may be worth the wait...

aceman

Aren't they made in Alabama????????????

Aceman

oknish

09's should be hitting the dealers in next couple of months and should be available in plenty by fall of 08.

dgt - your dealer is trying to move his inventory on lot, plain and simple. Tell him you will put a deposit on an 09 and I am sure delivery date will move up rather quickly.

cjh.

Correct, along with the ML and R class. In good ol' Tuscaloosa.
http://www.mbusi.com/

grover432

What drawbacks? Adblue and runflats? The only reason I' avoid an '09 diesel is if it got pooer fuel mileage than the '08. If the runflats offer a poor ride, you can swap them. The rest of the changes are worth the wait in my opinion. Better navigation, larger mirrors ...

Plus if you decide you should have gone for an '08, the dealers will be clearing remaining inventory out.

Brocktoon

Where ya gonna put your spare tire if you pull the run-flats?

dgt1031

is they are built locally, why do dealers say they are "on the boat" and headed to Jacksonville, FL?

oknish

Clueless sales person? Ask them where they think GLs are built.

TV550

I took runflats off of my BMW 550 and hated them. I don't know how often you flat out but between me and my wife I have not had any in over 15 years and if we do its usually a slow leak that can be repaired. I honestly have never used a spare tire in 20 plus years of driving. So to say not to buy a GL due to not having a spare tire is not an issue for me. I plan on buying the GL 320 CDI 09 model due to the substansial electronic upgrades and like someone said the bigger mirrors and if the run flats are a pain, I will put regular tires on there and not worry about spares, thats what AAA and MB service is for.

Brocktoon

Suit yourself, a new head unit, steering wheel and slightly bigger mirrors are not worth the added cost, higher fuel consumption, a whole extra vehicle system to service, the cost/availability of Adblue and the loss of a spare tire for me. I'm also worried about the Adblue freezing, and the fact that running out will eventually force a no-start condition. There is also the little problem that as far as I can tell, nobody makes a winter tire in the 275/50/20 needed on the '09, so there is also the cost of wheels, and steel ones are not available with the correct offset, so that means another set of alloys...but whadda I know?

MB Fanatic

1. Its more than a new HU. The entire NAV system is different. DVD-A 5.1 Harman Kardon. Finally true audio in the GL.
2. What higher fuel consumption? Its literally the same.
3. Ad-Blue is bound to be cheap, and shouldn't cost more than $100 every 15K or whatever the service interval is.
4. There isn't definitive proof of a no-start condition that I have seen or read about if Ad-Blue runs out.
5. Freezing, I am sure the MB-Engineers have thought of a way of preventing that.

For me the wait for the GL550 2009 model was a no-brainers. We loved our first GL550 and the new one will be even better IMO.

StevethePilot

You get the advantages of the new audio/GPS system without any of the negatives of the AdBlue caving in to enviro-**** system. Of course you are glad you got a 2009! Of course it'll be cheap (possibly)! Of course you don't know of any no-start situation (despite what others have said about it), because having the 550 means you won't have to deal with any of the downside issues.

Those of us preferring the efficiency of the diesel have found a wave of reasons running up against the positives that diesel has. Those who've stuck with gas, don't.

Brocktoon

Fanatic:

1. ...all contained in the HU
2. 1 mpg in the GL
3. I have been screwed by "special fluids" only available at the dealer before, namely VWAG power steering fluid @ $70 a litre.
4. No-start: https://mbworld.org/forums/showthrea...ighlight=start "forced use" was a condition of approval by EPA http://www.epa.gov/otaq/regs/hd2007/...2/kopinsk2.pdf
5. I dunno, it gets pretty cold here, and they have to serve it up heated at the truck stops in europe, so it's a legit concern for me, anyway.

Nevada Jack

The AdBlue tank is insulated and heated as I am sure the lines to the injection point are. I don't think this is of concern

As I understand there is sufficient warning as to the level of AdBlue in the tank and notification of refilling will be standard routine as well as several stages of warning. If someone runs out, it is the same as someone running out of gas and is usually "pilot error" and not the gauge.

If it was me buying a new GL320 at this point, I would wait for the '09 model for the improvements in the vehicle over the '08 models, including the availability of ADSII. Price could be a factor, especially on a gas model at this time because of the large discounts.

grover432

I agree.

grover432

I doubt MB will deliver a vehicle that won't run in the winter here.

No AdBlu no start: Easy, make sure you top it up as required. The car won't run withou diesel fuel either and we manage to work around that problem.

Fuel mileage is lower: I guess we'll wait and see. I haven't seen the EPA ratings for the 2009 model. Anyway if it is keeping the emissions lower, I'll give up the 1 mpg to be a good citizen and still drive a large vehicle.

Runflat/snow tires: Some vehicles are fine with run flats, others deliver a por ride with increased noise. It is something I would assess when I drive it. I haven't had a flat in 15 years either, which isn't to say it couldn't happen. Perhaps a plugging agent and an auxiliary air compressor would help. Keep in mind that replacing a blown runflat while on a trip to the middle of nowhere might be more difficult than a non runfalt tire.

But like you said, to each his own. In my case, I'll have to take an '09, my dealer doesn't have an '08 equipped the way I want it and by the time an order arrives, it will be September.

Brocktoon

Well, maybe I worry too much about the tecnical issues, but I'm often on the road in the middle of nowhere, I run snow tires, and I don't wanna be the North American Guinea pig for Adblue. That was enough to throw the decision for me to '08. If I went gas, I'd wait for '09, mainly for the mirrors, so there you go.

I also just can't get over the irony of burning more fuel to elimiate Nox, which as a component of photochemical smog, and as such is a climatic cooling agent. I'd say it's a wash from an environmental point of view...but hey, that's just me.

dmfick

You also can't get distronic in an '09 for any price - a feature I would not live without. All luxury SUV's are adding that feature, along with lane change/drift systems, while MB decides to drop it. My '07 320 didn't have it - my '08 320 does have it and it is like a whole different car. I would never again buy a luxury vehicle that can't follow traffic in stop-and go situations.

Ad-blue is clearly a work-around. However, it is not experimental - MB has sold it in the US in other MB verisons for at least two years - it is tested and works. However, in the GL, it is a kluge - the tank is shaped like a spare tire because that was the path of least resistance - put it there, add run-flats and be done with it. Mercedes engineering at its worst. The base vehicle was not designed for the system, so it is a temporary solution that will slap you in the face every time those runflats jar your teeth fillings. That and distronic are the key reasons we opted to trade early for an '08 vs going with an '09 - every '09 320 is a big step down from an '08.

Stumblefoot

I think you and Nish were the only ones to purchase that option.

I know he swears by distronic too, but I think MB only sold that option on less than 1% of all GL's produced to date, which is why they dropped it in '09.

oknish

Me and you, both, brother.....like Stumble says. I still don't know why they are completely dropping it from 320 and 450. I can understand them not offering it for 550 since that would need some design work. But it is already designed for 320 and 450 so why pull it out for US market????

If it is not back in '10 model for US, then I guess I will be looking elsewhere which really sucks since GL is such a great car.

oknish

I think, Stumble, one of our brothers up North, in Canada, also has Distronic. So there are 3 of us

I have to give you a test ride and you will convert too I know that it was a low volume option but it's already designed so why drop it???

Stumblefoot

I'll take you up on that one the next time I'm in LA!

2010??? You'll be trading in your GL next summer? Isn't that blasphemous?


Ugh... the horror!!!

Nevada Jack

Stumblefoot is correct in that the demand for Distronic was so small the MB dropped it for '09.

Had MB added the Distronic Plus then I am sure the demand would increase greatly. However, D+ is a much more complex system and uses radar for distance control and eliminates the need for Parktronic sensors. I am sure also that adding D+ as an option would be costly on the present models and create competitive pricing problems with other luxury SUV makers. I don't think MB will offer D+ on the GL until the next major upgrade of the line, if then. With the large SUV market in the tank, we may not see a new GL model for some time unless the AdBlue/Hybrid engines can make a big dent in the mileage numbers.

Just a ramble but the industry is in a state of flux and will remain confused for sometime to come (much like us as a group of enthusiasts...:-)

Nevada Jack

Just a note that the AdBlue models being introduced for MY '09 have never been marketed or used in the US. The AdBlue model adds a element in the exhaust system to the current Bluetec system which utilizes the fluid so the vehicles are legal in all 50 states.

And also, the GL AdBlue is not a "kluge" whatever that may be. I have not checked but the E320 AdBlue model must also have a space allocated for the tank and that space may also be in the space used by the spare tire?

As far as an '08 vs an '09, I would still wait for the '09 as I indicated earlier unless pricing is a key factor. I think the improvements in the '09 are significant enough to wait for it. The key ones being the relocation of the DVD player, the availability of ADSII, the upgraded COMAND and IR Glass and upgraded leather and vented seats in the GL550 model.