GLinVA

Hello fellow GL450 owners...

I find the GL450 seats too narrow for my, um, wider frame. And, that MBtex makes longer trips a bit sweaty. The sheepskin inserts didn't really help. Also, the passenger seat doesn't have lumbar support.

Do any of you know of an aftermarket seat company for the GL450?

I can't be the only one with these problems, can I?

lkchris

You're not, but I don't see how anything wider will fit the space.

The GL seats are indeed a full 2 inches narrower than the seats in our W211--in which I have no comfort problems. It's a major design flaw.

Seems the solution is perforated leather covered ventilated seats--available in Europe but not available for USA market of course.

Brocktoon

Wow, you must be pretty big, because I have a 48" chest, and I seem to be swimming in the seats, they seem too wide. If you live in Canada and go up to the 550, you can get vented seats with fart blowing power, and all sorts of pneumatic adjuststments, if you are from south of the 49th, you are SOL.

Passenges seat has all sorts of lumbar support, just no adjustment.

Do you own one already? (I guess you do) Any race fabricator can make you a bracket to mount any seet you bring them, you just lose your airbags, and most aftermarket seats are way smaller than what's in the GL already.

As for the Artico leather, yeah it is way stickier than I ever guessed. I was hoping the inserts would help, and as gonna pick some up. If you really hate yours, and they are not to yucky, I would consider taking them off your hands...

Kaumajet

The GL seats are like sitting on park benches compared to my Volvos. The second biggest disappointment of the car for me.

Comfy_Couch

What's the first?

JimBarnhart

I'm a big guy and haven't had an issue with the seats. I do have real leather instead of MBTEX. Maybe that makes them more pliable and fit better. I wish I had ventilated seats, but not available in the US.

dunderhi

I have the multicontour seats on my 07. I think they are a significant improvement over the stock seats. I'm not 100% sure, but I think they are now standard on the GL550's.

MB Fanatic

I love the seats in my 09 GL550 moreso than our 08 GL550. Obviously they aren't as comfy as my CL or S, but they make for excellent seats on long drives.

MKW

Seats are WAY too wide - back and cushion . I wish they had adjustable side bolsters .

Kaumajet

The Fisher Price™ nav system.

cjh.

Thank you, I'm not the only one now. It's not so much Fisher Price as it is Fisher Price that didn't pass quality control.

BlownV8

No doubt! Mercedes navigation leaves lots to be desired.

oknish

Been baby shopping lately, Kaumajet . I do love the description of the nav though.

Kaumajet

Yes, actually I find myself with a 3��.5 and a 6-month old, even though I'm old enough to be their grandfather

lkchris

Nah, the #1 problem is the crappy feeling brake pedal because you experience it every time you drive. Takes a whole day's driving for the seat problems to arise.

Kaumajet

See, I don't get the brake thing. I guess I drive it like a 5500-lb SUV and not a sports car I honestly don't don't see it.

lkchris

The brake pedal feel on mine is crap even when I'm driving my granddaughter home from preschool.

Brocktoon

I agree, my wife was complaining about the brake pedal when we first got the truck, and I just got in and never noticed a thing.The feel seems just right....

StevethePilot

Can you tell me what it is you're expecting versus what you're getting? I've driven a lot of SUVs, a lot of sedans, and even a couple of sportier coupes, and I have experienced "crappy" brake feel before. I find the brakes at the very least adequate on the GL, and certainly nowhere near as bad as some brakes on some vehicles (which shall remain nameless but whose initials are Ford Excursion) are.

Thanks,

STP

lkchris

It for one thing could feel like our E-class, which has a rock-hard pedal.

The GL pedal is all soft and very difficult to modulate. Not complaining about the brakes themselves, just the pedal feel.

It's the worst pedal feel I've ever experienced in my 40+ years of auto ownership (except for complete brake failure on a new BMW 533i), which includes lots of experience working at family's former dealership and driving all kinds of things. A WW2-surplus Jeep feels better.

You'll find road tests in magazines that complain about this problem and several prior threads here or at Benzworld.

GLinVA

In fact, it's the bolsters that are the problem for me. If they didn't angle in so far, or were adjustable, the seats would be fine.

I hear there is a company called GAAH that makes custom Benz seats. Haven't had any luck finding them yet, though...

StevethePilot

I've seen other people complain about the pedal feel before, yes, just was curious as to what you were expecting. I'm sorry you're so very miserable with your choice in vehicles. Did you test drive it before you bought it and if so did you ask them about the brake pedal?

Considering my own experiences, I'd have to disagree with the superlatives you've used. I assume you're just being dramatic. I've driven a WWII surplus Jeep (a ******) and I think the brakes were worse, so that comment's a teeny bit over the top.