Thought I'd poll everyone to see what your 3 favorite and 3 least favorite features of your GL class are. please include year and model (CDI, 450, 550) and mileage of your vehicle.

I'll get things started:

2009 GL550 with 1,100 miles:

3 favorite (no particular order):

1) Engine/Transmission - the smooth shifting and effortless acceleration of this vehicle make it a complete pleasure to drive. Unlike anything I've driven

2) Stlying - it's nice being able to drive around town without seeing a thousand other people driving the exact same thing (i.e. escalades, lexus SUVs) - the GL stands out without being too flashy but still doesn't feel like a "family hauler" (except for the two car seats I have in it)

3) technology - while this is a little broad, it's hard to pick 1 specific thing. from the IPOD integration, ease of bluetooth and COMAND system (big reason I waited until '09 was I did not like the interface in 07 and 08 - voice control rocks!), adaptive headlights - I'll never have to say "I wish my car had 'this'...it's got it all and everything is functional/useful. I even read in my manual that the vehicle has sensors to detect which side of the vehicle the sun is on and adjusts the climate control accordingly to blow harder on that side.


Least favorite (this will be hard)

1) brake dust - wow - how excessive is the brake dust? I've seen older GL's where owners apparently havent tended and their rims are basically now beyond cleaning and totally black. I'm spending 15 minutes a week wiping brake dust off the rim and inside wheel well.

2) no touch screen - yeah I said the voice nav rocks, but it would be even nicer to have touch screen interface in addition to the voice control

3) ability to cool car via remote (by holding down unlock) only works when on drivers side and in close range. The whole point of this (and my Inifiniti worked as such) was to be able to hit the button when you're a good distance from the vehicle (i.e. walking to your car from afar) to get it started cooling before you're ready to get in..not when you're standing 2 feet from the car and on the drivers side of the vehicle. Ticky, I know - but hard to find much wrong with it...

 

Just 2 Least Favorite's:

On my GL 320 Bluetec.....

I Hit my FRIGGIN' Head on the Slanted Chassis Piece EVERY Time I get in...

and

When I get in (After I hit my Head), start the Car, and put it in Reverse, the Back-up Camera wont come on UNLESS the Radio is on, and even then the Comand takes a minute or so to Boot Up.

On my wifes GMC, Power On or Off on the Radio, the Camera comes up RIGHT AWAY.

Otherwise I Love my GL.

 

2008 GL 320

Pro's
1) Diesel Engine
2) Build
3) Driving Experience

Con's
1) No Remote Start
2) Side Mirrors too small
3) TPMS doesn't show individual tire pressure

 

Agree on that one - I kept messing with the menu on my dash trying to figure out how to see that and finally just assumed I couldnt

 

oops - just meant to quote your #3 CON Scotty

 

Likes:

1) Engine/Transmission--smooth and powerful
2) Handling--exceptional for an SUV
3) Appearance

Dislikes:

1) Brake dust--a real PITA to keep clean
2) Stereo--I don't care what the defenders of this system say, it is below average and the upgraded system is a waste of money
3) Mirrors--way too small

 

Mid City Engineering has a remote start unit.

 

On my '08 GL320, only things I dislike are:

1. The automatic headlights always seem to be on. Dealer checked twice with no problems found.

2. The cruise control. Lowering the speed control or going down hill, the brakes seem to engage to slow it down or to keep the cruising speed as opposed to just coasting down to speed. Probably a built in safety feature but kind of annoying.

3. Yes, the brake dust sucks.

4. Very limited 19" tire choices for all season driving...there's only 2.

Otherwise I love everything else about it.

 

Likes
1 smooth ride
2 features
3 styling interior and exterior

Dislikes
1 ipod interface controlled only thru steering wheel
2 satellite radio display
3 no touch screen for nav

 

Regarding number 1, are you sure you don't have daytime running lights enabled?

 

I have 2008 GL 320.

I love every bit of this car/truck. On a free way I some times feel as if I am going to sleep while driving and that comfortable this vehicle is.

I love the exterior style and have not seen a single SUV out there of this category which can out bid this vehicle. To me this vehicle is simply the beast in a beauty as opposed to beauty in a beast.

 

pro

1. The fact it's a diesel. Plus what's delivered with this diesel.

2. The level of technology. I especially admire the fact that Mercedes doesn't compromise and provides the best brake pads possible. Dust is a VERY small price to pay.

3. The performance.

con

1. Brake pedal feel sucks.

2. Too much body rock and roll in around-town driving. Hopefully adjustable suspension option covers this and if it does it should be standard equipment. Combined with the poor brake pedal feel, this makes around-town driving a comedy of errors.

3. Seats too narrow ... ultimately uncomfortable on long trips. Now have wood beads/want ventilated seats.

4. Basic incompatibility of diesel engine and 7-speed transmission. It's getting better as dealer applies the latest fixes and the new fluid. Adds even another thing to the around-town "comedy of errors" feel.

5. Extremely poor outward visibility. To front, sides, rear. The worst I've ever experienced, in fact--I've felt more attuned to where the "edges" of the vehicle are driving a delivery van with only mirrors for rear visibility than I can in the GL. Did I mention "comedy of errors?"

--

I'm keeping mine nonetheless and now have a diesel VW Beetle for around-town driving. GL remains the pick-up-grandaughter-from-school car for obvious reasons, so battery is remaining charged. GL will be a great tour-the-Southwest vehicle and a great car for pulling motorycle trailer.

 

Pro:
1. engine/trans...smooth and powerful
2. I have the off road pack. and this vehicle puts my previous Grand Cherokee "bad road ability" to shame
3. handling

Con:
1. Nav system is a PIA
2. cheap plastic trim work in the underpinnings of the second row folding seats
3. small outboard mirrors

 

Hurray;

1) Engine - I have a feeling I'm glad I have the 6 and not the 8 cyl. GOBS of torque off the line, quite as a mouse (even moreso from inside), even has some passing power left over at the high end thanks to the variable turbo!

2) Size - physically smaller than my LX470 it replaced, (at least narrower), it's big enough to hold all the stuff we need but small enough to fit in to a typical parking space - unless there's a Tahoe on the left and a Suburban on the right, poorly parked by soccer moms with cellphones in their ears.

3) Ride - Yeah, okay, it's not a Porsche. But I disagree that it "wallows" - anyone saying that's not used to driving your typical American-sized SUV, thank you very much. Any stiffer and you'd swear you were driving a trampoline down the road. As it is, I can easily exceed the posted limit without realizing it - by a pretty damned good margin - even on the curves. I wish I drove it more, but the wife's always swiping it for long-term drives across the country and racking up the miles!

Hurr-nays;

1) The engine - could they perhaps have tested this thing before they released it? I mean, come on! How hard is it to design a hose, for chrissakes, that won't friggin' BLOW OFF, and three times no less, before Mercedes Benz gets it right! Not Yugo, not Zonda, but Mercedes-Friggin'-Benz! Damlier! Ugh! And can you say TURBO LAG!!!! I could make a sandwich waiting for it to spool up or whatever it's thinking about when I'm trying to get off of a light. Foot-down-one-one-thousand-two-one-thousand-traffic-is-coming-four-one-there it is! Honestly - your first turbo, guys?

2) The size - right, I get that it's a European vehicle, but perhaps I'm missing something, because I have seen the sizes of German asses and they're capable of being just as big as our own here. Plus, I've been losing weight. But still, that seat feels on my butt like my cheeks felt around my great aunt at Christmas dinner - squeeze! And the mirrors - are these for Leprauchans? This truck is sold with a towing package, yes? Can we at least have something as big on the back (aka shiny reflective) part as it is on the front? Was someone thinking of the Tardis? Oh, lastly - rear cargo space with the back seats up, I am sure someone could have thought that out another two or three square feet, but it's pretty nice with them down.

3) The ride - or at least the machinery behind it. This lovely ride, oddly, doesn't come with the off-road height adjustment package (which, I acknowledge, is more than just height adjustability) on the diesel model. Why? Maybe because diesels really do much better off road than many similar gas models, what with all the low-end torque and efficient engines. Only thing I can think of. But beyond that, the mechanism is quite obviously either unneccessarily complex or similarly delicate, with clear manufacturing problems seeing how I've had to replace both front end ones with just barely more than 50k miles on it.

Now you see why I love and hate this truck. Everything about it that I love, I also hate! It's damned maddening!

STP

 

Now you see why I love and hate this truck. Everything about it that I love, I also hate! It's damned maddening!

STP[/QUOTE]

Sort of like dealing with the opposite sex, right!?!

 

GL 450

Likes

1) interior/exterior design
2) Smart use of interior space vs competition
3) Overall performance


Dislikes

1) Tranny that still occasionally clunks on downshift when coming to stop sign even after software updates
2) Inability to control DVD from front on my '08 ( corrected in '09 )

and last but not least ..the most annoying "feature " ...

3) Inabilty to keep "music info" as the default when changing Sirius stations like I can on my other cars

 

You've been reading my diary again, haven't you?

The biggest difference there is, not only can I put the car in the garage and leave it there, when I'm tired of it I can get rid of it for a newer model, possibly without losing half of my net worth.

 

 

A friend on mine told me his friend's Lexus can actually download songs from Sirius/XM to the internal Hard Drive with the push of a button. Not sure if I believe this and if it does work, do you get charged per song a la Itunes?

 

If I think it's what it is, you don't actually "download" the songs, you just record them with the stereo. I've heard that you can pause the radio too and then resume it later. So the stereo pretty much has the equivalent of a DVR built into it.

 

2008 GL 320

Likes:
-Superb handling and ride
-Refined diesel engine, excellent mileage for vehicle of this size
-Overall build quality, comfort and convenience
-usable 3rd row and interior space

Dislikes:
-Transmission shifts roughly until engine warms up, even with software updates
-iPod integration is kludgy and cumbersome, can only be controlled from steering wheel
-2001 called and wants its NAV system back
-DVD player under rear passenger seat, wired headphones
-Homelink garage opener + IR windshield coating = very poor range
-Backup camera takes too long to display
-Satellite radio doesn't show or keep song info displayed

 

Now that's just not fair. To 2001, that is.

 

Love my 2008 320CDI, rides and drives very nice, great tourer, plenty of power, and while there may be some turbo lag, it is nothing compared to the Ford Powerstokes I had.

Love everything about it except the fairly worthless storage space in the center console and in the glove box. And, oh yeah, the lack of All Terrain tires in 19", but that isn't necessarily Mercedes fault.

 

After reading the above posts, I have the same issues. I don't understand why GM has better electronics with more features. The nav system with the joy stick is a real pain in the ***!

 

Yes it can do this. Acura also directly downloads ALL CD's into the hardrive. It also lets you record snipits of Sirius/XM songs that you like and may want to buy at a future date. They also have screen savers on the console. (add your family photo). The entire tech package of the Lexis /Acura is far superior to MB