googv

Hi,

This might seem to be a dumb question to ask but I will ask anyway.

I am going to drive through the hilly terrain between Chattanooga and Nashville, TN this week end.

Having a diesel vehicle, do I need to take any precaution while going down the hill or CDI is intelligent enough to not run-away?

Any input is appreciated.

Thanks

thebishman

You will find that the CDI is one of the best vehicles, for an SUV, you can drive in the mountains. Enjoy the drive.

Bish

lkchris

Use those buttons/paddles on your steering wheel to downshift.

Or use Cruise Control--it will NOT overrun ever.

43221B

Agree with thebishman. The diesel GL is about the best vehicle you can drive in the mountains. It will hardly ever downshift and it handles incredibly well for its size. The engine never seems to work hard. Be careful with the cruise because it will brake for you on long descents which obviously will overheat your brakes. As mentioned before, use your paddles to downshift if necessary on steep descents.

googv

Thank you all for your inputs.

I have driven about 2500 miles last December but mostly in Florida.

I am little concerned about the run-away affect of a diesel vehicle but I am now more comfortable after your inputs.

I love this vehicle and will see how it drives on the mountains this week end.

Thanks

StevethePilot

I live in hilly terrain (well, right near it) in the mountains of Arizona. One of the best experiences I have driving I-17 is coming back south from Sunset Point, where there's a rest stop that acts as a radiator cooling point going north and a brake check point going south. These days of course very few need to do either but it gives you an idea of the type of terrain you're about to go down (or just came up). It's a really fun, windy downhill road and a somewhat less windy one uphill (the highway's highly seperated at that point, check a sat map).

Uphill, my little diesel that could chugs away with nearly no downshifts and passes all those naturally aspirated gassers like they're standing still. Downhill I set the cruise control, watch everyone around me speed up and then hit brakes, then speed up, then hit brakes, while my six pack of kerosene chugs happily away with the occasional tap from the automatic braking system. Oh, and one of the most enjoyable parts of this particular downhill is how twisty-turny it is. Sure, this isn't a sports car, but it still handles very nicely with smooth inputs, even at ... shall we call it "highway speed"?

Enjoy the hills of Tennessee!

scottybdiving

Now that's funny. "Little Diesel That could", "Six Pack of Kerosine". Seriously, diesels were made for the mountains. Their torque serves well pulling uphill and the exhaust braking saves the brakes on the downhill. I don't know my way aroung much of AZ, yet, but I do know the route from PHX to FLG. I could see a GL 320/350 getting 35 MPG headed south.

StevethePilot

TURBO diesels were made for mountains, for sure. As for diesel braking - I guess the MB has some sort of butterfly valve that lets it engine-brake? I'm pretty sure Kent knows the system better'n I do!

Max Blast

I was driving a 26' penske diesel truck grossing at 22k over a 4500' mountain pass here the other day. Crept down to 43mph at 7.5mpg as my wife blew by me and eeryone else in our CDI at 65mph / 22mpg going uphill. She said it never shifted out of 7th. It's got ridiculous power.

lkchris

The cruise control uses the brakes. The GL has plenty of brakes and they won't "overheat."

43221B

Just a friendly correction, page 257 in the 2009 GL Operators Manual specifically addresses braking on downhill grades and suggests shifting into lower gear because, "This helps prevent overheating of the brakes and reduces wear."

googv

I finally did the trip between Atlanta and Nashville this week end and that too when Nashville is flooded with storm water that I believe that city has not seen in the last 40 yrs or so.

320 CDI is an amazing vehicle/engine. I am a little bit worried on how it will perform on the hills and after seeing all of your inputs, am little more comfortable but seen first hand how the engine performs.

On a 6% gradient up hill, pulled like a champion at 80 miles per hour @2400 rpm and has lot more power left.

Same 6% gradient down hill, left it at 60 miles per hour @2000 rpm and it did not shift the gears at all and just stood where I left it. Neither did I shift any gears manually nor applied break.

I am very much impressed with this vehicle as I noticed that many vehicles could not pull on a wet road with full of water in Nashville but not 320. It kept going and I could see that it is the conti tyres that are lacking as there is so much water on the road but the engine has so much power.

Would love to do more mountain trips this year.

severecaraddict

Nashville has gotten over 18" of rain in the last 48 hours. They've never seen that kind of precipitation in such a short amount of time.

What kind of fuel mileage did you get on your trip?

googv

Yes, my prayers are with all of them who have been affected by the storm.

I got nearly 29 MPG from Atlanta to Nashville (more of 60 MPH and less of 70 to 80 MPH driving) and only about 22 to 24 in the city (almost all of driving on heavy wet roads with lots of water, about 40 MPH driving) as well as back from Nashville to Atlanta (lots of 80 MPH driving as we are anxious to get back ).

severecaraddict

Impressive!

I live an hour North of Nashville and we got a good deal of flooding ourselves, but because its a smaller area and less houses/buildings; there was a LOT less 'flood damage'. I have a friend that tried to get to her home in Nashville for 8 hours last night, but still wasn't able to.

They had to evacuate the Opryland Hotel and it will now be closed for months. I guess we can all be greatful that there weren't more personal injuries.