etpos73

Hi Folks,
I just got home from the MB dealership. I was very close to putting in a custom order GL450. At the last moment, I realized that MB offers the 350 (diesel). I had to put off my order to contemplate whether or not I should get the 350 instead. I realize that there are many opinions as to which is better. Please help me decide.
Thanks

KYBRIGGS82

RESALE RESALE RESALE

jchochla

Yes, think about resale. But also, will you be towing anything like a boat? Because if you will then i'd go with the 350 because it has more torque and its better for towing. But if your not gonna be towing and don't want the 550 because all it does is takes gas like it is its job, then get the 450.

etpos73

Thanks for the info.
I'll definitely be thinking resale. I'll keep the car (finance) for 3-4 years, then sell it. (or trade it in for another one depending on my first experience with MB)
Why is the resale value on diesels so good?
As for towing, I will occasionally tow my 22ft BW around, but mostly concerned with around town driving and up STEEP hills.

mdadgar

Based on all the religious wars around here, I think it comes down to whether you value snap off the line (gas) or phenomenal gas mileage (diesel).

I plan to tow an enclosed race trailer at right around the max weight, so diesel was a no-brainer for me. Also, I sold an Escalade to buy a GL350 because I got tired of averaging 11 mpg to drive one person (me) around all day. The GL350 gets 25-26 mpg on the same commute.

There are plenty of threads on the pros/cons of each. Do a quick skim of the forum and you'll see what I mean.

- Mark

etpos73

Thanks mdadgar.
I'm in a Range Rover Sport now, that offers the same MPH as your Escalade so.........
I'm reviewing other threads as we speak. I have a couple of hours before I call down to my local MB to put 1K deposit down. If not, I'll call it in tomorrow.

mdadgar

The one other comment I'll make is this: NO ONE guesses that my GL is a diesel when they ride in it. It's pretty amazing.

Drive 'em both and see what you think.

- Mark

etpos73

That is cool. I haven't seen a 350 yet, I'm really liking the idea of driving a diesel around. One other deterrent that may play a key roll in my decision, is the fact that there aren't a whole lot of diesel equipped gas stations nearby. Do you have the same issue?

mdadgar

They are all over the place around here (Silicon Valley). One cool thing that MBZ did is that diesel stations are labelled on the Nav map, so you can see at a glance if one is near you. I think you'll probably find that there are a lot more around than you think, simply because you've never had a reason to notice before.

- Mark

50ae

I have a VW TDI and an E-320 CDI. I just bought a used GL 450 because used GL 350's were way too expensive, all other things being equal. Don't worry about every staition not carrying diesel because with the increase in mpg you'll be able to pass them and go to the station that does have it. You'll also notice that a lot more stations than you think carry it along with nearly every station on the freeway. I can't really think of a single downside to getting the 350 instead of the 450 if you are paying for a new vehicle and if I could have got a 350 even close to the cost of a 450 I would have jumped all over it in a second.

etpos73

That's a cool feature that I would really appreciate.
Been catching up on some of the other posts. Funny how a few folks switched over from a Range Rover Sport (like me) to the 350. There's also someone who was looking at a Q7 who went for the GL instead. (like me)

etpos73

Thanks 50ae!

ddruker

I purchased a new 2011 350 about six months ago. Have a few minor electrical glitches and dislike the outdated navigation and telematics systems, but otherwise happy.

My mental calculus was mostly about fuel economy and resale value. I've been averaging about 25 MPG over about 5,000 miles since purchasing the truck. On the highway I regularly hit 28 or 29 MPG at 65 miles per hour. A full tank of fuel goes more than 700 miles.

I had a broker looking nationwide for a late model used 350 at auction for three months and he found no inventory at all - the dealers are apparently keeping them close because the resale is so high.

What are the downsides not yet mentioned in this thread:

The 10 gallon DEF tank (Mercedes calls it Adblue) is in the well where the spare tire is supposed to be. So the truck comes with run flats since there is no room for a spare. So in a couple of years, you get to make a decision when buying your new tires - do you spend lots of money on replacement runflats, or do you get regular tires and carry around a can of tire fix hoping it can get you back to civilization if you have a tire issue.

There is also maintenance associated with the Diesel motor. If you go to the dealer to get your DEF tank filled up at 10k and then flushed at 20k miles per the maintenance schedule, it will cost you some real money. If you do it yourself, it's relatively inexpensive and not hard to do - but you don't have to worry about it at all with a gas motor.

Also, I would not assume these new diesels will run forever like they used to in the old days - they are awfully high tech, lots of high pressure and precision parts to break. Maybe they will be great, I just wouldn't bet on it.

etpos73

That is really good information. Thanks.
Obviously, there's no arguing the gas milage issue.
Unfortunately, here in Hawaii, there aren't a whole lot of diesels being sold. For whatever reason, the folks in Hawaii are still gun shy when it comes to diesel cars. With that being said, resale on this car could be hit or miss.
The idea of run flats is a little discouraging. The roadways in Hawaii are amongst the worst in the country. I'm a little weary about the run flats, but think that a 20" non run flat may yield the same lack of comfort/ride, therefore.........

50ae

I hadn't thought of the run flat issue as both my diesels are older and don't take the additives. As far as a spare goes though I think I would just get one out of a junk yard and tie it down in the back if I was going off road where road side assistance couldn't get to me. Those run flats are quite the expense compared to regular tires.

The good side of the additives is these new diesels are so clean that they make a Prius look like a dirty car.

I have 19" rims on mine. I'd imagine you could swap wheels with somebody with an older GL to get 19's. The ride is very nice with them.

etpos73

Good point 50.
We do 99.9% of our driving in areas that road side assis would be available. So that may not be an issue. I'll see what MB offers as genuine accessory wheels and maybe special order a set rom there.

50ae

Instead of ordering extra wheels you could just have them delete the stock 20's and have them order you 19's from the get go. You wouldn't be stuck with an extra set of wheels in the garage that you'd lose money on that way.

mdadgar

Bridgestone now has an equivalent set of run-flats that are $250 each instead of $450 each like the OE Goodyears. FYI.

- Mark

etpos73

I didn't realize that was a possibility. I know I'm totally "defeating the purpose", but for sake of discussion, would I be able to order the 350 with 21" wheels? (same wheels as 550)

aeggroup

The only lucky guys who can do it are in Canada. US version of GL does not have AMG Sport package as an option. On the other hand - 21" tires are very expensive and many people change it to 22" wheels and tires, which are much cheaper.

Go with GL350...you will not be disappointed. Make sure you get P2 package, Lighting package, Parktronic ( you need it for that size of vehicle ) and Blind Spot assist. Those options I think are a must. Others are the matter of personal preference.

Good Luck.