Thinking of joining w/ CPO'd '08 GL550
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'08 E66 750Li / '99 E39 528iT
Thinking of joining w/ CPO'd '08 GL550
I've been doing a lot of research for the last month or so since my wife and I welcomed our little girl into the our family and the GL looks like the right answer. Budget of course in our sights and we will be coming out of a '08 750Li. She loves the room in the rear seat of the 7 w/ the front pax adjusted all the way far forward and we have yet to test drive the 550.
I'm starting to see the market come down on pricing as I currently see '08 550s starting at 40K. I hate seeing the 2013 commercials as I know that's the one to get, but like I mentioned above, we are trying to stay at the under $50 mark.
Two things: 1) the see that even edmunds mentioned the steering being a known issue on the '08s. I'll see what kind of work has been done to it 2) anything else that I need to know?
I see varying reports from owners from no problems to Lemons. I thought that the 7 would be a crazy mtx. car but it hasn't given us any trouble and we've been happy. Should I wait for an '09 or '10 to show up on market in a year or so? Thanks for all your input.
I'm starting to see the market come down on pricing as I currently see '08 550s starting at 40K. I hate seeing the 2013 commercials as I know that's the one to get, but like I mentioned above, we are trying to stay at the under $50 mark.
Two things: 1) the see that even edmunds mentioned the steering being a known issue on the '08s. I'll see what kind of work has been done to it 2) anything else that I need to know?
I see varying reports from owners from no problems to Lemons. I thought that the 7 would be a crazy mtx. car but it hasn't given us any trouble and we've been happy. Should I wait for an '09 or '10 to show up on market in a year or so? Thanks for all your input.
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Joined: Nov 2007
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From: Minnesota
2015 Ram 2500, former 2013 GL350, 2007 GL450
Most people come to forums because they have problems, so take that into consideration. I think most people have been completely happy with their GL.
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From: FRESNO CA
GL550
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Audi S5, GL350, Audi A4
Don't get too upset watching those 2013 commercials - judging by what others have posted, the dealers want $100K for the new GL550. If you can get a CPO'd 08 for ~$40K, that seems like a much better deal if you are looking to save money. From what I can tell, the 2013 aren't a dramatically upgrade from the current model - basically just a facelift/body kit, a little more power and some slight upgrades. But for 40% of the price of a new one the CPO'd is looking pretty good.
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Joined: Dec 2008
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From: Austin, TX
14 GL550; 14 E63s
The COMAND system did an upgrade starting in 2009. While it's not perfect, I think it's a definite upgrade from 2008. I'm not sure of all the differences but I believe 2008 was DVD based vs. hard drive based navigation. Not sure about bluetooth or it may require a separate module somewhere to get it to work. The lack of a "puck" to control it still is one of my biggest complaints. Almost every other class of MB has it except the ML/GL. They finally fixed that in 2013 for the GL and 2012 in the ML.
I have a 2009 550 with 65k miles on it and it's been relatively trouble free with only minor issues. I'd buy it again since it is the perfect size for my family and a little bit more driveable than most 7 passenger vehicles. Budget for tires on the 550. They are very expensive and you only have a couple of options due to their odd size.
I would think you could get a 2009 550 for under 50k. You can always buy an extended warranty if you can't find a CPO. We bought one for like $3000 that lasts for 6 years or 100k miles. My fear is the airmatic suspension going out. That can't be cheap to fix.
I have a 2009 550 with 65k miles on it and it's been relatively trouble free with only minor issues. I'd buy it again since it is the perfect size for my family and a little bit more driveable than most 7 passenger vehicles. Budget for tires on the 550. They are very expensive and you only have a couple of options due to their odd size.
I would think you could get a 2009 550 for under 50k. You can always buy an extended warranty if you can't find a CPO. We bought one for like $3000 that lasts for 6 years or 100k miles. My fear is the airmatic suspension going out. That can't be cheap to fix.
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From: CA
11 ML550, 95 Supra TT, 14 Audi S4
Love our 08 550, but it has had a long list of problems in a little over two years of ownership, the steering rack being one of them. I wouldn't recommend buying one without the warranty extension based on our experience. While the command system was upgraded in 2009, it still isn't as good as a lot of other cars, it is a big improvement over the system in 2008, which is awfully primitive by current infotainment standards. The GMC Terrain I rented recently had one that was about 3 generations ahead of the 08 version.
