hi
recently looking for a full size SUV with good gas mileage
so a CDI would have to be it as "i hear" that it gets about 20mpg ?

theres a unit for sale locally with 200000kms
i havent gone to look at the car yet but from my experience with diesel VW cars, 20000kms is consider very little mileage.
i am new to the mercedes CDI motors, is 200k also consider not alot ??

i heard about the oil cooler leaks, can someone tell me where these leaks are located ? easily spotted without car on hoist ?

currently i have a 04 CLK500 with many electrical issues, such as sun roof doesnt close when open, power seat motor needing replacing, and steering wheel doesn't come down automatically. does the GL class share these same problems too ?

Towing capacity, also the reason why i am looking into a full size SUV is because i have a 6-7000lbs boat with trailer that i need to pull,
will the GL320 CDI be capable to do this task on long road trips ?

thanks in advance

 

I haven't had mine long enough to speak to the possible issues. But before I bought it I did research, like you are doing, and in the end I figured there would be the occasional issue that comes up, but I also knew that some of them would be a one-time fix (or should be) like the cooler seals. I also was appreciative of the fact of how much (or little) I was buying this vehicle for compared to what a new one would be. With that in mind, if an issue would pop up once in a while, I was OK with that. It also helped that the (independent) place I was buying it from was very reputable. I did, however, buy a 5-year (aftermarket) extended warranty - my vehicle had about 60K miles on it so it wasn't that expensive. I waivered back and forth on the warranty, but decided to get it as "insurance".

I get about 19-21 mpg in mixed, but mostly city, traffic. I can easily get 26 mpg on the highway. If I keep my speed down, I can touch 30mpg if it's not too hilly.

For what it's worth, this is NOT a full-size SUV. The comfort level for 7 passengers is VERY good, but it doesn't have the size or brute heft that a Suburban (I have one of those, too... with a diesel engine!) does. You also can't fit a sheet a plywood in it as the floor isn't wide enough.

As far as towing goes, I'm going to be lazy and just copy and paste (below) something I wrote in another post:

I don't have a 450, so I can't speak from the power standpoint, but I do a lot of towing (primarily boats) and often tow in the 6K+ range with this vehicle, up to the low 7K range. I tow much heavier boats, too - but I use larger trucks for that. From a stability standpoint, I must say that I am VERY impressed with the Merc. I just recently had a boat (probably somewhere between 6K and 6,500lbs) on back and decided to do some VERY quick maneuvers with it. I was on back roads with no one else in the car or other cars around. I was travelling between 40 and 50MPH and did multiple swerving type moves - the kind you would do in an emergency situation like if a deer ran out in front of you. I started slow and progressed faster/harder. Well, I have to say that I was absolutely blown away at how stable the car is during that. I was doing it hard enough that the antilock system would kick in and it really kept the car smooth and secure. Even before the antilock kicked in, it was still quite impressive.

I should mention though, that a key part of this equation is having a properly setup trailer with the right distribution of weight on the axles and the tongue.

 

I'm a little confused - you talk mileage in MPG but the vehicle has 200k kilometers? What country are you in?
In US measure my '08 320CDI gets 28 MPG regularly on the freeway @ 75 mph (you convert if necessary)
If you are not familiar with diesels PLEASE have a trusted independent mechanic give the vehicle a thorough inspection. [This may not be very practical in some parts of the world but it is still important when buying any used vehicle]. The mechanic should know where to look for the oil cooler leaks/signs - symptoms.
Also DEMAND a full set of maintenance records [oil changes, type of oil, tires, brakes, air spring replacements, etc] Adjust the price seriously down if they are not available.
This truck should easily pull your boat with no problem (but it won't get 25mpg either).

 

I wouldn't pull at capacity with an x164 with 200k km on odo unless I am ready to sink money in the tranny and center diff

Otherwise I see zero issues with owning a 200k mile truck let alone 200k km.

 

Alx, just out of curiosity (and I hope the OP doesn't mind the slight hijack), is the reason behind your comment about the tranny because of it's smooth shifting? I'm a bit old school when it comes to things like this and I've always been of the mindset that a strong auto tranny should have nice, quick, firm shifts.

 

A high mileage 7g is in a worn clutches semi- constant state. The clutches are heavy duty and if not pulling much load once they start wearing out will slip a bit and be like that for a long long time. However when towing heavy stuff once the clutches start slipping a bit it goes downhill quickly.

And the center diff has a weak chain tensioner mount. When towing the chance of shearing it off increases significantly as mileage climbs.

 

Thank you!