2008 Gl320 1 month ownership update
10-02-2017, 12:34 PM
#1
Junior Member
Thread Starter
2008 Gl320 1 month ownership update
As stated in my intro post, I recently acquired a 2008 Gl320 from the other side of the country and then proceeded to drive the vehicle back. So far we've taken the Gl on several family road trips and it's coming up on 6000 miles since i purchased her last month. Roughly 1,500 miles of those have been towing our Pop up trailer as well.
What I Like
Ride Quality - The shock damping is impressive in how it delivers a very refined and cushion like ride. It soaks up large imperfections in the road with little interruption and just wafts you along. This makes the GL an excellent highway cruiser, especially if you have a family.
Dimensions - The interior is commodious for larger sized people. Even the 3rd row would be okay for adults on short trips. My wife has long legs and she enjoys how much legroom the passenger seat has. Also for those of us who have Dogs the second row when folded is just the perfect height for large furry friends that like looking out the window. On long road trips we usually fold the 2nd row down and put the dog beds back there. It makes it really easy for our large dogs to place their head on the door sill and look out the window (which they love).
NVH (Noise,Vibration,Hashness) - There isn't any. My last vehicle was a Cayenne Turbo and i've owned many BMWs as well, the Gl is on the other side of the spectrum compared to those cars. It feels like a german Lexus regarding this aspect. It doesn't try to be sporty in any way shape or form and we love that!
OM642 - The diesel was the whole reason we bought the GL in the first place. We wanted something that was large enough for our dogs and luggage when we travel, had the ability to tow our camper and race car, and get decent fuel mileage doing so. I've been really impressed with the diesel thus far. On the highway driving back from FL she averaged 27 MPG(Hand Calculated)!! That combined with the 26 gallon tank allows this thing to have a bladder bursting range. On our recent camping trip to the Oregon coast we averaged 19.5 mpg round trip towing our camper around the speed limit (70mph). This includes navigating a few steep mountain passes and plenty of hills. The OM642 is also super quiet and doesn't really give off any of the usual diesel 'cues'.
Offroad Mode - Unlike most owners this is something i use on a weekly basis. We have a ton of BLM land where we live and we love driving out into the boonies with our dogs for off leash adventures. The offroad mode does an excellent job of keeping the Gl in the proper gear and I believe it might also raise the idle in order to make throttle inputs less jerky.The brake actuation function does an awesome job of shuffling the power around to the wheels that have traction. I've put the GL in some hairy situations where we had 2 wheels off the ground and it just keeps trudging through.
HVAC/ 3 Zone Climate - It has a powerful blower that cools the car down quickly even on the hottest of days. We usually have it cold in the Back for our pups and something reasonable upfront for the wife and I. The 3 zone climate control is a must have for those who do long trips with dogs IMO.
UV Blocking Windows- Makes a massive difference in comfort and internal temperature on sunny days. One of those things where after you've had it you can't live with out it.
Dislikes
Front Seats - They're not horrible but they're definitely not great either.. I hate the manual lumbar control, it doesn't do much and the general seat comfort is just acceptable. I have a sensitive back so i'm real particular about seats. I wonder if Gl550 seats with the power lumbar would be better or retrofitable?
Infotainment/ Harmon Kardon - Garbage. The OEM Nav is horrible. I used to have an Infiniti Qx56 in 2004 and the Nav system in that was light years ahead of the GLs. I will be upgrading to the Seicane 9" android unit very soon. In addition the HK Logic 7 doesn't sound that great at all. My former Cayenne Turbo and Both my BMW's with the standard sound systems are significantly better than the HK in the GL. My wife's DD is a Audi Q5 with the optional Bang & Olufsen Stereo, that sound system is in a different league compared to the HK Logic 7 in the Gl.
Parking Sensors - There is no audible warning until you are literally an inch away from hitting something. Every other vehicle i've owned with parking sensors has a progressive escalation of 'beeps' which I have found much more useful.
Mirrors - "What is this a mirror for ants?!" (Zoolander Reference) The mirrors are miniscule. If you tow anything you're going to need extenders period.
Summary
All in all we really love our GL. We've gone through several SUVs trying to find the perfect one for us and with the Gl we've found just that. It serves it's purpose really well as our family/recreational vehicle and we hope to get many years and memories out of it.
What I Like
Ride Quality - The shock damping is impressive in how it delivers a very refined and cushion like ride. It soaks up large imperfections in the road with little interruption and just wafts you along. This makes the GL an excellent highway cruiser, especially if you have a family.
Dimensions - The interior is commodious for larger sized people. Even the 3rd row would be okay for adults on short trips. My wife has long legs and she enjoys how much legroom the passenger seat has. Also for those of us who have Dogs the second row when folded is just the perfect height for large furry friends that like looking out the window. On long road trips we usually fold the 2nd row down and put the dog beds back there. It makes it really easy for our large dogs to place their head on the door sill and look out the window (which they love).
NVH (Noise,Vibration,Hashness) - There isn't any. My last vehicle was a Cayenne Turbo and i've owned many BMWs as well, the Gl is on the other side of the spectrum compared to those cars. It feels like a german Lexus regarding this aspect. It doesn't try to be sporty in any way shape or form and we love that!
OM642 - The diesel was the whole reason we bought the GL in the first place. We wanted something that was large enough for our dogs and luggage when we travel, had the ability to tow our camper and race car, and get decent fuel mileage doing so. I've been really impressed with the diesel thus far. On the highway driving back from FL she averaged 27 MPG(Hand Calculated)!! That combined with the 26 gallon tank allows this thing to have a bladder bursting range. On our recent camping trip to the Oregon coast we averaged 19.5 mpg round trip towing our camper around the speed limit (70mph). This includes navigating a few steep mountain passes and plenty of hills. The OM642 is also super quiet and doesn't really give off any of the usual diesel 'cues'.
Offroad Mode - Unlike most owners this is something i use on a weekly basis. We have a ton of BLM land where we live and we love driving out into the boonies with our dogs for off leash adventures. The offroad mode does an excellent job of keeping the Gl in the proper gear and I believe it might also raise the idle in order to make throttle inputs less jerky.The brake actuation function does an awesome job of shuffling the power around to the wheels that have traction. I've put the GL in some hairy situations where we had 2 wheels off the ground and it just keeps trudging through.
HVAC/ 3 Zone Climate - It has a powerful blower that cools the car down quickly even on the hottest of days. We usually have it cold in the Back for our pups and something reasonable upfront for the wife and I. The 3 zone climate control is a must have for those who do long trips with dogs IMO.
UV Blocking Windows- Makes a massive difference in comfort and internal temperature on sunny days. One of those things where after you've had it you can't live with out it.
Dislikes
Front Seats - They're not horrible but they're definitely not great either.. I hate the manual lumbar control, it doesn't do much and the general seat comfort is just acceptable. I have a sensitive back so i'm real particular about seats. I wonder if Gl550 seats with the power lumbar would be better or retrofitable?
Infotainment/ Harmon Kardon - Garbage. The OEM Nav is horrible. I used to have an Infiniti Qx56 in 2004 and the Nav system in that was light years ahead of the GLs. I will be upgrading to the Seicane 9" android unit very soon. In addition the HK Logic 7 doesn't sound that great at all. My former Cayenne Turbo and Both my BMW's with the standard sound systems are significantly better than the HK in the GL. My wife's DD is a Audi Q5 with the optional Bang & Olufsen Stereo, that sound system is in a different league compared to the HK Logic 7 in the Gl.
Parking Sensors - There is no audible warning until you are literally an inch away from hitting something. Every other vehicle i've owned with parking sensors has a progressive escalation of 'beeps' which I have found much more useful.
Mirrors - "What is this a mirror for ants?!" (Zoolander Reference) The mirrors are miniscule. If you tow anything you're going to need extenders period.
Summary
All in all we really love our GL. We've gone through several SUVs trying to find the perfect one for us and with the Gl we've found just that. It serves it's purpose really well as our family/recreational vehicle and we hope to get many years and memories out of it.
Last edited by SilverArrow_AMG; 10-02-2017 at 12:48 PM.
The following 4 users liked this post by SilverArrow_AMG:
10-02-2017, 10:35 PM
#2
Senior Member
Some of the issues you mentioned were improved upon in the later model years of the X164.
Overall, awesome review! I am glad you are enjoying the truck.
Overall, awesome review! I am glad you are enjoying the truck.
10-03-2017, 03:47 PM
#3
I have the same 08 gl320, my parking sensors do progressively light up when approaching an object, I love them! ..
BTW, I always wondered what the offRoad button does, I once used when got stuck on the snowy banked shoulder and I came out but was never sure if the vehicle would have come out anyway. You can tell the difference ,a?
You have dogs..., I just purchased this 16$ lining for the cargo , I really like it!.. it smells like rubber kind of strong initially, I left it outside for few days to get rid of the rubbery smell., just fyi.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Cargo-Trunk-...72.m2749.l2649
BTW, I always wondered what the offRoad button does, I once used when got stuck on the snowy banked shoulder and I came out but was never sure if the vehicle would have come out anyway. You can tell the difference ,a?
You have dogs..., I just purchased this 16$ lining for the cargo , I really like it!.. it smells like rubber kind of strong initially, I left it outside for few days to get rid of the rubbery smell., just fyi.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Cargo-Trunk-...72.m2749.l2649
The following users liked this post:
SilverArrow_AMG (10-09-2017)
10-06-2017, 03:32 PM
#6
Senior Member
Interesting to hear your perspectives. I find many of my experiences mirror yours, though I've owned mine a bit longer, and mine has the benefit of the mid-life refresh which addressed a couple of your grievances.
What kind of race car are you towing?
What kind of race car are you towing?
10-09-2017, 08:30 PM
#7
Junior Member
Thread Starter
I have the same 08 gl320, my parking sensors do progressively light up when approaching an object, I love them! ..
BTW, I always wondered what the offRoad button does, I once used when got stuck on the snowy banked shoulder and I came out but was never sure if the vehicle would have come out anyway. You can tell the difference ,a?
You have dogs..., I just purchased this 16$ lining for the cargo , I really like it!.. it smells like rubber kind of strong initially, I left it outside for few days to get rid of the rubbery smell., just fyi.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Cargo-Trunk-...72.m2749.l2649
BTW, I always wondered what the offRoad button does, I once used when got stuck on the snowy banked shoulder and I came out but was never sure if the vehicle would have come out anyway. You can tell the difference ,a?
You have dogs..., I just purchased this 16$ lining for the cargo , I really like it!.. it smells like rubber kind of strong initially, I left it outside for few days to get rid of the rubbery smell., just fyi.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Cargo-Trunk-...72.m2749.l2649
Trending Topics
10-09-2017, 08:33 PM
#9
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Are the seats and mirrors significantly better in the 2010-2012 models? I've contemplated putting in the multi contour seats from the Gl550 but without having sat in them i'm pretty hesitant.
Widebody E92 335i. Trailer + Car + race paraphernalia comes in around 5000lb.
Last edited by SilverArrow_AMG; 10-09-2017 at 08:38 PM.
The following users liked this post:
StradaRedlands (10-10-2017)
