dcGL56

Hi all,

I have been tasked with helping my dad transition from his older Sequoia into a GL. He does most(all) of the maintenance himself and has the tools and knowledge to do almost anything(including rebuilding transmissions, bless his heart) but age does take its toll and he doesn't have the patience anymore to constantly keep tinkering with the vehicle that he drives. The 1st gen Sequoia has served him well and he is now looking at getting into the GL real as he's always wanted one. We scoured this forum and have a general idea of what to expect. He is not a fan of the X166 and the body/dash so is looking for a very late model (2011 or 2012) x164. The torque/mpg/diesel longevity aspects appeals to him in the 350 but we were reading enough about oil cooler leaks and general issues about the diesel to give us some concern. I feel like the oil cooler issues should have been addressed by 2012 but who knows. The 550 is the other option(mostly the power), with the only issue being the stupid 21 inch wheels. Anyone have any thoughts on one vs the other based on personal experience? This would be a 2011 or 2012 model, with 50-60k miles. Realizing this won't be a completely trouble free vehicle but interested to hear which way people tend to lean(350 vs 550), in terms of mechanical robustness and long-term longevity. Again, all maintenance will be done in house and no shops will touch it except where absolutely necessary. Any thoughts are greatly appreciated.

Jason B

There's really no compairison here. If you're looking at the 350, you already know it's the slowest one, but 700-800 miles to a tank is where it shines, and no spark plugs to deal with, and diesel engines from Mercedes are known to last forever and ever. I have 2012 and love it. Id' try to get the last model year and most of the kinks are worked out. Oh, the 350 does have a ton of Torque.

rayray999

I was about to ask the same question, so I'll add on ...I can give you my experience with the Diesel (2011 GL350) that was babied with all services .... It's a POS ! ... This car will not go more than 2000 miles without me having to spend hundreds of dollars on something.
Ironically, if it was reliable like our other SUV's (ie: Ford expedition), it is an amazing car ... The diesel torque is amazing ... The MPG is phenomenal for a 7 seater, and it super quiet just cruising down the highway ...

I'm currently getting ready to dump it, and probably move back to an Expedition ....So, I have the same question, as some are telling me the gas version is much more reliable, and not as prone for breakdown .......

Based on my experience, this car (the diesel is only good for about 50k miles of trouble free driving, if you are lucky, and my question to the folks here is if the gas version can give me 100k miles of somewhat trouble free driving ? (with the exception of the air suspension - I already know those will very likely never last to 100K miles)

Jason B

Hmm, remember though, when the dealer fixes something, it has a warranty of 1 year or 12k miles on the part they fixed. That's what my dealer does at least.

BUT, I do recommend an INDY dealer (independent shop) with purchasing any Mercedes vehicle OUT OF WARRANTY. Your repair bills will be more than cut in half! No joke here. IF you don't have an indy dealer near by, then an extended warranty/aftermarket warranty is a must, and then you can bring to any Mercedes dealer, and that warranty will pay for itself!

I had extended warranty on the S class and it paid for itself already. Everyone also has to remember, while you can get a used GL say for under 30k, you have to remember these vehicles were $80k+ vehicles new, and you still have a vehicle that was engineered and built for $80k, with tech and electronics that are costly to repair.

SilverArrow_AMG

Can't comment on the Gl350 but my GL320 at 180k miles has been as reliable as a wood burning stove in terms of the engine.

Jason B

I think some of the issues can be people not knowing the proper oil to put in the Diesel. It takes a special oil, and some places that service these don't know this. If the wrong oil is put in, it cause the particulate filter to get messed up and not regenerate. The one I have was always serviced at Mercedes in the history, but was traded to a audi dealer before I bought it. They changed the oil at audi before they put on the lot. No one could tell me what oil they used, so I had it changed to be safe with only a few hundred miles after picking it up.

These other issues may be due to wrong oil cloggin stuff. Everyone forgets it's a Diesel, especially local places that aren't a Mercedes dealer.

a2j

I would have both I'm still looking for the other one.

GLguy

Not directly answering your question, but I do not consider GL to be a reliable vehicle. I have 2009 GL450 that's garaged with 6k miles per year and I've had a fair share of repairs (expensive). Door locks, handles, list gate, COMMAND unit, suspension. I try to do most of the work by myself, but parts are expansive. My recommendation is to pick a model with the least complexity, not sure if that means 350 or 550. I like the car and I am the original owner, but I do not think I'll be getting another MB vehicle in the future because of reliability. However, I still plan on keeping my GL for a while, since I really like the design, much more than later generations.