OK -

Just drove a 2013 GL450 for appx 1.5hrs or so. I am curious to those that upgraded from a prior year's GL - is the truck "that" different???

Ride felt similar, definite improvement in nav, but still not anywhere near some of the other manufacturer systems.

I was left just a tad under-impressed, asking myself why spend the money to get a new one as i didn't see that much of a change/improvement.

curious what others are thinking?

Aceman

 

In my opinion it is a better vehicle but not as "WOW" as Mercedes hypes it up.

This being said I do believe that out of all the other mid-full size SUV's on the market today it is still the best in terms of quality and value, the only thing that comes close to it is the New Range Rover HSE and Porsche Cayenne which both cost more when optioned up.

 

Frankly on the pluses - I think you would have been a significantly better impression if some one had told you what to be on the look out for:

1) Quietness - is a issue that if it's not pointed out - "quiet" does not bowl you over but is a big significance. The cabin of the new GL450 is as quiet as a S-Class and like another generation difference from a 2009 GL350. Outide road noise eliminated - stand in traffic and roll down the side glass and roll back up - chassis low level growl/vibration is gone - cabin conversations as comfortable in your living room - even front row conversations with the 3rd row. Low level detail with the stereo... after a long drive, you would be amazed at how fresh you still feel.

2) Power - are you saying you didn't note the zoom-zoom factor ? Man, the '13 450 is a mad bomber as compared to the 09 GL diesel.

3) Manuverability - so you are saying you din't notice a difference there ? like did you go into a parking lot and do full/closed circles ?

Frankly, I am surprised that on a $75K-$85K GL no one pointed out what to look for - and after-the-fact its hard to go back and get-it-right.

 

"Frankly on the pluses - I think you would have been a significantly better impression if some one had told you what to be on the look out for:"
>>>>Contrary to this i guess, i kind of liked driving it with blinders on to see what jumped out at me as wow - got to have it!...

1) Quietness - is a issue that if it's not pointed out - "quiet" does not bowl you over but is a big significance. The cabin of the new GL450 is as quiet as a S-Class and like another generation difference from a 2009 GL350. Outide road noise eliminated - stand in traffic and roll down the side glass and roll back up - chassis low level growl/vibration is gone - cabin conversations as comfortable in your living room - even front row conversations with the 3rd row. Low level detail with the stereo... after a long drive, you would be amazed at how fresh you still feel.
>>>>>I've got a diesel w/ 60000 miles on it, while its obviously not as quiet as the new 450 (or the older body for that matter), i never found it so loud that i couldn't converse nor did i ever find it allowed a lot of outside noise in.
either case - i did find it quiet - but that isn't a buying point for me relative to the 320 i currently have.

2) Power - are you saying you didn't note the zoom-zoom factor ? Man, the '13 450 is a mad bomber as compared to the 09 GL diesel.
>>>>>Again - i have a diesel - obviously power is not a big deal for me, the 450 does move great, but i've got two other V8's in the stable for the zoom-zoom factor

3) Manuverability - so you are saying you din't notice a difference there ? like did you go into a parking lot and do full/closed circles ?
>>>>>I did notice the steering seemed very light compared to our 320. Did they tighten the turning radius?

Frankly, I am surprised that on a $75K-$85K GL no one pointed out what to look for - and after-the-fact its hard to go back and get-it-right
>>>>>I wasn't on a test drive from the dealer, i was driving a friends new GL


Thanks for your feedback!

Aceman

 

aceman- i drove a 2103 450 a few months ago. It was after I had ordered my 550. I had a similar opinion as you. Good, not great. Was starting to wonder if my order on the 550 was a good idea. Then drove a 550 with specs close to what I ordered (designo, active curve, etc). It was a significant upgrade from the 450. The extra power, interior, and active curve were all a plus.

Suggest you take a 550 (with the designo if you can find one) for a ride and compare...

 

We purchased our 2013 GL350 on Oct 31st after owning an 2008 and 2011 GL 350. Very surprised you did not get the "Wow" factor, as everything about the new GL350 is a "Wow"factor to us. So much so, that we bought it on the spot.

Everything in our new GL is significantly better than the older models we had. It is much smoother, drives much better, more power, much quieter, HK Stereo is better, body style is better, etc.... This is the first car that I really like everything about it. Hopefully it stays that way

 

I believe it is the best thing on the market for 2013 hands down and yes its better than the old Gen but I dont get over excited since I've put in $$$$ so my expectations are naturally high when paying out $$$$ BUT it is over-hyped, and the S-class noise level they are talking about relates to the current generation of the S-class (7-8 years old) which is being replaced in a few months.

Funny thing is I have inquired from MB head office and 3 different dealers and no one can actually tell me what the Db difference is from last gen to this gen, one sales manager even said that whats in the marketing does not translate to reality... go figure

This does not just relate to Mercedes, every auto maker hypes up the vehicle they are selling, I have bought many cars in the last 25 years and probably driven even more and have yet to find a car at any price point which completely wows me, I guess I am hard to please.

 

Well... lI guess it blame Mercedes for dopey car salesmen, again, and frankly I am personally getting getting weary from your slant.

Call the President of BMW and ask him the db difference between X3 and X5 and report back on his response to your call..

You might go drive the GL...

Frankly on the new gen GL - the difference is downright significant to any one who cares to listen for it, and for many that don't listen but notice instantly without prompting - and in fact the sound reduction includes specific acoustic work to reduce low frequency sound, which by the nature of their low frequency cause discomfort - compare this to headphone noise reduction systems used in aircraft - and even those these low frequencies have very significant impact on comfort - by their nature do not hit high on a db meter which is slanted towards mid range.

Now - since we are not going to open the door for further study on what is termed psychp-acoustics - or you can grab your phone, again, and start your speed dialing..

http://www.mbusa.com/mercedes/benz/l...esign#module-4

 

There is no comparison between my 2007 GL and my 2013 GL. The newer model is so much more luxurious in my mind.

 

Lighten up, Aceman gave his opinion and simply asked others for theirs...

 

Thanks for the input, I would like some actual scientific comparisons instead of MB marketing which I consider B.S

saying a vehicle sounds like an S-class is meaningless if no data is available to back it up, this is fact.

 

Thanks folks for your thoughts/opinions.

I guess i'm going to stay on the sidelines for a tad until the diesel actual gets out as I haven't been able to drive it yet to compare apples to apples.

On the noise front - yes I noticed it was quiet, but again, I didn't think my GL320 was terribly noisy so for me, and that's just for me, its not a huge selling factor justifying me trading in my 09 plus 30K.

One thing i'm really glad about is MB kept the styling fairly similar - I know most on this forum can pick the differences out visually in a heartbeat, but to the "average" person out there I think the differences are more compared to mid-cycle freshening like the W212 is going through next year.

Aceman

 

All in all, my new 2013 GL350BT is hands down more luxurious, quieter, smoother, and with one exception much more sophisticated.

One seemingly minor feature that I liked on my 2007 that I think faded even over the evolution of the X164 was the more full-featured multi-zone HVAC. Passenger could blow air at from the main vents with driver blowing at the feet.


2007 GL 3-Zone

On my 2013, during my first 1000 miles, there seemed to be a slight pedal lag when initially accelerating. This seems improved now but still seems to happen on occasion.

Also, the 2007 just seemed a little sturdier, a little more solid, a little less delicate.

Is the 2013 a little more bulbous with a hint of mini-van? Maybe. Would I trade back? Definitely not!

 

Hi all,
First time on this forum.
I currently own an 08 GL320 and have been very happy with the vehicle. My only significant complaint was when the vehicle was new it had a terrible dead spot at about 10% throttle. After 2 dealer (factory authorized) reprograms, it is much better but I can still notice it somewhat. I now have 90k miles and I'm inspired to get a new GL ( no other brands really compare).

Here is my question: has anyone felt the same issue with the new 350? Also, if you owned a 320, how much improvement in the turbo lag do you notice.

 

x2 to everything fabbrisd1 said. I echo those thoughts exactly. If you own a prior year MB GL and you don't notice the difference then I guess you are either not that sensitive or maybe you are just that happy with what you have! Either way, probably not worth spending the money if that is your impression. Not that you have had some time to digest, maybe drive it again and see how you feel.

Another very important thing to note is that MB went out of their way NOT to completely remake the GL. People have been very happy with the prior generation and MB wanted to employ a "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" approach. The GL is a huge seller for them. People have been very happy and so they wanted to be very careful not to mess it up. But the engine difference, the exterior lines, lights, noise control, handling....all have been significantly improved.