First Impressions....!
03-01-2013, 12:17 PM
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2013 GL450 (traded for 2015 Escalade), 2012 Corvette, 2014 Ford Fusion, Previous: 2007 GL450, 2011
First Impressions....!
Wow! Got it! And here's what I think of my GL450 so far....
I ordered Cinnibar red over black leather with the dark Satin Ash wood.... I wanted a "man cave" look overall and I love the look!! Of course, the color combo thing is an entirely personal like or dislike. All options ordered were onboard and the vehicle in perfect condition.
Performance..... amazing! Instantly noticed the +power over my 2011 model. Also noticed the smoother, quieter ride. Did NOT notice any turbo lag.... Quiet beyond belief, I mean it IS a truck and there were times in the 2011 and before that, my 2007, that you indeed knew it was a truck...but this one, as they advertise, is definitely the S class of SUV's! Had a brief chance to try out the Distronic Plus....again, amazing, how it monitors the distance between you and the cars in front...worked perfectly! I have had no false "collision prevent" warnings so far. Lane keeping assist works as advertised ....interesting in that as i purposelly drifted to the left it vibrated the steering wheel to "wake me up"...when I drifted to the right, heading for the shoulder of the road , it took control and yanked me back into the proper lane. I need to do a bit more reading on that to determine the difference between the left and right drift.
I have the off road package......won't give that a real test until mid month when I head up to Vermont.
Have not had a chance to play with the Active Parking function yet....but do know that when you slow to 20mph or less you can see the system come alive and is looking for suitable parallel spots.
The new controller for the command system makes that a whole lot easier to work with!!
I have the multi contour seats w/massage...... what a difference over the last model.... more comfortable and yet supportive at the same time...the standard leather feels better than the previous leather too!
Soft door closures are nice.....gotta remember to let the system do its job and not slam the doors! The tailgate motor is at least 50% quieter than the previous model!
Strange logic....... There are two manuals: the major "owners manual" and then there used be a printed "Command manual" The Command manual is now supplied on disc that you must install on your system ( if it has not already been pre installed ) The strange part is this: if you are on a NAV screen, trying to figure out how to program some aspect of a planned trip AND you need the manual to check the directions....you have to LEAVE the nab screen, open the manual screen , remember what your are reading and then get back to the nab screen......cumbersome! This is point where the old fashioned hold the book in the hand while punching the buttons works better in my opinion.
This is a beautiful machine.....everything they promote it to be! As Fab and others have said.... "worth the wait" .... which for me was 4 months!
Night driving and other aspects later ....but flying off to Florida for a week tomorrow!
I ordered Cinnibar red over black leather with the dark Satin Ash wood.... I wanted a "man cave" look overall and I love the look!! Of course, the color combo thing is an entirely personal like or dislike. All options ordered were onboard and the vehicle in perfect condition.
Performance..... amazing! Instantly noticed the +power over my 2011 model. Also noticed the smoother, quieter ride. Did NOT notice any turbo lag.... Quiet beyond belief, I mean it IS a truck and there were times in the 2011 and before that, my 2007, that you indeed knew it was a truck...but this one, as they advertise, is definitely the S class of SUV's! Had a brief chance to try out the Distronic Plus....again, amazing, how it monitors the distance between you and the cars in front...worked perfectly! I have had no false "collision prevent" warnings so far. Lane keeping assist works as advertised ....interesting in that as i purposelly drifted to the left it vibrated the steering wheel to "wake me up"...when I drifted to the right, heading for the shoulder of the road , it took control and yanked me back into the proper lane. I need to do a bit more reading on that to determine the difference between the left and right drift.
I have the off road package......won't give that a real test until mid month when I head up to Vermont.
Have not had a chance to play with the Active Parking function yet....but do know that when you slow to 20mph or less you can see the system come alive and is looking for suitable parallel spots.
The new controller for the command system makes that a whole lot easier to work with!!
I have the multi contour seats w/massage...... what a difference over the last model.... more comfortable and yet supportive at the same time...the standard leather feels better than the previous leather too!
Soft door closures are nice.....gotta remember to let the system do its job and not slam the doors! The tailgate motor is at least 50% quieter than the previous model!
Strange logic....... There are two manuals: the major "owners manual" and then there used be a printed "Command manual" The Command manual is now supplied on disc that you must install on your system ( if it has not already been pre installed ) The strange part is this: if you are on a NAV screen, trying to figure out how to program some aspect of a planned trip AND you need the manual to check the directions....you have to LEAVE the nab screen, open the manual screen , remember what your are reading and then get back to the nab screen......cumbersome! This is point where the old fashioned hold the book in the hand while punching the buttons works better in my opinion.
This is a beautiful machine.....everything they promote it to be! As Fab and others have said.... "worth the wait" .... which for me was 4 months!
Night driving and other aspects later ....but flying off to Florida for a week tomorrow!
03-01-2013, 12:21 PM
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I was just wondering if I had led you to take too long of a path from the dealer to home as we hadn't heard from you. Congrats on the new ride, glad you are enjoying it.
On lane tracking, it should steer your back on the left side too if it's a solid line, and rumble if it's a dashed line. BTW, the rumble is only for you, passengers can't feel it.
On lane tracking, it should steer your back on the left side too if it's a solid line, and rumble if it's a dashed line. BTW, the rumble is only for you, passengers can't feel it.
03-01-2013, 12:37 PM
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2013 GL450
Congrats on the new ride!
Since I'm a newbie to the Comand technology, I think I'll just print the manual from the website and use it that way. I can't imagine learning everything by going back and forth from different screens.
Since I'm a newbie to the Comand technology, I think I'll just print the manual from the website and use it that way. I can't imagine learning everything by going back and forth from different screens.
03-01-2013, 12:50 PM
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I was just wondering if I had led you to take too long of a path from the dealer to home as we hadn't heard from you. Congrats on the new ride, glad you are enjoying it.
On lane tracking, it should steer your back on the left side too if it's a solid line, and rumble if it's a dashed line. BTW, the rumble is only for you, passengers can't feel it.
On lane tracking, it should steer your back on the left side too if it's a solid line, and rumble if it's a dashed line. BTW, the rumble is only for you, passengers can't feel it.
One of the things that chewed up most of my time ( read two hours on phone ) was trying to get Sirius radio to understand that I wanted to transfer old subscription to my new one that comes with 6 mod. free trial...... you would think I was the first person ever to want to do that! DUH!
03-01-2013, 12:51 PM
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Yeah....dont know an easier answer but, wow, thats going to be a big print job!
03-01-2013, 01:03 PM
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03-01-2013, 01:05 PM
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Don't forget to plug in the HK demo CD to show off the audio. My wife got sick of me playing it for people, but it's pretty cool if you ask me.
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03-01-2013, 02:07 PM
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Frankly easier to download the pdf COMAND manual from mbusa.com - Owner's Support area.
The HK demo disc is good - there are select 5.1 DTS audio CD's available on eBay at reasonable prices in excellent pre-owned condition - Police - Every Breath You Take - and Joe Cocker's Night Calls.
Keep the beat !
The HK demo disc is good - there are select 5.1 DTS audio CD's available on eBay at reasonable prices in excellent pre-owned condition - Police - Every Breath You Take - and Joe Cocker's Night Calls.
Keep the beat !
03-01-2013, 02:25 PM
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More reaction: Just got back from a quick run.... The 360 degree camera is phenomenal.....! with the split screen, you see directly behind for quite a distance on the one screen and then an overhead shot on the second screen that allows you to see everything all around your vehicle....seriously! .....and, the camera reamains functional even after you put the car into forward gear and have established consistent forward momentum, then it reverts back to wherever you had the system set. VERY helpful!
Also.... this run that i made normally would result in 12 to 14 mpg.....got 16! No disappointments yet!
Also.... this run that i made normally would result in 12 to 14 mpg.....got 16! No disappointments yet!
03-01-2013, 05:32 PM
#12
blittle, you mentioned your GL has the Off Road Package. Is that the same as the On/Off Road package? I ask because one item that I haven't heard anyone comment on, including automotive journalists, is the Sport setting for the On/Off Road Package. The manual says that selecting the sport setting is supposed to adjust the steering, throttle response, suspension and transmission. If you have Active Curve, it does something with that too. When you get a chance, please give us a review, it would be appreciated. Anyone else that has it please chime in. Congratulations!
03-01-2013, 09:40 PM
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blittle, you mentioned your GL has the Off Road Package. Is that the same as the On/Off Road package? I ask because one item that I haven't heard anyone comment on, including automotive journalists, is the Sport setting for the On/Off Road Package. The manual says that selecting the sport setting is supposed to adjust the steering, throttle response, suspension and transmission. If you have Active Curve, it does something with that too. When you get a chance, please give us a review, it would be appreciated. Anyone else that has it please chime in. Congratulations!
