emilner

Looks like I will be rejoining the Benz community. With the new Escalade around the corner and knowing that the very high resale values the current trucks have will disappear soon, I have decided on switching things up.

Normally I would just wait for the second model year to pick up a new ESV, but I'm really itching for something new after 4 straight Escalades. My biggest concern is the size if the GL. It is seriously small next to my truck. My dealer lent me a gl450 for the weekend to test out, and it looks like we can make do. It's a little tight with the baby seat, and the inside is about 7" narrower (I will get to know my wife even better ). I figure between a hitch hauler and a roof carrier life will be ok.

Still trying to decide between a 450 and 350. I haven't driven a 350 yet, and I wasn't impressed with an ML diesel I drove a few years ago. I'm hoping things are better now, as in more low end power and less noise.

I know people will think I'm crazy, but I do use the truck- has anyone taken 4x sheets of ply or rock home? It looks like they will fit above the armrests in back. I know I will have to protect the bejeezes out of the back but from time to time projects come up. Just wondering if anyone here has done it.

Also- has anyone converted from an ESV to a GL? Any comments?

I really love the ride and quietness of the GL, it's the only thing I don't love with the ESV- long trips get tiresome with the truck oriented Caddy.

I'm planning on getting the truck fairly loaded, so some of the extra toys I'm used to on my BMWs will be welcome for when I have to drive it. And after sitting in the new S last week, I might be converting more of the stable over. It's amazing how things cycle.....

JimBarnhart

I'm not one to answer on the plywood question. When I need to hall I usually use my Dodge RAM 2500 Cummins.

I have pulled with the GL, have put things like chainsaws and stuff in the back, but not a sheet of plywood.

In regards to 350 vs 450, that's a never ending debate. They both have their pros and cons. I had a 2007 GL450 and now a 2013 GL350. I'm not the type that expects roadster performance from an SUV, they both provided plenty of performance for passing, highway on ramps, etc. They both have the same towing capacity, but I think the diesel performs better.

I have never had anyone complain about noise with my diesel, in fact most people question that it's a diesel because it's so quiet.

Axxlrod

I'll offer my thoughts as we got rid of our escalade ESV for the GL350 3 months ago.

First off, the ESV and now the GL were/are both wifey's kid haulers. We have 3 kids and upgraded to the ESV from regular size escalade when #3 was born 4 years ago.

The change was really prompted by the fact that our oldest is now 10, and she can sit in the front seat, with the two younger kids in the 2nd row captain chairs. So the 3rd was empty unless all 5 of us were in the car which happened only once or twice per weekend.

So my wife got tired of driving (and parking) the behemoth on a daily basis, especially since the size wasn't utilized very often.

So we hunted for a larger suv with a folding 3rd row (I got soo tired of lugging the 3rd row out of the ESV) that was big enough for our needs but smaller than the ESV.

The GL is really the only option (until BMW comes out with an X7).

We went with the 350 as I liked the fuel economy of the diesel and strangely it was cheaper too.

You can option the GL up basically the same as the ESV, and beyond, although we made two errors. I did not tick the box for tri-zone climate control or blind-spot detection. Both items we had in the ESV, and both are missed. Blind-zone detection didn't do much for me, but my wife really misses it. And in regards to the tri-zone air, I misunderstood the specs of the option to be only a 3rd controller of the AC system. I assumed the rear of the vehicle would come standard with the extra vents for the 3rd row. i was wrong, and my kids were not happy on our road trip to Arizona in the September heat.

Overall, my wife loves the GL over the ESV. I like it better, but am a little more critical than my wife. Specifically over the infotainment system which is like a step back in time to 1999. The screen is small and looks like the software was designed using DOS.

And on trips to Home Depot, I do miss the width of the ESV. But we figured it was better to have a vehicle that fits our needs on a daily basis, than to live with a bigger vehicle whose size went underutilized 90% of the time. For road trips, I bought a cargo bag which we put on the roof.

Hope this helps.

emilner

Thanks! That's very helpful! I forgot to mention the bane of my existence- the third row debacle. Frankly, if they folded flat I might be inclined to hold on to it, but lifting those in and out is a pita!!

Good to know on the AC, I was not going to get the 3 zone. That ridiculous that the rear of the truck is not climate controlled. I'm not a fan of command either. I love the idrive system in my BMWs, it's a huge step up from the crap in MB's. Hopefully the rest of the lineup moves to the new S class system. I frankly can't believe how small the screen is in the GL. It's like it is an afterthought. It's not a big enough negative to keep me in the ESV though.

Jim- thanks! I haven't heard the new diesels yet. The last one I drove was around a 2008 (don't know the exact year, it was a loaner). It had a very noticeable clack. It's good to hear they have quieted the new ones.

For both of you, how is power off the line? Is there any annoying lag? I drove the 450 for the weekend but I will probably only get a few miles in the 350 to test. We don't need breakneck performance, frankly my wife's truck is rarely floored (people don't realize just how fast Eacalades are, you really don't need to gun it). I just don't want to be waiting to go while the truck gets a cup of coffee....

Axxlrod

I don't find the diesel driving experience to be much different than gas... with the exception of some turbo lag down low. It's not horrible, but it is still noticeable. My wife has never mentioned it, so it may be something that just an enthusiast will notice.

I'd say the lag is about .5 seconds long... then the tach hits 2k and whooosh.... you're off.

The crappy Command system is well-documented on here. Nobody likes it. But until the GL gets a major redesign and the dash is completely re-engineered, the new S class system won't be in the GL.

I have a 2013 BMW, and the disparity between the Comand and Idrive systems is akin to that of a Apple IIE and a MacBook Pro.

JimBarnhart

Agree with Axxlrod, there is a turbo lag, but not a bad driving experience. I haven't tried Fabris' post about holding the left shift paddle to downshift into 'passing' gear, but I will soon.

emilner

Thanks again guys, I appreciate the input. Has anyone tuned their diesels yet? Does that help on the low end to reduce the lag?

Axxlrod

I looked into diesel tunes about 5 months ago. There were only 1 or 2 available. I believe they do help with low end grunt, in addition to adding a ton of torque.

I opted against it as the GL is my wife's car and frankly I didn't see a need to make her car more powerful.