blittle has 1500 posts to this forum and is on his third GL. I'm at 1300 posts and on my second, both having owned GL's since they were released in 2007. I think at least on this forum we'd be considered some of the most satisfied and supportive contributors. Neither of us have been shy about saying things we don't like.

Now we start to evaluate the future GLS and we are starting to see a path leading away. The lack of V8 neither of us like. I don't like the diesel anymore because of the standoff over biodiesel. I don't like the new COMAND sticking out like some Garmin sitting on my dash. Maybe we're just anomalies, but I wonder.

What will really be a deal breaker for me is if they decide to price the GLS similarly to the S. I know there's no way I will spend into 6 figures for this vehicle, but with their marketing strategy will it be the case when they release the X168 or whatever it will be called?

 

I agree with everything you are saying Jim. They are removing value from this vehicle. The Ipad display is a mid cycle solution (if it even appears on the X166) that seems to be thrown together at the last hour. It looks like it belongs on a C-Class with a little dash, not a large dash in a $75-$100,000+ vehicle. They should just wait and completely redesign the dash.

 

IMO, the dash in the new C-class is beautiful. I expect all the upcoming redesigns will employ this look and feel.

 

I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder, while there's much to love about that interior, I hate the look of the aftermarket/afterthought COMAND. Seriously, if I velcro'd my tablet there you'd never notice a difference. I've been a technologist for a long time. I had a Garmin when they cost $700. I paid thousands on vehicles (not just MB's) to get an integrated look, instead of a suction cup/Velcro look. The new concepts say to me that while you paid for an integrated system, and got an aftermarket look.

I loved the "4 up" of my buddy's F150. One quadrant was phone, one was Sirius, one was Nav, one was seat warmers/coolers.

 

I wouldn't mind an ipad looking COMMAND system IF it retracted once the vehicle was parked and came up and looked seamless, what Mercedes has done is a fisher price type tablet look that just looks like an after thought. I have to agree with Jim on this one. This is also my second GL and I consider this one an evolution so the next gen better be a total home run.

 

2016 Q7



2015 X5




Gents, this is the new direction

 

RE: command display.....the current system and screen are much better than the original in 07....however....as can be seen in this forum and the 164 forum, the previous system and the current upgrade have NEVER been one of the vehicle's strong points.....too small, cumbersome to use, and appearing to be "behind the times" in tech quality so I suspect the MB design guys are probably going to present something different in the refresh. I'm going to withhold judgement on that one until I see it. ...and then there's "embrace"....anybody actually use that these days?

 

There's the dose of reality, we never have and probably never will be impressed with COMAND. Thanks for bringing me back to ground.

 

I have always hated Command. That's one of the reasons I went to BMW for a while. I will say the new Command in my S550 is great- it's even my better than the iDrive I had in my 750. I'm hoping they upgrade the GL to that system.

 

I agree, LCD is the future and the GL should move in the S-Class direction. Hopefully the Audi system retracts.

This is what I want to see in addition to an integrated or retractable center display:





The new Audi TT

 

Regardless of the capabilities of COMAND, I will probably go for the refresh as I expect it will be more functional than what is in place. In general, I get by with what is there now in my x166 and though important, it won't be the driving factor (pun) behind my decision.

My main reason to buy another GLS is to get quite a few features that I did not get on this one and wish I would have purchased. I am a much smarter customer these days due to the information on this forum.

 

What do you wish you would have gotten on your current GL? Will the new one be Diesel, V6, or 550?

 

As we all are....well said! I own 3 different makes of vehicles...and the forums for each have made purchase and ownership a much more "educated" process. Thanks to forums, I always feel that I know more than the sales reps, and, can have a good "intereactive" discussion with the service techs when that is needed!

 

Engine, that's a hard decision. I am not one to hit the accelerator all that hard and never drove anything other than the 450. So, next time I will try out the Diesel as well as the V6. I don't know what I will do until that point. It won't be easy.

Well, as far as other features and capabilities I did not get, off the top of my head: the full active distronic, active curve, a heated rear seat for my friends, three zone climate control, with a hard decision being to go with those very fancy upgraded front seats (I need a massage). There is a good chance I will upgrade the audio system. I know there are other small things that I am not including like those nice touches in look and feel. Anyway, when it comes time to buy next time, it will be a very careful and less emotional process. I won't buy off the lot and will order exactly what I want regardless of waiting time or cost.

So, those are my thoughts at this point. Okay?

 

While this looks nice, it seems dangerous. Your eyes are even more so off the road with this setup.


Is the command really that relevant anymore? With smartphone integration I listen to music and use the navigation via my phone.

 

I have pretty much all of the options you listed except for active curve which I really wish I had but I wasn't willing and still wouldn't be willing to add because it would put my GL over $90k and that just seems like too much to spend for what my GL is used for.

I will say that I think having leather and multi contour seats with mbtex on the lower dash significantly dresses up the interior. The seats just look softer than the MBtex. I have had MBtex but I don't think I would go back. Honestly, the interior makes it look almost like it is a different car than a GL without leather and the wrapped lower dash. One thing I don't think many people realize that have multi contour seats is that the headrests have adjustable side bolsters that when pulled forward make the headrest almost pillowy soft which my wife loves on long drives along with the seat massage.

Distronic plus is a must have. I use it all the time, even in stop and go traffic. It is like having a second set of eyes watching the road. I think it offers a huge safety benefit if you use it frequently. When it is on, it helps you follow at a safe distance all the time. The second the driver in front of you lifts off the pedal, your car does as well. It detects the change in speed immediately and adjusts your speed accordingly. It's incredibly intuitive, I can't say enough good things about it. Some of the complaints of the earlier systems have been corrected such as following too far and allowing cars to cut in front of you continuously. I've used it in fog where I could barely see the car in front of me but the radar had no problem picking up the car in front of me and maintaining the set distance while showing the car ahead's distance on the display. I've found it performs similarly in heavy rain. The only thing I would change about it is I wish it would follow even further on rural roads when you are in 45-50 mph zones and can't pass. At higher speeds, the furthest following distance seems about right in most traffic situations. It's an amazing system that almost seems like a bargain.

 

Really? Maybe I am missing something. How is having the nav display directly in front of you more dangerous than having it in the middle of that dash?? The speedo has never been in the center of the dash has it? You look at the speedo what, several times a minute?

 

You are more likely to see objects in front of you if you're looking upward with the command on the dash vs. it being down in front of you between the steering wheel. Also you look at the speedo for a second. With the Nav, radio etc. your eyes may be off the road longer.

 

We'll agree to disagree on this one.

 

I think the future will be a mix of the TT dash and heads up once the HUD technology becomes more 3D oriented and with better graphics.

The thingy stuck in the middle of the dash, now moved to the top of the dash will go away completely.

 

I expect the mid-cycle refresh to look very similar but with a touch pad.

 

Yuk

 

Is this a "Yuk"?


2016 AMG GT S

 

No doubt, this would sell to a certain type of clientele. For me, I'll just get black leather with some sort of grayish accents. The colors here would be good for a "party dress." Yes, this post is going downhill quickly.

 

I posted that last pic in good fun. IMO many of the new designs coming from MB look great and the updated GLS will certainly be an improvement over the microscopic display we have now. And I hope the updated COMMAND system supports Apple's Car Play.