nort

Hi all,
New member here. I'm looking at a 2013 GL350 CPO at the local MB dealer. I have some questions and would appreciate some advice from experienced MB owners here. I searched here but couldn't find answers to the following, but if there are some threads I should read, can you pardon my newbieness and direct me, please.

1. Is there any improvement/fixes in 2014-2016 GL350 that's worth getting over the 2013 model?

2. The Consumer Reports review complained about poor handling in emergency situations (collision avoidance, elk test, etc), (though the car felt surefooted in turns during my short test drive.) Has MB done anything in 2014-2016 GLs?

3. The dealer listed the MSRP at $48K, but KBB prices it at $43K, after selecting the correct mileage and all the options. How realistic is the KBB price for GL CPO? How much over KBB have other members paid for their CPO GLs? Does the dealer have much room for negotiation between the MSRP and KBB values?

4. Have any of you experienced reliability issues or negatives in the GL350 in long term ownership?

5. Is it worth getting the extended warranty from MB while buying the CPO? Does it cost more to buy it later after buying the car? How much have any of you paid for 1 or 2 year MB extended warranty on GL CPO?

Thank you!

pjw1967

3) We bought our first MB CPO about 6 weeks ago. What we noticed was that the fancy options don't seem to affect the price as much as mileage and birth date. Our cargo had an original MSRP of $68,500 and was offered at $41,500. It was 2.5 yrs old and had 30,400 miles on it. Since then I've seen a number of cars with original MSRP's around $60k being offered around $40-41k. Point is the dealer should show you the original MSRP for the car so you can see how much less it is selling for now. Don't let the dealer tell you he can't produce it. Here is a link to a '13 GL at our local dealer.
https://www.mbotw.com/certified/Merc...dc249d73c8.htm Low miles. Carfax will show the birh date. Click on Complete Vehicle Details which opens up Autopacket. Click on MSRP and the original window sticker info pops up. Regarding KBB, our selling dealer gave us the mid point of the KBB value for our Infiniti. So I wouldn't expect to do much better on the buying side. And there are so many extranious factors in buying a car..trade/no trade, end of month, raining (yes - fewer customers that day).

5) We were offered an add'l 2 years of CPO coverage for $3,500 on the day of the sale. Finance guy said if we didn't buy on the spot it would cost an extra 15% if we bought prior to the expiration of the 1 year CPO bumper to bumper. There are numerous responses here about dealers nationwide discounting the cost of the extra 2 CPO years.

Hopefully the GL owners will chime in with answers to your other questions.

cadetdrivr

Not sure if its still up, but CR had their video review of the GL350 on youtube.

The GL "failed" their test by not getting through the "maneuverability" test as fast as they required. Of note, however, it was only 5-7mph slower than a....Porsche Boxster in their "test."

Think about that for a moment and then give their "test" all the due consideration it deserves.

bmrisko

We spent a while looking at CPO GL350s and as you know there aren't *THAT* many to be had, especially if you want certain options. In negotiating prices, all dealers were only willing to knock $1000 at most of their asking price and I watched numerous vehicles disappear from dealer websites within a couple weeks, so I knew they were pretty popular, if optioned nicely and with low mileage.

We opted not to get the extended warranty at time of purchase and will probably purchase from one of the dealers listed on this forum at a significant savings. FWIW, we bought a 2014 GL350 w/ 30k miles that originally stickered for $82k for $51xxx. It had leather, which we wanted, as well as HK audio, appearance pkg, ventilated/massage seats, towing and all the driver assistance and lighting packages. The only thing we compromised on was no panoramic sunroof. The price was a bit over KBB, but I don't believe they factor in the CPO warranty and inspection. The price paid was right at the average mark for what TrueCar said it should be, so we were content. Obviously I would have loved to shave more off the asking price, but no worries.

Also, we've only had our vehicle for a couple weeks, so no reports on long-term reliability. My wife did say it handles worlds better than her old Tahoe, especially on windy mountain roads, so I have no worries about the failed maneuverability test.

pjw1967

Thanks bmrisko. You backed up my point about options. Here's a 2014 GL listed for $50,800 w/24k on the clock. But the original MSRP is $8,000 LESS than what yours originally listed for. https://www.mbotw.com/certified/Merc...4a8d682e14.htm
As you also said, it's hard to find the highly-optioned cars, but when you do, you can score big.

jlim

To OP, since you didn't include a link on the vehicle. But just make sure it has the following packages, which I feel are necessary for the car:

1. Lighting package (for bi-xenon)
2. Lane Tracking (for blindspot mainly)
3. Parking Assist (for the 360 camera)

The rest are up to you whether you want leather, panoramic roof, 3-zone climate, upgraded audio, powered 2nd row assist.

nort

Here are the features/options of the 2013 350GL I'm looking at:

Black exterior, MBTex black seats
Premium 2 package (Harman Kardon sound + premium 1)
Driver assist package (distronic plus and pre-safe)
Lighting package
Lane Tracking + blindspot
Parking assist
Tow hitch
46000 miles

List: $48K (US), best offer so far $45K. Dealer bought the car last week, so I wonder if the price will get better with time. Not sure if it will get sold in a few weeks though.

From CarFax, first sold on Nov 1, 2012, so the original 4yr/50K mile warranty is over. Now under 1 year CPO warranty. Was on a personal lease and it's a lease return.

The only thing it doesn't have that I would want (but not need) is curve assist. The car drove well and transmission was good too.

Is 45K a good price considering the mileage, year and features?

Jpkcpa

Purchased a 2013 GL350 in March of this year. It was not a CPO, as it was not a MB dealership, but it was impeccably maintained and only had 25k on OD. i, too, checked out Consumer Reports, but opted to take the risk. Glad i did,as I love the truck. It is optioned out, including Designo package. Have put about 13k on it since, including two 1k trips pulling a 12' cargo trailer. I have nothing bad to say about the truck, the ride, or the maneuverability. Lots of highway miles at 80mph. Not sure if my options affect the handling, but this is a 7 passenger truck, not a two seater sportscar. Also just opted for the EW as a precaution, but hoping not to use it. Good Luck!

Jpkcpa

BTW, took an effort to find it, but paud $55k on a $90k MSRP. Dealer would not move on price. Most of the trucks were in the $45k range, but I felt $10k for all the options wasnt that excessive.

aeggroup

Just in case you would be interested - I'm selling mine. It's 2015 and factory warranty is in effect for another 2 years. My wife wants me to move to Range Rover, so I'm slowly selling it. The car is in perfect condition. Currently has 22K miles on the clock. Sticker is in the ad's pictures. I attached the recent picture of the car. The wheels are optional. Car will have original 19" wheels, which are stored in my garage.
Here is the link : http://www.autotrader.com/cars-for-s...ode1=GL350BLUE