Hi - Total amateur here swimming in all the years of posts, but hoping someone might take pity and offer some guidance/feedback. We have a 2006 CLK 350 that's kaput and would like to go all electric with a larger (thanks to the addition of kids) Mercedes (because it's my wife's company car) but need something to bridge the 2-ish year gap until that's possible on the electric front. We've kept gravitating toward a GL class, but hesitated due to the mpg/consumption of the 450 so we turned to the 350 Bluetec. The options we've found on the market start in the 75K-95K mileage range, but we're wary due to the maintenance cost risk - particularly after the little I've gleaned from the forum here. The other hitch is all the options we've found are in other states so we'd have to buy without inspecting in person (not that that would do much good as neither of us is mechanically inclined). My core questions are:

1. What are the big ticket fixes that should already have taken place lest they remain lurking? (Timing chain seems to be up there.)
2. Most of the driving would be short distance, with longer drives 2-3 times/month. We also live in Colorado, so winters can (or used to) get cold. This seems to argue against diesel. Are we dumb to consider it?
3. If an extended 2-3 year warranty costs $5000-7500 (e.g. 20-25% of the initial price of the car) is it worth it?
4. Any thoughts on the environmental impact of gas vs diesel for this model in light of the emissions suits? (e.g. diesel mileage is better but difference in emissions may net out the nominal benefit)

Like I said, pretty basic/general/amateur stuff and just hoping to stumble across that leads us to a clear yes or no before we commit. Any thoughts are appreciated!

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Greetings from Idaho - I literally just bought a 2013 GL450 with 81k miles on it off Carvana of all places. That is not something I have ever done nor really crazy about doing again, but it wasn't a bad deal / bad experience. Aside from arriving extremely dirty (open trailer from NJ this time of year), everything lived up to their inspection and you get pretty good detail.

At first I wanted the GL350 Blutec but it is *really* slow. I mean 0-60 in like 12 seconds. If you have a boat, jetskis, motorcycles and you haul a lot of stuff around constantly like monthly, I would get the diesel, but otherwise I can't see a real benefit.

I would never buy a warranty but I do all my own work and haven't been to a mechanic since I was a teenager(I'm 38), and likely never will again but if you are not mechanically inclined I'd let someone else answer that question. I can't imagine a repair costing more than 7500 in 2 or 3 years unless someone really neglected the transmission.

One thing I wish I did in hindsight was run the vin on vindecoderz and see the packages it comes with, specifically offroad which I sort of wanted, but my wife really wanted the Burgundy one we got and since they are rare, I compromised that point (and my ML350 has low range anyway.)

Best of luck on your search.

 

Do not buy a Mercedes diesel under any circumstances. Do you really need a GL(GLS)? You didn't mention how many kids....If only 2 I'd suggest a GLE/ML 350 or 400 (gas engine) without air suspension. The GL's twin turbo V8 will eventually give you some problems such as coolant leaks or consumption, possible cylinder head/valve issues and oil in the engine wiring harness. Those last two are major repairs. The fact that you're worried about fuel consumption tells me you are in no way ready for the potential repair expenses of a GL(GLS).

 

Thanks, Stig. Think I'd feel more comfortable with Carvana, particularly with the 7 day returns, but unfortunately haven't found a GL 350 there yet. Very helpful to know on the acceleration piece. Didn't realize it was that slow....

 

Thanks, E55. Considered the ML 350, which is about the same size as our other car (Lexus RX 350) so looking for something a little roomier for 2 kids + 2 dogs + skis et al). If we went gas we'd just do the 450. Recognizing none of them is great, issue is more emissions that fuel cost savings (and yes, know about the suit/pending emission fixes on the GL350 - seems that would address much of the issue so net impact would be slightly better with the 350).

 

Off topic but just out of curiosity what's wrong with your CLK that makes it kaput? Just wondering.

 

The OM642 diesel engine is generally not reliable and very expensive to maintain. It's not just the emissions issue that cause the diesel to be unreliable. There is no savings in fuel costs. Hear me out, I did an analysis of that some time ago and posted in the forum with real world MPG's looking at a combination of city/hwy. If you go with the NA cars, you can run regular unleaded so when you do the cost per mile, just in fuel costs alone, the gas is cheaper to operate. If you tow, I would recommend running premium but for 99% of the time, assuming you are not a crazy driver, you can run regular fuel. Once you throw in the maintenance cost of the diesel, the diesel is so much more expensive to operate per mile.

I repeat, do not buy an MB diesel if you think it will save you money. Will be the worst decision you ever made.

 

The balancing shaft needs to be replaced along with the timing chain, in addition to a number of other small fixes + new tires. Costs are ~$7500K which is in the ballpark of the total car value at this point. It's also a silly car for us to have at this point since it's rear wheel drive, we live in a place with snow, and we have now have two kids so we don't even fit in it. A relic of a prior life that we held on to for fun/sentiment....

 

Thanks, BlownV8. It's not so much the fuel cost savings between the 450 and 350 but more the unexpected big repairs (which seem to crop up around this mileage) and sounds like the diesel has some pretty strong points against it. Appreciate the feedback

 

Buy a Mazda CX-9..........reliable, NOT slow like that diesel, keep it as a second car when you buy your EV. Personally I would never buy a GL, but Im not really an SUV person either. My sister has the CX-9 top trim level, it is actually very nice! Keep an open mind.

 

I’ve owned a GL350 since May 2020 and love it. It had 82K miles at purchase. I’ve only added about 7K miles since then--mainly due to Covid. But it is my travel vehicle—basically all highway miles. I specifically do not use the GL350 for in-town, local driving and would not recommend it for that use.

You should be aware of potential issues with the OM642, in particular the oil cooler leak and the DEF system. I am a DIY’er and will deal with these when/if they occur—there are plenty of how-to's on this forum and YouTube. I do wonder if the timing chain issue is unique to the OM642 or across all Mercedes engines? I have changed to a diesel specific and DPF compatible 5w40 oil versus the gasoline specific 5w30 strangely recommended by Mercedes.

The vehicle is not slow by any means as stated by others and, if you do some research, the GL350 is the best performing tow vehicle even though all models have the same tow rating.

Regarding fuel mileage, the GL350 is amazing for a vehicle of this size and weight. I typically see 26-28 miles per gallon at fill-up on the trip computer and have even gotten 30 MPG on two cross state trips on rural roads with speed limits 55-65. Doing my own calculation shows the trip computer about 1 MPG optimistic. Diesel does cost more than regular but isn’t premium recommended for the 450 and 550.

I guess bottom line, I love diesels as I now have the GL350, VW Beetle TDI, and Audi A3 TDI. But I do NOT recommend the GL350 for a short distance vehicle; but certainly do for highway travel and towing.

 

@totalamateur avoid the diesel. It’s a highly probable trail of tears and expensive repairs to a fundamentally flawed engine.

 

Thanks, all. Super helpful and appreciate it. General consensus seems to be avoid the diesel so reorienting the search....

 

I have a 16' GL350, and a 12' E350 both currently around 140k miles my sister has a 13' E350 with around 150k. Other than the standard emission component issues, both are about the same, reliability wise. The GL350 will cost more to maintain, due to the brakes and tires wearing out much faster due to the weight of the car. ALL cars will have their issues, the 12' E350 and my sister's 13' E350 both just came back from the shop with the same issue, P001685 and P001177. Both cars had all 4 camshaft position sensor and adjuster replaced. Don't know about the stealer rate, but my indie charged me $2k each. I'm sure the stealership will be a lot more. The GL350 had exhaust manifold cracked and two separate issues with exhaust leak. All 3 had engine mounts replaced.

All cars will have their issues. Mercedes is a lot more reliable compared to other European cars. The OM642 engine has a bad rap which will have you thinking about it all the time. It's really not that bad, gassers will have issues as the miles piles up as well. Just find a good indie shop. The one annoying thing about owning the GL350 is that the dealer's techs aren't any better at fixing them as the indie shops. They are good at replacing parts, and if they can't figure things out, they just replace the engine.

If you end up getting a GL350, get the ELW if you can, and complain to the dealer about every small thing that comes up. See a drop of oil on the driveway? Go to the dealer and ask them to replace the oil cooler seal. ELW coming up? Go to the dealer and tell them your front suspension takes too long to raise, have them replace whatever they can. The rear airbags are cheap and easy to do yourself. You feel the car's too slow? get a tune, a regular stage 1 tune make the car feel the way it's suppose to, and does not effect reliability. Emission components going bad? it's free to fix with the settlement!! Worried about emission components failing even after the extended warranty? Getting a egr/adblue/swirlflap delete tune is cheaper than replacing anyone one of the components.

Getting over 700 miles from 1 tank of diesel on a roundtrip ski trip from Los Angeles to Mammoth Lakes, loaded with 6 people, cargo box on top with 200lbs of gear, and trunk full of water/beer. That's a satisfying feeling that you can't get from any other car. You see your friends stop for gas twice before you have to. I stop with them to use the restroom so they don't feel bad. Of course, that's staying under 80mph.

 

I have 2014 GL350 with 54K that's nicely spec'd and maintained for sale. You can send me an email at <royex@hotmail.com>

 

Thanks very much for this. All valid points and those long trip benefits are enticing - that's what drew us in the first place as we have a few coming up this spring/summer. Now to see what an ELW costs....

 

I bought a 2015 GL350 because it's the most fuel-efficient 7 passenger SUV that can tow my 26-foot sailboat and it's so comfortable on road trips. Also, compared to vehicles with similar capabilities, buying one used was pretty reasonable.

The cons and why I bought it anyway:
1. Air suspension: The airbags on the air suspension (like shocks on every other car) will fail around 100,000 miles. When they fail, you need to fix them or the air compressor will be overworked and fail. My previous SUV was a 2006 ML500 with the air suspension. I traded it in with 200,000 miles on it. I replace all the airbags. This isn't some new technology. It's been around for a long time and there is lots of information about how to fix it when something goes wrong. It's harder to take the rear tire off than it is to change the rear airbag. No worry there. To replace the front airbag, you need to change the strut. This took a Friday night and most of a Saturday, then a trip to the dealer to get an alignment and ride height calibration on my ML. It's a big job, but can be DIYed or taken to an independent if you want to save some money. Just make sure you go to an independent that can perform the alignment and calibrate the ride height.
2. Front wheel bearings: Mine are making noise with only 70,000 miles on the vehicle. Not what I expect from a premium vehicle, but it's a well-known issue that I was ready for. I expect they will have to be replaced within the next 20,000 miles. It requires taking apart a lot of the front suspension and a press to get the bearings in and out of the hubs. I will be replacing them and the front struts/airbags at the same time.
3. Oil cooler seals: I check this carefully when the oil is changed. As soon as I see a leak, I'll get this done.
4. Timing chain: This is a well-known wear item on all these diesel engines at around 100,000 miles. Unlike the airbags, you'll hear the chain make noise when it's time to change it. There are a lot of these engines out there and there's lots of information about how to DIY this maintenance. It's a big job, but I can do it. There are also lots of independent repair shops that can do this in addition to the dealer.
5. DEF emissions system: Before the recent settlement, I was thinking that if I had a big problem with the system, I would do a delete. Now the current owner of these vehicles is getting at least a $2000 paycheck, new components, and an additional 3-year warranty on the system. It remains to be seen how these new components will affect the drivability, performance, and fuel economy of these vehicles, but I'm hopeful. If it all turns out to be a huge pain, I'll do a delete.

I'm sure others can point to additional problems with this model, but that's my view after researching, buying, and owning one for a year. We had our ML500 for seven years. I hope to have this one for as long or longer. I'd love to hear others' input.

Jeff

 

I too owned a CX-9 signature and while it was incredibly reliable, it is too small for a 3 row SUV. Mine got stolen and i replaced it with a 2015 GL-450 - difference is night and day

 

Just realized, Sumfuncomet, your signature says your favorite is 2012 sprinter and Mercedes has hit a homerun. It has the same engine as the GL350. How's the engine holding up for your work van? I bet it gets pretty cold there as well, how does it perform during winter?