akitchell

Hello,
We have driven our GL63 for awhile now. I know some of you are also thinking about this, so I wanted to post some observations and questions.
The interior is much nicer in the GL63. We were worried about the exhaust noise on the 63, but its only loud on startup and when you are really on the gas. Feels slower than what we thought. Its faster than the GL550 for sure, but not crazy fast , like we had hoped for. Our GL550 was the old body style.
The power hatch on the new car is much quieter. Our distronic shuts down intermittently on the 63. So , not happy about that. The seat massage is hardly worth it. Overall , not worth the extra $$ imo. Interior plastics are cheaper in the new car. Seat release already busted off in my hand.
Does anybody know why some of the new GL's have a chrome front lip spoiler and some have silver painted front lips? I've seen Gl550's with the chrome strip or paint strip up front, while every 63 I've seen has the silver painted front lip. Is this an option?
From what i have read, the distronic malfunction has been fixed by either a loose connector , new sensors , or not at all and people are just living with the problem. Can anybody tell me about their experience with this problem?

Chedman13

1) I went from a GL550 to GL63.
2) Yes, power difference isn't huge - until you do an ECU tune and other mods.
3) No distronic issues for me ever.
4) GL63's I believe are silver painted front and GL550's are chrome. I think they did that to differentiate?

akitchell

i noticed that you're from illinois. me too , but closer to stl. i figure you're up north by chicago. where did you get your ecu tune? and how much $ if you don't mind me asking? What other mods do you recommend?

one would figure that the chrome front would be on the more expensive model
ours already has some paint chips on the silver painted part. i know some peeps prefer the non chrome, but normally the higher models , get the bling.
strange to me.

cmginc

You have to remember that there's about 6000 pounds of truck to move... my GL63 isn't going to go like my E63s but it is still a blast to drive

akitchell

good point, but my gl550 was also 6000 pounds. the gl63 has the same hp as my 911 ( 550) . but i am not expecting them to drive the same. i just meant that the extra power in the gl63 seems like it would feel a lot faster than the 550. IMO , it does not feel that much faster. Although its nice to drive, i would not say that it is a blast to drive. If i had to do it all over again, i would be leaning towards the gl550.

cmginc

Performance purchases are made for horsepower but driven on torque. The GL63 only has 44 lb ft more torque than the GL550 (560 vs. 516), so it won't feel much more powerful by the seat of the pants. The horsepower on the higher end is where it pulls (550 vs. 429).

It's a matter of preference.

Chedman13

Here are some tuned numbers:
RENNtech ECU Upgrade | GL 550 | BiTurbo 4.7L V8 | X166 | 540 HP / 705 TQ | M278 Engine
RENNtech | ECU Upgrade | X166 | GL 63 AMG | 669 HP / 738 TQ | 5.5L BiTurbo V8 | M157

129 HP / 33 TQ difference.

cmginc

True, but I am only referencing stock numbers. Tunes can vary based on provider.

Chedman13

Agreed. I was just providing tuned numbers for more info.

carlosamg50

GL550 X164 is way slower than GL63 X166, I'm surprised you say that they don't feel that different?

I just made that swap and its completely different, sure, its a bit sluggish in gearbox comfort mode but in sports its as quick as many sports cars, my 911 C4S 996 included.

Have I understood you correctly and you think the old shape GL550 isnt that much slower than the GL63 or were you meaning GL550 X166 v's GLS63?

akitchell

Yes sir, I totally agree that they feel different, in refinement and features. They even feel different , performance wise. But , in all the ways that the gl63 is better, the performance has to be the biggest let down. Perhaps we just had a "fast" gl550 or a "slow" gl63, but not using a stopwatch, the old butt meter is not impressed. I experienced just the opposite as i just traded my 997tt for a 991 carerra. Night and day difference and the 911 non turbo is an absolute slug, compared to my old car.

cmginc

I put the UPD cold air intake on my GL63 and that solved the "sluggishness" off the line and when you hit the throttle at speed. Have it on my E63s as well and that made it insane.

EVOII_Racer

All the v8 5.5 bi-turbo are made to last but to unleash the power you just need to tune the beast!

I currently have 680hp and +-1050 Nm on my w166 and it now feels very fast!

Just do it

And in all honestly it is just as reliable and I almost drove 60'000 miles with it

450Boss

Upd intake can I add this to my 450?

cmginc

You would have to check with them: http://ultimatepd.com/

akitchell

Yes, you read it correctly . we had the old body 550 and now have the gl63. Perhaps it has something to do with us not babying the old car and gettign used to the new one. its my wifes daily driver . i just did the opposite and traded my 997 tt for the 991 na. and there is a world of difference. Miss my little 997.

Scott2016

I have a 2010 GL550. I love it. In fact, tested many different SUVs and simply couldn’t part ways. I recently bought a 2015 GL63. Absolutely love it. It’s definitely faster. The interior is a little better. Really, these are simply excellent SUVs. I actually have to sell my GL550, but for some reason I’m procrastinating.