My concern exactly...

My MY2013 GL350 Bluetec 36mo lease is due back in October...

For those with experience or wisdom on the situation, should I:

1) Try to extend the lease(is this possible?) to then order the refresh.

2) Buy out the lease to then trade or sell when taking delivery on the refresh.

btw, the lease was 10k miles/year and so far only about 15k driven total - so very low miles.

 

2016 models will have short production cycle. 2015 E-Class was the same way. only produced 2015 E-Class models for maybe a few months. 2016 GL will be same as 2015. Spring 2016 (1st quarter) is when 2017 GLS models will begin arriving to dealerships. I'm thinking that I may do a 24 month lease for the wife and then try to come out early into 'facelift' version with LAP

 

Is this fact or maybe? How would you 'come out' of a lease early?

 

Loyalty Accelerator Program

For example: currently, if you are in a lease through MB, they will waive 5 payments and dispo fee if you go into another MB lease (certain models). If I were to come out of my E350 lease now with 9 payments left and get into a GL lease, I would roll 4 payments into the new lease and MB would waive 5

 

Oh, and I never like to state anything as 'fact' or say that I'm '100% sure' about anything as anything can happen, but I'm telling you that it MOST probable...

 

Thanks for all the clarification.

 

Releases of updates or completely new models can disturb the normal yearly model update cycles, and some of us suspect that is what will happen with the GLS. Note: suspect.

But if the suspicion proves correct and you move to an update on your current schedule you could be faced with having a car that is the latest model for a shorter time than usual.

Now you might think 'I know people who have bought a car in February and they live with knowing in 6 Months their car will not be the latest, their lives are miserable and I am not going to be one of those people!'

Cheer up- by staying with your current schedule, at next renewal when release dates are back to normal life will become fine again. Whereas if you move you purchase time a few months this time, you will be out of sync with the yearly model refreshes forever.

But if really worried as this is not just an update but a change of name, perhaps extend your lease for one year?

 

Extending a lease just isn't the mentality of a lessor.

Anyway, taking the wife to test drive the 'Slade, Cayenne and RR this weekend. Not good marketing from MB.

I'm leaning to a GTS Cayenne, wife likes the interior of the Slade - but also keeping an eye out for a deal on a V8 GL450 to tune.

 

If a dealer offered me all 3 of those vehicles in a package deal for my GL550, I wouldn't take it. I've driven the Escalade, way to trucky. The Cayenne is just to small. My next door neighbor owes a RR and let look it all over. Up close its just not as nice looking as my 550 (IMHO). But best wishes if you make the jump. You might later wish you were back in a refreshed GLS when they hit the roads.

 

You're description is actually spot on with my current impressions. My point is, I probably wouldn't be considering an alternative, except for what seems like poor timing on product release.

Plan is to check them out to see if my impressions hold out or I am swayed by any of the other brands.

Part of that is challenging the appropriate size of vehicle - hence the Cayenne which appeals to me from a sportiness perspective. By that token I should throw an ML (ahem GLE) into the mix too.

MT magazine's most recent article had the Caddy ranked above the GL450 (not sure why they didn't use a GL550), with the interior being a big part of the equation it seemed. I"m not convinced the "refresh" is going to help the GLS too much on that front.

As a car manufacturer you don't want your customers looking at / considering other brands. MB isn't helping themselves on this front. They should take a leaf out of Porsche's book who seem to have it down to a fine science in human study.

 

Point well taken. MB does seem to be dragging their feet on the GLS. And if a brand new model is in the works for MY2019 (13-18 would be 6 years), that would mean only 2 years for the refreshed model (17 and 18). It really should have been ready for MY2016.

 

I get more chuckles as this goes on..and...on..and...on... and frankly I am open minded on brands/models, more so than most...

There is nothing "out of sync" whatsoever on the Mercedes product cycle on the GL - new gen M in 2012... new gen GL 2013... facelift ML/GLE 2016..facelift GL/GLS 2017..

Other than massive repetition of obsure and incorrect web nonsense... incorrect "spy" photos of GLE coupes as GLE's, GLE's as GLS... nonsense

On any other forum for any other manuf/model - all that sh*t would have already been readily dismissed but here seems to echo..and..echo... 11 weeks after the MB dealer order guide was in-hand at your respective dealer.

Interesting comments about the Sclade.. missed a point... pricey, like I mean pricey....

Everybody deserves to own a Rover at least once - I have, twice, fun romp for 2-3 months with each...with such "distinctiveness" over the past 10+ years... "new Rover" can't ever seem to market traction - for good reason you find out when you get a fresh one.. if I could justify a Aristocrat, a unfilled occasional craving..

Keep the beat !

 

the great and powerful fabbrisd1 has spoken

 

No denying the timing.

What would you do with a lease that ends in late October?

I hadn't looked into the sclade before, and was shocked by the price after reading that article. Not sure I can get my head around that for a GM.

Kind of like Beats headphones

 

October lease end is a bit of Catch 22 timing - I love GL's - if it was me - I would either order a MY16 now - the exact way I want it - and bite a small bullet - choose to pay that "1st adopter premium" - the "flip" side - other choice take advantage of early-out on the lease IF there was a great upgrade in a available 15, and instead of paying/1st-adopter, pay for a bit more rig... I love Designo, etc..

I have not seen anything from my side about "early/Spring" 2017's.... the major scramble at Vance is Supply Chain + production management on Just-In-Time production basis for their expanded model Vance production base - more world wide models going forward in SUV + domestic C's + domestic Sprinter - .... big hard push to hit 500K units Vance production volume by 2017..

Some say TomAto, some say TomAHto..

 

...

 

What a Debbie-Downer. I still say "Think Spring".

 

Who knows what the future holds if I will be able to continue forever, but for now, this is one of the parts that I enjoy about (habitual) leasing. Being able to try out new vehicles every few years. Everyone craps on LR for their reliability, even though they have gotten better since being taken over by Tata. They make some beautiful and capable vehicles. Wouldn't be bad to lease a RRS for a go 'round and then give it back. I found the interior layout of the LR4 to be extremely functional. Cayenne GTS would also be nice for a few years as well. If your lease cycle happens miss the introduction of the facelifted GLS, there's the opportunity to try something else and then come back. Or you may even sync up for the release of the all new model in a few years. The Escalade is too pricey for what it is and there's many other options in that same price bracket. Not to mention how much less you can grab one in only 2 years.

 

So went out and drove a few of these for comparisons sake:

- Cadillac Escalade: wife (and kids) LOVED the interior and the size. Drove rough like a truck (bumpy) and felt very heavy, even with the trick suspension. I'd need to join the NFL for my wife to drive it. And pricey.

- Range Rover and RR Sport: such a big vehicle, but doesn't seem to transition into interior room. The supercharged engine is a hoot, undeniable off-road prowess. Drove a bit top heavy and noisier in the cabin than the GL. Interior nicely appointed but I don't like the steering wheel. Strong contender just to have had one for a while.

- Cayenne GTS: oh baby, does this thing perform, it's all about performance! Looks sweet in the GTS configuration. I enjoy the interior but that maybe just due to its familiarity. It is smaller too. Best handling out of them all, but that comes with more road noise in the cabin with tire noise and is firmer.

- Volvo XC90: this put the cat amongst the pigeons. Brand new, very fresh design inside and out. Wife initially didn't want to drive it, which was pretty funny in front of the SA. Then we did and it is very nice inside - the center screen is just like an iPad and clear winner, the std panorama roof is beautiful. It also has 2 seats in the third row. It just comes across as smaller. We parked it next to the GL and it isn't that different. Here's the problem - the engine. It's a supercharged, turbo charged 4 cylinder. Sounds like a sewing machine. I just can't get my head around it! Kind of trying to though. There is a hybrid coming out that bolts on an electric driving motor to the back that takes it up to 400hp, and gives you 20miles of pure EV driving. At the end I pointed out to my wife it was half the cost of the Caddy. She couldn't believe it.

- Audi Q7: new model, I need to drive it.

Conclusion: confused!

 

My issue is cargo space behind the 2nd row. I do not want less and that will be a big item when I shop for the 2017. Glad to see Volvo on the comeback trail. Somehow I think the Q7 will be too small behind the 2nd row. Thanks for the information.

 

You complain about the Escalade price, but say nothing about the price of the Porsche or RR, which are both more expensive.

Did you just not feel there was value in the Escalade?

 

The ability to customize the exterior and interior look of a RR is a big plus for me. Really would like to see MB go in that direction.

The lack of knee room and space behind the third row of the escalade is embarishing for such a big vehicle.

 

We drove the Cadillac first, then the Volvo - hence the comment on being half the price. I think the Cayenne S, RR Sport Supercharged and Cadillac all priced out around $86-88K.

I thought that was pricey for a GM truck, in comparison to the P!g and a RR. I'm Porsche biaised though. As I noted though, my wife really liked the inside of the Escalade!

 

Anyone heard anything new about the refresh GLS? Any new spy photos?
MB must be close to wrapping things up.

 

I had my wife take a look at the Volvo. She likes it but made the following statement:


Don't older people drive Volvo's.