GL vs. GLS
 

Which do you like best?

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mbw...65d8476865.jpg

Where do you find these great pictures? Are there more of these available? Thanks.

Thanks for the credit but it was a posted on,

http://www.germancarforum.com/thread...s.54462/page-4

IMO the refresh is an improvement. The square air intakes on the GL 550 looked dated compared to their new design language. And the larger/more upright grill looks great. The larger headlamps with more pronounced eyebrows work much better also. Not crazy about the night-package.

Well done MB design team!

Totally agree! It has a more aggressive stance too.

I like both vehicles.

Front is fine. The rear bumper is not so much, I prefer the 2013-2016 GL550 or GL63 rear bumper and the exhaust tips.

GLS550 > GL550. The other models, GL > GLS.

Old 63 looks dated to me in this pic

The GL does look dated in this photo. This photo doesn't do the GL any justice. It gives the GLS better positioning and therefore a profile advantage, if that makes sense. The GLS is beginning to look better everyday. Even the GLS 350/450 is looking better now.

I don't think anyone on this forum thinks the current GL is not a great looking SUV but the new design language is admittedly very nice. I can't wait to see an AMG GLS 63 with the new 22" wheels. They look great in the video.

GLS 63 compared to a GL 63... Improvement?

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mbw...43110273f5.png

Well, I'll join in on the pissing contest. I think to be fair the photos should be at least closer to the form and angle as well as intent. There are dozens of compares, some look better, some look worse. IMO, both are outstanding and have their pluses and minuses.

Open image slideshow and click "next" in the viewer to compare.

I own a 15 GL550 so not sure why you refer to this as a pissing match. We get the fact that you just bought a 16 GL550 and this thread may come off as a slight but that is not the intention.

That being said, the pictures of the new GLS just look better regardless of angle (IMO). And this refresh is very much needed to keep pace with the competition. It should help MB retain a lot of current customers and pull some new customers into the showrooms.

Enjoy your new GL550, we love ours.

Fair enough my friend.

Prior to purchasing our '16 it was my wife who saw the refresh and said she wanted to buy now. Believe it or not, her only reason was simply because the refresh has the new iPad-style Navigation stuck to the middle of the dash. She's a strange one indeed.

One thing I do respect about Mercedes is that their refreshes IMO do not really date the previous and/or earlier models since 2010. My wife has a '12 C350 Sport and in all honesty it still looks amazing and is simply a perfect and timeless design from head-to-toe.

Another observations is that Mercedes puts so much effort into design details such as the headlights and taillights, that each iteration is evolutionary, but not trumping the previous but rather presenting an new emotional response instead.

We absolutely love our GL and there are so many little things about it that emote an emotional response that drives one to love it more and more each day. And outside of its extremely attractive aesthetics, the drive is absolutely sublime.

It is a great SUV and very fun to drive. I traded a 2011 Lexus LX570 and never looked back. The GL is much more fun to drive, much more comfortable, and much better looking. I never got a single compliment for the Lexus but I received many compliments on the GL550. People just like it.

I recall you traded a RR. Any regrets?

What really amazes me about the GL550's split personality is when you put her in comfort mode and it drives with such smoothness and refinement while cruising around town on broken pavement, but the second you hit the back-roads or highway and you push that sport mode button it suddenly turns into an agile back-road and German-esque autobahn performer. You just don't get that true differentiated driving experience from any other SUV. It's either a sloppy truck or low-strung cross-over. Neither of each is combined this well.

My 2013 RRS HSE Luxury was a beautiful SUV with a finely crafted interior, it gave us many years of enjoyment. Its off-road prowess is bar-none best-in-class. But the products come with many flaws. And Land Rover just cannot meet the engineering refinement level that most Germany and Japanese manufacturers can. It was just time for me to move on. And my wife's C350 has been so flawless that my affinity for the Mercedes brand grew so much that it trickled over to me. I feel much more confident with the GL550 than I did with the RRS and have absolutely no regrets.