tin369

Hi all,

Thanks to this forum 2 years ago I got my first MB C300 and got at a great discount due to the members helping me out with discounts and pricing information. Since then I have appreciated MB as our previous car was a BMW 3 series. The BMW 3 series is a very nice and sporty car, but the interior does not reflect the price we paid. Whereas the c300 everyone who has sat on it has commented how luxurious it looks and feels and we agree, the ride is comfortable and when you need it to be sporty it does that too.

So now we are in need for an SUV, I drove the GLE350 and the GLS350 i think back to back and I was surprised that the GLS350 felt more nimble and peppy than the GLE350. I am not sure if this is my imagination or it really is?

However, the price is quite steep and so not sure if these are discounted heavily. my dealer said that these are in demand and they don't discount them as much.
So also have been looking at the new Volvo XC90, it looks great and fully loaded is much cheaper than the GLS350. However its does not have the MB star (being a brand snob here now). and lastly the X5, which is also something we have considered as it is the sports of all, but not sure if I need sporty in my SUV.

We do not need a 3 row suv at the moment, but the extra space will be helpful.

Just looking for various perspectives from owners, i would be leasing it as I don't want to own any german car.

Mspeed_1

XC90 is a nice car, probably does not have the brand recognition as the benz, but definitely an alternative choice if your budget is limited. X5 is not really in comparison as it's more of a 5 seater, however, driving wise you'll probably like the x5 more. We looked at GLS, XC90 and Q7, and we needed a full size third row, and only Mercedes offered that space, so we ended up with the GLS. Otherwise, our other choice would've been the Q7.

tin369

I think I meant GLS450. Can someone tell me the most important options to get?

Isawelvis

I have owned several XC90 but the old models. I am a little leary of a 4 cylinder engine in a full size SUV, one that either has just a Turbo or the one with a Turbo and a Supercharger. It might be the wave of the future but a V6 is the smallest engine in a full size SUV is for me. Also check their towing limits if thats important to you. Recommend you go to a Volvo enthusiast web site I used to use and still visit occasionally and read the comments on the new XC90.

Its called Swedespeed, maybe that would help. Good luck, but new Volvos do look good

Let us know what you decided.

tin369

I think, I am not going to consider the X5 anymore, that leaves me with the XC90 or the GL450.


After building it with the options I want, it closely gets pricey, so I am thinking of getting either used (CarMax) or CPO.


I need some suggestion from owners who have bought CPO or used and what has been your experience so far? Do I buy extended warranty if so how much does it cost?


Can you negotiate CPO prices?

Isawelvis

I purchased a 2015 ML350 in Feb 2016. It was a CPO. Basically, they add one year to the cars original warranty with unlimited mileage. Car comes with 4 year 50,000 so what you get is 5 years 100,000. My warranty runs out in 2020. Only catch is whenever you exceed 50,000 thats when the one year starts. You can add an additional warranty with the dealer, you can check on this site and see what others have charged. I did not go for the extended which I think was for an additional 2 or three years. As far a negotiations go , yes you can negotiate the price. From my experience here in St louis, the Mercedes dealer seem to have a lot of ML or in your case GLE CPO available. They will deal. I have seen people on this site, getting 6 to 11% off on brand new ones, so CPO should be at least 10,000 off original list, So far so good. Also, to make add some more info, you can pre-purchase maintenance packages for the recurring 10,000 mile service. Read on this site for that, I will probably do it for some of my services in the future. You can purchase this anytime the car is still in the original warranty .

One question - what are your thoughts on the XC90.

tin369

I am looking for the GLS not the GLE, but the CPO would be the same regardless so it would apply to the GLS as well.


I did test drive the XC90, but the 4 cylinder also worries me, specially in merging situations etc. I really like the design and the interior feels very modern and luxurious if you go with the inscription model.


I will have to test drive them back to back, ultimately it will come down to numbers, I can get a 2014/2016 GL450 for around $50-65K or go with a new 2017 XC90 for $60k.

baobay

So you're looking at the GL not the GLS?

tin369

I posted this question on the Volvo forum and a few of the GL onwers said that they have both cars and fell that the XC90 is more car like and easy to park, turn etc, vs. the GL. I wanted to know if the current GL owners feel the same way.

baobay

I think the GLS handles very well. It is a larger vehicle than the volvo so it will be more difficult to park. I've used the Parking Pilot and it works well. I haven't driven the volvo so I cannot comment on that. I had a 2014 GL450 and It seemed to be "heavier" than the GLS450. The GLS feels more car like to me than the GL.

Benzman33

The XC90 is coming up. I'm an Audi guy but I'd get the XC90 over it any day.

Chris D

My .02, you just need to decide how much SUV you want. We looked at the X5 and decided it wasn't large enough to haul our kids, gear, dogs, etc. cross country without rooftop box, etc. It's a comparably nice car to the GLS in terms of build, fit and finish, however. Interior room of the GLS seemed quite a bit bigger than the XC90 which is definitely larger than the X5.


The XC90, while it had the third row we needed, didn't have the cargo space and power we wanted in a large SUV. The styling, fit and finish are high but not quite MB or BMW. It had all the tech goodies you could imagine, looked great and the interior was very nice, but the road noise and lack of V8 for such a large car turned me off.

Benzorbust

900 miles on my XC90...Please give me my benz back!

After much contemplation between the GLS 450 and the XC90, we went with the Volvo and OMG it has been a rough road from Germany to Sweden! We had been driving ML 350s for the last 8 years so the GLS was the natural transition but my husband was swayed by all the gadgets that the XC90 offered....the self driving, the fancy iPad like screen. Plus, he wanted to try something new and the 15k$ difference didn't hurt. Trust me we are PAYING for this!

Here's what I wish someone would have told me: all the problems you read about on the boards can happen to you. The problems with the XC90 aren't isolated to the 2016 first model year hiccups....lots of problems are happening with the 2017s too. My car has been in for service 40% of the time I have owned it. Now, I have minimal experience with MB customer service but volvo customer service is a complete joke. They can take 1-2 weeks to respond to emails and calls. The answer is to blame the customer. "Oh, your battery went dead. You have to lock your car, even in your garage, and keep your keys 20 feet away."

Problems aside, IMO, the benz is a much more refined car:
- my benz sensors beep and light up when I'm REALLY going to hit something. My XC90 is like a mother in law screaming. Alerting me to EVERYTHING! Not a good practice. I've begun to ignore the beeps.
-highway noise is MUCH quieter in the benz
- easy entry 3rd row and the seats go up with a push of button. The lever system in the XC90 is reminiscent of mechanisms from the early 80s. I don't know how people could actually use the 3rd row on a daily basis. It is impractical. Try before you buy.
-As clunky as the MB screen is.....if you want to shut something off, you can easily see the button and push it. The Volvo sensus is cool looking but searching through 3 screens of buttons while I'm driving is annoying and distracting.
-blind spot assist is much better because there is a visual and AUDIBLE.
- you can use the back up cam AND 360 camera on a split screen. Plus, there is that line running parallel to the bumper on the benz cam letting you know when contact will happen. XC90 it's 360 OR back up cam.
-a regular electric socket! Priceless!
-keys all around more durable, (my Volvo key broke the first day)you can actually pull out the keyless go button and put the key in if your battery runs out or you are having a problem detecting the key and the valet key is really nice. Not an option with XC90.
-Benz negotiates on price Volvo doesn't.

XC90 has some good points:
-When remote start is working, frequently it is not, the car starts and the seat heaters and the steering wheel heater also turn on. NICE!
-hands free trunk opening with foot swipe.
-heads up display
-Built in booster seat
-maintenance is included for 36 months.

Look, this is just my opinion and experience going from a benz to a Volvo. Expensive mistake. My next car will be a GLS. If contemplating, skip XC90 and go straight to GLS!

Isawelvis

Thanks from a Woman's perspective, we males get all caught up with the gadgets. My concern with the new XC90 is the smaller engines. In the past I have owned 2 XC-90s which were both low on power. I cannot imagine a 4 cylinder engine in such a large car.

Hopefully, the new XC-90 will grow on you. I have to admit it is a very nice looking car and I hear the inside is pretty impressive.

Benzorbust

Interesting points, I actually know 3 men personally who LOVE their xc90s. I think it's the drive mode options. I just prefer that the car starts.

I don't have a lot of need for powerful acceleration BUT I would think that the mileage would be better with the 4 cylinders. My ML350 gets better mileage than the XC90. Haha

jbak31

Any ideas as to why that would be? They're the same truck... except for the front bumper and the badge on the back.

gixxer

If this is true this is an annoyance not to get any car. Not driving a car for a week is common with multiple cars.

tin369

Sorry to hear that you are having issues with the XC90. When I read the forums it feels like it maybe only a few people who are having issues but I really don't want to take a chance. Especially with kids I don't want to be stranded with the car not starting or the sensus not working.

I think all cars have issue but the Toyota's and hondas have less issue. You would think that these $60,0000 plus cars would be more reliable but it's the opposite.

Really dont know know which car to buy at this point.

baobay

different engine, different transmission, different suspension...I had the 2014 GL450 which had the V8 engine which felt more sluggish than the V6 bi turbo in the GLS. The GLS has the 9G transmission Vs the 7G in the GL. I also think the airmatic suspension has been upgraded.

jbak31

I didn't know about the difference in suspension. But I noticed that the GL seemed to have a softer ride than the GLS I drove recently. So they've made the GLS suspension a bit firmer now?

baobay

I agree. The GLS seems to handle better. The suspension firmness can be changed based on the drive mode you select (sport, comfort, off road...)

bylife

I have faced the same issue and finally picked up MB350d because of family members, all of them like MB.