Our GLE's lease is almost up. We've wanted a GLS for a while now and have been hesitant with the 167 on the horizon. In the other thread is a vid of BMW's X7 (which I got to see a few of them on the road in SC a few weeks ago) and also someone looking at the Q7. For us, we've been tossing between picking up a loaner GLS450 or switching to a Lexus LX570. Wife is comfortable w/ COMAND and likes where all of the MB controls/switches are as this will be her 3rd. However, the LX570 has the underpinnings from the Land Cruiser so (w/ a wheel & tire swap) we can take it on the beach and it also has the rear entertainment screens which are almost impossible to find in a GLS. Interesting enough, quotes from both dealers have been the same for both vehicles. So what are your thoughts and which other vehicles have you guys seriously considered?

 

For what it's worth, I can give you my take on the Lexus LX570. We owned a 2011 LX570 and traded it on our first GL550 in 2013. We liked the LX570 but the GL was far more refined, drove better, sit closer to the ground so it was easier to enter and exit, and included several options that were unavailable on the Lexus (power adjustable headrests, soft-close doors, a few more). The biggest difference for us was the ride. The LX rides and handles like a truck. The GL handles more like a car. I just saw the new LX570 at an auto show and the new grill is just awful looking (to me). It works on their sedans, but just doesn't work so well on a big SUV. The interior is an improvement over our 2011 but the fit and finish is still not up to a Mercedes. Of course everyone has their own view of a vehicle and as they say, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. For me and my wife, we would never consider going back to the LX570 and we were loyal Lexus buyers for more than 10 years. We love our GLS550, our Mercedes dealership, and will be upgrading to the new X167 when it's available to order.

-Happy motoring

 

I totally agree on the LX grill. It reminds me of a Humpback Whale, mouth agape...feeding on plankton. That may make for a majestic view in the ocean, but not so much on land. Now the GLS550 looks like a land shark.

All jokes aside I found the Volvo XC90 to be a capable, refined ute (with the air suspension), but the T5 and T6 lack the performance of the GLS even if you get the Polestar tune (T8 is a very performant hybrid) and the 3rd row is of decent size that would fit smaller adults. The Audi Q7 is also very impressive, not as refined of an interior as the XC90 or the GLS, but handles well and is performant, but with a smaller 3rd row as well. Those are the only two luxury utes with 3 rows that I have driven that perform at the GLS level, but neither have the 3rd row room of the GLS.

The BMW X5 (owned one for 7 years) has an optional 3rd row which is only of value for the rare Homunculi. The Lexus and Infiniti ride and handle like trucks so concurring with JoeMa. The Acura MDX is a nice vehicle (owned one for 6 years) I am just not particularly fond of the way it looks now and the hybrid Acura has No (Zero, Nada) towing capacity.

 

The current LX is still the same 200 series as your '11 was, just w/ a few interior and exterior updates, so I take your word as still plenty valid. I kinda like the grill actually, just gotta make sure a front plate doesn't get screwed into it. One of our concerns was that even though we do like the soft leather, how will it hold up over time (with "time" being during the course of a 3yr lease)? I guess we sorta do like the ruggedness that it can be, but then again, I can always pick up a used 4Runner to play with.

And then I am in the same boat as you as regards to our relationship w/ our dealer. My wife stops in randomly when she hears an off sound, they move the car seat, etc into a loaner GLE or GLS for her and she's on her way in a matter of minutes. I then get a call at work later if they found something or not. Over the past 6 years, little things like key remote batteries, wiper blades, etc, don't even get written up and she doesn't usually even have to get out of the car. In contrast, the last LX we drove back in January, the sales woman showed us the play area they had for kids and where they even make you a cappuccino while waiting for your car at the service dept. My wife asked, "why would I be sitting here waiting?". Sales woman said "we want you to be comfortable when you come in for oil changes and other services..." That's going to take some time to get used to...

I was curious to see what else people have considered as there isn't much w/ a usable 3rd row. I love my BMW's but the X5 seems to always miss something or another. The optional 3rd row was only good for the rear air suspension that came with it, not sure if I would even put my kids back there. And despite the numbers on paper, the GLE has more cargo room than the X5. We also had an MDX for a while but that got traded in for a w166 ML350 diesel (we were sold after just 1 test drive). New MDX w/ captain chairs are nice but it is a smaller vehicle. I can't see spending my money on the Volvo, just doesn't move us. We had both a QX80 and Sequoia as rentals last fall when a tree fell. They are both just huge and neither is as smooth as what we're used to. Intentionally not mentioning the GM triplets, fine for a rental while on vacation, but not for everyday. Nor Ford's twins, as there's too many blind spots. In all fairness, can't speak to the new Navigator just yet.

 

Fair and honest opinions of all those SUV's. The upcoming X7 will be an interesting choice for the 7-passenger buyer and will get the attention of MB owners waiting on the X167. I'll check it out and do a test drive. For me, the one knock on the X5 is the ride is not as smooth as a GLS but a larger, heavier X7 could have a better ride.

 

I came from a 2016 Volvo XC90 into a new 2018 GLS. The quality is outstanding. The cabin is very silent, the handling is very good, plenty of room for cargo, plenty of power, ride quality is a dream. An acura, Toyota and the Q7 all have their benefits for different reasons but they are not on the same level as the GLS. I wouldn’t wait for the redesign either because coming out of a redesigned Volvo the first production year can be an absolute nightmare... My goal is to lease for 3 years and then get into the new model once it’s been out for a little while.

 

You make a valid point about buying in on the first year of a new model but buying the last year of an outgoing model often means a larger than normal hit in depreciation. So for those who decide to purchase a MY19 GLS (X166), negotiate a rock-bottom price (invoice or below) and plan to hang onto it for several years.

 

I have a MY14 GL 550. I LOVE this car, but it has close to 90k miles so may go ahead with a MY19 550 and see how the newer model plays out. While I was hoping MY19 would be the redesign, there's benefits of not jumping in after the first year of intro.

I'm not concerned about a purchase of 'same old'. In my city, I still see plenty of the older GL versions still on the streets.

Prior to the GL, I had a MY07 X5 for 7 years, the first year of that model intro. While I loved it at the time, it was ALWAYS in the shop and I had a $3.5k expense because the sunroof leaked and damaged lots of electronics. While under warranty and under their maint plan, they told me water damage was not covered and we should have done regular maint. to clean drains. The manual never refers to this maintenance and the dealer did all our maintenance on a regular basis. BMW does not stand up to their engineering. When out of warranty, we went to an independent and they love X5s because they were always in the shop. That car had a heavy feel and not near the agility my larger GL has. The third seat was very limiting and confining. I would never buy a BMW X in it's first year and would need to have lots of positive data to do so at all.

We bought a used MY14 GLK (the last year of the prior model) for my student daughter in black and we love that car too. Somehow, the MB black always looks good. My black X5 was always dull and dirty. Both are outdoor cars.

My daughter has a new Q7. She likes it. I should probably take a closer look.

 

My best friend has a BMW X5 and it's been in the shop many times. It's left him sitting on the side of the road twice with a dead battery (even after replacing the battery). The dealer cannot find the cause. I do love the look of the X5 but the ride is as you say, heavy. The interior is not as welcoming as the MB. The new X7 could be interesting but you will still be buying a BMW, not a Mercedes Benz.

 

I have mixed feelings on the X7. I love my BMW's, usually order them new (rear wheel drive and manual transmission ) and pick them up at the Performance Center in South Carolina across the street from the factory. The thing with the X5 is that it's made as a driver's car. It drives and handles almost like a 3 or 5 series. But that's not the feeling that we, we being those of here on an MB board, are looking for. I personally ordered a 340i w/ a 6 speed stick, tune, and exhaust for a fun car whereas our suv is the family vehicle where I want a relaxed, softer ride. And therein lies the uncertainty with the X7. Is it going to drive like a traditional BMW, like the X5? Or will it be like a 7 series suv? And my issue with the 7's is that it falls short when driven back to back with an S-class. X7 compared to a GLS is going to be an interesting battle to say the least.

So when considering that 1st production MY of any vehicle has more issues compared to the final MY, depreciation of the outgoing model once the new model hits the streets, and there usually being no discounts for the 1st few months of a new release, leasing a loaner x166 makes even more sense. Then get out of it early if MBFS is still offering pull ahead deals.

 

 

I concur on the X7 grill. I worked for Mercedes for 5+ years, yet have been a hardcore BMW fan for a long time and typically love their styling, but if that grill gets any larger...children, small pets and Fiat 500s will start orbiting it.

 

Circling back on this. Looked at the LX570 again and it is a compelling vehicle, but the scales tipped back to MB due to the age of the LX's components and better fuel economy in the GLS. The 570's engine, transmission, and chassis are all solid and will last forever, don't get me wrong. X7's should start showing up at about the same time we get to see the production version of the GLS. I think I learned my lesson w/ getting a vehicle in it's 1st year. There's no parts available for repair! Our ML was the 1st year for the W166, took forever to get a replacement front shock. Then on our current GLE, even though it is just a refreshed ML, it took just over 2 months to get a replacement "GLE" windshield. And the early adopters don't generally get much in the way of a discount.

We haven't been able to find a GLS450 on the ground equipped as we wanted. Our local dealer has an '18 that was close and his initial offer was 8% off sticker, but I'd rather have the 3-zone climate instead of the appearance pkg which that vehicle has. So earlier this week we decided to order a '19, scheduled to be built 1st week of November. Hopefully it gets pushed up and comes sooner. White on espresso MB-tex, premium 1, lighting pkg, 3-zone climate, lane tracking, parking assist, illuminated star (wife's request), heat/cool cupholders, pano roof, heated steering wheel, trailer hitch, H/K sound, illuminated running boards, and power rear qtr windows. The heated rear seats, MB-tex lower wrapped dash, and magic vision were my options that got chopped off the order. Although, I am seriously considering adding back in the wrapped dash. I just think it would make a difference on the interior. And the dash is what you're constantly looking at right? So now the wait begins unless something comes up to make us switch to an in-stock vehicle. I think soon we should start seeing the ones they used for the PGA tour. One or 2 dealers around here usually get a few of them and they're generally nicely equipped.

 

I have the wrapped dash and it doesn't make as much of a difference as I thought it would. If I were to order another GLS, I probably would reconsider that one. I would get the heated rear seats now that my kids are out of car seats. My wife's Pacifica has heated rear seats and I hear about it on cold mornings when I take them to school. The heated steering wheel is pretty nice as well.

 

Had to edit my post as we did order the heated steering wheel as well. Our previous ML had the wood/leather wheel. Looked nice, but we prefer the soft leather (nappa?) that's on the heated wheel in our GLE now. Emailing my CA this morning to see if any vehicles he has in stock has the wrapped dash so I can see it. My BMW has the heated rear seats and my oldest always puts hers on. That was a hard one to cross off.

 

The GLS really has no competition. It is as or more spacious than the full size truck competition except for the extended version of the GM SUVs. It drives as well as the car based Q7 and and XC while having a third row that will fit real adults. It also has more power and is much faster than any competing 7 row SUV (550) plus it tows 7500lbs like if the werent there, on the 550 the tow limit is determined by the chassis, the powertrain could easily tow as much as a heavy duty pickup. Furtheremore, the GLS will offroad with any offroader in the market even without the offroad package!! The real issue is that the GLS will be replaced by a vehicle with much better interior, electronics and infotainment system late 2019 as a 2020 model. If reports of slightly larger dimensions are true it will have even more space for seven. IMO such upgrades will make the competition even less relevant, the trucks will still be trucks and the others will still have only token third rows. I dont put much hope on the upcomming BW, the 7 series is a boner and BW really has no "truck" or "offroader" heritage to pull expertise from.

 

So we stopped by the dealer again yesterday. Production date still stands at 11/2 so hasn't been pushed up. Sales manager said MB is holding production on the 2019 GLS until more of the 2018's that are on the ground are sold. Do I believe him? Undecided. While waiting is adding miles to my current vehicle, the November time frame might see a good winter sales event. And the less '18MY vehicles available, the better for incentives and residuals on the '19MY vehicles. I know in the past they've used the sales programs to push a specific MY over another.

In their entire inventory between their 2 local MB stores, my dealer only had 1 GLE w/ the U09 option and that got sold earlier this week. We added it to our build anyway. Then we also sat in another GLS w/ the 114 espresso brown interior and black headliner. With the shade closed on the pano roof, I had to admit, it did seem dark inside. But then again, my 340 has black seats w/ a black headliner. Asked my wife if she wanted to switch to the grey headliner and she said no. This one also had the rear heated seats. We're getting the 3 zone climate control so we'll just have blank plates where the heated seat switches would be as a reminder of an option we didn't get.

 

It's been an eventful past few days. While waiting for our GLS, last Saturday we went to check out an '18 full size Range Rover diesel as we would love to get back into a diesel. The GM's car, 6k miles on it, sticker was $108k. Lease residual and MF was better than MB's but they wouldn't budge below $102K for a selling price. It was nice, but not that nice. You want me to sign for $102k when you gave me a sheet showing you own it for $94k? No thanks. We briefly talked about a Discovery diesel but to get what we wanted would have to be an order and would be looking at a February delivery. That same evening, we got a call from the Lexus dealer we visited last year asking if we were still interested in the LX570 and that their managers were making aggressive deals. We scheduled an appointment to go in at 3pm the next day (Sunday). We get there, was asked to take a seat, half hour goes by and no one came over so we left. Waste of time. They did call to apologize and ask if they could bring it by our home another day.

Around noon on Monday, my MB salesman calls and says that our GLS is being off-loaded from the truck and they were sending it right to PDI. We went in that same evening to sign papers. It was ready for delivery Wednesday morning so we went and got it. I did get the MB-tex wrapped dash and it does make a difference. If I were to do it over and had to choose, I may have opted for either the rear heated seats or front multi-contour seats instead. Also, I prefer the illuminated running boards we had on the GLE which was 5 puck lights on each side over this one that has LED strips which are no where near as bright.

Being in the northeast, I use winter tires on all my vehicles. When I had a '10 Acura MDX I bought a set of the Blizzak DM-V1's in 255/55/18 which lasted 7 seasons. Used them on the MDX, the ML, and the GLE. Towards the end of last season, you could feel that they were done and I certainly got my money's worth. For the ML I had purchased a set of Touren wheels from Town Fair Tire that I had the Blizzaks mounted on. The GLE came w/ 19's but the 18's fit just fine. The GLS however uses 275/55/19 and I couldn't find the Blizzaks nor any Nokians in stock in that size. The parts dept, nor TireRack could confirm if the GLS could take 18's. There's a doc in German on this board dated 1/17 that shows the GLS400 using 265/60/18 as an approved tire size. I showed it to my parts dept but he was unable to confirm the relation of the European GLS400 to our GLS450. Only 1 way to find out so I pulled out 1 of the old wheels this morning and bolted it up to the front of the GLS. It's an 18x8 wheel, et40 (GLS450 R55 factory wheel is 19x8.5, et62). The 18" wheel does clear the calipers although with very little room to spare. Drove around the block and seemed fine so I went on TireRack and ordered a set of the 265/60/18 Blizzak DM-V2's which should be here next week.

 

Pics or it didn't happen right?

 

Congrats Man! Looks great. That's where I got mine last month. Was very happy with them.

 

So I ended up sending back the 18" Blizzaks and getting the 275/55/19 size. Very happy w/ the GLS. Only wish there was a way to lower it at times. Certainly more powerful and rides smoother than the GLE we had.

 

For anyone cross-shopping the BMW X7, this is a pretty good video: