2008 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class Consumer Reviews

Great Truck

Written by: Al on 08/26/2008

Vehicle

2008 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class GL320 CDI 4dr SUV AWD (3.0L 6cyl Turbodiesel 7A)

Review

Driving 400 miles every weekend to the cabin and back towing a variety of trailers has never been so effortless. It's been a true joy to drive in the snow, mud, and dirt. Figuring out when to raise the car and disable stability can get you out of trouble easily. I was a Suburban fan but this truck put the burb to shame and it's a lot cheaper to run. Towing 2 big snowmobiles 75mph in the winter still get 17-19 mpg.

Favorite Features

Nav, air conditioning and heat when I am away from car

Suggested Improvements

Bigger rear view mirrors

6 out 7 people found this review helpful

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Our first Mercedes-Benz

Written by: KBKBDB on 08/25/2008

Vehicle

2008 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class GL550 4dr SUV AWD (5.5L 8cyl 7A)

Review

So far, so good. We were in the market for a SUV. Test drove the Acura MDX, BMW X5 4.8i, and the GL. We were impressed by all three vehicles but ultimately the GL was the way to go--truly appreciate the usable third row seats.

Favorite Features

Our favorite features include the safety features, style inside and out, powerful V-8, ride comfort, multi- contour seats, Mark Levinson stereo, i- pod connection, backup camera, DVD player, and the overall feel at highway speeds. Plus it is easy to manuever around town.

Suggested Improvements

Larger exterior mirrors, real-time navigation and wireless headsets would be nice improvements.

0 out 1 people found this review helpful

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Flawless from day one.

Written by: DCDriver on 08/25/2008

Vehicle

2008 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class GL320 CDI 4dr SUV AWD (3.0L 6cyl Turbodiesel 7A)

Review

Purchased early summer and used daily. I knew that a diesel would deliver better mileage, but 27MPG highway mileage is even better than expected. The car has not had a single glitch since delivery. It's been perfect. The diesel has a half- second of lag off the line, but once the turbo kicks in, the power is impressive. The diesel plus the 7 speed transmission is a perfect combination for a big SUV. I'm sure the US car makers will scramble to catch up; or find a way to suppress diesels.

Favorite Features

The interior design is what sold us. The big Lexus looked like a South Florida sunroom. We love the dashboard design and stitching, and the firm seats.

Suggested Improvements

The gizmo for selecting gears is needlessly fussy. It leaves me guessing as to whether I've actually selected D-R-P.

1 out 1 people found this review helpful

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GL 320 CDI (Would not reccomend)

Written by: john on 08/19/2008

Vehicle

2008 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class GL320 CDI 4dr SUV AWD (3.0L 6cyl Turbodiesel 7A)

Review

The GL 320 is a very nice carin performance, luxury, fun, safety, fuel economy, and design. Accelerating onto the freeway it will go faster than a Chevy Suburban because of the 398ft lbs of torque. The luxury amentities are outstanding. Safety, we took this car onto a muddy road with ice, snow, and potholes. Honestly, I would rather be in that car than any other. Car looks very nice except the mirrors (too small). We got 32 MPG one time on the highway. Car is fun to drive and handle. I have had a lot of problems though.The shock on a rear tire had to be replaced 9000 miles. The computer that tells the low oil and stuff needed to be replaced 11000 miles. Sucked up oil because of a ripped line 7000 mi.

Favorite Features

Headlights are incredibly bright. Keyless go is very nice. AC cools down from 110 to 68 in 10 min. (live in Arizona)Suspension is great. Engine is fast and fuel conservative, quiet. Interior lighting is plentiful. Rear seat entertanment is good. Safety features aregood. Park assist is helpful. Great car in features

Suggested Improvements

Tires and oil are terrible. The low oil light comes on over 70MPH 1000-11000mi. The tires were wrong size when car was bought. Mirrors are too small. Car is assembled poorly. When bought many things were not working properly (air shocks, AC) many more to list. Would not buy again!

3 out 4 people found this review helpful

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Bigger is Better

Written by: Gerry R. on 07/22/2008

Vehicle

2008 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class GL450 4dr SUV AWD (4.7L 8cyl 7A)

Review

This SUV is rock solid yet handles very well for a full size vehicle. The interior is very comfortable and cabin noise is very minimal. If you need seating for 7 this is the flagship vehicle. Vastly superior to the Audi Q7, Burban, mini-vans or anything else for that matter. If you want people mover, the search is over. I came out of a 2006 GM product that thought the service center was it's second home. Mercedes exudes quality and the dealership personnel treat you better. Quality does not cost, quality pays.

Favorite Features

Smooth, quiet ride. Backup camera. Solid, tight feeling of vehicle. View over hood from drivers seat and lack of blind spots. Exhaust note outside vehicle. Leather quality, fit and finish is superb compared to Q7. Safety rating and air curtains all the way back to the 3rd row seating.

Suggested Improvements

Entry for 3rd row seats is difficult, the lever to move the seat up is very difficult to engage. Luckily the kids are part monkey and they just hop over the seat. The NAV system and satellite radio need to be updated and more user friendly. The control panel settings are awkward to set.

5 out 5 people found this review helpful

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Great SUV

Written by: nycdriver on 07/21/2008

Vehicle

2008 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class GL450 4dr SUV AWD (4.7L 8cyl 7A)

Review

I picked up my GL450 in June 2008 and it drives terrific. Smooth, quiet, and comfortable ride. It's really quite incredible. Feels solid but not overly large. Now for the cons - terrible fuel mileage (averaging 11 mpg in NYC), it's a big truck so the drive isn't as sporty as my BMW SUV's.

Favorite Features

Air suspension makes for a great ride, design is beautiful inside and out, keyless go (must get!), nice leather seats

Suggested Improvements

Memory seats programmed to keys, electronic lumbar support, add distronic plus as an option (like in S550), need to improve MPG

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Best MB Yet

Written by: Austin on 07/20/2008

Vehicle

2008 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class GL320 CDI 4dr SUV AWD (3.0L 6cyl Turbodiesel 7A)

Review

The 2008 GL320 CDI is the best MB I've yet owned, out of 4 different models. It is my go-to car for all short errands and long trips. It is very comfortable, super quiet, safe, has excellent pickup (we live in the hills), has great visability and gets good mileage - averaging 20 mpg city / hwy. Also, in my mind, diesels are a better environmental solution than hybrids because of the battery production and disposal issue. Few vehicles with this weight have the same ability to pass other vehicles when you are going 40 mph or faster. We have towed horses and hardly notice the additional weight except for more downshifting and fuel consumption.

Favorite Features

Unexpected great feature in Texas heat is IR glass (Premium 2 Package). This feature leaves vehicle about 18 degrees cooler on entry which is huge in parking lots on 100 degree days.

Suggested Improvements

Two worst features are iPod integration and navigation - both are incredibly poor and a total waste of money.

4 out 4 people found this review helpful

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Awesome suv

Written by: ceezeeman on 07/08/2008

Vehicle

2008 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class GL550 4dr SUV AWD (5.5L 8cyl 7A)

Review

This is a great truck. Looks great, well built, fun to drive. But it is an suv, not a luxury sedan and handles accordingly.

Favorite Features

Comfort, design and build

Suggested Improvements

Mirrors too small for size of vehicle. Nice if 2nd row seats were adjustable forward and back

2 out 3 people found this review helpful

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Best SUV in Canada

Written by: Marco Khan on 06/29/2008

Vehicle

2008 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class GL320 CDI 4dr SUV AWD (3.0L 6cyl Turbodiesel 7A)

Review

Excellent drive and you get the feeling of a solid vehicle. Excellent interior and exterior finishing. Mercedes have thought of all the details and have done many improvements in the GL. We had two ML 320 before and now find the GL much more driver friendly.

Favorite Features

Suspension, electronics, and fuel economy

Suggested Improvements

Can not think of any at the momment.

3 out 3 people found this review helpful

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Quality is back

Written by: CBM on 06/11/2008

Vehicle

2008 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class GL320 CDI 4dr SUV AWD (3.0L 6cyl Turbodiesel 7A)

Review

I traded my 07 GX 470 Lexus in on this and have been very happy. I get 25 mpg, which is not bad for a large suv. With diesel at 4.50 a gal. it costs to fill the tank, but it is money well spent. The GL is a true pleasure to drive, comfort and ride of a lux car. I have pulled a large boat with out any problem. The little V6 offers plenty of power. It is not a corvett, but fast enough.

Favorite Features

The power hatch, the remote windows down and up. Well made and well thought out.

Suggested Improvements

Change the location of the Cruise control, it gets in the way of the turn signals. Offer better packages by allowing more selection of accessories.

4 out 4 people found this review helpful

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