Test Drive: Mercedes GL roomy, surprisingly agile
— -- Mercedes-Benz remakes its full-size GL SUV and, at first blush, seems to have come up with a big, dumb beast that has awful rear visibility. But only moments after sliding behind the wheel, that gets stood on its head.
Instead, the 2013 GL seems a lot more like a roomy, comfy, surprisingly agile family-size hauler perfect for road trips. For high-dollar folks, of course. The machine starts at $63,000-plus.
M-B is known for its luxury cars, but is becoming an SUV company in the U.S. Its plant at Vance, Ala., not only makes the GL, but also the ML and R-class SUVs. A redesigned C-class sedan goes into production there in 2014.
The new, second-generation GL is yet another of the many models the German car company is significantly updating or completely overhauling in the space of about two years. It's a car dealer's and product planner's dream, but the marketing folks must be going nuts figuring out how to pitch so many new vehicles without setting up such a yammer that the mere mention of Mercedes-Benz causes potential buyers to turn a deaf ear and blind eye.
The market for big, fancy SUVs isn't the healthiest just now. Sales of rival models from Cadillac, Audi, Infiniti and Lexus are underperforming the overall new-vehicle market. The fresh GL is just now going on sale, so hasn't a track record to suggest if it'll make a bigger splash.
But it should, among people who favor comfort and space.
No getting around some issues, though.
Big rear roof pillars make it all but impossible to see with a quick glance over your shoulder what's in the next lane. A very clear backup camera helps in parking lots and driveways, but can't completely compensate for the blocked view from inside.
Wide doors are useful, but GL's also are heavy and stiff and out of character with the smooth operation of everything else.
The cruise control stalk remains too near, and too much like, the turn signal lever. Too easy to hit the wrong one.
You'd think after all these years we've pointed out that flaw, M-B would have noticed, but some companies are just too stubborn to heed good advice.
Cargo space behind the third row is marginal for the overall size of the vehicle.
Running boards on the test vehicle were ugly, silly, senseless and made the GL look ungainly. If you're so short you actually need a step to get in, this isn't the right vehicle for you. And if you don't need the running boards as a step, then you'll find they get in the way. You have to get past them to enter and exit. In foul weather they'll accumulate a layer of road filth just waiting for a pant leg or skirt hem.
What might draw you to the GL if you're in the right price neighborhood:
Diesel power. Nice situation: The diesel engine is the entry model and gets by far the best mileage. Plus, diesels are simply nice to drive. They have oodles of torque, which is the kind of low-speed power quite useful in U.S. traffic, even though car ads emphasize horsepower, which usually comes into play at higher speed, such as merging or passing.
The GL's diesel is quiet inside the vehicle, but notable diesel-engine clatter is audible from the outside before the engine's warm.
It's the same powertrain that's in the newly diesel-ized big S-class sedan, but thank goodness does not share that setup's hesitation from a dead stop. Floor the GL when the traffic light turns green and the buggy scoots.
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