GL-Class in the Market

The GL's price spread gives it a wide range of competitors. At the low end it competes with Infiniti and Lincoln, and at the high end there's Lexus and Land Rover. Though sales are down these days, the GL hasn't tanked as fast as the rest of Mercedes' lineup, which is tracking about even with the auto industry's general decline.

The GL is doing better than it should, and I can see why: The Bluetec's national availability coincides with a dramatic decline in gas prices, which should go a long way toward sweetening the prospect of buying a large luxury SUV. Indeed, there are enough strengths to make the GL a worthy steed for some, but until Mercedes irons out the drivetrain kinks — and improves the reliability — I can't recommend it for everyone.

    See also:

    Switching on/off
    WARNING Repeatedly setting the seat heating to level 3 may result in excessive seat temperatures. The health of passengers that have limited temperature sensitivity or a limited ability to r ...

    Engine oil viscosity
    Viscosity describes the flow characteristics of a fluid. If an engine oil has a high viscosity, this means that it is thick; a low viscosity means that it is thin. Select an engine oil with an S ...

    Safety & Reliability
    As of this writing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety had not yet crash-tested the GL-Class. The nine standard airbags include three-row side curtain airbags, a driver's knee airbag and s ...