Overview & Reviews

The Mercedes-Benz GL-Class is a full-size luxury SUV built at Mercedes' Tuscaloosa, Alabama, plant alongside the midsize M-Class SUV and R-Class luxury wagon. This is Mercedes' biggest SUV, with three rows of seating and plenty of cargo space. If you're in the market for such a vehicle -- and value on-the-road comfort and manners more than ultimate off-road prowess or tow capacity -- you'll definitely want to check out the GL-Class.

Current Mercedes-Benz GL-Class
The Mercedes-Benz GL-Class is offered in three variants: GL350 Bluetec, GL450 and top-of-the-line GL550. The latter features the more powerful V8 engine, a more pronounced front grille and most of the less expensive models' optional features. The GL350 Bluetec has a clean-burning diesel while the GL450 has a gas-powered V8, but these models are virtually identical in terms of equipment.

All GL-Class models have generous seating for up to seven passengers, a roomy cargo hold, capable all-weather performance and the ability to tow various lifestyle accessories, though not quite as effortlessly as some rivals. Standard niceties include powered and heated front seats, dual-zone automatic climate control and a power-folding third-row seat. A hard-drive-based navigation system is available.

Under the GL450's hood is a 4.7-liter V8 making 335 horsepower and 339 pound-feet of torque. The GL550 features a 5.5-liter V8 that produces 382 hp and 391 lb-ft of torque. The 50-state-aproved GL350 Bluetec is powered by a 3.0-liter turbodiesel V6 good for 210 hp and 400 lb-ft of low-rpm torque. That type of off-the-line power is well suited to a large SUV, and the diesel also yields superior fuel economy. All GL-Class models come equipped with a seven-speed automatic transmission with manual shift control. They also all come with an air-adjustable suspension and all-wheel drive.

In reviews, we've lauded the GL-Class' roomy seating, luxurious cabin and powerful engines. All of the expected luxuries are either standard or available, and the GL also offers the advantage of being slightly less enormous than some rivals. However, it is quite expensive compared to similar models from Audi, Infiniti and Land Rover. Overall, we highly recommend the GL-Class if the price is not too off-putting.

Used Mercedes-Benz GL-Class Models
The Mercedes-Benz GL-Class was introduced for 2007 with two trim levels: GL320 CDI and GL450. The GL320 CDI's diesel power plant was similar in output to the current Bluetec diesel, but it was not cleared for sale in California-emissions states. The GL550 and its more powerful gasoline V8 arrived in 2008. For 2009, the GL320 Bluetec model replaced the GL320 CDI, boasting cleaner emissions that allowed it to be 50-state legal. Also for 2009, the navigation system received hard-drive-based functionality, and the COMAND interface was updated. For 2010, the diesel model became the GL350 Bluetec and received a smidge more torque.

User Reviews:

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  A Superior SUV - 2007 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class
  By Great Benz - June 14 - 2:23 pm

  I wanted to move out of my less than dependable Volvo XC90 into a larger vehicle with better mileage. I looked at everything and eventually bought the diesel GL320 for the following reasons: Exceptional mileage for such a large vehicle. The performance of the diesel engine is superior to that of the twin turbocharged gas engine in the XC90, as well as some of the larger V8s. Extremely quiet and comfortable ride. The standard air suspension is perfect. Initial impression is that it is as solid as a bank vault. Crossing my fingers that the recent Mercedes quality problems do not crop up. At 2,800 miles, best vehicle ever

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  Big, But Refined - 2013 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class
  By scottque - June 4 - 7:09 pm

  Ordered the 450 in February and took delivery in April, convenience 2 and heavily optioned but skipped the off-road stuff, automatic cruise, panoramic roof, and lane-assist. Would have ordered the diesel but dealers steered me clear given biodiesel content in Illinois - no complaints with the V-8; sounds great. This is not, however, a car that cries to be driven fast - big (which is why I bought it), heavy vehicle. Awesome for interstate cruising or tooling around town. Very quiet; smooth ride, although I hate the numb electronic steering. Great styling inside and out. Command system works fine for me, extremely comfortable, lots of convenience features. As good as advertised.

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  LOVE THIS CAR!!!! - 2010 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class
  By oyvey247 - May 29 - 8:26 pm

  Just took delivery of our 2010 GL450 - Did TONS of research, priced out every local dealer, looked at many other brands and vehicles over the past year (yes, i am thorough. We are SO happy we got the MB. I read all these reviews too - It deserves the 9.8 it is rated. Car is beautiful, drives like a dream and hauls you know what on the road. Fits my 3 kids, car seats and all our stuff (which is a lot!). The voice command radio and nav is terrific, not too hard to use like others have said (you just need to get used to it).Love the automatic seats in the 3rd row, love th satilite NAV (not a disk that needs to be updated),love the bluetooth linked phone - Buy this car -you wont regret it

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  6 Years of Maintenance Headaches, but still Own It - 2011 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class
  By Jim A. - May 27 - 7:46 am

  Original owner, vehicle serviced 100% by Mercedes repair/maintenance facilities in San Francisco & Monterey CA. After 50,000 miles, the maintenance problems began, and they are common to many other postings I have seen on the web. Engine oil cooler seals go ($4,000), front wheel bearings leak/go ($3,000), AdBlue Heater goes ($3,000), vehicle loses speed and requires multiple repair visits to finally repair fuel system problem ($2,500), plus regular maintenance that has averaged $1,500 per visit. Vehicle has locked me out twice, battery has unexpectedly drained on several occasions requiring jump-starts, "Check Engine" light goes on way too often, requiring dealership visits. Vehicle itself is a pleasure when its working properly, but those intervals are getting shorter and shorter. Bought the diesel for power, efficiency and reliability but its not turing out that way.

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  Good looks - Inferior Quality Electronic - 2008 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class
  By ChildsPlay - May 26 - 10:00 am

  My spouse & I both own SUVs. He drives a Lexus GX470 and I the GL450. The GL450 is a competent vehicle with ample cargo capacity for transporting our large dogs & medical equip. However, I have had to make numerous trips to the dealership to remedy electronic and suspension issues. I do feel very safe inside the vehicle. However, I must admit that my husbands Lexus seems to handle the snow better than my GL and his vehicle has been completely problem free. I have trepidations regarding the cost of maintaining and repairing this vehicle once the warranty expires. The Navigation system and bluetooth integration are vastly inferior to the Lexus.

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  Really enjoy it!! - 2009 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class
  By Michael Wagner - April 26 - 10:47 pm

  I now have 94K on the vehicle and it is still great. I have done most of the work on the car since I like doing that and German cars are very straight forward to work on. I have only had to do brakes and oil and tires so far. Having an intermittent issue with the air suspension now, but will figure it out and fix it. The system is pretty simple and Arnott makes a good replacement for it that has very good reviews. Went to the Continentals for tires...a little stiffer, but so much quieter than the Perellis. Ive taken it on long trips, and into the mountains skiing in heavy snow. It handles everything quite well. They dont makes chains for the 20" wheels, but didnt need them. Repaired the suspension, but went with the Arnott solution since this seems to be a weak point on this vehicle. Relatively simple to repair and replaced both front and back plus the pump at different times due to failures. I now have over 147000 on my GL550 and the only other repairs beyond normal maintenance were the internal gaskets on the front of the engine for power steering unit and oil filter mount (the metal unit the oil filter attaches to). These gaskets get hard and crispy and begin leaking. Also had one oxygen sensor fail, but also an easy fix. The garage mechanic can handle all of these fixes. The vehicle continues to perform well and still really enjoy driving it. I did go to the cross drilled rotors and ceramic brakes. Eliminated the brake dust issue and perform better going through the mountains.

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  You will think this is SUV is awesome if you havent driven a lexus ever... - 2014 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class
  By Udaya Liyanage - February 28 - 3:25 pm

  I own 2014 GL550 for more than a year now. At best, this is an OK SUV. This is my second and last GL. MB does not have the reliability, built quality or attention to detail to warrant the price tag and more than $10k premium over other SUVs. GL is annoyingly unreliable. Keyfob stops working when it gets cold. You can get stranded outside your car in a cold night if your keyfob happens to get cold for whatever reason. Disctronic plus and Presafe features stop working in the middle of driving when its rainy or snowy outside, when you need them most. I reported to MB customer service and dealership to no await. Other owners seem to have similar annoying problems they get used to. Why pay 100k?

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  Gotta Love It! - 2007 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class
  By browniemtb - February 27 - 12:03 pm

  We order a new 07 X5 but after having borrowed the demo from the dealer we found the X5 still to small for a family. Still has the BMW performance though. So we purchased the GL450 and found that it has the size for the family and pretty decent performance. The interior features are great and the safety features are even better. Mercedes did a nice job with this vehicle and I think they hit a high luxury SUV market that BMW has yet to hit. If you need room for kids and cargo look no further! I just hope the build quality coming out of Alabama is better than Ive read in the past.

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  A Quality vehicle - 2007 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class
  By bj - February 27 - 1:06 am

  I loved this car from the minute we saw it. We were planning to buy Ford or Chevy, but once we stopped at the Mercedes dealer, we couldnt leave without this car. It is an absolute pleasure to drive. We had to have a rear shock replaced, but no other problems after 20 months. Brake pads were worn out after only 15,000 miles which was a shock and disappointment, especially when we found out the cost to replace them. Apparently this is normal for Mercedes brakes. Its a great car, but expensive maintenance.

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  Great vehicle just not for us - 2015 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class
  By Mike Williams - December 22 - 10:49 am

  We decided on something larger