2013 Mercedes-Benz GL500 Reviews

We Aussies love our V8s. The history books say it, the Bathurst fans say it, and now there are more than 500 cash-paid deposits for the GTS from Holden Special Vehicles that prove it. The overwhelming support for the supercharged 6.2-litre Big Dog, and the rest of the HSV pack that's romping to a sellout V8 success of more than 3000 cars in 2013, shows there is still a place for old-school muscle in the modern world. But not at Nissan, where the all-new, petrol V8-powered Patrol is a disaster. Things are so bad that the geriatric superseded model is continuing alongside the newcomer and still finding plenty of friends. Nissan dealers have a backlog of unsold 5.6-litre V8 heavyweights and there is a growing backlash from long-term Patrol fans who cannot see the point in the company's new off-road flagship. It's nicely cushy, but it costs anywhere from $82,690 to $114,490 - a sharp jump from $53,890 to $57,390 for the old one - and there is no diesel engine. It's not just that, as the new Patrol also arrived in Australia more than 18 months late and - because development was focussed on wealthy Middle East buyers with no petrol paranoia - carrying the sort of specification that only works for a very limited number of people who are probably more interested in a Porsche Cayenne or Benz GL. Nissan has only sold 1600 of the new Y62-series Patrols this year and, to put that into perspective, more than 6000 people have driven away smiling in a new Toyota LandCruiser 200 Series in the same period. Nissan even resorted to a $1500 petrol voucher for a while to try and get things moving, but that's only 1000 litres - give or take, mostly take - in today's world, and the hulking Patrol can easily guzzle at 25 litres of unleaded for every 100 kilometres under the treads if you're towing something big or crawling off the blacktop. So it seems V8 engines have become a case of horsepower for courses. They are still fine for HSV fans who want something fun and fast, and also for Mercedes-AMG buyers who want flashy and fast, but not for family-focussed suburban work, or towing and off-roading. Even the latest Range Rover, the current Carsguide champion in the top-end SUV stakes, is most popular with a turbodiesel V8 despite prices that can balloon to $250,000. So, what makes the difference in the world of V8s? "I think there is a performance market still in Australia, and people want great cars," the head of HSV, Phil Harding, tells Carsguide. "I think there is still a passion in Australia for V8 performance, and sporting saloons that deliver excitement. We're fulfilling a need and a demand."

An interesting feature of the new vehicle market is that 4WDs and SUVs have a significantly longer life cycle than cars. This reflects back to the days when they were based on light trucks, and truck buyers were more interested in running costs and practicality than in owning the last word in style. VALUE Mercedes-Benz’s big GL-Class is a case in point. The upcoming new model we have just tested in Germany is a sensible update of the outgoing six-year-old model, not a totally new vehicle. Amongst other things this helps to keep the new price down and to slow the rate of depreciation. Facts that will be appreciated by the typically sensible person attracted to the GL-Class. Those who do want to get down and dirty in the dirt can tick the options box for the On&OffRoad package which provides under-run protection for the engine, fibre-reinforced underfloor panels, power transmission with reduction gears, a longitudinal differential lock and extended AirMatic functions. This vehicle has maximum ground clearance of 306 mm and a fording depth of 600 mm. Pricing and final equipment levels will be provided for the Australian market closer to the launch date, probably in June 2013. TECHNOLOGY Power for the GL 350 BlueTec is provided by a V6 diesel engine; a V8 petrol engine in the GL 500 BlueEfficiency gives lots more grunt; the new GL 63 AMG with V8 Biturbo petrol engine provides up to 410 kW of power and 1000 (yes, 1000!) Newton metres for the driver in a real hurry. The existing platform has been retained, but with quite a few modifications. As a start, 90 kg has been removed from its weight to assist in reduction in fuel use and emission of CO2. More about this in a moment. Despite the lower weight the body is even stiffer than before and, together with other sound dampening measures this makes for a more relaxed interior. The engineers put strong emphasis on comfort and quietness. DESIGN While the external body components are all new, they retain a strong resemblance to the superseded GL. The result is a large wagon that’s imposing without being aggressive in its stance. The squared off shape means the big Mercedes GL-Class has always been an immensely practical genuine seven seater. More interior width and height have been squeezed out of the new body. Though the GL can carry seven adults in reasonable comfort it’s probably best regarded as a family bus for mum, dad, a couple of teenagers and three smaller children. Just right for many a mixed family in Australia. The GL-Class does have an all-new interior with the latest Mercedes-Benz theme of simplicity and elegance. We really like the look and the excellent ergonomic layout of all the controls. SAFETY It goes without saying that this Mercedes-Benz has many primary and secondary safety systems. In addition to the expected ESP and ABS units the GL is also fitted with Collision Prevention Assist and the drowsiness detector, Attention Assist. The big wagon can help the driver by using Steer Control in borderline driving situations, for instance by turning the steering wheel if the vehicle is oversteering. Crosswind Assist keeps the GL travelling in a straight line even in strong crosswinds. This makes for remarkably relaxing driving and we have tested it in big Benz sedans in Australia. DRIVING All our testing to date has been done on German roads, some of them pretty rough back sections. There the GL-Class was as quiet as a midsize sedan and it handled bumps and dips with ease. While we can’t definitely comment on GL’s behaviour in Australia we feel confident it will handle our backroads just as competently. On the downside, the handling is on the soft side and the steering, while competent enough, is relatively slow and easy in its actions. This is just right for the typical buyers of a SUV / people mover. We didn’t get a chance to drive the new AMG GL 63 version with sub five second times in the zero to 100 km/h dash and we are sure it’s suspension will be nicely firmed up to suit the revheads. VERDICT Even in Australia very few people buy SUVs for genuine off-road use so the emphasis in the standard model is on the GL-Class being an upper class people carrier. Mercedes-Benz GL350 CDI Price: est. from $120,000 Warranty: 3 years/unlimited km Service Interval: 12 months/15,000km Safety: 6 airbags, ABS, EBD, EBA, TC Crash Rating: 5 stars Engine: 3-litre V6 turbo-diesel; 195kW/620Nm Transmission: 7-spd auto; AWD Thirst: 7.9L/100km; 202g/km CO2 Dimensions: 5.1m (L), 1.9m (W), 1.9m (H) Weight: 2455kg Spare: space-saver