Used 2011 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class Consumer Reviews
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Love/Hate Heartbreak
The GL was a dream come true for me at the beginning. One owner, 2011 GL450 with a clean carfax and good looking maintenance history. Purchased from an MB dealer in April 2015. On the upside it was incredibly comfortable, fast, elegant, and as capable of hauling 6 adults in comfort to dinner as it was pulling a trailer with 3 tons of rock. When it was right, it was a thing to behold. When it went wrong, as it often did, it was like getting kicked in the gut. In 12 months and 20k miles: *Front Airmatic failure: $2,450 to repair *Primary and Secondary Battery Failures: $550 to repair *Blown underhood fuse panel: $450 to repair. *Standard maintenance for the year: $800, and that was skipping the spark plugs due at 60k which would have been another $600. Insult to injury was the depreciation in just one year: close to 40%. It has gone away and I am back to a nice, reliable, Japanese Infiniti. No need for 7 passenger so I also downsized. The only way this truck makes sense is if you can either do the work yourself, or have no worries about significant unexpected repairs. Wanted one for 25 years and after a year with the Benz, I suggest if you want a 7 passenger SUV that can tow, save yourself the heart wrenching experience of a GL and buy a GMC Yukon or Lexus LX570.
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A Diesel All the Way
Have taken vehicle on two long haul trips. One to Vancouver and one to LA and averaged over 25 mpg. The 600 mile range at least for me is more like 700 to 800 miles when driving less aggressively. LA trip hauled enough stuff for 4 adults and a newborn and everyone was comfortable. I wish that the rear two rows had legroom adjustments, but there is still a lot for a 3 row SUV. Power is excellent for passing, could use more off the line go power. The brakes have an initial feel of mush, but the stopping power is excellent. Saved me a few times, but didn't save the guy that rear-ended me. Built like a tank, little to no damage to my vehicle bumper, but totaled front panel of rear car.
- GL450 4MATIC 4dr SUVMSRP: $8,9004 mi away
- GL450 4MATIC 4dr SUVMSRP: $11,9994 mi away
- GL450 4MATIC 4dr SUVMSRP: $7,9005 mi away
Mercedesnot the quality people have come to expect
Need a SUV that would carry all 6 people for the many road trips and small trips we take together. It also had to be nice enough for my wife to drive by herself with decent gas mileage. I wanted this car for these reasons: - 7 passenger seating - luxury amenities - AWD - gas mileage - reliability & quality - storage space The GL delivered on some of these but missed BIG on the these items: quality and reliability. Had a PPI done Had this car for 1 year and 3 months, it was in the shop almost every other month. Numerous issues: - oil leaks - stalled and stop running (would not restart, needed tow) - when using cruise control, car enter "limit mode" - COST OF REPAIRS!
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Nice, but costly to maintain
The performance of my GL350 is unacceptable at any level of quality standards. The Oil Cooler, AdBlu Heater, and GPS unit have all failed, within 5-8 thousand miles of the warranty. The costs to fix all these items are > 10% of the original purchase price of the car, at >$7,000. No one would offer that this performance meets or exceeds the most basic expectations. While MB national and local discounts were offered and accepted (20% off), I told the MB national representative, Andrea D., Case Manager, [contact info removed] that I doubted if that discount was near the profit margins enjoyed by MB on parts and labor, making the ENTIRE cost remediation of these issues on my shoulders. We didn’t SHARE the remediation, I paid for it ALL. I’ve purchased 4 Mercedes since 2008…I’ll not be an eager return MB buyer for my next auto… UPDATE - (9/16) Since this above, I've had the motor on the autolift tailgate fail and need to be replaced. Another $500 down the drain...
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The worst car I have ever owned.
We purchased a brand new 2010 Mercedes-Benz GL450. Fully Loaded, including entertainment and towing packages. In January 2014 our problems started. The car had just a little over 60K miles. Airmatics were gone, one after another within days. One of them even blew up. 4 Electrical problems, including radio, and door locks. All repairs costed more than $4,500 within 6 months, and it continued until we had enough. It just started to fall apart after 60K miles. I gave it away for $26K. Lost almost 50 grand in 4 years. I was lucky with that history of repairs. Do yourself a favor get a Japanese car. Our time, hard earned money and peace of mind are valuable. Stay away of this car and brand.