Big Benz GL 350 diesel a fuel sipper
Roomy, comfy, quiet SUV has curb appeal
Most people choose dogs that look like themselves. Take a look at any person walking the family pooch, and the similarities are striking. The same can be said about certain professionals and their cars: engineers prefer Audis, firefighters choose F-150s and hair stylists pick Hyundai Accents.
But what about real-estate agents, one of the few professions where the quality and class of the car is just as important as the magnanimous personality, coiffed hair and white teeth? What should the successful realtor drive? Luckily for all agents everywhere, I have discovered what might possibly be the most perfect realtor-mobile ever built: the 2013 Mercedes-Benz GL 350 BlueTec.
Assembled in Tuscaloosa County, Ala., the GL is about the biggest Benz you can buy outside of a truck, ideal for ferrying prospective buyers from home to home in comfort, even seating up to seven if the kids are coming.
Redesigned for 2013, the new GL is also one of the most beautiful full-sized SUVs on the market, with proportions that have grown, yet remain tucked into a profile that remains tidy and stout.
While the GL wears a stern face, it reveals more Mercedes-family traits than before, and appears less macho overall, despite more muscular sheet metal. LED lighting all around, including the turn signals, adds to the attractive look. You could say it’s got great curb appeal.
But the biggest pleasure of the GL 350 BlueTec, aside from its sumptuous interior, is the drivetrain of the BlueTec diesel — the engine found in the base model GL that starts at $73,700. Press the big start button for the turbo-diesel and no one will guess there is a high-compression oil burner under the hood, such is the quiet and smoothness of the 3.0-litre V6.
With all the windows closed, there is no more noise here than the GL 450 and GL 550. Nor is there a whiff of anything stinky. While some clatter can be detected as throttle is applied and the BlueTec’s 455 pound-feet of torque unravels to all four wheels, the sound is much less noticeable than the BMW X5d or Audi Q7 TDI. Aside from the solitude and power, the other draw to this engine is its range — 1,000-plus kilometres to every 100-litre tank of fuel. During my week of city and highway driving, I managed an average of 8.9 L/100 km. For a vehicle that weighs just shy of 2,500 kilograms (90 kg less than the previous model), that’s headline news.
Of course, about the only drawback of diesel (which is cheaper than regular unleaded at the moment) is that fuel pumps at various stations aren’t always the cleanest, so keeping a set of gloves handy can be a good idea. And there’s no need to fret about finding a diesel station, because the navigation system can be set to show where the diesel outlets are, and not knowing where to buy diesel is a situation that only comes up on long trips to unfamiliar places.
The BlueTec feels brisk, too, maybe not so fast from a green light when it takes 8.4 seconds to hit 100 km/h, but it’s noticeably brisk in the passing range.
For the more aggressive, the GL 550 model can reach 100 in 5.6 seconds, but the 550 costs $95,900 and drinks fuel at nearly twice the rate, averaging 15.7L/100 km at best. Both engines can tow up to 3,500 kg. For the most hedonistic, the 550 hp GL 63 AMG for $125,900 is available.
Back in the 350, there’s little wind noise, as is expected of a Mercedes; but the handling is better than might be assumed from a big SUV. Steering feel is good from the decent-sized wheel. The brakes feel excellent. All engines other than the AMG version are mated to a smooth-shifting, sevenspeed automatic transmission, called a 7G-Tronic Plus. Our 350 tester engaged the transmission by a gear selector on the right of the steering column via something that looked more like a signal stalk with a push button for park. I’m not sure I liked this shifter, though I appreciated how little space it used, and paddle shifters behind the wheel made for easy manual shifts when desired.
What I also admired was the attractive finish of the GL’s interior. The layout is similar to the ML, with a pleasing gauge cluster and large screen between the tach and speedometer that displays good graphics showing various bits of information, from speed to instant fuel economy. A seveninch colour display sits atop the centre stack and has one of the best 360-degree-view parking assist functions this side of an Infiniti or Audi.
While I’m never keen for wood trim, the GL can be optioned with aluminum trim at no extra charge. A few more cubbies and storage wells up front would be welcome. In back, rear-seat leg room is good, as is cargo space, though it’s not gargantuan: With all three rows of seats in place, there’s 10.4 cubic feet of storage; lowering the powered third-row seats to their flat position brings about 24 cu. ft. of cargo room (measured only to the tops of the seats).
Proper knobs or buttons control other interior functions, and Mercedes employs the latest COMAND control system on the GL for other settings. It’s mostly intuitive, and not that difficult to figure out after a week of fiddling.
The new GL brings a host of standard and optional safety features, from lane assist functions to an alert that helps when the driver gets drowsy.
The seats and other surfaces look identical to nicely stitched leather, but the material is Artico, or faux leather, even if it looks and feels like the real thing (a $1,990 option).
The Harman/Kardon Logic7 surround-sound system included in our $4,500 premium package sounded divine, and the package included a panoramic sunroof and heated rear seats — both of which are “must haves” for anyone who’s going to be showing houses at any time of year in this country.