Final thoughts: Mercedes-Benz GL450
I couldn't help feeling a twinge of sadness when our tested Mercedes-Benz GL450 left our offices after we sold it. (CR road tests are available to ConsumerReports.org subscribers only.) Clearly the GL is a large SUV, but it never felt too bulky to me. It rides as comfortably as a luxury car and handles with agility that belies its size and weight. The third-row seat is actually usable, even for adults. It's a delight to drive and makes the ideal family vacation vehicle. Then again, it should for its hefty $67,000 price tag. Unfortunately, given the reliability of its platform mates, the ML- and R-Class, the GL's own reliability isn't too encouraging.
I found the GL to be an excellent long-distance runner, with a fatigue-free driver's seat, quiet cabin, punchy V8 shove, and a huge gas tank that yields a 400-plus mile cruising range. A relatively tight turning circle was a boon in the tight parking spots of my town. Two DVD screens in the back of the front seats were useful in entertaining my boys without blocking the driver's rear view, as is the case with most screens that flip down from the ceiling. The GL also came in handy when my wife and I shuttled a bunch of my son's friends to see the movie "Cars" for his eighth birthday.
Since we're now in the process of getting some miles and experience on some other large SUVs, such as the Chevrolet Suburban and Ford Expedition EL, thoughts of the big Benz became more relevant. Both the Chevrolet and Ford are gigantic vehicles that feel completely out of place in most urban environments, being too long, too wide and too tall to facilitate good visibility and easy parking. The Suburban, although much improved over the previous version, seats only seven and the third-row seat is pathetically small and uncomfortable.
Anyone with vision in Dearborn or in the high floors of Detroit's Renaissance Center (GM's headquarters) should drive the GL before thinking hard about the next-generation Expedition and Suburban. The formula is clear: a unibody SUV that can haul and tow, seat seven or eight comfortably and accommodate their luggage, yet drive like a car. I can see a platform-sharing plan that would underpin the next Explorer, Expedition, Expedition EL, and Navigator. I'm not suggesting they try to compete head-on with a GL (certainly not price-wise), just emulate the format. Of course, GM and Ford don't have the cost structure of a Mercedes-Benz, so it shouldn't result in a considerably costlier product than the current-generation vehicles. As it is, a typical Suburban and Expedition scratch $50,000.
Signs of such thinking are beginning to show. GM's new family of large unibody SUVs--the Saturn Outlook/GMC Acadia twins--looks very promising. Toyota's next-generation Lexus LX might follow the same format.
There is no reason why Suburbans and Expeditions should be linked to the Silverado and F-150 pickup trucks. That's old thinking. Mercedes shows how to design a well-mannered, all-around people hauler that can still haul, tow, and go off-road.
