The German-American SUV

by Scott Corlett

Gotta have seven. This is the auto-industry mantra about full-sized SUVs; especially in the minds of Detroit-based execs, for whom any vehicle with fewer than seven seats might as well be called a subcompact. Until now, the German manufacturers had largely left the American and Japanese makers—with their Escalades and LXs—to battle over inches and seat counts. But given Mercedes-Benz’s strategy of automotive domination (a vehicle for every niche, however small or large), these out-sized haulers were destined to one day wear the three-pointed star. And although we admit partiality for brawny Germans, the new Mercedes-Benz GL-Class is way more than another gussied-up clod identified by the acronym SUV.

In fact, the 2007 Mercedes-Benz GL450 handles more like a large sedan than a typical big Ute. This we discovered on an April drive atop the twisty roads of the coastal mountains north of San Francisco. During this outing, amid the hills of fresh green and just-awakening grapevines, we did not exactly toss the GL; however, the GL-Class’s standard air suspension both communicated road conditions (pocked by winter’s rains) and minimized cornering roll, while the GL’s steering handled the numerous switchbacks and the rare open stretches with equal ease. Much of this unexpected prowess is due to the GL’s carlike unibody architecture. As on the ML-Class—the GL’s smaller SUV sib—this kind of frame sets the GL-Class apart from most other Utes, which are hobbled by a pickup-style body-on-frame construction.

Also sending the GL-Class to the front of the pack is its engine selection, which ranges from the relatively fuel-efficient GL320 CDI (with a 215-hp, 3.0-liter, V-6 turbodiesel) to the perfectly peppy GL450 (with a 335-hp, 4.6-liter V-8) to the soon-available, irrationally exuberant GL550 (with a 382-hp, 5.5-liter V-8). With its standard seven-speed automatic transmission and 4Matic AWD, our GL450 quietly stormed the grades that led into the hills above Napa’s vineyards without us ever wanting for the 550’s added horses, fuel consumption, and carbon dioxide production. However, the real reason for our kudos on the GL’s engine offerings is the GL320 CDI. Because if you happen to live in one of the 45 states (all but CA, NY, MA, ME, and VT) where the GL320 CDI is sold, you can nab a seven-seater with the torque (i.e., acceleration and pulling power) of a big V-8 (398 lb-ft vs. 391 lb-ft for the GL550) and a fuel economy in the 20s.

On the inside, the GL-Class features Mercedes’s patented austere luxury. The seats are superbly comfortable; the controls are well placed; the leather and synthetics are of high quality; and the head- and legroom are plentiful—in short, a lovely cocoon in which to spend a day. During our drive north, had the scenery not been so spectacular, we would have ordered our co-pilot into the captain’s chair and then hopped back to the second-row bench to watch a DVD on either of the optional LCD screens that were affixed to the headrests of the front seats. But what about the GL’s raison d’être: the third row and its sixth and seventh seats? Although best suited for two, chummy pocket gays, the GL’s easily accessed third-row seating is hardly a penalty box. And if you have only four friends to haul, press a button and the third row electronically folds flat, which leaves a huge cargo space for luggage and dogs. Why not click to see where you can purchase this vehicle and many other Mercs from in your area?
The 2007 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class proves that the quintessentially American vehicle—the full-sized SUV—need neither handle like an oil tanker nor unduly guzzle the contents of said vessel. Which is all rather ironic since this apparent feat of engineering so far eludes Detroit’s finest. We pulled the GL450 onto a turnout that overlooked the valley, cut the engine, and, to the sounds of spring birdcalls, reclined our seat. We needed a nap before we further pondered that paradox.
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