10/30/2006
By Mike Blake
Carlisle Events
What vehicle has a proud German heritage, is tall, broad and athletic, can bathe seven passengers in luxury, and is built in Tuscaloosa, Alabama? As unlikely as it might sound – based on the assembly point – it is the 2007 Mercedes-Benz GL450.
Built on Mercedes M-Class and R-class underpinnings, the GL450 is its own animal, a strong, lithe, well-appointed beast that lives large. The GL is a huge-but-muscular 200 inches long, 75.6 inches wide and 72.4 inches tall.
Light for its class, at 5441 pounds, the GL450 isn’t light on anything else and it won’t be light for your wallet either. With a base price of $54,900, my test vehicle came with $13,175 in options to end up at a lofty $68,075. But for that sticker, it was not left wanting of anything, including cushy seating for seven.
Starting with power, this German-bred, Alabama-born sports-ute has a stately 284.5 cubic-inch 90-degree V-8 engine underhood that thunders out 335 horsepower and 339 lbs.-ft. of torque in a broad, flat curve that allowed for generous acceleration in all ranges. Track tests brought the GL450 from zero to 60mph in seven seconds and turned a quarter-mile run in the mid-15s. Those are very robust times for a seven-passenger SUV. More conservative, fuel-conscious runs yielded an average of 15.5mpg around the city and 20.0mpg on the highway, bettering the EPA rating of 14 and 18. The powerplant also allows the vehicle to earn a class-V tow rating of 7500 pounds.
Independent suspension worked well enough to smooth out rough highways and potholed streets, and the air springs, automatic load-leveling height adjustments and firmness control give you the opportunity to make your ride as flat or as road sensitive as you prefer. True, the GL450 corners like a truck and not a car, and the center of gravity is a trifle higher than I would have liked, but for an SUV, and a seven-passenger one at that, this is one responsive ride that brings comfort to a new level.
During acceleration and braking tests, I found little body roll, but I encountered some g-force lurches forward and back off the line and in panic stops. The brakes could react a bit quicker, but even with those subtle annoyances the intuitive feeling was one of luxury, top to bottom and front to back.
That GL450’s $54,900 base price includes standard items that are certainly above most standards. Performancewise, M-B has installed hill start assist that really worked well during my off-road, incline and decline examination; solid unit-body construction,18-inch wheels – that were upgraded to 19 in my test vehicle, 4-wheel independent transmission and 7-speed adaptive transmission.
DaimlerChrysler prides itself on safety and the GL450 certainly adheres to the safety credo with such standard necessities as 24-hour roadside assistance, M-B maintenance system, TeleAid emergency calling and communication system, electronic stability program, electronic traction system, anti-lock brake system, electronic brake force distribution, 2-stage driver and passenger front air bags, front seat mounted side airbags, rear seat mounted side airbags, window curtain airbags spanning all three rows, active front head restraints, seatbelt pretensioners, child seat LATCH in all rear outboard seats, top tethers for child seats in all rear seats and front passenger occupant detection system.
Comfort and convenience items that come standard include two-zone air conditioning with 14 vents, speed-sensitive power steering, load-leveling front and rear air suspension, 3-inch height-adjustable suspension and such lavishness as brown bird’s eye maple wood trim, stitched upholstered upper dashboard, leather-wrapped multi-function steering wheel, 8-way power heated front seats, 6-CD changer, integrated garage door opener, auxiliary input for iPod and MP3s, six cupholders with two bottle holders, a sunroof above the first row of seats AND another stationary sunroof above the third seat row. There’s also a rain sensor, compass and full-size spare tire.
The options seem to be all-inclusive as well, though a bit pricey.
The $4500 Premium package includes Parktronic, power passenger seat with memory, autodimming driver and rearview mirror, power driver seat and steering column with memory, hands-free communication system, power folding mirrors, DVD Command navigation, albeit with a slightly dysfunctional toggle and button system, Sirius Satellite radio, harmon/kardon sound system, power tailgate that opens and closes on command.
The $1320 three-zone climate control package includes infrared glass and the zones of control including the rear compartment.
For $800, you get mulitcontour seats from driver and passenger.
The $1510 sunroof package includes a glass sunroof and power rear-quarter windows.
The wood-and-leather steering wheel adds $540 but the look and feel of elegance make this a very nice add-on.
The rear seat entertainment dual screen package with a sourced DVD player adds $2630 and is a must for those with teen-agers or smaller kids if you plan family road trips.
The appearance package costs you $1100 and includes 19-inch wheels and a stainless steel skidplate.
Destination and delivery adds a final $775
The Mercedes-Benz GL450 … it offers elegance and grace at a price, but how can you expect to take seven people around in superior style for less?
Visit www.carlisleevents.com for more on the automotive hobby.
MIKE BLAKE, former editor of KIT CAR magazine, joined Carlisle Events as senior automotive journalist in 2004. He's been a "car guy" since the 1960s and has been writing professionally for about 30 years.
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