Features & Pricing
Excluding the destination charge, the GL320 starts at $53,400, while the GL450 starts at $55,900. Standard features on both include four-wheel drive, faux leather upholstery, a CD player with an auxiliary MP3 jack, dual-zone automatic climate control, a fixed third-row skylight, and heated, power-adjustable front seats. The GL550 hikes the price considerably ($77,375), but it comes stocked with standard features: larger wheels, a moonroof, leather, a backup camera, heated second-row seats, Harman Kardon audio, xenon headlights and a navigation system. Many of those features are optional on lesser trims.
GL550 options include keyless access (it supplements the regular keyless
entry) and a rear-seat DVD system. Fully loaded, the GL-Class tops out around
$83,000.
GL-Class in the Market
The GL's price spread gives it a wide range of competitors: At the low end it competes with Infiniti and Lincoln, and at the high end there's Lexus and Land Rover. It seems less suited for the higher-tier competition, as its ride quality and control interface stop it short of luxury-SUV perfection, but as an alternative to some of its less-expensive competitors, the GL holds promise. It's elegantly tailored, stylish and roomy, and for some families it could prove a worthy steed. Sales have been steady so far, but whether or not enough folks will be willing to look past the GL's annoyances to make it a success — particularly with $3.50-per-gallon gas — remains uncertain.
See also:
Safety
Typical of full-size luxury cars, the CL-Class hasn't been crash-tested by
the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, but it does have a boatload of
safety features. There are nine airbags, inclu ...
Attaching the roof carrier
► Secure the roof carrier to roof rails
1.
► Observe the manufacturer's installation
instructions. ...
Traction
WARNING
The traction grade assigned to this tire is
based on straight-ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydroplaning, or peak traction
characteri ...