Any annoying issues?
Any increasing noise from the diesel engine?
Fuel Consumption?
etc...
Thanks
2007 GL320 CDI mpg is 4-5 mpg BETTER than '08. Uncertain if 19" Contis are the major cause or if M-B messed with the tuning too much. I consistently got 27-28 mpg mixed hwy, country driving on my '07. BEST I've EVER gotten on the '08 is 24.5mpg, and then only once.
Engine is, and has remained, EXTREMELY quiet by diesel or any other standard
NO sign of black INSIDE either exhaust pipe
'08 consistently gave me a "check oil level next fillup" alarm when oil sump was more than half full, always. This lasted until the first oil change ( I put ELF Solaris in myself) and the problem hasn't appeared since.
'07 was sometimes a bit rough when shifting - no upshift when I wanted it. Problem was not fixed very well by dealer. This irritant has not appeared on the '08
I am looking into buying a GL320 in the near future.
I am interested in the experiences of those that have had their GL320 for a while....
Any annoying issues?
Any increasing noise from the diesel engine?
Fuel Consumption?
etc...
Thanks
I have an '08 320 and the only annoyance is that it sometimes exhibits rough shifts when the engine is cold. A flash update for the transmission improved the issue but did not completely correct it. After the engine warms up, the shifts are much smoother.
I'm averaging around 18-19 MPG mixed City/Highway driving (70% city). It's extremely quiet for a diesel and hasn't gotten noisier. Overall, I'm extremely satisfied with it and the diesel engine.
Brake pedal feel really sucks, but you can live with it.
Must be like my ML (soft brake feel) and I agree it sucks. Fortunately braking power is good and a good driver can adjust to the soft touchy brake feel at low speeds.
__________________
S.
2006 ML350 white/ash
2008 C300 Sport mars red/black
2004 986S seal gray metallic/black/black
I have a 2007 GL320CDI. Mileage about 22 since new. It is a fine thing to drive, but it has issues.
1. Oil consumption seems on the high side, although I am told it will get better.
2. Trailer towing package:
a. The hitch has been recalled for some welding work. Alarming Benz letter says not to use it for any purpose until welded.
b. The vehicle doesn't have trailer brake controls. Not that this is surprising -Ford doesn't supply one either, but there is absolutely nothing in the manual that says so, nor is there anything that would indicate where connections should be made.
3. There have been several recalls on this vehicle already. Most have been minor (like vent system intake screens.) It still makes me nervous.
4. Nobody can figure out the multi-contour seats.
I have a GL320CDI, it is an 07 model, and I have had no problems with it at all. My wife ran out of fuel one time but that was it ( I guess she took me seriously when I said "you never have to fill it up").
The car has been great. I average 25 mpg if I can keep it under 70 mph, but the car has so much cruise-a-bility and pep that it is always at 80 mph or above on trips. I average 23 or 24 mpg then and my wife gets 20-21 mpg with all her suburban driving.
I added oil once. The car has 16k miles and the 19" tires are a little more than half worn. I am torn about replacement tires but the car did fine in heavy Vermont snow last winter with the Conti all-season tires.
I have two young children and my only issue is trying to keep the seatbelts clean.
The brake pedal is a little sensitive for my taste but certainly acceptable. I have had the brakes bled to try to get a higher/firmer pedal but it feels the same. I have had no transmission issues and love how the transmission can hold the lower gears around town, also how quickly it shifts down on the highway. Mostly I love getting 600 miles to the tank; in Maine diesel was $4.68 this past weekend.
Frankly, I like how the MB Tex cleans up so I don't miss the leather. The seats are comfortable for me. I just did a 925 mile round trip to Maine this last weekend.
2. Trailer towing package:
a. The hitch has been recalled for some welding work. Alarming Benz letter says not to use it for any purpose until welded.
b. The vehicle doesn't have trailer brake controls. Not that this is surprising -Ford doesn't supply one either, but there is absolutely nothing in the manual that says so, nor is there anything that would indicate where connections should be made.
Pulled my motorcycle trailer Albuquerque-Corpus Christi-Albuquerque last March with no problem. Have never seen a reported failure on any forum.
Trailer brake is an option, plain and simple. Glad I didn't have to pay for it, as my motorcycle trailer has surge brakes and I don't need a controller. This is not a problem with the vehicle.
I have owned my 320 CDI for over 1 year and we have over 26K miles on it. We have taken it on a 2K mile road trip and used it frequently as our "family truckster". We have two cars but our other is an SLK 350 so the GL gets all the use with our family of four. To date we have had a couple of minor issues. There is the occasional oil lite that comes on - but to that end when we brought the car in our SA looked at it and the car was actually low on oil. As I undefrstand it oil consumption is greater in the first 15K miles and then reduces. We have not done the trailer recall yet as we do not tow with the vehicle, but we did have a hose recall early on that was fixed - had to do with the air suspension system.
Overall the car rides extremely well, has great pickup and remains quiet. Our vehicle is extremely well built and has held up to our family and my wife which does not baby vehicles.
My only observation after owning now three Mercedes cars is that the whells seem to get much dirtier than other cars and more frequently. Might just be my perception, but I do not recall washing my wheels as much on my other vehicles.
From my wife her only dislike is she went from a Honday Odyssey to the GL and she misses her slider doors.
One more thing - we really like that when we do have to see our service department that they treat us extremely well. Better than any other car dealer I have ever found - might just be my area/dealer, but they are very respectful, friendly, and helpful. Always reserving us a mercedes loaner car and never giving us any hassles. They have gone out of their way to accommodate our schedules and never left us feeling dissatisfied.
We have a 2007 320 CDI that we have driven 32K miles in one year. We love it! It is the family truckster. 3 kids and 2 Labs go every where with us. We have a Thule 1800 up top, one kid in the third row with the dogs (each 70 lbs) on the flat third row seat, the other two in the middle and we are very comfortable. We just drove to Connecticut and back to South Carolina this Labor Day weekend. The trip was 860 miles. We averaged 24.7MPG with an average speed of 66 mph. BTW, don’t use the trip computer for mpg. I measured the 24.7 based on filling the car up. 660 miles on one tank. Our land rover LR3 would get 16mpg on the same trip/same load. I even sat in the second row and played video games with all three kids this past trip-I never had done that!! The diesel is so quiet at cruise.
Issues YTD
Broken strut mount
Oil light once
Steering “knuckle” –where the rack connects to the column was making noise.
Would like to have:
More storage bins and cup holders
Second row seating can be split in three not just in two-similar to the Land Rover LR3
A little wider chassis-for interior room
A split rear gate similar to the LR3
Better navigation with touch screen
TVs on the second row head rests (for the third row passenger
Wireless headphones and an AUX jack in third row
Better brake feel -the brakes are great but it feels like you are stepping on a Banana.
__________________
Adam
-------------
2007 GL 320CDI
Every option on board
experiences of those that have had their GL320 for more than a year 
Linear Mode
