2007 GL450. Now 164k.Everyting works, Loads of room in the 3 rows of seats. Replaced front air shocks, repainted left rear fender (clearcoat was coming off) and the occasional light bulb.. Looks great, pleasure to drive, especially in bad weather conditions.. I use liqui-moly in the engine coolant and oil (just me). Highly recommend Michelin tires. Cons. Needs premium, and gets 14-18 mpg. :(
I thank God for mine! What a steal! Still gets compliments in 2023 only cost me 12k. Had just under 100k miles when I got it, runs like a champ. I put some love into it. So much leather! Rides like a dream. Great cheap family vehicle. Maintenence is cheaper than a 25k-40k or more vehicle!
@@davidthomas2278 I've never actually seen a Merc OM642/629 turbos fail infact I have never seen either of those engines fail before without serious neglect by the owners. And the air suspension really isn't bad, all that happened is rubbers perish the pumps are denso or Bosch and can be found cheap, the air struts are £500 each but last 10+ years the main issue are the residual pressure valves typically have o-rings that perish and they collapse after sitting. I wouldn't be worried about buying one at all I got one at an auction with a little over 290,000 on the clock (I'm ex merc technical) went into it becuse of suspension issues and it was £70 worth of valves fixed it even on the original air struts. And they're of a generation that all the electronics are solid state and generally all water proofed. As long as you service it yourself not expensive to run, I'd have this over an early l322 range
@@kyleb5518 Something you need to remind yourself is... You're an ex Mercedes mechanic. You know these cars inside out. It isn't really a fair point to say because you (an expert) can maintain it easily enough, that anyone can do it.
I would argue against the fortune. For the year, it'll come down to how well it was maintained, as well as if there's anything you are able to do for yourself, or if you're stuck with a dealership instead of an indy garage. I have a 2010 GL550 that I purchased with just over 100k, and I'm at 170k now. Other than tires and brake pads, I've got only $2500 total upkeep in the last three years total. That said, the diesel's are notoriously more finnicky, and it does seem to be a crapshoot unless things are gone over very carefully. @MrManBuzz - true that he was an ex Merc mechanic, but the car is relatively easy to work on for anyone that's used to basic wrenching. I replaced the alternator on mine in a couple hours with no prior knowledge of the car. Forums and RUclips make most jobs very straight-forward (for most cars, not just these). The namesake alone is enough to scare people off though, out of fear that it will have to go to a dealer for everything.
My friend the thing about Mercedes that lots of people don’t realize and don’t mention is the safety witch I bit my life on it.I had a 2010 Benz r350 with 5 passengers in a car then we got hit with 2 18 wheelers semi trucks.to make the story short they had to cut the car to get us Out and when 5 passengers got out not even one had a Scratch on them it was so bad that police officer told me they thought at least one of us was ded and rest badly Injured but no. Thanks for you video!!
2 years ago I bought a 2010 with 97,000. It has the 4.7 V8. It was very clean. The main reason that I bought it was the service history. The Carfax Report showed 2 previous owner who both had it serviced at the dealer. A couple of critical items were replaced such as rear airbags and the A/C compressor. I have put 9,000 miles on it within my 2 years of owning it and so far the GL has been good to me.
Bought a 2008 gl450 in 2022! Had 97000! It's been a solid car. Vacationed with my large family once towed 6000 lbs across the US once ! The only issue was the aged air bag strut. It's a cheap fix! Oil changes and general maintenance, and she purrs! Still gets some looks and compliments often.
@@fabiogonzalez4413 After the 1st year of ownership I had a B service $579 and a transmission flush $1000. After the 2nd year I had an A service $279 and replaced the thermostat $1,100. The thermostat wasn’t closing all the way which mad the check engine light come on.
Hello all - owner of the GL450 here! I am enjoying reading all the comments. This is my 49th vehicle (!) and my second GL. It replaces a V6 Amarok, which I owned from new and was a lovely thing. The GL gives me the same towing power (to tow my classic car) but also the flexibility to get 6 adults all up - which as JM suggested I did a number of years ago on a trip down to the South of France and back. It really is a great comfortable motorway cruiser with good towing power if you need it. On the subject of repairs, I like to do my own repairs if possible. I had to replace the air compressor on this car literally a week after I bought it - cost £300. All you need is a bit of confidence and its an easy fix. Admittedly, if you go to a dealer they will stiff you. However, we have a great independent MB specialist near to where I live, who are happy to advise and step in to assist if you need help. I think this is all part of the fun of ownership. Mercedes parts are generally easy to get hold of. The V8 is a great engine
One thing this vehicle has that barely gets mentioned (because nobody really ever uses it on the GL) is that it was available with a low range gear and rear locking diff! Meaning this car can go further off-road with some decent AT tires than most of its competitors. Of course a Range Rover or an LX will do even better though...
They are reliable compared to most other cars. But you need to maintain them correctly. Something most people dont do. Because they think since they paid the same money as a new corolla it should somehow be as cheap to maintain as a cheap much simpler car.
It's amazing the price difference between this and the R-Class. We are on our second R-Class (2012 R350 CDI Long Wheelbase version). We love it because we have 4 growing kids and it has been the only car that could fit us all in, even allowing enough space for adults in the boot seats with comfort. So much better than the MPV alternatives, and whilst not really a luxury car, it feels a lot better than the Galaxy, S-Max and others. Feel free to come up and review ours some time ;)
Have a 2015 550 no major issues. Oil change is sucked out through dip stick, filter on top of engine, very easy to do. Had to change rear air bags at 90,000. Cost of purchase and fitting 800, and should last for another 50,000. Only other costs were spark plugs, but these are maintenance item for any car. Change oil regularly and these are very reliable.
Tyler from Hoovies Garage will not recommend one of these because of how horribly built these things were due to where they were built. This is not a money pit, its a black hole
If you get the petrol then I think it is much better, the problems he pointed out were mostly with the diesel. The air suspension seems to have a 100% failure rate though.
I think the problem is more an educational one since american mechanics don’t know anything about modern Diesel engines. The 320 and 350cdi were also available in many other models at the time and are generally considered to be very reliable. The v8 diesels on the other hand were terrible but i think they werent even offered in the us.
A absolutely love these GL/GLS SUVs. I’ll have one at some point. Huge room, tows 3.5t, and actually useable off-road. The air suspension modes definitely makes a difference to ride and in the hardest setting is actually quite taut.
My dad used to own a GL 320CDI and I have to say it really was a comfortable 7 seater for the price. We have 6 people in my family and I sat in the 3rd row and it really isnt that bad sitting there
I've always loved the looks of the GLS but I had a X5 and the whole SUV thing disappeared from my mind. I don't need the extra space so as a luxury cruiser the sedans make much more sense to me. Now I own a 7 series and it's brilliant.
I have a V6 diesel, build quality is iffy, sorted the suspension, changed the wheels to AMG 20". Replaced the head hunit to an Android. Thule bars with a rooftop box. Supreme long road family car. Drive it in between sport and comfort. Change the oil every 10k. 1100km between refills.
Like your shirt mate Looks impressive on the outside - the car that is - and tempted to get a big bus like this for when the expanding family has outgrown our Vitara S.
@@jeremyaustin9103 Why? Because like you said yourself, they're really nice cars! Jay surprisingly hasn't reviewed one yet, and his videos on big luxury cars are always great.
Isn't the problem with these older SUV's now the congestion charges. I checked the GL and it costs £27 a day to drive it into London. Although that may not bother many it does take some freedom with the car
My Italian papi in law had one of these. It was hugely reliable and took them all over Europe in its entirely dependable 120k km. With hand controls as well not that that makes a difference.
I think you were wrong about the cruise control. It has the closed merc star in the grille, so it has distronic. It also has the additional camera systems in the window.
Quick google search with results of 1.5/5 for reliability (repairpal) and 3.8 for ownership experience (Edmunds). The interior must have been designed by the same team who did the Sprinter of the same year as many components look either the same or closely related. I have often admired the GL class but I would question the cost of an old one vs the lease of a new one.
I own one. Black. Put black 20" AMG wheels on that look like 17"s. Replaced the command system with an Android 10 unit that let's you integrate your smartphone. Agree with the quality bit. Feels less solid than my GS lexus. As a holiday road trip car it is unmatched though. Got a Thule rooftop box and spread the kids about so they don't nag your ear off. It gobbles up the road with its 100 lt diesel tank returning below 10l per 100km.
I have a GL350CDI from 2012 with extended off road package. I can raise the suspension to go through deeper floods (a thing in Worcestershire) and it has centre and resr diff lockers which, to be honest, I never even needed to use in deep snow - I run it on winter tyres all year. They're quite effective when towing on wet grass. It is expensive to maintain but I have found a local garage who keeps it running sweet at a reasonable cost now, and I have a runabout car so I don't use Panzer for pointless trips like the school and shopping. Mine passed 130K miles last year but is still going well. I sincerely doubt it is worth anything to sell given the current direction that cars are going, so I'm just going to keep it for as long as I can get parts for it.
i have a 2011 very similar to what you were driving. you are very limited when you need 7 seats, tow 3.5 ton and need a bit of comfort. Yes they have gremlins but so far it has had to go to a specialist twice, once for keyless entry which i knew about when i bought it the other for a autobox service, and when a specialist charges you cheaper than you can buy the parts for its a no brainer, they really not as bad as most think yes all modern cars can rape your wallet for fun but all in all i think its a good car and suits my needs massively and i am looking at changing it but i am struggling to find a replacement that ticks so many boxes and no dont say look at a disco 4 they need to come with their own mechanic.
I'd take the Alfa Mito! You may want to check out Hoovie's review of this truck - diesels are becoming impossibly costly to run in the US (unreliable emissions components), and I wonder of that may happen to gasoline cars too. Forcible switching to EV's by stealth tax.
I'm looking at an old CLS 500... would love to see a review of that. An E Class in a frock or a totally different car? Note worthy is that VW etc did copy the concept
Just come back from Germany after 5 years...Germans don't really buy German cars so much now. Japanese Korean and Dacia. The reason..not reliable and expensive to repair. Very sad I remember when the cars were the biggest thing in reliability but not now.
If you want a 7 seat/ 5 seater buy an Smax. It drives and handles well. Plenty of space and enough gadgets depending on model and is reliable. Power wise is ok and will do 40-45 mpg. Quite honestly I look at the Mercedes and all I can see is Trouble.
Had a 2.2 tdci titaniumX for 11 years, not much problems other than a blown turbo pipe but the cars quality is pretty shit! They don’t age well at all.
I own a w219 CLS55 AMG and unfortunately haven't had a great experience with independent specialists or main dealers. Alas, that's because I am in Northern Ireland. Good luck with your jeep, i really love the 21"" alloys on them
Have to agree that you don’t have to spend more than £20k to get a lovely car… like you’ve said if you put aside a few K for any issues then it’s cheap motoring when compared with the costs of a new car
You could and for my money I would if I had the need for a large SUV I think the interior's better on the disco and the SDV6 is surprisingly frugal my dad had one for a moon and did high 30s mpg on a run
@@Thanos.m Same. The interior looks much more "premium", especially with HSE trim, more economical with roughly the same performance and reliabiltiy-wise as well. Even as a Jaguar/Land Rover product I would rather go with this. Simpler and more common engine than the v8 in the Merc.
It's significantly slower, lose 2 cylinders, more like £20k and the crankshaft will explode at some point. But way cheaper to tax & fuel and I reckon a bit nicer.
@@MRFUCKOFF202 Actually the performance is not so dissimilar at all. The 0-60 MPH was claimed 7.6 seconds on the GL450 CDI (not to confuse with the petrol GL450) and the Disco was like 8 and change. But that probably misses the point with those cars anyways. In the end it is up to preference I guess. Though I would go with the newer 8-speed ZF over Merc's 7G-tronic. Just not sure I'd trust putting so much money in an old Mercedes having owned a mid-2000s Audi, which in all fairness treated me very well as I tried to treat it.
How is debadging weird? Plenty people do it so nobody knows what spec you driving at least he's not stuck loads of AMG badges everywhere I worked in a BMW dealership and we even offered it as a dealer option so people don't know your driving a 318d
@@JD-eo7dr take it easy friend. Debadging is not weird. My mistake. Its weird that Jaym tittles this a 450 review, yet its a 550. Maybe he would have known better if it were badged.
I’ve just bought a Q7 for the same reasons as mentioned, loads of room for the family on long trips, nice and comfortable, quiet, good towing ability etc. 90%+ of my miles are motorway or d/carriageway so I’m not that bothered about performance, handling or the size of the thing. it was a bit if a pain in the Devon lanes last week though!
2007 GL450. Now 164k.Everyting works, Loads of room in the 3 rows of seats. Replaced front air shocks, repainted left rear fender (clearcoat was coming off) and the occasional light bulb.. Looks great, pleasure to drive, especially in bad weather conditions.. I use liqui-moly in the engine coolant and oil (just me). Highly recommend Michelin tires. Cons. Needs premium, and gets 14-18 mpg. :(
I thank God for mine! What a steal! Still gets compliments in 2023 only cost me 12k. Had just under 100k miles when I got it, runs like a champ. I put some love into it. So much leather! Rides like a dream. Great cheap family vehicle. Maintenence is cheaper than a 25k-40k or more vehicle!
This gen GL definitely looks cooler than today's Merc SUV. Too bad it costs a fortune for maintenance.
I would hate to know the costs of running this monster. I hear Merc, turbo and air suspension... Then the tears begin to well
@@davidthomas2278 I've never actually seen a Merc OM642/629 turbos fail infact I have never seen either of those engines fail before without serious neglect by the owners. And the air suspension really isn't bad, all that happened is rubbers perish the pumps are denso or Bosch and can be found cheap, the air struts are £500 each but last 10+ years the main issue are the residual pressure valves typically have o-rings that perish and they collapse after sitting. I wouldn't be worried about buying one at all I got one at an auction with a little over 290,000 on the clock (I'm ex merc technical) went into it becuse of suspension issues and it was £70 worth of valves fixed it even on the original air struts. And they're of a generation that all the electronics are solid state and generally all water proofed. As long as you service it yourself not expensive to run, I'd have this over an early l322 range
@@kyleb5518 Great insight. Too many horror stories based on hearsay.
@@kyleb5518 Something you need to remind yourself is... You're an ex Mercedes mechanic. You know these cars inside out. It isn't really a fair point to say because you (an expert) can maintain it easily enough, that anyone can do it.
I would argue against the fortune. For the year, it'll come down to how well it was maintained, as well as if there's anything you are able to do for yourself, or if you're stuck with a dealership instead of an indy garage. I have a 2010 GL550 that I purchased with just over 100k, and I'm at 170k now. Other than tires and brake pads, I've got only $2500 total upkeep in the last three years total.
That said, the diesel's are notoriously more finnicky, and it does seem to be a crapshoot unless things are gone over very carefully.
@MrManBuzz - true that he was an ex Merc mechanic, but the car is relatively easy to work on for anyone that's used to basic wrenching. I replaced the alternator on mine in a couple hours with no prior knowledge of the car. Forums and RUclips make most jobs very straight-forward (for most cars, not just these). The namesake alone is enough to scare people off though, out of fear that it will have to go to a dealer for everything.
Thank you for providing us with some consistently good TV James 🤝
My friend the thing about Mercedes that lots of people don’t realize and don’t mention is the safety witch I bit my life on it.I had a 2010 Benz r350 with 5 passengers in a car then we got hit with 2 18 wheelers semi trucks.to make the story short they had to cut the car to get us
Out and when 5 passengers got out not even one had a Scratch on them it was so bad that police officer told me they thought at least one of us was ded and rest badly Injured but no. Thanks for you video!!
Massively enjoying the content at the moment! On paper a boring car but a car all petrol heads look at on Auto Trader out of curiosity
I used to have the GL500 years ago and it was fun to drive with an exhaust and the 5.5 v8. ruclips.net/video/W9ULWN6RnMM/видео.html
2 years ago I bought a 2010 with 97,000. It has the 4.7 V8. It was very clean. The main reason that I bought it was the service history. The Carfax Report showed 2 previous owner who both had it serviced at the dealer. A couple of critical items were replaced such as rear airbags and the A/C compressor. I have put 9,000 miles on it within my 2 years of owning it and so far the GL has been good to me.
Dido 👌🏾 I just bought 2011 550
What has been your cost so far ??
Bought a 2008 gl450 in 2022! Had 97000!
It's been a solid car. Vacationed with my large family once towed 6000 lbs across the US once !
The only issue was the aged air bag strut. It's a cheap fix!
Oil changes and general maintenance, and she purrs! Still gets some looks and compliments often.
@@fabiogonzalez4413 After the 1st year of ownership I had a B service $579 and a transmission flush $1000. After the 2nd year I had an A service $279 and replaced the thermostat $1,100. The thermostat wasn’t closing all the way which mad the check engine light come on.
Do you still have it? How is it holding up?
Weird Mercedes that I'd like to see featured: the R-Class, particularly the R63.
One of the coolest MPVs around, wish there was more like it
Very rare and hard to find but what a gem!
@@m44nee I've got one. It's shit.
I was searching for an R63 for ages and had no luck, so in the end I went for an ML63. Absolute beast of a car and I love it.
@@anotherpointofview7468 if it’s shit why own it?
⚠️ Warranty required.
I love those large 5 spoke drug dealer AMG wheels.
lol im convinced every drug dealer in europes vehicle of choice is a German luxury suv
At least they're not black on black...
Hello all - owner of the GL450 here! I am enjoying reading all the comments. This is my 49th vehicle (!) and my second GL. It replaces a V6 Amarok, which I owned from new and was a lovely thing. The GL gives me the same towing power (to tow my classic car) but also the flexibility to get 6 adults all up - which as JM suggested I did a number of years ago on a trip down to the South of France and back. It really is a great comfortable motorway cruiser with good towing power if you need it. On the subject of repairs, I like to do my own repairs if possible. I had to replace the air compressor on this car literally a week after I bought it - cost £300. All you need is a bit of confidence and its an easy fix. Admittedly, if you go to a dealer they will stiff you. However, we have a great independent MB specialist near to where I live, who are happy to advise and step in to assist if you need help. I think this is all part of the fun of ownership. Mercedes parts are generally easy to get hold of. The V8 is a great engine
You should get this one remapped, amazing engine with a proper tune. Easy 1000nm, would suit this big tank so well.
@@drpdrp5690 have thought about this, but not as easy to find a "tried and trusted" remap for the GL (unlike VW for example). Any suggestions?
One thing this vehicle has that barely gets mentioned (because nobody really ever uses it on the GL) is that it was available with a low range gear and rear locking diff! Meaning this car can go further off-road with some decent AT tires than most of its competitors. Of course a Range Rover or an LX will do even better though...
EVERYTHING except reliability and fuel economy.
They are reliable compared to most other cars. But you need to maintain them correctly. Something most people dont do. Because they think since they paid the same money as a new corolla it should somehow be as cheap to maintain as a cheap much simpler car.
It's amazing the price difference between this and the R-Class. We are on our second R-Class (2012 R350 CDI Long Wheelbase version). We love it because we have 4 growing kids and it has been the only car that could fit us all in, even allowing enough space for adults in the boot seats with comfort. So much better than the MPV alternatives, and whilst not really a luxury car, it feels a lot better than the Galaxy, S-Max and others. Feel free to come up and review ours some time ;)
Have a 2015 550 no major issues. Oil change is sucked out through dip stick, filter on top of engine, very easy to do. Had to change rear air bags at 90,000. Cost of purchase and fitting 800, and should last for another 50,000. Only other costs were spark plugs, but these are maintenance item for any car. Change oil regularly and these are very reliable.
"any old luxury car or SUV is going to cost a lot of time etc" er... yes. But the Lexus LS430 I would argue is the exception to that rule :)
Or just get an LX 570 if you still want SUV.
It's comfy, not at Merc levels but is still impressive.
@@aaryeshg.6526 they dont sell them here
@@gootywooty Shame really. Pretty much made for US then.
@@aaryeshg.6526 loads in UAE
Was never sold in Europe
Tyler from Hoovies Garage will not recommend one of these because of how horribly built these things were due to where they were built. This is not a money pit, its a black hole
If you get the petrol then I think it is much better, the problems he pointed out were mostly with the diesel. The air suspension seems to have a 100% failure rate though.
They use amazing parts, built by Americans though...
Definitely a case of If It Ain't Boeing We Ain't Dying
I think the problem is more an educational one since american mechanics don’t know anything about modern Diesel engines. The 320 and 350cdi were also available in many other models at the time and are generally considered to be very reliable. The v8 diesels on the other hand were terrible but i think they werent even offered in the us.
The wizard however thinks the 2010 ML and GL without air ride are very reliable (“like Honda reliability” his exact quote)
A absolutely love these GL/GLS SUVs. I’ll have one at some point. Huge room, tows 3.5t, and actually useable off-road. The air suspension modes definitely makes a difference to ride and in the hardest setting is actually quite taut.
My dad used to own a GL 320CDI and I have to say it really was a comfortable 7 seater for the price. We have 6 people in my family and I sat in the 3rd row and it really isnt that bad sitting there
The reason The interior is not nearly as Nice as an S class is; Mercedes knew the people who bought this wouldn't know the difference
Having owned both I completely agree - it's more akin to a B class than an S
Recently found your reviews . Really enjoying them. 👍
That off road package 👍🏼 👍🏼, center and rear lockers, low range and more.
Loving the stream of reviews of accessible cars that we all browse in autotrader to see what our imaginary budget could buy
The common consensus for a lot of RUclipsrs is that the Mercedes wagon is the "everything" vehicle. I'd love to see your thoughts on that.
I've always loved the looks of the GLS but I had a X5 and the whole SUV thing disappeared from my mind. I don't need the extra space so as a luxury cruiser the sedans make much more sense to me. Now I own a 7 series and it's brilliant.
This video gave my subwoofer a good workout - never had that before from one of your videos 😂
What a handsome Mercedes!
I've always loved the design of the 1st generation GL.
It just looks so masculine, understated, and elegant.
"You have to put up with the wobbly old body." Sounds like I'd be a good pairing with it then.
How about reviewing a Porsche Cayenne GTS 2008-10?
I have a V6 diesel, build quality is iffy, sorted the suspension, changed the wheels to AMG 20". Replaced the head hunit to an Android. Thule bars with a rooftop box. Supreme long road family car. Drive it in between sport and comfort. Change the oil every 10k. 1100km between refills.
I know a GL 500 with more than 230 k km and is still running strong. Love the car, great family SUV I say.
You can find many on mobile. de with those km. Highest now for sale is 449k km.
Like your shirt mate
Looks impressive on the outside - the car that is - and tempted to get a big bus like this for when the expanding family has outgrown our Vitara S.
9:55 I wish someone would email you about their second gen CLS 🤔
Why? Ive one outside but a v6 diesel break. really nice car... wanted a V8 misses said no way
@@jeremyaustin9103 Why? Because like you said yourself, they're really nice cars! Jay surprisingly hasn't reviewed one yet, and his videos on big luxury cars are always great.
@@jeremyaustin9103 Disregard opinion of significant other, aquire V8.
@@5555petros My misses is lovely and ten years younger.
Her job means she can really drive too
Isn't the problem with these older SUV's now the congestion charges. I checked the GL and it costs £27 a day to drive it into London. Although that may not bother many it does take some freedom with the car
Have you looked at any Land Cruisers yet Jay? Would enjoy watching that, particularly the J120 Prado
'King of the council estate' special.
James May in London is all I could think about even though that was a silver 500. :)
Designed for and made for USA market ( and maybe even made in Alabama). Over here, it’s actually “mid sized”.... 🤨
My Italian papi in law had one of these. It was hugely reliable and took them all over Europe in its entirely dependable 120k km. With hand controls as well not that that makes a difference.
I think you were wrong about the cruise control. It has the closed merc star in the grille, so it has distronic. It also has the additional camera systems in the window.
Anyone know why these rear sunroofs get spiderwebbed and hazey? I can’t see out of it anymore... can it be refinished? Help
Quick google search with results of 1.5/5 for reliability (repairpal) and 3.8 for ownership experience (Edmunds). The interior must have been designed by the same team who did the Sprinter of the same year as many components look either the same or closely related. I have often admired the GL class but I would question the cost of an old one vs the lease of a new one.
Oh and we’ve detailed one it is pretty freaking huge compared to most other 4x4/suv
Is the next car you’re testing (which you allude to in this) the AMG GT by any chance?
I own one. Black. Put black 20" AMG wheels on that look like 17"s. Replaced the command system with an Android 10 unit that let's you integrate your smartphone. Agree with the quality bit. Feels less solid than my GS lexus. As a holiday road trip car it is unmatched though. Got a Thule rooftop box and spread the kids about so they don't nag your ear off. It gobbles up the road with its 100 lt diesel tank returning below 10l per 100km.
I have a GL350CDI from 2012 with extended off road package. I can raise the suspension to go through deeper floods (a thing in Worcestershire) and it has centre and resr diff lockers which, to be honest, I never even needed to use in deep snow - I run it on winter tyres all year. They're quite effective when towing on wet grass.
It is expensive to maintain but I have found a local garage who keeps it running sweet at a reasonable cost now, and I have a runabout car so I don't use Panzer for pointless trips like the school and shopping.
Mine passed 130K miles last year but is still going well. I sincerely doubt it is worth anything to sell given the current direction that cars are going, so I'm just going to keep it for as long as I can get parts for it.
This was my hand me down car for my high school days. Made me fall in love with German engineering.
My had me down car was ford escort 😎
Thanks J!
Is Chelsea tractor still a good term to describe those suv nowadays, felt like no one really use this term anymore
Got one in the workshop atm … oil leak city and electrical issues galore 😂
Jay where did you get your shirt, I need it asap
Great video
Why does yours have the fender flares and wheels from gl550 if this is a gl450?
i have a 2011 very similar to what you were driving. you are very limited when you need 7 seats, tow 3.5 ton and need a bit of comfort. Yes they have gremlins but so far it has had to go to a specialist twice, once for keyless entry which i knew about when i bought it the other for a autobox service, and when a specialist charges you cheaper than you can buy the parts for its a no brainer, they really not as bad as most think yes all modern cars can rape your wallet for fun but all in all i think its a good car and suits my needs massively and i am looking at changing it but i am struggling to find a replacement that ticks so many boxes and no dont say look at a disco 4 they need to come with their own mechanic.
Dido 👌🏾
you could compare this to Grand Cherokee Overland - circa 2012 onwards. Very similar cars because this was the period that Chrysler was with Mercedes.
I loved my GL420 CDI a total boat, but so comfy. I prefer it MUCH more than my 2012 Range Rover
Why do folks harp about maintenance? 10k in upkeep of 7-10 years beats buying a brand new car for $30,000+ playing interest for 5-7 years.
I'd take the Alfa Mito! You may want to check out Hoovie's review of this truck - diesels are becoming impossibly costly to run in the US (unreliable emissions components), and I wonder of that may happen to gasoline cars too. Forcible switching to EV's by stealth tax.
I'm looking at an old CLS 500... would love to see a review of that. An E Class in a frock or a totally different car? Note worthy is that VW etc did copy the concept
Can you review audi 8 d3 model , some petrol one?Thanks ,you re great.
Just come back from Germany after 5 years...Germans don't really buy German cars so much now. Japanese Korean and Dacia. The reason..not reliable and expensive to repair. Very sad I remember when the cars were the biggest thing in reliability but not now.
Do an R-Class review pleaseee!! Such a unique car
If you want a 7 seat/ 5 seater buy an Smax. It drives and handles well. Plenty of space and enough gadgets depending on model and is reliable.
Power wise is ok and will do 40-45 mpg.
Quite honestly I look at the Mercedes and all I can see is Trouble.
Not in the same legue. You cant buy an expensive car and then think its going to be cheap like a much simpler car to maintain..
Had a 2.2 tdci titaniumX for 11 years, not much problems other than a blown turbo pipe but the cars quality is pretty shit! They don’t age well at all.
Is a L322 Westminster nicer than a L322 Autobiography?
Just dropped my 2010 ml550 at the shop yesterday for a pinhole leak in the radiator
My favourite big and spacious Mercedes of this era is the R Class, same spirit as this GL but looks nicer in my opinion :)
The R Class is so cool my favorite being the R63 amg that thing is a sleeper
The R-Class is a hideous looking machine. Looks like a tarted up Honda Jazz
Just got one of these, same with the amg package and the 21in wheels. Looks gorgeous. And not as expensive as people say to maintain it
Are you UK based Thomas?
@@matthewleonard5290 nope, I’m in France
I really like these GL450s too. But they are so rare not a lot of mechanics here know their way around the engine
@@matthewleonard5290 try to find an independant MB/AMG specialist you’ll be fine
I own a w219 CLS55 AMG and unfortunately haven't had a great experience with independent specialists or main dealers. Alas, that's because I am in Northern Ireland. Good luck with your jeep, i really love the 21"" alloys on them
Seriously considering one of these at the moment or a Q7.
How's it's off road capabilities my guy??
Have to agree that you don’t have to spend more than £20k to get a lovely car… like you’ve said if you put aside a few K for any issues then it’s cheap motoring when compared with the costs of a new car
I've been a passenger as one I liked it but too big to drive around the small roads where I live
Buy a w212 E63 estate. Bit more money but a much better car.
Well I love that car.
No accounting for taste hey? 😄
Couldn't you get a Discovery 4 SDV6 with HSE package for roughly the same money?
You could and for my money I would if I had the need for a large SUV I think the interior's better on the disco and the SDV6 is surprisingly frugal my dad had one for a moon and did high 30s mpg on a run
@@Thanos.m Same. The interior looks much more "premium", especially with HSE trim, more economical with roughly the same performance and reliabiltiy-wise as well. Even as a Jaguar/Land Rover product I would rather go with this. Simpler and more common engine than the v8 in the Merc.
It's significantly slower, lose 2 cylinders, more like £20k and the crankshaft will explode at some point. But way cheaper to tax & fuel and I reckon a bit nicer.
@@MRFUCKOFF202 Actually the performance is not so dissimilar at all. The 0-60 MPH was claimed 7.6 seconds on the GL450 CDI (not to confuse with the petrol GL450) and the Disco was like 8 and change. But that probably misses the point with those cars anyways. In the end it is up to preference I guess. Though I would go with the newer 8-speed ZF over Merc's 7G-tronic. Just not sure I'd trust putting so much money in an old Mercedes having owned a mid-2000s Audi, which in all fairness treated me very well as I tried to treat it.
I’ve alwAys. Kinda liked these I imagine owning one and my neighbours presuming I’m a Russian mafia memeber 😂 that alone makes it cool!
Does it rust or not then...
Can you please do a video of a Mercedes benz ML320 W164 Chassis ❤❤
what about the same era ML ? 5k ?
"Poundland Panzer" LMAO! :-)
Had gl 320.and it was for ever going wrong though I did put 180k on clock
It’s a £10,000-£15,000 car that is ALOT of car for the money! I think the review was quite negative considering the price.
Can you review a w204 c63 saloon please
Weren't all of these assembled in the US?
That was the main issue lol
How about $20K worth of Merc Wagon next.
Poundland panzer 🤣
I've seen these in my mates mechanic shop...
Sod owning one. But they are nice.
I love mercs!! Pleas more mercs!!
Thanks
Only problem with these diesels... not clean air zone compliant... and thats a massive factor for me now when i look for a car
What's the third pedal in the footwell?
Its the "handbrake on" pedal - release is via a pull switch
Top marks for "poundland panzer"
The GLE - as a runabout?,you would be replacing the EGR valve on a weekly basis
It's not a GLE
@@JayEmmOnCars oops sorry, let’s face it- if you’ve driven one big Merc, you’ve driven them all
This identical car in Italy would be at least 40 thousand Euros... plus a couple thousand in yearly road tax and "transfer tax"
Mercedes originally intended the GL to replace the G wagon 🤔
Try the ML W166
I own one of those. In the US it is a 550. Weird how this one is debadged.
How is debadging weird?
Plenty people do it so nobody knows what spec you driving at least he's not stuck loads of AMG badges everywhere
I worked in a BMW dealership and we even offered it as a dealer option so people don't know your driving a 318d
@@JD-eo7dr take it easy friend. Debadging is not weird. My mistake. Its weird that Jaym tittles this a 450 review, yet its a 550. Maybe he would have known better if it were badged.
Weren't these the ones made in the USA. Probably why it's lower quality in terms of interior etc
Wonder what this summed up as
I’ve just bought a Q7 for the same reasons as mentioned, loads of room for the family on long trips, nice and comfortable, quiet, good towing ability etc.
90%+ of my miles are motorway or d/carriageway so I’m not that bothered about performance, handling or the size of the thing.
it was a bit if a pain in the Devon lanes last week though!
+ £30,000 here in Oz.
theres one for sale for 9k right now, could be a good steal
just saw its a 350 not 450, still cool anyway