Used 2016 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class GL 550 4MATIC 4dr SUV AWD (4.7L 8cyl Turbo 7A) Consumer Reviews
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Best SUV I have ever owned
J F Meyer, Celina, OH, 02/20/2017
updated 08/21/2019
Mercedes-Benz GL-Class GL 550 4MATIC 4dr SUV AWD (4.7L 8cyl Turbo 7A)
25 of 27 people found this review helpful
I have owned many luxury SUV's over the years and my GL550 has been the most all satisfying SUV that I have owned. You can usually find one thing to like about any SUV, but when the product receives high marks in every category of owner satisfaction, I am inclined to believe I have found the best in class for the moment. This is my second GL550, and that should be an indication of my satisfaction, as I also shopped other luxury brands before buying the second GL550. I have every option on my GL550, and that's how I generally order all my new vehicles, as that tends to increase owner satisfaction, but the basic unit is solid and sets a high bar of meeting expectations in this category. I have the upgrade Designo interior in my current GL550, and find this expensive option to be worth every dollar, as the seat comfort on long trips is exceptional to the standard seat. Our Audi A8 has the upgraded Audi interior, and has the most comfortable seats in the industry (pretty much sets the bar for comfort), and the GL550 gets as close as anything to an Audi interior experience. The Mercedes product line is very customizable to personal taste, so I suggest that you pick your salesman carefully, so that you receive a exceptional experience in learning about the product before buying. As a note of caution, I have friends that felt conflicted after taking delivery of their new Mercedes cars, because after a couple weeks of ownership, they learned about what their car did not have, which included many items that they expected to be included, because they were talking too and buying from an inexperienced salesman. I have done a follow-up review of my previous comments shown above, and I still stand by the original comments. This industry segment is becoming crowed with new entries into the luxury segment, but the value of the new entries is questionable when you looking at starting prices that would scare a Billionaire. I am anxiously waiting for the totally redone 2020 Mercedes Benz GLS. I now have forty-thousand miles on my GL, and I have had zero issues. I replaced the original equipment summer-tires with all-season Continental tires and that change actually improved handling, ride, and traction on wet roads. Gone are the days of hydroplaning on wet or slushy roads, I hope. I am now at 70,000 miles and just replaced the brake calipers for the first time. The all-season tires are still better than the original equipment, but they also hydroplane after 20,000 miles. I have to blame the width of the tires for this aggravation. My last set of tires started vibrating at about 18,000 miles, and the mechanic said they have seen this happen on several suv's with wide tires. Their theory is that the suspension is not structurally strong enough to handle the lateral forces being applied to the wide tires, and results in the tires wearing uneven with flat spots about the perimeter of the tire. It was very visible when looking at the tires that the wear pattern was spotty and uneven around the tire. The vehicle itself has been a pleasure to own and I am anxiously waiting for the 2020 GLS release. I am always shopping for my next suv and the market is getting saturated with great suv's. But in the GLS class, there are few brands that offer the same luxury and owner satisfaction in this size vehicle. I am now at 80,000 miles and have just placed an order for the newest 2020 edition GLS 580. Many technology improvements, as well as an array of options to personalize the car. I considered the BMW X7, the SWB full size Range Rover, and the updated 2020 Audi Q7. The SUV field is getting crowded with every brand chasing after SUV customers. My feelings are that Only Ford and Lincoln understand luxury among the US manufacturers, and that is a recent epiphany on their part. GM will never understand luxury. Mercedes has stepped-up significantly, to push more luxury in the GLS model. I am not in favor of a Mercedes/Maybach Luxury SUV, because it will negatively impact and limit how far Mercedes will consider expanding luxury features into the GLS model. How else do you justify the Maybach SUV's price, other than hold back the GLS.
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Don't be fooled by the Mercedes Badge
Carl D, Alpharetta, GA, 02/13/2017
Mercedes-Benz GL-Class GL 550 4MATIC 4dr SUV AWD (4.7L 8cyl Turbo 7A)
26 of 32 people found this review helpful
The GL550 is quick, looks good, and is made of high quality materials. My sticker was 95K. I enjoyed the vehicle for about 900 miles., but prior to 5k Miles there was over 6k worth of warranty work that included tires, transmission, window seals, and an HVAC smell that was similar to mold. This was my first Mercedes and my hopes were very high. I knew a lot of folks that had E and S series sedans and they mostly had no issues. If you spend the time to look very closely to consumer complaints and ratings of this vehicle you'll soon find out that the quality is sub-par across the board. Maintenance costs, breakdowns, ongoing known issue that should generate recalls but instead generate TB's (Technical Bulletins) that outline the known issues but give the dealership the "flexibility" to address the fix at their own discretion. Take the time to investigate the customer issues and total cost of ownership and you'll find this is a poor choice. I traded mine in at 19200 miles because I just got fed up with the downtime in the shop and all of the overall issues.
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Great Ride, Poor Engineering and Quality
DGM , Salem, OR, 10/31/2019
Mercedes-Benz GL-Class GL 550 4MATIC 4dr SUV AWD (4.7L 8cyl Turbo 7A)
9 of 11 people found this review helpful
First, our GL550 is fun to drive. It is fast and acceleration is great. The beast is quiet inside displays very little road noise and handles beautifully, even on rough surfaces. This is my wife’s vehicle and after 50,000 miles she is ready to say goodbye. After owning luxury brands for 20 years this was our first and, likely, last “Benz.” The BAD: we have replaced the Continental every 15,000 miles and are on our fourth set. The dealership will not provide any mileage warranty on tires it sells for this vehicle. At just over 30,000, we replaced brakes and at 35,000 spent over $1,000 on the suspension for worn out parts. Interval service cost is about $800 which is annoying. The electronics have had issues (short in rear DVD system) and the interface for this year is primitive, our 2011 Ford truck is far better and more intuitive. Finally, don’t expect great fuel economy for the V8, we average 14 mpg.
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- Performance
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- Comfort
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suspension problems
German, 01/04/2021
Mercedes-Benz GL-Class GL 550 4MATIC 4dr SUV AWD (4.7L 8cyl Turbo 7A)
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Front suspension problems started at just 10000 miles. Worst part is that are not covered by warranty. now should change the front shocks and the cost here in Colombia is over USD$6000..