2007 Mercedes GL-Class

“Family” Hauler - The Benz For Friends

By Steve Siler

I know what you’re thinking: does the world really need another 5000-pound, seven-seat, $60,000 sport-utility vehicle? From Mercedes-Benz, no less? I mean, don’t they already offer not one, but two of those high-riding, road-hogging symbols of wretched excess?

Sure they do. And damn nice ones at that. But as appealing as the slick new M-Class and boxy-conic (if decades-old) G-Class are, neither afford their owners that key ingredient that says “luxury” like nothing else: space. Full-size space. Or, as pantyhose aficionados might say, queen-size space.

Say hello to the all-new GL450. A full-figured gal to be sure and the largest SUV ever to brandish the famed Three Pointed Star. It doesn’t look big, you say? Well, in pictures, you’re right. And even as you approach it in person, the mass and 17-foot length of this truck are well disguised. You can thank the sloping front end and wagon-like proportions for that. But get close to it and you’ll notice that this ain’t no dainty flower; it makes the M-Class look sporty by comparison. Still, embedded in the design are some nifty details, such as the artfully sculpted hood, the subtle fairing of the lower bodysides, the great fender shapes and the interesting tension created by mixing feminine and masculine shapes, between the ovals of the door handles and the knife-edged window shapes, for example.

No such tension exists inside, however. It’s just pure Mercedes-Benz luxury. Here is where you can tell the family connection with two other Alabama-built Benzes: the M-Class SUV and the R-Class people-mover. There is an abundance of wood trim, leather upholstery, lovingly stitched dashboard, seat and door trim and more stuff that just reeks of class. The GL450’s claim to fame—indeed its entire reason for existing—is that it’s a true seven-seater, with a standard third-row seat that fit my 5’10” frame just fine, thank you (something I wasn’t able to say about the third row of the sexy new Audi Q7). Even better, there are two standard sunroofs: one over the front seats and one letting the light shine in over the third.

The technology is there, too, with precision-crafted electroluminescent instruments and a center stack that includes the COMAND system screen that integrates stereo, navigation, telephone and vehicle systems management. The steering wheel includes controls for pretty much anything you’d want to adjust, save the dual-zone automatic climate control, via a center multi-info display between the gauges. And an optional harmon/kardon Logic 7 surround sound audio system allows you to get the party started long before you get to the club.

In back, the optional power tailgate adds convenience when you’re running toward it in the Home Depot parking lot during a torrential downpour, and the power folding split third row seats motor down at the touch of a button once you get there to let you load in your bulky things without pulling any levers. In fact, I can’t really think of anything you need to do yourself. Take that back; you do have to fold and tumble the second-row passenger-side seat (a one-handed affair) in order to get in the way back. Interestingly, the driver-side second-row (which includes the center seating area) does not tumble to allow people in back—Mercedes claims that’s a safety thing, not wanting people to get in and out on the driver’s side while parked on a busy street. We’re skeptical of that explanation, but it’s no reason not to buy this vehicle by itself.

Especially when there’s such good stuff that happens when you twist the key, or press the electronic engine start button on vehicles equipped with the cool keyless engine starting system. The GL450 stirs to life with a gutsy, 335-hp 4.6-liter V-8 mated to a seven-speed automatic transmission. Not only is the motor to be savored on account of its ability to get this 5300-lb wagon up to speed (0 to 60: 7.4 seconds) and offer you boat and horse fans a 7500-lb towing capacity, but the transmission comes standard with steering wheel-mounted manual shifters that provide crisp up- and down-shifts without taking your hands off the wheel. Fuel economy wasn’t released at the time of this writing, but is expected to remain respectable (for a big SUV), thanks to the tall gearing of the transmission. Other standard goodies include always-on four-wheel drive, a bump-flattening air suspension and 18-inch wheels.

So Mercedes-Benz has managed to fit this full-sized SUV into its already crowded garage for 2007. But it’s a good one, friends, so if you’re one of those boys that has wanted to go full-size without going Suburban-sized, maybe it's time you do, too.

2007 Mercedes-Benz GL-Class

• Base price range (including destination): $est. $57K—$72K
• Fuel economy, city/hwy: TBD

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