In surveys that J.D. Power and Associates has conducted with verified owners of the Mercedes-Benz GL-Class, the people that actually own and drive one told us what they like and what they don’t like about the car.

What Owners Like:

“It is well engineered and luxurious, truly first-class.”

“Diesel engine [produces] excellent power and mileage.”

“Diesel technology [produces] awesome torque and amazing mpg.”

“It drives and handles like an S-Class sedan. It doesn’t drive like a large SUV. That M-B V-8 is the best.”

“Handles like a sports sedan. Other large SUVs feel like trucks.”

“Driving dynamics, handling characteristics, and braking [are] excellent.”

“Overall handling of vehicle, especially in adverse conditions, is excellent.”

“[I like the] handling on snow and ice.”

“Love the smooth and quiet ride.”

“Smooth ride on long drives.”

“Spectacular driving feel.”

“[The] interior is sublime.”

“Interior is extremely elegant and stylish.”

“Seat comfort is outstanding.”

“Comfortable seating, legroom, and headroom for all rows of seats.”

“Third-row seating is very comfortable.”

“Ability to comfortably fit 7 passengers in [a] mid-size SUV.”

“Great visibility, storage and comfort.”

“The best heated seats ever.”

“Heated steering wheel is wonderful in the winter.”

“Bluetooth phone is easy to connect.”

“Overall fit and finish [is] fantastic for the price.”

“Good attention to detail, nice styling.”

“[I like the] extra large tires and rims.”

“Vehicle is strong, solid, well constructed.”

“[I like the] reliability – not one problem.”

“I feel so safe driving my family in this car.”

“It is good looking, [has] high cargo and passenger capacity, and drives smoothly.”

“I love the look of my car’s exterior and smile every time I see it.”

“Deserved or not, Mercedes carries prestige. I like that there are few of these around my town.”


What Owners Don’t Like:

“I would have liked the [diesel] motor with the GL550 body styling.”

“Battery failed. Dealer came and got vehicle three times.”

“Had to jump start it six times. [Car is] brand new. Hopefully it is fixed now!”

“Fuel economy is poor.”

“I wish it had better fuel economy, but I guess I made that choice.”

“Excessive brake dust – terrible.”

“Exterior side mirrors are too small.”

“Right mirror is too small, and ride height is too high. I can’t see cars on the right side. That’s a big blind spot.”

“Fold-out side view mirrors seem to freeze when temperature drops.”

“Location of turn signal and wipers. [I] keep hitting cruise control instead. Also, [I] cannot see turn signal [lever] because steering wheel blocks it.”

“Turn signal lever in a bad spot.”

“[Needs] ventilated, cooling seats as standard.”

“Seat memory system should [be] assigned to keys. [I am] tired of standing in the rain waiting for seats to move.”

“Can’t get in or out without messing up pants leg.”

“Running boards are difficult to use without getting dirt on clothes.”

“Running boards ruin my pants. [They’re] too narrow to use anyway.”

“Running boards should be retractable. [It’s] hard for shorter people to get in and out.”

“With the side step panels it is hard to get in/out of the car.”

“I could do without the running boards. They look nice but are more of a hassle than functional.”

“The car is not friendly to shorter drivers. I am 5’4” tall [and] the pedals don’t [adjust] so I need to bring the seat very far forward.”

“Difficult to get in and out of, for me and for senior citizens.”

“I added side steps, but they actually make it harder to get out.”

“The S-Class Comand system should be in this vehicle.”

“Navigation system…info entry is cumbersome, really awful!”

“Nav system impossible to operate.”

“The nav/audio/telephone display is sub-par. It is an annoyance and poorly designed next to Infiniti and Acura.”

“Navigation system not as good as Lexus.”

“Navigation and overall technology far below Japanese.”

“Navigation system should be touch screen.”

“Navigation [is] worthless, confusing, inaccurate.”

“Outdated navigation system does not show streets that have been built for over three years!”

“Complicated controls.”

“Transmission control placed on steering wheel and easily touched inadvertently.”

“Driver should be in control [of] entertainment system.”

“Backseat entertainment cannot be controlled from dash.”

“Rear seat entertainment system – I dislike everything about it.”

“Leather [is] not…a standard item.”

“The leather seats cost extra. At this price, [that’s] silly.”

“Seats, while very luxurious and comfortable, should be leather.”

“Seat coverings [are] textured like a football.”

“Seating material is horrible, awful, terrible…you name it.”

“Beige interior gets dirty too easily.”

“Storage room…too small.”

“[I don’t like the] inability to put baby seat in center of second row seats.”

“Not as luxurious as expected for price point.”

“The option packages. It’s all or nothing.”

“[I don’t like] the inability to get the options I wanted on the car, even though it was built for me.”