Just picked up a silver 2007 GL450 for my wife. Great vehicle...the ride is what sold us...incredible!! We choose it over a Land Rover LR3, new Navigator and the Audi Q7. The three competitiors came completely loaded with all the options...to consider the MB we had to limit our options to just the entertainment upgrade and the sunroof option. That being said, I am highly disappointed that the vehicle does not come standard with memory seats or HID/xenon headlights...there is no excuse for not having them on a $60,000 vehicle. In the end, all the options in the world could not convince us to choose anything but the gl450...the ride was simply PERFECT!!!

BTW...we got silver with gray interior...would have liked the black interior, but none was available locally.

Does anyone know what type bulb the low beams are (product number)....9004 etc.??

Thanks,
Mick

 

Welcome to the site.

I disagree i believe if they are using the price to pay workers better and thus increase quality then price be damned complaints about cost is what caused the Mercedes downturn in the 98-04 years and they are starting to pull out of it. If that means making there cars higher priced then good cause i liked it when owning an MB was rare but now anyone and everyone has a C-class. It lowers the prestige of the brand. I fell the same way about all luxury makes. Price should not be an issue QUALITY should thats what put Mercedes where they are and gives them the reputaiton they have.

If you read some other posts this is a shared idea among most "Benz lovers" and less of an idea of just "Benzbuyers"

 

I agree with having quality first, but common....I can get memory seats on a cavalier. I have another mercedes/chrysler product...Jeep SRT-8...and it has memory seats standard...I got it for a boatload less than my 450.

I guess in the end I am what you call a MB buyer.....but at least it is an 07.

 

I’m not sure what you mean by “entertainment upgrade”? If you are referring to the “Harmon Karmon” premium Sound SIRIUS Radio w/DVD Nav; that was offered as part of the PO1 Premium 1Pkg. along with “Memory Seats”, Parktronic, Pwr Tailgate, Rear Audio Cntrls, Auto Dimming Mirrors, Cargo Net, Hands-free Comm. System @ $4,500.

My complaint with the "Memory Seats" is that the controls are located on theoutboard side of the seat rather than on the door panel as with other MB models! Once you close the door, it ishardto get your hand between the door and the seat and you can not see what you are doing.

I felt that the PO1 option was well worth the additional $4,500, although I could have lived without the $1,100 “Keyless Go” option, however, we could not locate a Iridium Silver/Black Leather, Wood/Leather Steering Wheel, Trailer Hitch, Interior Ambient Lighting, Premium 1 Pkg, Lighting Pkg (Curve-Illuminating Bi-Xenons & FR Foglamps w/ Washers), Sunroof Pkg, and 3-Zone Climate Control Pkg. GL that didn’t have the “Keyless Go” and not wanting to wait for an ordered car; we bit the bullet and blew $1,100 on a option we never use!

Jim

2006 SLR McClaren
2007 GL450

 

It was the Harmon Kardon/Sirius upgrade minus everything else you mentioned. Just had the front side windows tinted 35% today...looks great! Yeah, I have the silver exterior and gray interior...wanted black...but they couldn't locate one. The gray is already a real pain in the *** to keep clean....ugh!!![:@]

 

This one confuses me...I understand it's the principle because anyone who has these 2 vehicles can certainly afford the extra $1,100 - how much was the gas guzzler tax? At least you can use the feature... I would have just waited, or tell them you'll buy now if they knock $1,100 off...if neither is an option then oh well no sense being too upset. Also, if you waited, you could probably get a better deal since they won't have the same demand. I'm assuming you had your back up against the wall needing a car.

But my real question is how is it that you never use the option? Can you really turn it off? And if you could, why would you? I have keyless entry and love it (different auto brand) and I wish they had implemented keyless start as well. It's a convenience not a required feature and probably not worth that money. I certainly wouldn't be upset having it, maybe that I had to pay for it. What am I missing? Is it a bad feature on the GL?

 

1.) You are correct; it is a matter of principle to pay $1,100 for an option that is never used!
2.) The gas guzzler tax on the McLaren was $3,000 and there was no gas guzzler tax on the GL.
3.) After negotiating what I felt was a fair deep discount on the GL, I unsuccessfully attempted to get the dealer to no charge the “Keyless Go” option. They claimed that they did not have enough margin left to do that, however, they agreed to discount the option to dealers cost, which as I recall was around $900.
4.) “Keyless Go” on the GL is a button that plugs into the conventional ignition switch eliminating the need to insert the standard key. Or the button can be removed and the standard key can be used. The button does not totally eliminate the key; you must have the “Smart Key” to enter the car, also the “Smart Key” must be inside the car in order to operate the “Keyless Go” button!

The “Keyless” ignition has proven to be a major pain with valet parking. I am not picking on MB, I had keyless start on my C6ZO6 and hated it there as well. The only difference with the Corvette keyless start is that the start switch is non-removable and it is a standard feature with the car as opposed to a line item option on the GL!

Just because some engineer can design a cleaver gimmick, does not necessarily make it a better idea! I have been driving for a number of years and never found it terribly inconvenient to stick a key into the ignition switch!!!!!!!!!
5.) Don’t confuse “Keyless Go” with “Keyless Entry” (MB calls it “Smart Key”), these are two different features.

Jim

 

No guzzler tax...amazing. I can't imagine that tax law was crafted appropriately then...I paid it on my M3 which probably gets much better gas mileage than the GL.

In therms of the features, I would think I could approach my car and get in and hit a button to start while leaving the key in my pocket the whole time. All one feature - not 2. My guess is that your assertion that the engineers are at fault is inaccurate. The engineers would most likely design the system I described. It sounds more like the lawyers figured out some way they could be held liable for that approach, which resulted in the complex starting requirements you describe. Then the marketing folks spun that into a "feature" separate and distinct from the capability to open the doors with the key in your pocket.

While this capability seems like a silly thing, I do really like walking up to the car and getting in without getting the key out. It helps when it's raining, or you are carrying something. Ideally I wouldn't have to reach in my pocket to get the key to start the car in the driver's seat after running to the car in the rain. So I have to get the key out anyway. The best part about keyless entry is opening the locked hatch with stuff in your hands. For those who don't have it...you have to use it to really appreciate this.

Not worth $1,100 though (although sounds like I need to spend more to get the door entry part).

I do believe you are buying a high-end vehicle in MB and do agree that you shouldn't have to pay extra for what are now basic features. I like the fact that I don't have to pay for the radar cruise control stuff - that's definately overkill. But in my mind, that's what MB should be charging for not other common stuff on much cheaper vehicles.