oliver77
Member Since: 23 Jun 2006
Location: Mid Wales
Posts: 398
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Been offered a very good deal on a Merc GL420 CDI. Amazing car and took a Merc demo off road, very impressive, they probably took a D3 apart when they were designing it and stole the ideas. Big discounts makes me think that they aren't selling too well but Mrs O liked it too so thinking about it for a day or two. Anyone heard anything bad about the GL?
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 29th Jan 2007 9:59 pm |
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NICKNICK
Member Since: 14 Jul 2006
Location: uk
Posts: 104
  
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Sister & father in law have XC90's so I have done a few miles in them. Good points (as I have small children) are:
the sliding rear seats,
the fact the rear middle seat slides forward
the built in booster seat
The comfy seats (better than Disco)
Negative points:
noisy,
slow
less refined than Disco in most respects
can't see the front
After disco feels like sitting in normal estate
I wish the disco had the plus points but given they are both made by same company (FORD) they had to give the XC90 some pluses over Disco, however I would say the negative points mean there is no comparison, has to be disco every time.
XC90 V8 with 0-60 in sub 7 secs may be different matter.
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| 29th Jan 2007 10:15 pm |
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oliver77
Member Since: 23 Jun 2006
Location: Mid Wales
Posts: 398
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Very Annoyed wrote:It's a Mercedes! That's bad enough.
very good build quality on the GL (unlike some others) locking rear diff as standard as is COMMAND etc. Does what a D3 does but a bit nicer inside and a hefty diesel.
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| 29th Jan 2007 10:19 pm |
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DrLex
Member Since: 15 Jul 2005
Location: Ciderspace [Oi be in Zummerset]
Posts: 4863
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Sure on the build quality? They're made in the U.S. at the same plant as the ML, so one might expect similar build issues. It's also about a foot and a half longer than a D3, so make sure you get parking sensors on it. Yet, by many accounts, there's less room inside.
Assume you've seen the Thunderer's review? Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana
Member of Club Med Sucks
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| 29th Jan 2007 10:25 pm |
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Gareth
Site Moderator
Member Since: 07 Dec 2004
Location: Bramhall
Posts: 26779
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I'm sure you are asking us to talk you out of it, and you won't get any encouragement from here to go and buy it.
The Merc GL has NOT won almost 100 awards worldwide. The D3 has, and is a bloody good car, and in our opinion can't be beaten (well we would say that wouldn't we  )
Like you said yourself, the GL is a copy of the D3. Do you want an imitation of the real deal?
GL !!!!??? the last GL I drove was a Ford Cortina  Who thought of those letters
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| 29th Jan 2007 10:56 pm |
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Pelyma
Member Since: 06 Jan 2005
Location: Patching, Sussex
Posts: 15496
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They have test driven the GL in the Field this month, reckoned it was crap in real off road situations, not nice on B roads but good on motorways. I thought your wife found the size of the D3 a problem? The GL is much bigger  DS3 TDV6 HSE - Silver with Alpaca (old one) Gone
DS3 TDV6 HSE- Silver with Alpaca (new one) Gone
D4 HSE Lux - Montalcino Red Gone
Porsche Cayenne V8 Diesel S
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| 30th Jan 2007 8:20 am |
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Doctor Diesel
Member Since: 23 Sep 2006
Location: Driving the kids around as usual
Posts: 1587
 
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well I looked at the GL as well but after all is said and done, it doesn't do anything the disco cannot and My take was that the GL cost was roughly that of a disco HSE PLUS a FL2 SE.......frankly I don't reckon the 3 pointed star to be worth 30K£......whats more, It is being bought up by the local (rich) school-run mums to replace their X5's and ML's
HOWEVER, There is no denying its an impressive vehicle....just not for the money-IS-an-object buyer imho 2007 HSE Java Black.....sold
2007 B150 Horizon Blue
2008 Toyota Aygo Platinum
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The Master of Suave !
Ding-Dong Matron
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| 30th Jan 2007 8:51 am |
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Alex08
Member Since: 09 Nov 2006
Location: Glasgow
Posts: 1600
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I'm curious about the deal - we looked at a GL and for a similar spec to the HSE it was best part of £70K. Nice car to drive on the road and the toys all work. However it is designed for LHD market - e.g to operate the electric rear seat fold you have to stand on the road on the driver's side - there are a few other non-RHD conversions that could get irritating. Very nice on roads, and probably OK of the occ foray up a dirt track/forest path. The demonstrator also broke down and was off the road for 3 weeks just after delivery! However a major decision not to buy was the P**S take on the price - £70K to us in the UK - $70K for the US version of identical spec. If I bought in the US, imported, paid VAT and converted it to RHD I would still have been cheaper importing it! Nonsense. Methinks we subsidise the US market on this one. All EU prices are similar. I know that the Disco is also cheaper in the states, but not half price. I've only seen 2 on the road here in the West of Scotland, (and I live in a bit with LOTS of yummys in 4x4s) so it is not making a big impact in either target market! So what was the offer? How desperate have they become to sell.
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| 30th Jan 2007 8:53 am |
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d3matt
Member Since: 03 Aug 2005
Location: South Oxfordshire
Posts: 1485
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I had a good look around the GL and it is an impressive car. A mix of practicality a D3 and luxury of a FFRR, but with far better diesels engines. However, the prices were so great that it wouldn't normally be on list for a D3 buyer. What discounts are they offering now then?
If you were in the market for a FFRR, but wanted 7 seats, then I could see that this is probably the only alternative, as the Q7 doesn't quite have the same class.
For my money, I'd rather have a D3 and a second car like a Mini cabriolet - all for the same price as a GL. Matt
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| 30th Jan 2007 8:56 am |
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oliver77
Member Since: 23 Jun 2006
Location: Mid Wales
Posts: 398
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Mrs O actually liked driving the GL better than the D3 as it does feel more car like on the road despite its size as it is much bigger than the D3 when they're sat side by side. I'm not worried about it being built in the US as the factory is said to be better than most German standards as they knew they had to get it right, its a long time since M Class Mk1. The build is very good and the diesel engine has so much power. Would cost me £23,000 to change but wont lose value as much as the D3 as they are starting to slip a bit now (lots on the road) I went off-road in the Merc and I have seen some reports, it is VERY good off-road.
It's not fair to compare it side by side with the D3 as it isn't a competitor but it is a very credible contender next to the FFRR.
Another day of deliberation!
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| 30th Jan 2007 9:12 am |
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Doctor Diesel
Member Since: 23 Sep 2006
Location: Driving the kids around as usual
Posts: 1587
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simply put, if you NEED 7 seats go for it, if you don't it has to be a FFRR TDV8 imho 
I'd love to have that amout of dosh to deliberate with. 
What sort of % are they discounting them already?? 2007 HSE Java Black.....sold
2007 B150 Horizon Blue
2008 Toyota Aygo Platinum
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The Master of Suave !
Ding-Dong Matron
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| 30th Jan 2007 9:19 am |
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d3matt
Member Since: 03 Aug 2005
Location: South Oxfordshire
Posts: 1485
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I've also heard that the USA factory has really improved it's build quality. Merc have realised that this had slipped too much and have turned it around. Personally, I found our X-reg ML fine. Matt
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| 30th Jan 2007 9:25 am |
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oliver77
Member Since: 23 Jun 2006
Location: Mid Wales
Posts: 398
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You can get about 8% now if you haggle. You having one then John??
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| 30th Jan 2007 9:28 am |
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Pelyma
Member Since: 06 Jan 2005
Location: Patching, Sussex
Posts: 15496
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I would just check where they are taking it off road, it is very easy to make a car look good off road, even BMW can do it One other comment 50% depreciation on a £25K car is better than 25% depreciation on a £70K car. But at the end of the day it is usually your heart that you buy a car with. I'm sure the dark days of Mercedes problems are all but over and their latest engines are awesome. DS3 TDV6 HSE - Silver with Alpaca (old one) Gone
DS3 TDV6 HSE- Silver with Alpaca (new one) Gone
D4 HSE Lux - Montalcino Red Gone
Porsche Cayenne V8 Diesel S
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| 30th Jan 2007 9:41 am |
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