This seven-passenger luxury SUV got redesigned for the 2013 model year. Available engines include a 240-hp turbodiesel V6 and two 4.6-liter twin-turbocharged V8s, all driving through a seven-speed automatic and with standard all-wheel drive. Essentially a stretched ML, the GL's interior is luxurious and full of thoughtful details, and the third row is comfortable. It is the most comfortable riding SUV we've tested. Handling is responsive but doesn't shine at the limits. We got 20 mpg overall with the refined diesel. Features include an active parking system and one that limits body lean in turns.
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Mercedes-Benz Blog Content
Coming soon: A wider variety of diesel-powered cars
Over the years, with Consumer Reports' extensive testing, we've found that diesel engines provide a significant fuel economy advantage, typically reducing consumption by 30 percent over a conventional engine in an equivalent model. We're encouraged, since at the New York...
Best cars for 'megacommutes': Super cruisers starting at $25,000
The U.S. Census Bureau reports that nearly 600,000 Americans have "megacommutes" that have them working more than 50 miles from home or traveling more than 90 minutes each way. As a megacommuter myself, I can relate. Having given this much...
Consumer Reports names the best and worst cars by brand
While car brand reputation can be a strong influence on purchase decisions, such perceptions can be misleading. The reality is, every brand offers models that perform across a spectrum, with some are clearly better than others. As we see in...
Mercedes-Benz GL350 BlueTec stumbles in emergency handling
In our testing, the big GL350 comes as close to perfection as any big SUV can. However, it stumbled badly when we pushed it to its handling limits. The GL was redesigned for 2013 and in most respects, it shapes...
For sale: BMW Z4 and Mercedes-Benz SLK test cars
Spring is just weeks away, and with the new season comes the dream of warm weather and open-road romance for top-down driving. It just so happens we have two German roadsters for sale from our test program that fit this...
