Deal of the Day: Mercedes-Benz GL

The Mercedes-Benz GL is about to replaced by the GLS which means there are substantial savings to be had on the outgoing model. 

A high purchase price and disappointing running costs mar the GL, although its refinement is bang on for something in this price bracket. A £7339 saving off list price should soften that initial financial blow, though.

The car Mercedes-Benz GL350 BlueTEC AMG Sport 5d Tip Auto
The saving £7339
The discounted price £54,296
The online broker autoebid.com

For

Being the largest SUV in Mercedes’ range, the GL puts no premium on space, and if it feels like a big car, that’s because it is. With the rearmost seats electrically folded into the floor (a standard feature on the GL), the bootspace is an impressive 680 litres, rising to 2300 litres with the second row of seats also folded.

Refinement is a considerable strength. When taking into account that it rides on 21in wheels, relatively little noise seeps into the cabin. The V6 diesel engine is most at home at motorway speeds, where it wafts the car along at a whispery 1800rpm.

The Mercedes’ interior is as solid as it is plush. Of course, this is something you’d expect on a car with a starting price of over £60k, but the GL is both comfortable and feels made to last - the cabin is as nice a place as you could want to be for the money. Mercedes’ repair costs are another matter, though.

Against

The sizable saving may be eaten up if you want creature comforts, as options range in price from expensive to eye-watering. All of the expected bases are covered though, with none you wouldn’t; sat-nav, heated leather seats, climate control and DAB come as standard.

Coupled with the expensive price are high running costs. Such a large car is never going to be supermini-frugal, and although CO2 emissions aren’t disastrous, company car tax is high, and the enormous fuel tank requires quite a sum to fill it to the brim.

Should I add any options?

As mentioned, the GL offers everything you’d expect at the price bracket, with no added bonuses. If you’ll be using the third row of seats regularly, you may want to consider rear airbags (£355), and a reversing camera, which will set you back £420, although these won’t be necessary if the rear seats are folded flat most of the time.

By Jimi Beckwith