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2013 and earlier-Mercedes Benz GL-Class Prices Paid and Buying Experience

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Comments

  • occarfanoccarfan Member Posts: 23
    I don't think Range Rover has a third row. But I could be wrong.
  • occarfanoccarfan Member Posts: 23
    The extra 10-15K is due to size and power. The GX is more often compared to BMW X5, Porsche Cayenne, and Mercedes ML. It also has 72 hp less than the GL. My friend has a GX. He says the ride is great. Very Lexus. He does have trouble with the small 3rd row and the back liftgate opening like a door, which makes loading sometimes difficult. Also the seats can't fold flat, so you can't load much. I have the GL. I have 2 kids with baby seats (one in second row, one in third). In addition, we can get 5 adults in and out without moving the baby seats. What I like most about the GL is it can carry so many people in comfort, but doesn't look like a big SUV (Cadillac, Infiniti QX, Yukon, Suburban, Expedition). My wife has no problems driving and parking it. As far as gas mileage, it's about the same. We both get about 16mpg.
    I think it comes down to the brand. Lexus or Mercedes. I don't think you can make a wrong decision with either.
  • carabelcarabel Member Posts: 43
    If the extra money is never an issue, I'll pick the GL. It is nicer looking than the Lexus, and the MB brand is still traditionally looked at as the luxury brand. I just don't think a Lexus has made it there yet. The GL has more symmetry and balance to the design than the current GX Lexus design - my .02. But look at both very carefully. At this point in the price range, you want the car that suits you and your family best - not whether the 3 prong star brand looks better than the L - the star wins though logo wise.
  • occarfanoccarfan Member Posts: 23
    Good point, but I believe in this day and age, you need more than 300hp for large SUVs. But my wife only cares about the Mercedes brand. I like BMW but have bought 3 Mercedes since we married (5 yrs). Though I am looking forward to comparing next generation E-Class vs. BMW 5 series. I told her the next one's mine.
  • british_roverbritish_rover Member Posts: 8,502
    Err the Pilot is smaller then the GL. The GL is about a foot longer then the Pilot at 200.6 inches for the GL and 188 inches for the pilot.

    The GL is also about 700 lbs heavier.

    The Range Rover is not available with a Third Row and most likely never well be. The only third row equiped Land Rover is the LR3 and its third row is larger then the GLs for head and leg room but less for shoulder room because of the narrower track of the LR3.

    GL450 vs Pilot VS LR3 HSE
  • carabelcarabel Member Posts: 43
    You're right about the GL size. I don't have that much cargo room in my Pilot. It is shorter. Somehow, the pilot feels roomier passenger wise. And yes the GL is heavier - why it needs the pull of a V8. Pilots are V6's. Thanks for the LR3 info on the 3rd row. I haven't seen the Rover up close and personal but will have a look. I always liked the Rovers - that is until the GL came along. But I never liked the Lexus GX - even now with the new design. As for the price of the MB GL - it really is the name you're buying.
  • ocautoseekerocautoseeker Member Posts: 425
    I wasn't intending for everyone to get into a technical discussion about the Pilot - I simply made a comment that the GL's lines made it look like a larger Honda, which is not impressive IMO from a luxury manufacturer like MB.

    Feature-wise, the vehicle is loaded, I'm just not sold on it's exterior styling - that's all I meant to say.
  • glfanglfan Member Posts: 18
    For leasing, GL is not overpriced at all. With $5k down, I'm paying about $750/month including tax with Premium + Navi + appearance package. A similarly equipped X5 costs close to $1k/month. Purchase will be an entirely different story. For those of us who lease, monthly payment, not the purchase price, counts the most.
  • vt256vt256 Member Posts: 11
    hey eights38, live in NJ and definitely can use your help . Looking for a GL320 CDI.
    thanks, sending you contact info privately. vince
  • sprtansprtan Member Posts: 6
    Thank you. The two points that you raise around the 3rd row (no fold flat and storage challenge) and the back liftgate were "form factor" concerns that I had raised when we went and test drove the GX.

    That being said, the fact that both seem to get similar gas mileage tips the scale to the bigger engine for me (we live in a very hilly area). - Lee
  • coastal2coastal2 Member Posts: 11
    Hi everyone....I am a trying to buy a used GL450. The dealer is in FL and has a demo driven buy a manager for 63140 with about 5000 miles. P2 package, trailer hitch, rear camera, its loaded black with macd. interior. Can someone please tell me if this is a good deal? He told me this price on the phone..is it negotiable? and what about warrranty etc...and it doesnt have rear DVD which I really need for a 2yr old and 5yr in the back all the time. ASAP response would be greatly appreciated!! as I need to make a upurchase this week. thanks in advance
  • coupedncalcoupedncal Member Posts: 252
    This price seems insanely high. I would price a new one at invoice with options and then deduct at least 15 cents / mile for the miles driven if truck has not been registered yet. And if the truck has been registered, then you need to take the usual depreciation hit and considered a used vehicle for all practical purposes. Use Edmunds resale value in that case.
  • coastal2coastal2 Member Posts: 11
    Thanks for your reply....how do I find out what the invoice price is? Is it available on Edmunds?
    I am not sure if it has been registered b/c its currently driven by a manager...i am so new to all this....
  • coupedncalcoupedncal Member Posts: 252
    This is what edmunds does best. :) Click NEW CARS link on top and then browse over to Mercedes section and then GL and so on. The invoice price will be next to MSRP. Choose Price With Options to see the final price (both MSRP and Invoice) of vehicle with options.

    Good luck.If I were you, I'd buy with fewer options but new one off the floor.
  • occarfanoccarfan Member Posts: 23
    coupedncal is right. That is way too much. You should be able to get what you're looking for new with DVD player for $63,000. Once you find out INVOICE for the model you want, you should be able to negotiate a price at or below invoice.
    I would never buy a demo. It's usually abused.
  • ocautoseekerocautoseeker Member Posts: 425
    My 2 cents....

    I agree with the previous poster's recommendation - you should price out a brand new one first and see where the invoice price lies between the price that they're offering you on the demo.

    As for the mileage, I would recommend closer to 30 cents per miles.

    If the demo was driven by the sales manager, I can (almost) guarantee that he "babied" it, as he knew all along that he'd have to turn around and re-sell it. If it was a service loaner, I'd say no way as only lord knows how many different drivers it encountered.

    Demo's can be tough to negotite sometimes because the dealer looks at it as if it were still new instead of really looking at it for what it truly is - a used car.

    The bottom line is this: If they won't sell you the vehicle for close to the deprecitaed value of a used car, but they'll sell it to you significantly lower than a brand new one, you should definitely consider it.

    You'll definitely want to talk to them about how the warranty was affected and/or if they'll extend it on their dime or for their cost.
  • lindayalindaya Member Posts: 2
    i am a mother of 3 little ones (4 y/o, 3, and 10 months old) and need the 3rd row to be quite accessable. just checked out the Mercedes GL450 and loved it. The lease deal I have been offered is as follows:

    Drive off fees total $2,236 (includes first month payment, dmv fees, acquisiton fee+tax); then $795.64 plus tax per month

    for GL450 with prem 1 package, rear dvd, ipod kit, running boards.

    Is this good? my other option is buying at approx $10,000 off mrsp

    thanks for any advice!
  • occarfanoccarfan Member Posts: 23
    How long is the lease for? Pretty good price for a lease, but I like the option to buy at 10K off MSRP.
    One advice I have, no matter if you buy or lease, is to get the leather.
    The fake leather I have is horrible. It's constantly dirty and impossible to clean. It's not just my 2 girls, but even the driver's seat is constantly stained.
  • blackscholesblackscholes Member Posts: 1
    Anybody seeing any large discounts on these? Used SUV prices are dropping like a rock and I would think that dealers would need to start discounting heavily to make way for the 2009s. There are about 330 in dealer inventory within 30 miles of my house in Central New Jersey....The 09's start coming in in about 6 weeks.
  • lindayalindaya Member Posts: 2
    lease is for 33 months. with calif sales tax, the car prices out to $860/month with the 2200 drive off fees. still not sure...... is this a good price?
  • johnnyb_mjohnnyb_m Member Posts: 7
    Can someone provide the MF and the residual value % for both the GL 320 and the GL450 for 12k miles per year at 30/33/36/39 terms (whatever is best)?

    I'm looking at leasing one this week and would like to know where I should be at a payment amount. While I'm in the Chicago area, I'm in Will county and not subject to the Chicago lease tax (although I do have to pay the state of IL sales tax on the full purchase amount).

    Last question would be recent purchase experiences (dollars off MSRP). I'm eyeing a GL that's stickering at $70.9k, getting a price of a couple of k's below that.

    Thanks
    John
  • fq1fq1 Member Posts: 56
    Does anyone know of any hidden incentives on 2009 and 2008 GL's. What kind of pricing are people getting on either sale or lease. Any help appreciated.
  • annarieannarie Member Posts: 1
    I have a question about the fake leather interior. I'm debating between a macademia vs black interior for a white GL450. I'm afraid the macadimia will stain too quickly. What color do you have? Any response is greatly appreciated.
  • djahnmandjahnman Member Posts: 2
    A bit of late reply but I had recent buying experience and had multiple quotes in the Los Angeles Area. Big difference in leasing 2008 versus 2009 GL 450

    2008 GL 450
    There are alot of dealer cash incentives and can get big discount off MSRP, but
    the lease factors aren't as good

    2009 GL 450
    The dealers won't reduce the price of the car as much, but lease factors are good.

    I received quote on 2008 GL 450 MSRP 63550 with drive off $1600 with total monthly including tax(8.5%) of $750/month. Without tax this would be about $690-$700. This is without rear DVD. If rear DVD was added it would probably add $40-$60 a month to the total.

    For 2009 GL 450 on MSRP $66,110
    This would include premium I, running boards. Money factor .00105, residual 51% on 39 months for 15 mi/year. Quote was $780/month without tax or $835 including tax.

    Hopefully that helps. If you don't mind getting a 2008 GL 450 dealers are more willing to negotiate. There are a few differences between the two though. Mostly cosmetic and the navigation/COMAD system and more standards check out both before deciding.

    Hope this info helps.
  • dkla76dkla76 Member Posts: 41
    so heres the deal i got.

    2008 GL450 white/black with premium 1 pack, ipod.
    MSRP: 63500
    -14250 off
    sales price: 49250
    OTD: 53530.

    was thinking of X5 but this was cheaper. and more space. more power.
  • fq1fq1 Member Posts: 56
    dkla:

    Did you get $14,250 off because you qualified for employee pricing or maybe the dealer just gave you employee pricing? Please let me know if you know the answer. Also, I would appreciate the name of the dealer if you would share. Thx.

    djahnman:

    On the leases you were quoted, do you know what the captalized cost was.

    Thanks for all your help.
  • dmitradmitra Member Posts: 3
    Congratulations, and thanks for sharing this info. Excellent deal! Did you also get the 2.9% financing along with this? Also, did the dealer offer similar deals on the diesel (GL 320 CDI) model?
  • bltmdbltmd Member Posts: 1
    Went through the same process, but chose the '09 for the money factor and major improvements vs 08, especially value included in '09 packages. Bluetooth standard for 09, Premium II has keyless go, iPod integration, voice control. There's $2500. COMAND interface much improved, NAV maps are beautiful, amazing with iPhone, whacker is gone. Has HD radio. Got GL450 with Premium II, Appearance w/ 20" wheels (like 550) and running boards, rear seat DVD (which for '09 has player at back of front center console instead of under second seat, price $800 less), hitch, illuminated sills. MSRP $72,260, got for $750 over invoice on 3rd try, 36 month lease with money factor of .00105 Priced a comparable 08, but lease payments were essentially the same due to money factor at 3-4X higher offsetting much lower price. Think the '09 is better value with improvements. Drive with 20" wheels and COMAND sold me.
  • dksungdksung Member Posts: 3
    Just bought an 08 GL450

    MSRP $68750
    add-in bluetooth $495
    Total 69245
    Negotiated price $51,619

    I also priced out an '09
    MSRP $69555
    Negotiated price $65200

    I did compare the '09 and liked the improved options etc, but the price difference was well worth going with the '08.

    As MB did not have a lease deal on '08, ended up financing @2.9% APR.
  • fq1fq1 Member Posts: 56
    Congratulations on a great deal. Were you eligible for employee discount or did they give you employee discount, since that appears to be an awesome deal. Which dealer were you able to get the deal from. Thanks for sharing the info and enjoy the car!
  • matsanjmatsanj Member Posts: 1
    Congrats this is an awesome deal. Can you please post the city and state where the deal was made. I also assume this is with a P1 package/ipod integration/19 inch wheels& running boards.
  • jtfiorejtfiore Member Posts: 16
    "For 2009 GL 450 on MSRP $66,110
    This would include premium I, running boards. Money factor .00105, residual 51% on 39 months for 15 mi/year. Quote was $780/month without tax or $835 including tax. "

    For this deal to work, they would have to sell the car at $2.1K below invoice (approx $61.5K cap cost). Are they discounting that much in LA or were they asking you to put extra money into the deal?
  • djahnmandjahnman Member Posts: 2
    For the 2009 GL 450 MSRP $66,110.

    Total Drive off was $1500 which included 1st month, license and doc. Cap cost was $59.2K then with acq fee of $1095 the final gross cap cost was $60.3K. Final monthly of $780/mo + tax on a 39 mo/15k mi per year. I think the dealer did mark up the acquistion fee though. I don't know what the usual Mercedes acquisition fee is.

    It took several quotes from multiple dealers to get this low. Closest deal to this was $20 per month more. Several other dealers could not come close to this deal.

    This is why I chose the 2009 model over the 2008. The 2009 model was about $80 more per month than the 2008 deal, but the 2009 has many more standards and includes more with the P1 package.
  • adatadat Member Posts: 9
    dksung, do you mind sharing which state and which dealer you bought this vehicle from? How did you manage to get $18k off MSRP?

    for a 08 Gl450 with Premium 1 and other few options, I was quoted $59.5K

    Appreciate your help in advance.

    Thanks
  • dkla76dkla76 Member Posts: 41
    wow i cant believe he got that deal. seriously i am a very tough negotiator and also done enough research but no one was able to get more than 15000 off msrp.

    i wonder if this guy dksung bought a company demo with few thousand miles on it.

    mine was brand new with 8 miles.
    anyways best place to get at least 14k off is Laguna and Southbay in socal.
  • dksungdksung Member Posts: 3
    The GL450 that I've picked up has:
    premium 1
    ipod
    illuminated door
    19" wheels
    roof rack cross bars
    running board
    RES/DVD
    bluetooth
    etc..

    It's brand new with 23 miles on it. I didn't even have to negotiate much at all.

    I'm in NJ was really looking to lease the '09s with RES and Appearance (MSRP 69555) and the payment came out to be $875/mo with no money down for 36mo/12K. (next best deal was $890/mo for the same car)

    I just asked about how much the '08 lease would be for a comparable car and I was first told that it would be more, so said that it doesn't make any sense. He then put me on hold for a couple of minutes, came back and said they can lease it for lower payment than '09 if I'm interested. So I asked about what the selling price would be and was told that it would be ~$51K or about 18K off as that would be the only way to make the payments lower. At that point, I told him that I'll just buy it at that price instead.

    It now have ~300 miles on it and it drives/handles so much better than the R. It also gives a pretty decent milege with an average of about 16.5mpg so far (highway driving i got about 18.7mpg). I'm really happy with it so far.
  • adatadat Member Posts: 9
    dksung, First of all thank you very much for the detailed response. This was so very helpful, especially the mileage part was very comforting :).

    dkl76, thank you for sharing your thoughts.

    Coincidentally I live in NJ too, I have just been to one dealer so far and as I posted earlier, I was offered 59k for a car with MSRP 68.5k and it almost had the same options as your car. I did not bargain yet as I was waiting for your response.

    Once again, thank you for sharing your experience, it is really very helpful.

    dksung, Would you mind sharing the dealer name (only if you are comfortable doing it)? I can probably buy from the same dealer if my current dealer is not interested in selling tha car at 51k.

    Thank you.
  • moejojojomoejojojo Member Posts: 10
    Hi dksung,

    That is truly a great price. I'm looking for a 2008 GL320 well equipped and I'll be using the checkbook service. Not sure if you've heard of it but it basically contacts dealers on your behalf to get the best price. I've bought two cars through this service and the pricing has been much better than what I've been able to negotiate.

    If you don't mind, could you tell me the dealer you used to get your deal? I'm in NNJ and I want to make sure they are one of the ones that checkbook includes in their process.

    Thanks in advance.
  • jsc_usajsc_usa Member Posts: 11
    Thank you so very much for the detailed information.

    If you don't mind, can you please provide the following info about the 2009 lease quote

    1. Does $875/mo payment include the tax or you have to pay the total tax of 36 payments up front (which is closed to $2000)?
    2. When you say "with no money down", does that mean that you don't have to pay anything up front (other than possibly a small amount of dealer admin/doc fees and the 1st payment)?
  • coastal2coastal2 Member Posts: 11
    Hi all...very new to the car buying. I'd like to buy a 08 or lease an 09 gl450 (36mo, 15K per year) in S florida. Anyone had recent experiences with leasing/buying?? Need to make a purchase this week. Any advice would be appreciated. Also please let me know what the MF, risdual value is.Thnx in advance. Is it safe to assume that you can pay about 2000 over invoive on 09?

    Next Q : the dealer has a 08 Demo 450 with 3600 miles...19in wheels ,P1 pkg, ipod kit, some other extras....MSRP 71K....want 63K for it. I know its to high..anyone know how I can negotiate a better price? its driven by the manager, hasn't been registered.
  • moejojojomoejojojo Member Posts: 10
    I posted about a week ago but got no responses about some of the deals posted here. I'm located in NJ but I used the dealer in MD that I bought my last car from. Here are the specifics. BTW, 2008 GLs, esp diesels are getting scarce so I would encourage anyone who wants one to at least find out what is out there. If the options/colors you want are not available, getting a 2008 may be moot.

    2008 GL320CDI Black/Black MB Tex
    P1
    19" Wheels
    Running Boards
    Chrome Handle Inserts

    MSRP: $63,300
    Got it for: $50,500
    Discount: $12,800

    I'm happy with my deal. I've had it for 3 days and the GL is fantastic.
  • td_njtd_nj Member Posts: 11
    Like mojojojo, I'm in NJ, and went in to lease an '08 GL450 w/P1, RSE, heat pkg, keyless go, trailer hitch. Looking over the paperwork, the selling price is about $52,500 on a car w/MSRP over $68k. I tried a few other dealers and no one could come close - the guy I'm leasing my E350 from didn't even call me back.

    The money factor on the lease, though, is way high (7.3%). For 36 mo., the lease payment is $749. But I can finance with a couple thousand down for roughly $815. I think that's a no-brainer. Any thoughts on whether the dealer will freak if I go in now and tell him "Forget the lease, I'll buy it?"
  • adatadat Member Posts: 9
    td_nj,

    i dont know much about lease, so did not understand the residual, money factor etc in your post but anyways I am looking to buy one in NJ. Based on your post, are you saying that the dealer is willing to sell the car with MSRP 68k for 52k? if yes, can you please send me the dealer details.

    I also live in NJ and so far the best deal I got is 55k for a 2008 car with MSRP of 68.5k.

    Thanks in advance.
  • mbd2mbd2 Member Posts: 2
    I am planning to visit dealers for GL 450.
    Can you share city names of deals were madie if you dont' mind?
  • papumpmanpapumpman Member Posts: 5
    Wow! $51K?

    Left a NJ dealer today and could only muster $63,736 off of a $68,085 2008 GL450. First visit though. Have yet to press the issue.

    Would love to know dksung's dealer.....

    Near a defunct horse race track?

    Ivy League school?

    Within view of Empire State Bldg?

    We are all on the same team.

    Thanks.
  • mbd2mbd2 Member Posts: 2
    I think you could get more off than you had ($6K around) in this
    troublesome economy.
  • td_njtd_nj Member Posts: 11
    Re adat - Yep. It was $52,600. I ended up doing a lease at $749/mo instead of the buy. Money factor was higher than I expected, but I would have stretched myself a bit with the buy. Globe in Fairfield. I'm a Ray Catena customer ('07 E350 4Matic), but they couldn't do a 2008 GL deal anywhere near that price, so I went elsewhere.
  • adatadat Member Posts: 9
    Thanks td_nj for the details. I just pulled the trigger yesterday. I bought it for $54.5K for a 08 with MSRP $68.5K. The part of the deal which I did not like is the APR (3.9%). The dealer said that the 2.9% deal expired by Sep 03 and that this 3.9% is the new deal by MB. I am not sure if this true or not but anyways no point in thinking about it as I pulled the trigger now but the drive is awsome and the car is excellent.

    by the way, is your lease $749/mo is including tax or exclueding tax?

    Thanks.
  • mbzxmbzx Member Posts: 9
    td_nj, Can you please let me know the dealer's name? I bought my 08 ML320 CDI with a fairly good discount but you seem to have gotten a lot better deal for your GL than for my ML. I could use your dealer to purchase a new GL sometime next year. Thanks.
  • mbzxmbzx Member Posts: 9
    Oooops, td_nj, sorry about my previous post. I just re-read your posts and and realized that you had put the name in there. My apology...
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