Just what we need with gas way over $3 a gallon, right? Another earth-killing, ozone layer-shredding, full-sized, fuel-gulping SUV. Okay, but when it looks this sweet, can't we make an exception? The new Benz GL borrows some lines and styling cues from its little brother the ML and its cousin the R class sports tourer. We loved the R's lean shape, but its overall minivan proportions and ritzy suburban mom feel left us cold. While the ML has rugged, manly DNA, the back end is a bit stubby and its overall size is wanting. With the GL, Benz fulfills those forbears' potential.
When you hop inside the GL's tubular interior, it feels like you've entered a plush cylinder on wheels. Once you adjust to the somewhat odd design, you realize that curvature actually creates a sense of more space. Most big SUVs tout their seven-passenger credentials, but a few we've tested didn't measure up. The GL definitely does, and normal size passengers can lounge pretty comfortably in the third row. One odd element was an awesome third row sunroof. There isn't one for second-row passengers, so whenever you're traveling with three or four people, the middle row will be vacant.
The GL450 is a lot of truck, but its 335-horsepower, 4.6-liter V8 carries the weight well. It has impressive giddy-up for something so big (0 to 60 in less than 7.5 seconds) and it can pull up to 7,500 pounds. On the road, the suspension feels like a firm mattress with a soft plush top; there's not a lot of body roll, and it handles in tight territory better than expected. The GL also features all-time four-wheel drive, but it's hard to imagine wanting to take this sweet-looking SUV anywhere near off-road.
