German Car Zone

With 2007 GL450 SUV, Mercedes-Benz takes on iconic Cadillac Escalade

by Ann M. Job, AP
March 23, 2006
Call it a battle of the big, luxury sport utility vehicles. German automaker Mercedes-Benz is taking on Cadillac and its iconic Escalade.
The 2007 Mercedes GL450 arriving in showrooms this spring is the first full-size, luxury SUV to be sold in the United States by a European car company.
Stretching nearly 17 feet long, this largest Mercedes passenger vehicle has seats for seven, V8 power, standard four-wheel-drive and first-in-the-class seven-speed automatic transmission.
It's the first Mercedes rated for Class IV towing, with a 7,500-pound towing capacity _ enough to pull a 30-foot boat or a three-horse trailer.

Mercedes Benz GL-450 Mercedes Benz
2007 Mercedes-Benz GL450
BASE PRICE: Estimated $57,000.
AS TESTED: Estimated $61,295.
TYPE: Front-engine, four-wheel-drive, seven-passenger, full-size, luxury sport utility vehicle.
ENGINE: 4.6-liter, double overhead cam, 90-degree V8.
MILEAGE: NA.
TOP SPEED: 130 mph.
LENGTH: 200.3 inches.
WHEELBASE: 121.1 inches.
CURB WEIGHT: 5,249 pounds.
BUILT AT: Tuscaloosa, Ala.
OPTIONS: Rear-seat entertainment system estimated $3,000; power liftgate $520.
DESTINATION CHARGE: $775. AP
Starting manufacturer's suggested retail price, including destination charge, is in the "upper $50,000s," the company said. Final pricing hasn't yet been announced.
Cadillac's Escalade, the boldly styled star of numerous music videos and a favorite in Hollywood and among professional athletes, leads the full-size, luxury SUV segment. Starting MSRP, including destination charge, is $57,280 for a 2007 Escalade with all-wheel drive.
A two-wheel-drive 2007 Escalade, due out in August, starts at $54,725, and Lincoln sells the big, luxury Navigator SUV, which starts at $53,075 for a 2006 four-wheel-drive model.
Mercedes officials hope to lure families who drive Mercedes sedans already but have full-size SUVs in their garages, too.
There's only one model of GL at introduction _ the GL450. But officials expect to add a diesel-powered model next year, and a sportier, higher-powered GL class is likely down the road, too.
Built on the platform of Mercedes' smaller SUV, the ML-Class, the GL450 looks on the outside like a beefed-up ML. Beyond the exceptionally large Mercedes "star" on the grille, there's nothing bold or particularly ostentatious about this SUV.
Indeed, while factory-supplied wheels range from 18 to 20 inches in diameter for the GL450, the 2007 Escalade has expanded wheel offerings to 22 inches to meet the demand of buyers who want to make their SUV flashier.
Inside, the GL450 also is subdued in a luxurious, everything-in-its-place fashion. Basically, the dashboard design, gauges and controls look like those in other Mercedes vehicles. In the tester, there was plenty of shiny, genuine wood swathed over the dashboard and center console, too.

There was an immediate sense of roominess and airiness in the GL450. It comes from the tall roofline, standard sunroof over the front seats and the fixed-glass window in the ceiling above the third row. It's also due to the good amount of distance between the two front seats.
Legroom in the front row is a generous 43 inches, compared with 41.3 inches in the Escalade.
The GL450's second row has a split 60/40 seat with passengers manually folding and flipping forward the smaller seat section when they want to climb into the two third-row seats.
The Escalade has a more elegant solution. The smaller section of its second-row seat is power-operated and can flip and fold out of the way with the touch of a button. There's no need to fiddle clumsily with a lever.
On the other hand, Mercedes officials provide power-operated third-row seats in the GL450. They fold flat into the floor quickly at the rear of the vehicle. But head restraints on these seats must be put down manually first.
No need to worry about the kids folding one another up in these third-row seats. Mercedes has a system that detects resistance as the seats fold and will halt the process. A warning also appears in the gauge cluster, alerting the driver to the shenanigans.
The third row can accommodate adults, thanks in part to a deeper footwell area than what's found in some other SUVs. Adult passengers don't sit with their knees up around their ears, and legroom totals a commendable 34 inches compared with 25.4 inches in the regular-wheelbase Escalade.
But there's no way to remove seats from the GL450, as can be done in the Escalade, and the cargo floor is quite high off the ground in the Mercedes SUV.
Cargo room in the Mercedes maxes out at 83.3 cubic feet compared with 108.9 cubic feet in the Escalade.
The GL450 is exceptionally quiet to ride in, and I enjoyed sitting up high off the road with good views over other vehicles. But the test vehicle transmitted so many vibrations through the seats, even front seats, that I experienced motion sickness.
A Mercedes official said the company had no other complaints about this problem and figured it was an issue isolated in the test vehicle.
The GL450 is unique in its unibody construction. Other full-size SUVs are body on frame, which allows the stiffness of the vehicle body to work with the frame and handle big towing and payload duties while maintaining strong crashworthiness. Rugged pickup trucks are body on frame, too.
Mercedes officials noted the GL450, with the more car-like unit body construction, makes broad use of high-strength steel, which provides rigidity and crashworthiness. There's also extensive reinforcing of the stress points between the suspension and vehicle body.
Despite its size, the GL450 maneuvered like a smaller vehicle. Even parallel parking wasn't tedious.
There's only one engine _ a 335-horsepower, 4.6-liter, double overhead cam V8 mated to the seven-speed automatic.
It capably powers the GL450, and torque of 339 foot-pounds starting at 2,700 rpm gives this more than 5,200-pound vehicle good get-up-and-go on mountain roads and in highway passing maneuvers. The sensation of power isn't exactly instantaneous at high speeds, but the GL450 doesn't struggle, either.
Still, the 403-horsepower, 6.2-liter V8 in the Escalade outmuscles the GL450 and includes a bit rowdier engine note.

Surprised no one caught this article....

While the reviewer didn't implicitly say the Escalade was better, that's the feeling I got from the article. GM doesn't do many things well, but one thing that they do well is full size SUVs. The sales of the new Chevy Tahoe are way up.

http://www.autoblog.com/2006/03/03/c...l-in-february/

http://www.autoblog.com/2006/03/16/g...k-on-new-suvs/

Very true, their SUV's are incredible and always do great...

And they are very impressive on the roads, prestigious and classy in thier own way!

Mercedes isn't going to win this one. The new Slade is a pretty good truck at first glance and the GL450 is missing a key thing, major hp. People who like the Slade aren't going to go for a smaller Benz with "only" 335hp compared to 403hp for the Cadillac. That said the GL450 is likely superior in a lot of technical ways but it won't matter to the Escalade crowd. The GL will however sell to people who like import luxury SUVs/cars and of course to current MB owners. I really don't see the two competing really. The GL550 is needed to compete with the Slade and Range Rover Supercharged and for some reason MBUSA hasn't mentioned the GL500 (550) yet, why I have no idea.

M

Well if there will be a GL500 in Europe it's only a matter of time before it comes to the North America.

Also, for some reason I get the feeling that the power of these SUVs will not be their 'selling' factor, rather it will more than likely be how fuel efficient they are. Given the current economic situation most Americans are a bit paranoid by how far their vehicles are going on a tank. But then you never know these are luxury SUVs, perhaps people in this market don't care so much about utility even now.

I think the following quote from the eMercedes-Benz sums this up nicely:

First, if you're the type that likes to be flashy, the type that likes to roll on 22" (or 26") chrome dubs, you're not going to buy a GL. That's Escalade territory. And judging by the number of people I see driving Escalades that have opted for the factory chrome 22" wheels, the majority of Escalade owners enjoy being seen. Chalk one up for the Escalade.

Secondly, consumer image. Sure the Cadillac and GL are in the same class, competing for the same market, and sharing the same price range, but will consumers perceive the two in the same way? I don't think so. When thinking of the Cadillac and Mercedes brand names, Cadillac is perceived as more attainable. Many consumers will opt for an Escalade, not knowing or not believing they could have a Mercedes at the same price point. Sure you'll see television ads, and read about it in magazines, but bringing Mercedes to Cadillac's level in the mind of consumers will be an exceptionally difficult feat. And ultimately, is bringing a Mercedes to the level of a Cadillac really a good thing? I have a feeling that most Mercedes owners, including me, would say no.

They don't appeal to the same people in most cases. The GL will likely be competeing more with the Range Rover than the Slade, but the GL's interior doesn't hold a candle to the Range Rover's.

M

Between the two cars , GL is the obvious choice for me. I 'm not the type of guy that would put 22 inch chrome rims in my SUV not to mention that i hate Escalade for how it looks.
The Escalade is the perfect ride for those that want to show off and have little or no taste in cars.

I don't get it. I don't see the GL450 as a direct Cadillac Escalade challenger. That's the job of the GL550. Let's not forget there's a pointless AMG version probably in the making too.

And why is the article criticizing the GL450's horsepower output? Are people so spoiled these days and think that a hefty 2+ ton SUV needs more horsepower for the sake of reaching 60 mph in 4.6 seconds?!

The GL450 is "overpowered", I think that's a fact. So is the Escalade. A GL320 CDI has more than enough power for real-world driving, an enjoyable driving at that. The GL420 CDI, GL450 and GL550 are nothing more but gas-guzzlers. Pointless. I realize there's a market for this and MB like all car companies is reacting to it. But these automotive journalists get on my nerves sometimes.

I've seriously seen them complain about the 0-60 time of ECONOMY CARS. Or how this SUV isn't good on the race track. Unbelieveable...

Good post and perspective, but these are the times we live in. This is why I don't care about Mercedes losing a comparo to BMW anymore based on handling and not having a manual. Different cars bring different things to the table and not all products can do everything.

I really don't want a GL63, but I'm sure it is coming. I agree it really is pointless. The ML63 is the only SUV AMG should be doing unless customer demand (and I mean people angry, storming dealerships with checks in their hands) is so great as to where MB has to do a GL63 AMG. I doubt such demand is present. Now the original G55 should get the same engine from the revised SL55 (517hp) for its remaining years because it is already on the market and a cult-classic, and let the ML63 represent the sportier side of MB suvs. No R63 or GL63. Now the R63 I was all for until I saw how much style/aggression the production version lost from that concept at Frankfurt last year.

Enough is a enough and Mercedes would do better spending the money used to develop the GL/R63 models on better interiors for all three cars GL/ML/R and providing more standard features.

M