I had a chance to spend a weekend in this sumptuous GL550, and it was the perfect vehicle for carrying two sets of clubs for an early morning round of golf. The next day entailed a trip to the local greenhouse, where I bought several flats of flowers and three bags of soil. In both instances, the electric folding third row - with no-muss/no-fuss one-touch operation - was very user-friendly.
While the GL is a relatively large vehicle, it never feels large from behind the wheel. It handles more like a car than a truck, and it has good steering and braking feel. And of course, it has plenty of power, although, as has been pointed out, the size and weight of the vehicle, along with the big 5.5-liter Mercedes V-8, don't exactly make it fuel-efficient. But the GL is also available with a smaller V-8 and also a diesel V-6.
Amy Skogstrom, Managing Editor ...next page >>