Convince Me: 13-14 LX570 or GL550
05-31-18, 05:49 AM
#16
If reliability is the only concern going with GL550 and you like everything else about it compared to the LX, then a CPO might be a good option. I think CPO provides almost as good of a coverage as the factory warranty.
06-03-18, 08:34 AM
#18
Driver School Candidate
I had a 2011 Gl450 before trading in for a 2015 LX570. I purchased the Mercedes CPO with about 38,000 miles on it. I had pretty good luck with it up until 75,000 miles, then the bottom fell out. 4 shocks, intake manifold, compressor, interior things just breaking for no reason, then the trade in value for a vehicle with 95,000 miles on it was more than I could take. Traded it September of 2016 and got $16,000 for it after hard negotiations. I don’t know why anyone would buy a second Mercedes. One year alone, my repairs were well over $10,000 and that’s at an Indy shop, not a dealer. I bought my 15 year old daughter a 2008 GX470 with 140,000 miles on it 6 months early just to have a spare car in the garage for all the times the Benz was in the shop. It was easily the worst purchase in my 48 year life I have ever made. Mercedes is a piece of junk, and an expensive one at that. I have had three Tundras, two GX470’s and now an LX570 and I couldn’t be happier. My two previous Tundras went 250,000 miles with zero issues and zero days at a shop. The only reason for trading them is is a wanted the newer model. My 2012 Tundra with 240,000 miles traded in for $19,000.
06-03-18, 11:19 AM
#19
If you really like the mercedes, I'd get a cpo one and pay for 2 years of extended warranty. I just bought a 2015 gl63 with 2 extra years of warranty with a total of 4.5 yrs of warranty remaining. The extended warranty is a little steep for the amg but it's under 3k for gl450/gl550. The only reason I didn't get an older lx is because the 2016+ lx look so much better inside and out, while the refreshed gls aren't too much different from the gl look and feature wise.
I wouldn't get a gl unless you can find one you want for 10k less than a comparable lx and save that money in case the gl breaks. Plenty of 2013/2014 gl450 for cheap, even the cpo ones. Not so cheap for the gl550, that's why I went for the gl63.
I wouldn't get a gl unless you can find one you want for 10k less than a comparable lx and save that money in case the gl breaks. Plenty of 2013/2014 gl450 for cheap, even the cpo ones. Not so cheap for the gl550, that's why I went for the gl63.
08-06-18, 11:56 PM
#20
Driver School Candidate
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Roof strength
I find myself in a similar predicament. I am currently the owner of a gl550. I have enjoyed the truck for the most part. The reliability has been frustrating as the frequent trips to the dealer are annoying. They have great customer service, always have my loaner ready, but to be honest I just don’t have the time or patience for it.
I find the second row of the gl too small for my rear facing child’s seat and my wife in the passenger seat to be simultaneously comfortable. I find the a/c somewhat poor. Last week it developed a rattle that I am sure will be fixed, but is not ideal. I am not a huge fan of the quality of leather used nor the interior design. That about sums up my dislikes.
Power is incredible. Range on a tank is very good (not a fan of making frequent trips to the gas station) ingress and egress are very good for a large vehicle. Exterior styling is top notch as is handling.
Overall I enjoy the car but the second row, interior quality and the reliability keep me from loving it.
BUT I purchased it for one reason above all. I believed it was the safest truck on the road. Mass has value in an accident, it has that in spades. SUVs of this size simply don’t have many crash tests, but fortunately we can see the great crash test results of the gle and know that is getting passed into the gl/gls. And last, but without a doubt to me most importantly, the thing has a tank like roof structure.
If you are going to be severely injured in an suv, the likelyhood that it will be due to a rollover is statistically significant.
I am at the same crossroad as you as it is time to buy again. I am really fortunate in that the cost of the car is not a factor. I WANT to get an LX because I prefer the interior quality, the second row size and the build quality of the LX. The power seems “fair” but if that becomes an issue, just have a Trd supercharger installed.
What has stopped me from purchasing an LX is pictures of rollovers in the land cruiser and lx570. There aren’t many pictures, but they seem to all get crushed in rollovers. The gls appears to be the opposite. Taking cues from the Tundra roof strength test by iihs, I am assuming the LC/LX roof is weak and the pictures seem to back that up. Conversely the gle has the strongest roof iihs has tested, I imagine it can only be the equal or even stronger in the gl/gls and the pictures seem to back that up.
The ancap front crash test on the LC was pretty good. Not as good as others, but test weight was higher so I feel there is a solid trade off there.
Lack of data on the roof and the side crash test leave me concerned. I did see a video of an lx570 getting hit by a bus on the side and it held up very well, so it is probably good there (the bus was going pretty fast), but the few pics I have seen of rolled 200 series LX and LC seem to be suggestive of a roof that is far too weak for the heft of this vehicle.
So my hope is that someone has some thoughts or information I haven’t come across that will allow me to make an LX purchase in good conscience and possibly you too.
Unfortunalty the typical answers I read from others that ask similar are dissappointing:
you have to be driving stupid to rollover (not true)
you can only worry about it to a point (no I couldn’t purchase anything that is clearly less safe than something else and still feel I was doing what is best for my kids.)
Buy a big rig if you want the ultimate in safety ... (come on)
Barring someone chiming in with new info, I would have to suggest the gl/gls if safety is high on your priority list. It is number one on mine above all else and I feel that should be the case for everyone, but to each their own. If the LX actually has a stronger roof than it appears in the photos I have seen, I would suggest going that way for the build quality and reliability. I would like to myself, but I am doubtful it will be an option in my mind.
I find the second row of the gl too small for my rear facing child’s seat and my wife in the passenger seat to be simultaneously comfortable. I find the a/c somewhat poor. Last week it developed a rattle that I am sure will be fixed, but is not ideal. I am not a huge fan of the quality of leather used nor the interior design. That about sums up my dislikes.
Power is incredible. Range on a tank is very good (not a fan of making frequent trips to the gas station) ingress and egress are very good for a large vehicle. Exterior styling is top notch as is handling.
Overall I enjoy the car but the second row, interior quality and the reliability keep me from loving it.
BUT I purchased it for one reason above all. I believed it was the safest truck on the road. Mass has value in an accident, it has that in spades. SUVs of this size simply don’t have many crash tests, but fortunately we can see the great crash test results of the gle and know that is getting passed into the gl/gls. And last, but without a doubt to me most importantly, the thing has a tank like roof structure.
If you are going to be severely injured in an suv, the likelyhood that it will be due to a rollover is statistically significant.
I am at the same crossroad as you as it is time to buy again. I am really fortunate in that the cost of the car is not a factor. I WANT to get an LX because I prefer the interior quality, the second row size and the build quality of the LX. The power seems “fair” but if that becomes an issue, just have a Trd supercharger installed.
What has stopped me from purchasing an LX is pictures of rollovers in the land cruiser and lx570. There aren’t many pictures, but they seem to all get crushed in rollovers. The gls appears to be the opposite. Taking cues from the Tundra roof strength test by iihs, I am assuming the LC/LX roof is weak and the pictures seem to back that up. Conversely the gle has the strongest roof iihs has tested, I imagine it can only be the equal or even stronger in the gl/gls and the pictures seem to back that up.
The ancap front crash test on the LC was pretty good. Not as good as others, but test weight was higher so I feel there is a solid trade off there.
Lack of data on the roof and the side crash test leave me concerned. I did see a video of an lx570 getting hit by a bus on the side and it held up very well, so it is probably good there (the bus was going pretty fast), but the few pics I have seen of rolled 200 series LX and LC seem to be suggestive of a roof that is far too weak for the heft of this vehicle.
So my hope is that someone has some thoughts or information I haven’t come across that will allow me to make an LX purchase in good conscience and possibly you too.
Unfortunalty the typical answers I read from others that ask similar are dissappointing:
you have to be driving stupid to rollover (not true)
you can only worry about it to a point (no I couldn’t purchase anything that is clearly less safe than something else and still feel I was doing what is best for my kids.)
Buy a big rig if you want the ultimate in safety ... (come on)
Barring someone chiming in with new info, I would have to suggest the gl/gls if safety is high on your priority list. It is number one on mine above all else and I feel that should be the case for everyone, but to each their own. If the LX actually has a stronger roof than it appears in the photos I have seen, I would suggest going that way for the build quality and reliability. I would like to myself, but I am doubtful it will be an option in my mind.
09-11-18, 09:15 PM
#21
Pole Position
Check out this PRIOR gen LC rolled over and the failed recovery attempt......note the middle section of the front roof line caved in......I don't know how or the extent of the crash/roll over though.......
http://www.thedrive.com/news/23507/t...oes-very-wrong
http://www.thedrive.com/news/23507/t...oes-very-wrong
I find myself in a similar predicament. I am currently the owner of a gl550. I have enjoyed the truck for the most part. The reliability has been frustrating as the frequent trips to the dealer are annoying. They have great customer service, always have my loaner ready, but to be honest I just don’t have the time or patience for it.
I find the second row of the gl too small for my rear facing child’s seat and my wife in the passenger seat to be simultaneously comfortable. I find the a/c somewhat poor. Last week it developed a rattle that I am sure will be fixed, but is not ideal. I am not a huge fan of the quality of leather used nor the interior design. That about sums up my dislikes.
Power is incredible. Range on a tank is very good (not a fan of making frequent trips to the gas station) ingress and egress are very good for a large vehicle. Exterior styling is top notch as is handling.
Overall I enjoy the car but the second row, interior quality and the reliability keep me from loving it.
BUT I purchased it for one reason above all. I believed it was the safest truck on the road. Mass has value in an accident, it has that in spades. SUVs of this size simply don’t have many crash tests, but fortunately we can see the great crash test results of the gle and know that is getting passed into the gl/gls. And last, but without a doubt to me most importantly, the thing has a tank like roof structure.
If you are going to be severely injured in an suv, the likelyhood that it will be due to a rollover is statistically significant.
I am at the same crossroad as you as it is time to buy again. I am really fortunate in that the cost of the car is not a factor. I WANT to get an LX because I prefer the interior quality, the second row size and the build quality of the LX. The power seems “fair” but if that becomes an issue, just have a Trd supercharger installed.
What has stopped me from purchasing an LX is pictures of rollovers in the land cruiser and lx570. There aren’t many pictures, but they seem to all get crushed in rollovers. The gls appears to be the opposite. Taking cues from the Tundra roof strength test by iihs, I am assuming the LC/LX roof is weak and the pictures seem to back that up. Conversely the gle has the strongest roof iihs has tested, I imagine it can only be the equal or even stronger in the gl/gls and the pictures seem to back that up.
The ancap front crash test on the LC was pretty good. Not as good as others, but test weight was higher so I feel there is a solid trade off there.
Lack of data on the roof and the side crash test leave me concerned. I did see a video of an lx570 getting hit by a bus on the side and it held up very well, so it is probably good there (the bus was going pretty fast), but the few pics I have seen of rolled 200 series LX and LC seem to be suggestive of a roof that is far too weak for the heft of this vehicle.
So my hope is that someone has some thoughts or information I haven’t come across that will allow me to make an LX purchase in good conscience and possibly you too.
Unfortunalty the typical answers I read from others that ask similar are dissappointing:
you have to be driving stupid to rollover (not true)
you can only worry about it to a point (no I couldn’t purchase anything that is clearly less safe than something else and still feel I was doing what is best for my kids.)
Buy a big rig if you want the ultimate in safety ... (come on)
Barring someone chiming in with new info, I would have to suggest the gl/gls if safety is high on your priority list. It is number one on mine above all else and I feel that should be the case for everyone, but to each their own. If the LX actually has a stronger roof than it appears in the photos I have seen, I would suggest going that way for the build quality and reliability. I would like to myself, but I am doubtful it will be an option in my mind.
I find the second row of the gl too small for my rear facing child’s seat and my wife in the passenger seat to be simultaneously comfortable. I find the a/c somewhat poor. Last week it developed a rattle that I am sure will be fixed, but is not ideal. I am not a huge fan of the quality of leather used nor the interior design. That about sums up my dislikes.
Power is incredible. Range on a tank is very good (not a fan of making frequent trips to the gas station) ingress and egress are very good for a large vehicle. Exterior styling is top notch as is handling.
Overall I enjoy the car but the second row, interior quality and the reliability keep me from loving it.
BUT I purchased it for one reason above all. I believed it was the safest truck on the road. Mass has value in an accident, it has that in spades. SUVs of this size simply don’t have many crash tests, but fortunately we can see the great crash test results of the gle and know that is getting passed into the gl/gls. And last, but without a doubt to me most importantly, the thing has a tank like roof structure.
If you are going to be severely injured in an suv, the likelyhood that it will be due to a rollover is statistically significant.
I am at the same crossroad as you as it is time to buy again. I am really fortunate in that the cost of the car is not a factor. I WANT to get an LX because I prefer the interior quality, the second row size and the build quality of the LX. The power seems “fair” but if that becomes an issue, just have a Trd supercharger installed.
What has stopped me from purchasing an LX is pictures of rollovers in the land cruiser and lx570. There aren’t many pictures, but they seem to all get crushed in rollovers. The gls appears to be the opposite. Taking cues from the Tundra roof strength test by iihs, I am assuming the LC/LX roof is weak and the pictures seem to back that up. Conversely the gle has the strongest roof iihs has tested, I imagine it can only be the equal or even stronger in the gl/gls and the pictures seem to back that up.
The ancap front crash test on the LC was pretty good. Not as good as others, but test weight was higher so I feel there is a solid trade off there.
Lack of data on the roof and the side crash test leave me concerned. I did see a video of an lx570 getting hit by a bus on the side and it held up very well, so it is probably good there (the bus was going pretty fast), but the few pics I have seen of rolled 200 series LX and LC seem to be suggestive of a roof that is far too weak for the heft of this vehicle.
So my hope is that someone has some thoughts or information I haven’t come across that will allow me to make an LX purchase in good conscience and possibly you too.
Unfortunalty the typical answers I read from others that ask similar are dissappointing:
you have to be driving stupid to rollover (not true)
you can only worry about it to a point (no I couldn’t purchase anything that is clearly less safe than something else and still feel I was doing what is best for my kids.)
Buy a big rig if you want the ultimate in safety ... (come on)
Barring someone chiming in with new info, I would have to suggest the gl/gls if safety is high on your priority list. It is number one on mine above all else and I feel that should be the case for everyone, but to each their own. If the LX actually has a stronger roof than it appears in the photos I have seen, I would suggest going that way for the build quality and reliability. I would like to myself, but I am doubtful it will be an option in my mind.
09-12-18, 12:39 PM
#22
My father bought 2011 GL brand new, after few years the car stared to have a lot of problems mainly with suspension. So he decided to buy 2017 GL 550 fully loaded. On a trip from PA to NY the car decided to just switch off and it stopped in the middle of a highway. Lucky no one rear ended them. After that he said no more MB. On the other hand my 2013 LX has been nothing buy a pleasure to drive. Including many trips to Canada (in winter) with zero issues. Your choice and good luck.
09-12-18, 01:18 PM
#23
Lexus Champion
for you to own the GL with 50k miles, meaning no more warranty, i would definitely make sure you have some kind of aftermarket warranty. that thing won't be cheap to fix and something is going to fail.
if you were to get new then personally i would have told you to go with GL. we had that dilemma in 2016, got the GL550 and couldn't be happier. it's one heck of a car. but in your case i might choose LX unless you need the cargo space or more spacious 3rd row. the GL550 is significantly faster, no comparison there. GL also has 3rd row split fold and it's better coz' it fold flat.
if you were to get new then personally i would have told you to go with GL. we had that dilemma in 2016, got the GL550 and couldn't be happier. it's one heck of a car. but in your case i might choose LX unless you need the cargo space or more spacious 3rd row. the GL550 is significantly faster, no comparison there. GL also has 3rd row split fold and it's better coz' it fold flat.
Last edited by Htony; 09-12-18 at 06:48 PM.
09-12-18, 06:29 PM
#24
Lexus Champion
Thanks for all the replies. I also posted this topic on Mbworld forums. https://mbworld.org/forums/gl-class-...ml#post7466533
Of course you can imagine which way the posts leaned. 2 great vehicles both with pluses and minuses. At first i was leaning one way, now im second guessing. I’m nore confused than ever now! Perhaps, whichever i setttle on won’t be a terrible choice?!
Of course you can imagine which way the posts leaned. 2 great vehicles both with pluses and minuses. At first i was leaning one way, now im second guessing. I’m nore confused than ever now! Perhaps, whichever i setttle on won’t be a terrible choice?!
09-12-18, 06:44 PM
#25
Lexus Champion
Buy the GL550, everyone should own a MB once in their life. You will like the status. You really have to be a automotive perfectionist to appreciate what a Land Cruiser or LX 570 represents if you’ve done your research and that was what was important to you you wouldn’t even be on this site asking which vehicle is the way to go. Enjoy the Benz. Come back later and let us know how you enjoyed it.
09-12-18, 06:44 PM
#26
Lexus Champion
Check out this PRIOR gen LC rolled over and the failed recovery attempt......note the middle section of the front roof line caved in......I don't know how or the extent of the crash/roll over though.......
http://www.thedrive.com/news/23507/t...oes-very-wrong
https://instagram.com/p/BnifF5WHBnF/...ource=ig_embed
http://www.thedrive.com/news/23507/t...oes-very-wrong
https://instagram.com/p/BnifF5WHBnF/...ource=ig_embed
09-12-18, 07:00 PM
#27
Lexus Champion
Status? what status? Two MB vehicles sitting in our garage. Wife has small B250 Touring, ML550 for the family. And two BMW with both manual tranny. At least I just get what I like whatever I buy. Status has nothing to do with me when car is concerned. When I moved from Lexus to MB. IMO, luxury level and technology is cut above Lexus. Still we have Toyota vehicle at my daughter's house. Fully loaded 4 runner. My SIL drives Sprinter conversion van for long trips. About reliability, it is a myth to us with MB.(knock on the wood, we got lucky?) Other than scheduled maintenance nothing else happened so far. Locally we have 3 MB dealers, 2 Lexus dealers, many Toyota dealers. My dealer service has some old native German guys who grew up with German cars providing excellent service.
09-12-18, 08:46 PM
#28
Pole Position
No, not me. I'm sold on Toyota/Lexus vehicles.
It was the OP who is doubting the overall structural integrity of the LX570/LC.
Here is something interesting and I wonder if the video I posted of the failed recovery attempt was a REAL LC vs a FAKE LC?
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
http://carfacts2013.blogspot.com/201...china.html?m=1
In the blog:
"
But, this is the clone of the real land cruiser produced by a Chinese vehicle manufacturer 'Huaxiang and titled as Fuqi FQ6510B / 6500'. "
" the truth behind this model, Anyhow Toyota discontinued the Land Cruiser 80 model. So this Chinese company bought the shell of this model and obviously not the technology..!"
ALL of the vehicles shown below are FAKE LAND CRUISERS!!!!! SEE BELOW.
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HfYCfkFpaP.../s1600/ccc.jpg
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dIq4Ulppcm...0/14847499.jpg
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gN6Kzpn2Vz...M/s1600/11.jpg
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c49dVDJuvB...0/16566393.jpg
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-G9dEB2-P64.../s1600/vvv.jpg
I call BS there’s no American crash test because too few being sold the European test that I’ve seen has given it five stars you’re basing your decision on lack of information on a SUV that has sold in huge numbers in Australia and in the middle east and is the vehicle of choice of the United nations and security companies. If there was any kind of structural problem it would’ve been noted worldwide.
It was the OP who is doubting the overall structural integrity of the LX570/LC.
Here is something interesting and I wonder if the video I posted of the failed recovery attempt was a REAL LC vs a FAKE LC?
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
http://carfacts2013.blogspot.com/201...china.html?m=1
In the blog:
"
But, this is the clone of the real land cruiser produced by a Chinese vehicle manufacturer 'Huaxiang and titled as Fuqi FQ6510B / 6500'. "
" the truth behind this model, Anyhow Toyota discontinued the Land Cruiser 80 model. So this Chinese company bought the shell of this model and obviously not the technology..!"
ALL of the vehicles shown below are FAKE LAND CRUISERS!!!!! SEE BELOW.
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HfYCfkFpaP.../s1600/ccc.jpg
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dIq4Ulppcm...0/14847499.jpg
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gN6Kzpn2Vz...M/s1600/11.jpg
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c49dVDJuvB...0/16566393.jpg
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-G9dEB2-P64.../s1600/vvv.jpg
I call BS there’s no American crash test because too few being sold the European test that I’ve seen has given it five stars you’re basing your decision on lack of information on a SUV that has sold in huge numbers in Australia and in the middle east and is the vehicle of choice of the United nations and security companies. If there was any kind of structural problem it would’ve been noted worldwide.
09-12-18, 09:15 PM
#29
Pole Position
So true.
I hope Lexus does not follow that path with MB!!! But the trend is already evident.
Mercedes built good vehicles when the engineers were in charge once the accountants took over they became general motors quality cars. I owned a 1987SEL it was a quality vehicle built like a brick **** house. I’ve also had several older and newer SL’s, CLS 63 AMG, CL 63 AMG. Nice vehicles but they’re not built to last 25 years in a Third World country and be reliable as a common Toyota and their service costs are stupid even when you have the money doesn’t mean you should be stupid enough to pay that kind of money to maintain vehicle. $500 for a 5k Service is BS.
I hope Lexus does not follow that path with MB!!! But the trend is already evident.
Mercedes built good vehicles when the engineers were in charge once the accountants took over they became general motors quality cars. I owned a 1987SEL it was a quality vehicle built like a brick **** house. I’ve also had several older and newer SL’s, CLS 63 AMG, CL 63 AMG. Nice vehicles but they’re not built to last 25 years in a Third World country and be reliable as a common Toyota and their service costs are stupid even when you have the money doesn’t mean you should be stupid enough to pay that kind of money to maintain vehicle. $500 for a 5k Service is BS.
09-16-18, 07:29 PM
#30
Driver School Candidate
The GL550 is a great car driving and quality wise, but don't talk about reliability, when buying used its quite risky as many said when the warranty expires the car becomes a ticking time bomb every thing from the air suspension to the gearbox stop working correctly or starts leaking oil. If you don't mind expensive bills frequently so the GL550 doesn't have a problem. While the LX is a car that insure you, even if something expensive needs changing it will never go wrong again. A Lexus when driven and taken care of correctly it will last forever and when trying to sell it nobody will run away of it.
In conclusion both cars are great but the LX is the car to go due to being safe on your wallet and at the same time looks like a Luxury SUV while the GL looks like a family Mercedes full if children ready for soccer practice.
In conclusion both cars are great but the LX is the car to go due to being safe on your wallet and at the same time looks like a Luxury SUV while the GL looks like a family Mercedes full if children ready for soccer practice.