The cabin itself was luxurious without being ostentatious. The seats and dash are covered in Mercedes’ synthetic ‘Artico’ leather, which I found entirely convincing in this application (really, I had no idea until I looked at the spec sheet… I ascribe that to the genuine stitching holding all the panels together), and easily better than some brands’ real leather. The switchgear and plastics are all pleasant to the touch, reassuring in their solidity.
Like many reviewers, it took me a while to get used to the transmission wand for the seven-speed automatic transmission (the only transmission available on the GL-Class), which seems too delicate for such a brawny torque-monster underhood (more on that later). However, after several weeks behind the wheels of various Benzes with this wand, one does get used to it, a sentiment echoed by several owners, and it seems more intuitive than BMW’s strange shifters. One thing I’m particularly grateful for is a button for Park (lacking on several high-tech BMWs – you’re just supposed to turn them off while in Drive or Reverse, which freaks me right out), even if it is located where many cars feature a windshield-washer-spray button. Anyhow, behind the wheel of the GL, the wand soon became second nature and I was three-point (and five-point, and sometimes nine-point) turning like a pro.
   2013 Mercedes-Benz GL 350 BlueTec. Click image to enlarge |
Mercedes’ COMAND system for the infotainment system also quickly becomes second nature – in this case, the menus are not as intuitive as Audi’s MMI or BMW’s iDrive, so it might mean a slightly longer learning curve, but the excellent positioning of the control knob makes the physical interaction with the system effortless, unlike Lexus’s quirky controller.
The seats, too, in addition to that commanding position, are highly adjustable, and so likely to suit a range of body styles. I, for one, found them extremely comfortable. Both the front seats offer three memory settings and both the front and second row seats are heated. However, the $26,000 Kia Forte I drove recently had a cooled driver’s seat, so let’s hope Mercedes-Benz starts including it as standard equipment in their $80,000 vehicles.
  2013 Mercedes-Benz GL 350 BlueTec. Click image to enlarge |
The second-row bench seat was reasonably comfortable with plenty of space, and our child seats were easy to install for me with easily accessible ISOFIX anchors, and ISOFIX anchors in the third row (which I was disappointed to find lacking in a Toyota Highlander Hybrid I drove recently). However, for those of shorter stature like my wife, at five feet, securing our daughter was a bit of a reach. As useless as those running boards seem at first glance, my wife would stand on them when buckling our daughter, so we did get some use out of them. To me, they looked like they would collect dirt and slush and foul up trouser legs in messy weather.
Tumbling the second row was easy enough, the seatback folding flat and then the seat bottom flipping forward to allow access to the surprisingly spacious third row, the flat roofline providing adequate headroom and the sheer size of the GL-Class means it can accommodate decent legroom in all rows. Those that switch between five and seven seats frequently will appreciate the power-folding third row that stows quickly in a 50/50 split, leaving a spacious cargo area. With those seats up, the cargo space is barely enough for a stroller and a couple bags, but it serves in a pinch, and the cargo cover can be affixed in either five- or seven-seat configuration. Cargo space specs listed on Mercedes’s website are 295 L with all seats up and 2,300 L max. In five-seat configuration, that cargo space looks big enough for a few hockey bags, a couple strollers, and then some. Not quite a minivan, but there won’t be many things you schlep around that will exceed this space yet still fit in a minivan, taking into account the GL’s payload is 795 kg.
