Test Drive: Mercedes GL roomy, surprisingly agile

• The 2013 GL starts at $63,000-plus.
• GL is one of many models Mercedes has significantly updated in recent years.
• It should make a splash among people who favor comfort and space.

Mercedes-Benz remakes its full-size GL SUV and, at first blush, seems to have come up with a big, dumb beast that has awful rear visibility. But only moments after sliding behind the wheel, that gets stood on its head.

Instead, the 2013 GL seems a lot more like a roomy, comfy, surprisingly agile family-size hauler perfect for road trips. For high-dollar folks, of course. The machine starts at $63,000-plus.

M-B is known for its luxury cars, but is becoming an SUV company in the U.S. Its plant at Vance, Ala., not only makes the GL, but also the ML and R-class SUVs. A redesigned C-class sedan goes into production there in 2014.

The new, second-generation GL is yet another of the many models the German car company is significantly updating or completely overhauling in the space of about two years. It's a car dealer's and product planner's dream, but the marketing folks must be going nuts figuring out how to pitch so many new vehicles without setting up such a yammer that the mere mention of Mercedes-Benz causes potential buyers to turn a deaf ear and blind eye.

The market for big, fancy SUVs isn't the healthiest just now. Sales of rival models from Cadillac, Audi, Infiniti and Lexus are underperforming the overall new-vehicle market. The fresh GL is just now going on sale, so hasn't a track record to suggest if it'll make a bigger splash.

But it should, among people who favor comfort and space.

No getting around some issues, though.

Big rear roof pillars make it all but impossible to see with a quick glance over your shoulder what's in the next lane. A very clear backup camera helps in parking lots and driveways, but can't completely compensate for the blocked view from inside.

Wide doors are useful, but GL's also are heavy and stiff and out of character with the smooth operation of everything else.

The cruise control stalk remains too near, and too much like, the turn signal lever. Too easy to hit the wrong one.

You'd think after all these years we've pointed out that flaw, M-B would have noticed, but some companies are just too stubborn to heed good advice.

Cargo space behind the third row is marginal for the overall size of the vehicle.

Running boards on the test vehicle were ugly, silly, senseless and made the GL look ungainly. If you're so short you actually need a step to get in, this isn't the right vehicle for you. And if you don't need the running boards as a step, then you'll find they get in the way. You have to get past them to enter and exit. In foul weather they'll accumulate a layer of road filth just waiting for a pant leg or skirt hem.

What might draw you to the GL if you're in the right price neighborhood:

Diesel power. Nice situation: The diesel engine is the entry model and gets by far the best mileage. Plus, diesels are simply nice to drive. They have oodles of torque, which is the kind of low-speed power quite useful in U.S. traffic, even though car ads emphasize horsepower, which usually comes into play at higher speed, such as merging or passing.

The GL's diesel is quiet inside the vehicle, but notable diesel-engine clatter is audible from the outside before the engine's warm.

It's the same powertrain that's in the newly diesel-ized big S-class sedan, but thank goodness does not share that setup's hesitation from a dead stop. Floor the GL when the traffic light turns green and the buggy scoots.

In the sedan, by contrast, nothing at all happens for a moment. Bad.

Space. Of course, you say; it's a big vehicle. But a generous exterior sometimes camouflages a tight interior.

Plenty of legroom and shoulder space in the first two rows of the GL, and good-enough room for kids or smaller adults in the third row.

Getting into the third row can be, typically for such SUVs, a bit of a twist and wiggle move.

Classy touches. Interior trim, lighting and upholstery are satisfying to the senses, though the "designo" premium upholstery has a quilted pattern that'll strike some people more like grandma's handiwork than Euro-luxe. It was a $4,300 option on the test vehicle; we'd have paid to get rid of it.

Handling. Not a sports machine, but quite agile and responsive, especially for a big SUV. Not much body lean, nor numbness in steering and brakes. You can drive with verve and not feel as if you're piloting a wallowing boat in uncooperative waters.

Ease of use. The GL's best overall attribute, really. It is so effortless to operate — in most ways —that you'll be grateful after a long, hard day when you just want to get in and go. Likewise, it'll hassle you hardly at all on long trips.

The ease is a blend of comfortable seating, well-placed instruments, controls and accessories, and — in the diesel, at least — instant power to vanquish road challenges.

Too, GL is about the right height to slide into and out of without unseemly clambering.

Don't take this wrong, because GL doesn't have a fogey patina, but it's easy to imagine a mature couple falling in love with GL as a replacement for their decades of Buicks that now seem too low-slung for age-stiffened joints.

If you're the crabby sort, you can find lots to frump about in the GL: Size, price, visibility among the topics.

But if you appreciate an SUV that drives nicely and cossets occupants, GL could become your chum.

DETAILS:

What? Second-generation version of big, all-wheel-drive, four-door, three-row, seven-passenger SUV.

When? Going on sale right now.

Where? Made at Vance, Ala.

How much? Diesel model, called GL350 Bluetec, is the lowest-price version, starting at $63,305 including $905 shippping. Lavishly equipped diesel test vehicle: $93,040. Gasoline GL450 starts at $$64,805; gas GL550, $87,805.

What makes it go? GL350 Bluetec diesel has 3-liter, turbocharged V-6 diesel rated 240 horsepower at 3,600 rpm, 455 pounds-feet of torque at 1,600 rpm.

GL450 has 4.7-liter twin-turbocharged gasoline V-8 rated 362 hp at 5,000; 406 lbs.-ft. at 1,500.

GL550 has 4.7-liter, twin-turbo gas V-8 rated 429 hp at 5,250, 516 lb.s-ft. at 1,800.

All engines use seven-speed automatic transmission.

How big? About the size of a Chevrolet Tahoe (which has just two rows of seats). GL is 201.6 inches long, 84.3 in. wide including mirrors, 72.8 in. tall on 121.1-in. wheelbase. Weighs 5,401 to 5,578 pounds. Cargo space: 16 cubic feet behind third row, 49.4 cu. ft. when third row's folded, 93.8 cu. ft. when second, third rows are folded. Carries 1,587 to 1,764 lbs. Tows 7,500 lbs. Turning circle diameter: 40.7 ft. curb-to-curb.

How thirsty? 350 diesel rated 19 mpg in the city, 26 mpg highway, 22 in city/highway mix. 450 gas: 14/19/16; 550 gas, 13/18/15. 350 diesel test vehicle registered 18.2 mpg (5.49 gallons per 100 miles) in mixed city, suburban driving. Diesel burns only ultra-low-sulfur diesel. Gas models, premium gasoline. Tank holds 26.4 gal.

Overall: A cocoon that drives smaller than it looks and begs for a road trip. Rear visibility's pretty awful, though.