Test Drive: 8 Things We Love About the Mercedes-Benz GL450

Image via Complex Original

Even knowing that the 450 was packing an immense 362hp, 4.6-liter, twin-turbo V8, it was still an interesting sight to see paddle shifters on a luxury family SUV. The 5,401-pound full-size vehicle has some solid pickup in auto, but once you click into "1," while you're waiting at a stoplight, you enter into a world of quickness you wouldn't think possible from what you're driving. The jolt kicks you back and the closely spaced gears make for smooth get-up from the 7-speed transmission you're driving. 

Also known as the AIRMATIC air suspension, the "hydraulics" in the full-sized GL serve not only function but also serve to impress. It might give your passengers the "what the hell?! Did the car just lower itself?" reaction, when it bows down like a properly trained pup as you get out of the car, but when you're driving, it is actively adapting to conditions for the most appropriate and comfortable ride. Using electronically controlled air springs, the car can be raised for additional clearance or will automatically lower itself at high speeds for better aero. It even compensates when the car has additional passengers or cargo to ensure a level drive.

The 450 is one of those rides that has a bunch of smushed nose, cheek, and lip marks all over the windows from people trying to get a full peek inside. The diamond-stitching provides the initial I-have-to-touch-it feeling, but it isn't until you actually step inside and ride through the night that you fully experience the cabin. The unexpected fine details are really what make a passenger inside a luxury vehicle feel important. The layered texturing, the precise contrast stitching, the underlying runner lights along the door and dash, and the lumbar massagers in the front seats all make you feel like you've elevated your status in the world.

Backing into parking spots and driveways is something I've always done. My dad, whom I learned to drive from, always did it, so I followed suit and have found it makes my life that much easier. Up until the GL, I had really only seen and experienced rearview cameras, so when I began backing into our long suburban Indiana driveway, I literallly stomped on the brakes and looked in fascination when an overhead image of the SUV, tightly fit between my front yard and my neighbor's, popped up.

Like an idiot, my reaction was to look up through the sunroof, expecting to see a giant camera spying on me. "No Tony, those are just the 360-view cameras you read about," I had to remind myself in a Ted Mosby moment. They give you a 100 percent surround look at the vehicle, allowing you to rest easy that you're not running over grass, are staying inside the lines, or are close enough to the curb. And that's all without even turning your neck.

When I first told my father about the car that I was going to be driving for the holidays, he told me that he was sort of sad not to be picking me up from the airport and getting the first chat on the drive home. He also said that he hoped I wasn't too exhausted from my day of flights and layovers. I knew I would be, so I joked around that the car would probably be able to talk to me and drive me home anyway. Like I said, that was a joke, but the funny part was that the 450 sorta, kinda actually did that.

I already knew the route home, but I wanted to test out the guidance. After getting on the road, I pressed a button and followed the simple instructions of the voice navigation. She asked, I talked, she listened. It was probably the first time I'd experienced a car that understood every single thing I said, without asking to repeat. The line popped up on the map, and I was ready to cruise home with a heated massaging seat to boot.

There are three screens for watching films or TV shows in the 450: One central multi-function screen in the front and two in the headrests for the middle seats. When watching on the nav screen, you can use the entire car and its harman/kardon LOGIC7 system as a surround-sound experience, giving you the feeling that the Tyrannosaurus Rex from Jurassic Park is actually chomping at your tailpipes. In the rear, passengers can watch in peace and quiet with their provided individual headsets that have the sound and comfort quality of Bose headphones. The SUV also comes equipped with a six-disc changer, so you'll never run out of options.

The GL450 is 201.6 inches long, 84.3 inches wide in the front (65.5 inches in the rear), 72.8 inches tall, and has 93.8 cu-ft of cargo room. It's a big vehicle, and passengers appreciate the roominess, whether they're in the front, the middle or all the way in the back. Most people might actually prefer sitting in the middle seats, considering the plush, heated, diamond-stitched leather is enough to keep you in the car hours after you've arrived at your home. Individual climate control, a theater system with your own TV, and being at the center of a three-panel sunroof top off the feeling of being chauffeured around like a king.

Using the remote, the tailgate is automatic. The windshield wipers automatically turn on and adjust to rain conditions. The seats have three automatic adjustment settings. The rear seats automatically fold with the flick of a button. The car automatically adjusts its height, based on driving speed. The cruise control automatically adjusts to traffic head. And, of course, the lights automatically turn on and off. What's your car got? One automatic window? That's ... cute.