I don't often use owner's manuals, but with the GL I felt as though I referred to it more times than with any other car I've ever driven. I marveled over the GL's seat massagers, which my front passenger didn't discover until about until halfway through the trip. As silly and unnecessary as they seemed with settings such as slow and vigorous, or fast and gentle, I couldn't imagine living without them after having experienced them. Anything that can make sitting in traffic more relaxing is welcome in my book. My friends and I are the worst offenders when it comes to overpacking. With two-weeks of stuff to get us through a three-day trip, I was worried all of our luggage wouldn't fit inside the GL, but opening the power liftgate revealed 19.7 cu-ft of space to accommodate most of our belongings. We used our Tetris game skills to fit three small suitcases and one large suitcase in the cargo area, while other bags fit snuggly behind the second row without squishing the third-row passengers' toes. Since my passengers were getting in and out of the GL repeatedly, they griped about how the the 60/40 split second row seats were a bit finicky. They're easy enough to fold down with the push of the button near the headrest, but the power function doesn't extend to the unfolding of the seats, which are a bit heavy. Passengers did not once complain about not having enough space during the six-hour trip; instead they praised the smoothness of the GL, the three-part panoramic sunroof, and soft-to-the-touch leather seats. Rear visibility wasn't the best with so much stuff packed in the back, but with the optional multi-camera parking system and blind spot monitoring, I was able to move the beast in and out of tight spaces with confidence. The GL is a looker too, with LED lighting trim, chiseled and muscular lines, and chrome accents.

Let's start with the interior. Both the GL450 and GL550 showed up with designo interiors -- Mercedes-speak for "up yours, Audi" -- and we were all wowed. Then, of course, there was the Auburn Brown interior in the GL550, and it, my friends, was even nicer. As a few manufacturers have started doing recently, Mercedes now has the option of non-glossy, open-pore wood. And the grainy stuff in the GL550 is the best I've ever seen -- in any car. Oh, and the non-designo interior in the GL350 is nothing to sneeze at. As for interior dislikes, there weren't many. Our whole team agreed that COMAND, Mercedes-Benz's version of iDrive, is in serious need of a major rethink. That said, the 360-degree camera parking system (very similar to Infiniti's Around View) drew nothing but praise as the best the industry currently offers. As far as the driving experience goes, consider us impressed. But it does have much to be proud of. The one disappointment was the high-powered GL550.

Yes, it was by quite a margin the fastest SUV here (0-60 in 5.1 seconds!), but its on-road manners left many of us wanting. We all agreed the middle child 362-hp GL450 was the Goldilocks of the bunch. Especially off-road. Harwood smartly points out, "As manufacturers flock to crossovers, the capability is what suffers." Not so with the Mercedes. All three of them absolutely aced our (admittedly mild) dirt section. The 2013 Mercedes-Benz GL truly is the complete package. At first glance against our six criteria -- Performance of Intended Function, Design Advancement, Engineering Excellence, Efficiency, Safety, and Value -- the Mercedes nails five of them. Value is, of course, the sticky wicket. But as stated earlier, when you start comparing apples to apples, the GL is no more expensive than the vehicles it directly competes against. And when you consider just how ahead of its class the big Benz is, you realize that the GL is indeed six for six. Impressively well done again, Mercedes.

鈥淧UT it in low range,鈥?says the guy at the starting line of the off-road racecourse. 鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 have low range,鈥?I reply, gesturing vaguely toward the console of the 2013 Mercedes-Benz GL350 Bluetec. In other GLs, that鈥檚 the spot where you might find the controls for the On/Off Road package, which includes a low-range gear set for off-highway adventures and steep boat ramps. Low range isn鈥檛 available in the diesel-powered GL350. That is probably because when you鈥檝e got 455 pound-feet of torque at just 1,600 engine r.p.m., there aren鈥檛 many boat ramps that will stop you. And besides, no sane GL350 driver is likely to attempt the 1.7-mile off-road course at Uwharrie Stables here. A cross between a motocross track and a bad dirt road, the circuit is challenging enough that one driver in a Jeep Cherokee has to quit halfway through when his 4-wheel-drive system fails. Another guy totals his truck when he goes airborne and crashes end-over-end. 99,480 Benz and its quilted leather interior into this melee.

The Mercedes-Benz GL-Class (X164) was launched in India in March 2010 with a 3.0-litre V6 diesel engine and was badged as the GL350CDI with the BlueEfficiency tag. The Mercedes-Benz GL-Class was designed for American car market to compete with the Audi Q7, the Volvo XC90 and the likes of Range Rover. The GL hasn't been inspired by the boxy looks of the G-Class but Mercedes-Benz picked up the ML's design for the GL-Class. After testing the ML350 CDI last year, we got our hands on the GL350 CDI Blue Efficiency. Read further, to see how the large SUV performed. The Mercedes-Benz GL-Class was designed by Steve Mattin before he moved out of the company to join Volvo. The front end of this two box design looks more mature and muscular than the Mercedes-Benz ML with the bulged hood and the thick twin-horizontal chrome slats on the front grille that wears the large central star.