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It鈥檚 said that money can鈥檛 buy happiness. That might be true, but
it sure can buy one heck of a fabulous family sport-utility vehicle.
First and foremost, there鈥檚 the SUV鈥檚 vaultlike solidity. From
doors and hatch to electrical switchgear, everything that moves,
slides, clicks or rotates responds to the touch with well-lubed
substantiality. Nothing feels - or looks - cheap here. Similarly, the
GLS exhibits exquisite fit and finish. All panels, inside and out,
aligned with perfect precision. 360 option) exterior paint, deep and
lustrous, literally glowed in the sun. 300) Night Package, which
further accented the SUV鈥檚 looks with black trim bits. The Sport
Package-equipped cabin was awash with high-end carbon fiber and piano
black lacquer trim, satin-finish metal, and black-leather seats with
firm, torso-hugging sport buckets in the front row. The dash featured a
pair of large gauges - tachometer and speedometer - with a secondary
infoscreen in between. The extensive panoply of tech, safety,
performance, comfort and media functions can be easily managed via
well-organized controls on the dash and console and a large touchscreen
centered high on dash. Several redundant controls reside on the
leather-clad steering wheel. The meat of this costly conveyance is
found under the hood: a 4.7-liter, twin-cam, turbocharged V-8 oozing
out 449 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque. An imperceptibly
shifting nine-speed automatic transmission delivers all that energy to
all four wheels. Yes, it鈥檚 fast; remarkably fast, given its size and
weight. And most impressive, this Teutonic tank simply glides through
corners with virtually no body lean or sway. The GLS550 is truly
expensive. But it lives up to the Mercedes-Benz slogan: The best or
nothing.
It鈥檚 said that money can鈥檛 buy happiness. That might be true, but
it sure can buy one heck of a fabulous family sport-utility vehicle.
First and foremost, there鈥檚 the SUV鈥檚 vaultlike solidity. From
doors and hatch to electrical switchgear, everything that moves,
slides, clicks or rotates responds to the touch with well-lubed
substantiality. Nothing feels - or looks - cheap here. Similarly, the
GLS exhibits exquisite fit and finish. All panels, inside and out,
aligned with perfect precision. 360 option) exterior paint, deep and
lustrous, literally glowed in the sun. 300) Night Package, which
further accented the SUV鈥檚 looks with black trim bits. The Sport
Package-equipped cabin was awash with high-end carbon fiber and piano
black lacquer trim, satin-finish metal, and black-leather seats with
firm, torso-hugging sport buckets in the front row. The dash featured a
pair of large gauges - tachometer and speedometer - with a secondary
infoscreen in between. The extensive panoply of tech, safety,
performance, comfort and media functions can be easily managed via
well-organized controls on the dash and console and a large touchscreen
centered high on dash. Several redundant controls reside on the
leather-clad steering wheel. The meat of this costly conveyance is
found under the hood: a 4.7-liter, twin-cam, turbocharged V-8 oozing
out 449 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque. An imperceptibly
shifting nine-speed automatic transmission delivers all that energy to
all four wheels. Yes, it鈥檚 fast; remarkably fast, given its size and
weight. And most impressive, this Teutonic tank simply glides through
corners with virtually no body lean or sway. The GLS550 is truly
expensive. But it lives up to the Mercedes-Benz slogan: The best or
nothing.
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2010 Land Rover Range Rover Sport (LS) V8-5.0L SC Technical Service
Bulletin # TECLTB00387 Date: 110609
2010 Land Rover Range Rover Sport (LS) V8-5.0L SC Technical Service
Bulletin # TECLTB00387 Date: 110609
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The steering in the all-new 2013 Mercedes-Benz GL three-row, seven-seat
SUV feels light to the touch and loose on-center. This shortcoming is
not attributable to any flaw in the electrically assisted
rack-and-pinion gear or lapse on the part of the engineers who fret
over chassis tuning. Instead, blame 50 clinic participants鈥擲outhern
Californians owning a current Mercedes ute or a competitive SUV鈥攚ho
drove GL prototypes and said that light and loose is how steering
should be. Shortly after it was introduced six years ago, the GL
mounted the throne in the luxury-SUV castle with a C/D comparison-test
win. It not only impressed us with room and comfort but also scored
high in the steering, handling, ride, and fun-to-drive categories. In
two-plus-ton trucks, such virtues are as rare as bud vases. Mercedes
resisted fiddling with the basic formula that made the original GL the
most popular large luxury SUV, even at the end of its six-year life
span. Changes to the outside dimensions, chassis layout, and exterior
design are modest. Thanks to more extensive use of aluminum (hood,
front fenders, suspension components), magnesium (dash support
structure), and reinforced plastic (engine mounts), curb-weight bloat
has been kept to a minimal 50 pounds.
The steering in the all-new 2013 Mercedes-Benz GL three-row, seven-seat
SUV feels light to the touch and loose on-center. This shortcoming is
not attributable to any flaw in the electrically assisted
rack-and-pinion gear or lapse on the part of the engineers who fret
over chassis tuning. Instead, blame 50 clinic participants鈥擲outhern
Californians owning a current Mercedes ute or a competitive SUV鈥攚ho
drove GL prototypes and said that light and loose is how steering
should be. Shortly after it was introduced six years ago, the GL
mounted the throne in the luxury-SUV castle with a C/D comparison-test
win. It not only impressed us with room and comfort but also scored
high in the steering, handling, ride, and fun-to-drive categories. In
two-plus-ton trucks, such virtues are as rare as bud vases. Mercedes
resisted fiddling with the basic formula that made the original GL the
most popular large luxury SUV, even at the end of its six-year life
span. Changes to the outside dimensions, chassis layout, and exterior
design are modest. Thanks to more extensive use of aluminum (hood,
front fenders, suspension components), magnesium (dash support
structure), and reinforced plastic (engine mounts), curb-weight bloat
has been kept to a minimal 50 pounds.
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When the BMW X3 and the Mercedes-Benz GLK launched, they were slightly
funky utes at what was then the small end of the luxury-SUV spectrum.
Each took a moment to find solid footing鈥攖he BMW in its second
generation and the GLK at its midcycle refresh鈥攁nd each now come at
prices that leave room for smaller, less expensive newcomers. BMW threw
its X1 into that breach for 2013, offering up a decidedly wagon-oid
experience in a package that looks like a Bavarian Subaru Forester.
Mercedes has responded with the GLA250, a turbocharged hatch-on-stilts
built on the same bones as the CLA-class. From the nose, the GLA looks
fully Benz modern, featuring a blunt, upright prow, swept-back
headlights, and the all-important emblem centered proudly in the
two-bar grille. It鈥檚 just a hatchback, one with massive, protruding
taillights that look like symmetrical cybernetic boils. As with the
B-class Electric Drive, the chrome bar meant to tie the taillamps
together instead appears a bit like aftermarket kit. The rear is where
this car鈥檚 otherwise handsome exterior terminates with a whimper.
When the BMW X3 and the Mercedes-Benz GLK launched, they were slightly
funky utes at what was then the small end of the luxury-SUV spectrum.
Each took a moment to find solid footing鈥攖he BMW in its second
generation and the GLK at its midcycle refresh鈥攁nd each now come at
prices that leave room for smaller, less expensive newcomers. BMW threw
its X1 into that breach for 2013, offering up a decidedly wagon-oid
experience in a package that looks like a Bavarian Subaru Forester.
Mercedes has responded with the GLA250, a turbocharged hatch-on-stilts
built on the same bones as the CLA-class. From the nose, the GLA looks
fully Benz modern, featuring a blunt, upright prow, swept-back
headlights, and the all-important emblem centered proudly in the
two-bar grille. It鈥檚 just a hatchback, one with massive, protruding
taillights that look like symmetrical cybernetic boils. As with the
B-class Electric Drive, the chrome bar meant to tie the taillamps
together instead appears a bit like aftermarket kit. The rear is where
this car鈥檚 otherwise handsome exterior terminates with a whimper.
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