Test drive Mercedes Benz GL-class X165 since 2012 SUV
Thick and thin. Mercedes-Benz GL 500 and GL 320 CDI
Thick and thin. Mercedes-Benz GL 500 and GL 320 CDI. They differ not so much by decoration of the cabin (VS dermatin skin) as used by fuel and price. Well, how do you like Mercedes? The photographer asked me. When Alexander begins to talk about this brand, he demonstrates such a Schreder expression on his face, which not only falls silent around the birds, but also the buzz in the wires disappears so pathos this moment. I have not yet decided, I honestly answered. That's right, the classic must be imbued with the conversation with elegant reprogramming of my psyche.
Stick and spin? The trick of the photographer worked. Soon I already composed the text of the future article in my head. Mercedes is not for taxi drivers. Even the ignition key requires a certain share of intelligence. It’s impossible to just stick it and spin it to the screech of the starter. Can you allow this in your Volga, or what is it called there now, Siber? Mercedes requires the key to be inserted first and calmly enjoy the life -based front panel. Then they turned it to the first click and, slowly, traced how the steering wheel was lowered, raised for the sake of light landing from the driver's seat. Then you can afford to slowly, with a soft movement, awaken the starter. This ritual is like a tea ceremony. And each exit from the garage as a small parade.
Not some gay parade on Porsche Cayenne painted under the chameleon, but a real May Day promenade with flags, a tribune and a fresh wind in the clouds broken by sunlight.
Without inflating the elephant Having shook off the hypnosis, pointed by a photo artist, I will try to write a few lines on my own behalf. The only thing that delights me in Mercedes GL is its cross -country ability. To some extent, the smoothness is also pleased, but it is not so better than, for example, VW Touareg to inflate the elephant. There is a difference, but it is designed for gourmets heated by myths, eagerly looking for additional excuses for their investments.
Previously, talking about patency was ridiculous due to the price of the new GL. It is too troublesome to bury 120 thousand euros in forests near Moscow. But now a cheap version with a diesel engine has appeared, and it costs only 80 thousand. The first specimens scattered in Russian car dealerships in a few hours. Still, outside like a real GL! And what few people delve into him (as sellers themselves explain).
This disgrace prompted us to take the cheapest and most expensive Mercedes-Benz GL. The role of the most expensive Ji El was a gasoline modification with a 5.5 -liter engine. The cheap is equipped with a 3-liter diesel engine. The difference is 47 thousand euros, 100 kg of weight, 2.5 liters of volume and, of course, 164 horsepower and 20 newtonometers in favor of gasoline.
Contrary to your will Taking advantage of the fact that I have been tied up for a long time, our advertising director took the keys to GL 500 and made several circles around the editorial office. Then he took me aside and whispered in his ear: I hope you did not write anything bad about this motor? No, I hadn’t had time yet, I got rid of Mikhail’s heavy gaze, but after a while I realized that I involuntarily fell under programming. The advertiser travels to ML, and coupled with a photographer who chosen Tsoshka, they created a strong editorial faction with a powerful suggestive influence on a journalistic mentality. Even now, contrary to my will, I want to write a small hymn to an eight -cylinder three -hammered unit.
Of course, it is deliberately powerful and provides both dynamics in the entire speed range, and riding comfort. GL is one of the most severe SUVs, but a 5.5-liter V8 is enough, more and does not need more. At any speed, you know that it works without effort and always has a power reserve to get out of a critical situation. A large volume contributes to a smooth measured ride. Work turnover is less than 1,500. With proper operation, it can even be economical.
In this place, hypnosis weakened, and I remembered my direct responsibilities. Such motors must be distributed for free and forced to ride on them from six in the morning to midnight. What for? So that they finally take it over to the owners of the Mercedes-Benz and the Russian market, which today holds on the same showers, reached out to the really economical units where all of Europe travels. It will not be a pity
Here is at least a new Mercedes diesel, installed on GL 320. It so makes it possible to stretch out on the sand and crossed areas that gasoline is resting. True, there are some problems. Mercedes took the liberty of supplying a diesel engine to Russia, but removed a soot filter from him and put a moisture separator in the fuel line so that the water from our diesel fuel defended. I also had to reduce the interservice mileage to 10 thousand km.
On the gas tank of the diesel GL 320, it is written only to refuel the Euro-4 standard fuel. I kept a gun at some kind of gas station near Moscow, listened to the noise of a jet of diesel swill and thought: how many meters towards Daimler’s representative office would I have time to drive? This time did. At first it seemed to me that diesel reacts too sluggish to gas. But the first impression simply spoiled the adaptive box. Looking back at the previous sluggish run, she strangled journalistic agility. As it turned out, the diesel excessively balanced any vibrations and feels remarkably on the road, and on the highway he is not at all afraid of high revolutions.
It makes no sense to compare two different Mercedes engines at least because of the monetary abyss that divided them. But if you ask what my choice is, I will answer diesel. Let him not squeeze the back of the riders into a leather seat, like a 5.5-liter engine, but calmly crawl along the sandy slopes, where the gasoline counterpart will require good overclocking and lack of pity.
Author: Dmitry Leontyev, photo of Alexander Ortnova-Baranov
Source: Magazine 4x4 [July/2008]
