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Luxury car companies aren't often associated with extreme, sometimes dangerous, dirty driving conditions. Besides Land Rover, it's difficult to imagine some of today's luxurious, high-end SUVs hopping the pavement and slamming into a huge pile of mud.
Well, I did just that with a brand new 2013 Mercedes-Benz GLK. Then again with a brand new 2013 Mercedes-Benz GL. And with a 2013 Mercedes-Benz M Class. Oh, and I took out the new (but still iconic) 2013 G 550 as well. And I made sure they were all well coated with mud before I parked them back at the designated start point.
Why? Because Mercedes-Benz told me to.
They gathered a bunch of automotive journalists at a local race track with a rough-and-tumble off-road course and a few good country roads nearby to test out their line of newly redesigned and updated G Class SUVs, as well as the M Class SUV.
Luxury SUVs are just as capable at the rough stuff as the bare-bones cheaper models made to handle everything dirty and unpaved. Trust me. From $45,000 all the way up to $150,000 no matter what the model, Mercedes-Benz has engineered them to do what SUVs are supposed to do: handle anything, as well as all your cargo.
And I wasn't so sure they could. Like dressing up a super model in hiking boots, handing over ropes and telling her to scale the nearest mountain, I wasn't sure the vehicles could (and would) do everything we were told they could.
I was proven wrong.
Equipped with Mercedes-Benz 4MATIC Permanent All-Wheel drive as well as 4 Wheel Electronic Traction System, it didn't matter if I was in the city-appropriate GLK or the uber-manly G 550 off-roader, they handled like superstars.
I'll admit that I was the most comfortable in the Mercedes-Benz GLK 350 and the Mercedes-Benz G 550. I know, extremes, right? Here's the thing: In the GLK I felt nimble, light and in control. I didn't feel like I was driving an SUV or crossover. Steering was precise and the handling spot on. I was happy to traverse large mud puddles, huge dips in the dirt and tight, sandy corners (all of which were present on our drive route).
And in the G 550 monster I had no fear because I knew it could take on anything with its three locking differentials and two speed transfer case. On its 18” alloy wheels I traversed a track I wouldn't even have tried on foot. Vertical drops, massive mud sections, 3-point turns and something called “elephant tracks” were taken on with ease in the G 550. It was fantastic.
While the GL models and M models were a pleasure to drive I didn't feel the same connection and their floatiness took away from the off-road drive. It was a bit too “soft” for me.
So, what did all this prove? Well, for starters, that Land Rover isn't the only player when it comes to driving luxuriously through any terrain in any weather. It's not just about a fancy exterior when it comes to a luxury SUV.
Well, I did just that with a brand new 2013 Mercedes-Benz GLK. Then again with a brand new 2013 Mercedes-Benz GL. And with a 2013 Mercedes-Benz M Class. Oh, and I took out the new (but still iconic) 2013 G 550 as well. And I made sure they were all well coated with mud before I parked them back at the designated start point.
Why? Because Mercedes-Benz told me to.
 |
| Photo: Miranda Lightstone |
They gathered a bunch of automotive journalists at a local race track with a rough-and-tumble off-road course and a few good country roads nearby to test out their line of newly redesigned and updated G Class SUVs, as well as the M Class SUV.
Luxury SUVs are just as capable at the rough stuff as the bare-bones cheaper models made to handle everything dirty and unpaved. Trust me. From $45,000 all the way up to $150,000 no matter what the model, Mercedes-Benz has engineered them to do what SUVs are supposed to do: handle anything, as well as all your cargo.
And I wasn't so sure they could. Like dressing up a super model in hiking boots, handing over ropes and telling her to scale the nearest mountain, I wasn't sure the vehicles could (and would) do everything we were told they could.
I was proven wrong.
 |
| Photo: Miranda Lightstone |
Equipped with Mercedes-Benz 4MATIC Permanent All-Wheel drive as well as 4 Wheel Electronic Traction System, it didn't matter if I was in the city-appropriate GLK or the uber-manly G 550 off-roader, they handled like superstars.
I'll admit that I was the most comfortable in the Mercedes-Benz GLK 350 and the Mercedes-Benz G 550. I know, extremes, right? Here's the thing: In the GLK I felt nimble, light and in control. I didn't feel like I was driving an SUV or crossover. Steering was precise and the handling spot on. I was happy to traverse large mud puddles, huge dips in the dirt and tight, sandy corners (all of which were present on our drive route).
And in the G 550 monster I had no fear because I knew it could take on anything with its three locking differentials and two speed transfer case. On its 18” alloy wheels I traversed a track I wouldn't even have tried on foot. Vertical drops, massive mud sections, 3-point turns and something called “elephant tracks” were taken on with ease in the G 550. It was fantastic.
 |
| Photo: Miranda Lightstone |
While the GL models and M models were a pleasure to drive I didn't feel the same connection and their floatiness took away from the off-road drive. It was a bit too “soft” for me.
So, what did all this prove? Well, for starters, that Land Rover isn't the only player when it comes to driving luxuriously through any terrain in any weather. It's not just about a fancy exterior when it comes to a luxury SUV.