2008 Mercedes Benz GL450

Subjected to highly variable road conditions, including some fairly aggressive on-road twists and turns and an equally aggressive off-road experience, the GL450 handled itself with grace, especially when equipped with...

... the standard air suspension and optional adaptive damping. Despite almost 5, 300 pounds of curb weight and an overall length right around 200 inches, the GL450 drives like a much smaller, significantly lighter SUV. This is in contrast to recent drives in the M-Class, which we felt drove "larger" than its physical size suggested. Response from the 4.6-liter DOHC V8 is great, made more so by the excellent seven-speed automatic transmission. Venture off-road, especially if the vehicle is equipped with the Off-Road package, and you won't be disappointed. The GL450 can handle anything an owner with payments remaining would care to give it. It may not be quite as off-road capable as a comparably priced Range Rover, but we like its balance between on-road practicality and off-road capability.