Okay guys, I know this sounds crazy, but I have a 2012 LR4 and have had since it rolled off the truck in 2011. I've tried to find something that I like driving just a much, but I just haven't. Since that time, I've had the MB GL, BMW X5M, Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit, Cadillac CTS-V, Toyota 4Runner and I've also test driven a number of other vehicles. The problem is, I've just not found a vehicle that feels like the LR4. I don't even know how I'd describe it other than saying it's solid and smooth.
@bash535i - what year Mercedes GL did you have or test drive? The older ones (X164 chassis) were more comparable to the LR4 and were produced from about 2006-2012. The newer GL (X166 chassis) is a big leap forward in technology, gizmos, performance, etc. The X166 were produced from about 2013-2019. Note the name changed as of 2016 from "GL" to "GLS", which is confusing, as it's the same chassis for all 7 years.
I've been considering a used X166 (GL550/GLS550) as an addition to our 2010 LR4, instead of buying a second LR4. But I haven't driven one yet - very few locally, we'd have to road trip to a big city to find one on a dealer lot. I want the Off Road package which adds a few critical features, unfortunately this package is rare and hard to find. If you owned an X166, I'd love to know what you didn't like about it.
Note the G-wagen is a completely different animal and not really comparable to the LR4. Most G-wags only seat 5 and as noted in prior posts, most people can't sleep in them. Some G-wags have fold-down rear jump seats which is *not* the same as a 3rd row like the LR4. And, the G rides like the suspension is made of concrete (although the new, redesigned G-class might have improved in that regard). It was designed as a military vehicle, and feels like it. The insane price tags are final nails in the G-wag coffin. You can get several LR4's or X166 GL's for the price of one 10-15 year old G-wag. No thanks.
