Built to Last: 2010 Mercedes Benz G550

The 2010 Mercedes Benz G550 is huge. It’s like a pit bull :all steel and muscle. I honestly thought I wasn’t going to like driving it. Boy was I wrong. Even my tree-hugging friend had to admit she was smitten with it when we went out for our weekly lunch. And what really turned my head was when I went to retrieve it from the valet at a black tie event and found out they’d parked it front and center (oh this old thing).

You can now achieve that tough military look for an SUV without the military utilitarianism. New for 2010 are body colored door handles with some fresh side moldings and a shiny spare tire cover. It also has fresh new front seats with a leather dash top. Its leather steering wheel heats up to keep those pinkies warm in our sub-arctic weather and leather and wood abound in the interior.

Weighing in at about 5,700 pounds, this Mercedes is in keeping with the old adage that all Mercedes are built like tanks. All its side doors  secure with a reassuring metallic clack making the entire vehicle intricately engineered, and somewhat indestructible. It is no surprise that it can be installed with heavy duty armor plating to offer additional protection from your basketball-playing neighborhood kids. But with the extra weight comes less agility. Don’t expect to zoom around corners, the GLK 550 sort of lumbers around them. The ride, however is surprisingly smooth.
At 5′ 3” I had a bit of a time getting in and out of this vehicle. I felt like I was climbing Mt. Rushmore every time I got into the drivers seat. And getting out, well there is just no graceful way to do it. (Lucky for me it wasn’t Academy Award season).

As for power, well let’s just say that the G-forces caused my cheeks to flap and a giggle burst through my lips every time I gave it the gas. You just don’t expect something that big to deliver so much power. It’s awesome!

It has plenty of luxury features like radio anti-theft, automatic locking hubs, power door locks, vehicle theft tracking, 6-disc CD changer and an AM/FM radio. The accessories  I truly enjoyed were the cruise control, automatic climate control, tachometer, tire pressure monitor, power telescopic steering column, power window lockout, remote fuel door release, keyless entry, leather seats, and digital clock. But I was disappointed with the cupholders, in the front there’s one that plugs into the center armrest and in the back there’s one in the footwell. I was able to sip my Starbuck’s in comfort but my passenger had to hold their’s on their lap and hope it didn’t spill.

Bottom line is that this is a really fun drive, with a really high price tag (a bit over a $100,00) and really not very practical. But if you’ve got some cash and gas to burn it’s well worth the price of admission.