2024 Mercedes-Benz GLS 4MATIC Review: Luxury SUV Gets What's Important

If all we cared about was shuttling passengers in comfort, we'd all be driving minivans. Love 'em or hate 'em, big luxury SUVs are here to stay, and arguably nothing epitomizes that combination of prestige and profligacy like the 2024 Mercedes Benz GLS. Now in its third generation, the SUV-formerly-known-as-the-GL-Class gained an "S" in 2019 as a nod to the S-Class. The question is, does the rest of the experience live up to such esteemed comparisons?

Though eminently fancy, this isn't actually the most lavish version of the GLS you can buy. Speed addicts can wander over to the AMG side of their nearest Mercedes showroom and take a look at the frankly ridiculous GLS 63. That does 0-60 mph in 4.1 seconds, which seems like a lot to ask from a three-row SUV.

Chris Davies/SlashGear

Then there's the even fancier version, the Mercedes-Maybach GLS. Turning over the space of two rear rows to a pair of reclining thrones, it's a vision of plush plutocrat transportation, and if it doesn't seem entirely outlandish in comparison to the rest of the luxury SUV set, then that's only because the Bentley Bentayga and BMW XM are perhaps a little shouty.

Make no mistake, though, it's not like the "regular" 2024 GLS 580 4MATIC is cheap. Nowhere close, in fact: even with a relatively light touch approach to the options sheet, this particular example still hits $124,260 (including $1,150 destination). That may still be a far cry from the $146k+ of the AMG GLS, never mind the $175k+ of a Maybach GLS, but it's still plenty.

Your six-figure spend gets you a 4.0-liter V8 biturbo mild hybrid engine with 510 horsepower and 538 lb-ft of torque. 0-60 mph arrives in 4.7 seconds — slower than the AMG, certainly, but only by about half a second — while Airmatic air suspension, 4MATIC all-wheel drive, and a nine-speed automatic transmission are standard. The EPA says you could get 14 mpg in the city, 20 mpg on the highway, or 16 mpg combined, for which you'd need a fairly light foot and a large amount of restraint.

Chris Davies/SlashGear

Those on a stricter budget can opt for the 2024 GLS 450 4MATIC. That has a "mere" 375 horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque, courtesy of its 3.0-liter inline-6 turbocharged mild hybrid engine and starts at $87,000 (plus destination). It's also more frugal, rated for 19 mpg in the city, 24 mpg on the highway, and 21 mpg combined. 

Even tuned as it is for fewer horses, it's tough to imagine someone finding the GLS 580 lacking. Acceleration is more than ample, and the V8 and its electric boost easily shrug off the SUV's 5,820-pound curb weight. No matter your speed, there's still more punch on tap, all delivered with a soft bellow.

You might not miss the Maybach's extra grunt, then, but its additional drive modes could still inspire some envy. While the eponymous Maybach setting in that version of the GLS unlocks limo-esque wafting, it's the bluntly-named Curve mode that Benz buyers might covet most. Its ability to tauten the big SUV in the curves without leaving it as firm as in Sport mode genuinely feels like the best of both worlds. The GLS 580's Comfort mode is very soft, in comparison, though the optional E-Active Body Control Package ($6,500, and not fitted to this review car) adds a front-facing camera array to scan the road ahead and preempt bumps, potholes, and curves by tweaking the suspension.

Chris Davies/SlashGear

Something you might not risk the Maybach or AMG with, meanwhile, is venturing off-road, but Mercedes insists the GLS is up to the task. An easily reached ride height control in the center console allows the standard 7.9 inches of ground clearance to be raised up to a maximum of 8.5 inches.

Chris Davies/SlashGear

An optional Off-Road Package ($1,900) adds an extra drive mode for more manageable performance away from the asphalt, though it's probably the GLS 580's 7,700-pound tow rating (the same, incidentally, as the smaller-engined GLS 450) that will be more useful day to day.

This is a big SUV, though the Emerald Green Metallic paint helps mask that somewhat. Still, when you're riding on 22-inch AMG multispoke wheels — that don't, frankly, look outsized on the GLS — you're going to be hefty. Mercedes fits illuminated running boards as standard, but they have a frustrating tendency to brush dirt on the back of your pants legs.

Chris Davies/SlashGear

Still, clamber inside, and it's hard to be too angry. Leather upholstery comes standard, along with a panoramic glass roof, heated and ventilated front seats with massage, soft-close doors, heated rear seats, and five-zone (five!) automatic climate control. The excellent Burmester Surround Sound audio system is standard, too, though the SUV here got the even better 3D upgrade (adding $4,550 to the sticker).

Chris Davies/SlashGear

Other options include a wood/leather steering wheel ($600), the Warmth and Comfort Package with speedier seat heating and heated armrests for the front and rear ($1,100), the Acoustic Comfort Package ($1,100) with better insulation for the glass, and the Pinnacle trim ($1,800) with a head-up display, projectors to beam a constellation of Mercedes stars on the ground as you open the doors, and heated/cooled front cupholders.

Does your life demand targeted heat (or cooling) to the Starbucks beverage of your choice? That is, perhaps, too philosophical a question for here. Marvel instead at how Mercedes' twin 12.3-inch dashboard displays — one for the driver's instrumentation, the other a touchscreen for the MBUX infotainment — now manage to look fairly diminutive compared to the vast (and controversial) Hyperscreen found in some of the automaker's other high-end models.

Chris Davies/SlashGear

They do the job, though, and arguably while being less distracting. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are present and correct (along with a bevy of USB-C ports spread around the cabin for charging duties), and Mercedes' voice control system — triggered via the "OK Mercedes" key phrase — remains unexpectedly proficient.

Chris Davies/SlashGear

Accommodations for the front row are, unsurprisingly, very pleasing. The second row gets an almost-as-nice pair of captain's chairs as a no-cost option (replacing the more mundane three-seat bench), with armrests and power adjustment. The Executive Rear Seat Package Plus ($3,750) adds ventilation, massage, rear wireless phone charging, and a fancy MBUX tablet; enough, you could find, to stave off much of your Maybach jealousy.

Chris Davies/SlashGear

The rearmost pair of seats are undoubtedly snug for adults but still come equipped with charging ports, cupholders (sans heating/cooling, sadly), and vents. With all those seats up, the big Mercedes offers 17.4 cu-ft of cargo space. The third row has a 50/50 split, while with the second row folded, there's a maximum of 84.7 cu-ft to play with.

There's something reassuringly old-school Mercedes about the GLS. Not in the sense that it's lacking in its capabilities or falls short in design: only that, in the face of some of the automaker's other recent models, its technology feels less in-your-face. No steep learning curve for its features, and dedicated buttons and switches for the things most drivers will be adjusting day to day.

That seems appropriate for what — luxury focus or otherwise — is a vehicle with transporting plenty of people at its core. With three rows filled, whether that's kids or adults, the last thing you probably want is to be digging through a vast touchscreen to find some setting or another. And make no mistake, even without a Maybach badge, the GLS is a mighty nice place to find yourself being transported or behind the wheel.

Chris Davies/SlashGear

Truth of the matter is, your options are fairly limited when it comes to people-haulers with proper prestige. Audi's SQ7 is smaller than the GLS; the BMW X7 is excellent (and the speedy X7 M60i or Alpina XB7 are more fun to drive), but down on third-row space compared to the Mercedes. For all there is to like about three-row alternatives from Genesis, Cadillac Escalade, and others, none quite hits the spot like the GLS 580 does. Yes, you'll pay handsomely for three rows and the three-pointed star, but the 2024 GLS 580 proves Mercedes doesn't need AMG or Maybach to make a big SUV that stands out.