Thanks in advance.

I'm interested in educated opinions here. I'm looking at buying my wife a car. She's been in two GL's most recently, a 2008 and 2012. The 2012 has been rock solid, only a light bulb and a thermostat in 8 years. I'm a big believer in buying the last year of a run, well sorted. I did the same for the last Cayenne I bought and the last Corvette and both times, very well sorted vehicles. So that would suggest a 2019 GLS450 and I've identified what may be the one perfect car in the country.

OTOH, my wife only drives about 7k miles a year. Our 2012 is like new inside and out with 72k miles. The smart money in my mind is keeping it but we're talking 20th anniversary and she wants a new car, so okay. But she also likes extreme performance, and there's a '17 GLS63 available currently in a good color combination for us that will almost immediately be out of warranty. But it's also a bit under half price.

I'd be spending $20k more on the '19 GLS450 than the '17 GLS63. In one year, the 450 would have 7k miles and will have depreciated to about $65k. The 63 would have 56k miles and be depreciated to $60k. Correct me if anyone thinks I'm off. They will level out at a point, and rapidly. The only difference will be that the 63 wouldn't have someone else's cooties for a while (not really, great example) and would obviously start costing us something in maintenance over the 5yrs the other would be under warranty.

Thoughts on reliability on the 63? I've done some searching and I'm not coming up with anything really about it being a problem vehicle. Some AMG's have very checkered reviews on reliability and maintenance but I can't find much on the'17 GLS63. Anyone have an expert opinion there?

Again, thanks in advance.

 

Have a read in the GLE63 forum and W166 forum. 63 owners seem happy. If she likes extreme performance the answer is the 63.

 

GLS63 and GLE63 are ostensibly the same moving parts, same engine? What about same suspension. I think I read somewhere that it was indeed pretty much the same chassis and suspension?

 

Besides power the 63 has one major advantage ACTIVE CURVE. It was a $$$ option on trims under the 63 but standard on the 63. It helps keep the car level in turns and really makes a diff. Drive them both on a windy road and you will notice how the 63 will stay rather flat. On really tight turns it’s crazy to know you should be leaning in the car one way but you can basically feel the car pushing the opposite way to keep the car flat in the turn.

good luck finding a trim under 63 with the option very hard but our 2013 550 has it and took us like 6mths to locate.

 

GLE63 and GLS63 both use the M157 5.5L twin turbo V8. Ditto the 63s versions.

As mentioned above, the GLS63 and GLE63 both have active curve + Airmatic as standard.

https://www.mbusa.com/vcm/MB/Digital...17_GLS_SUV.pdf

https://dealerinspire-brochure.s3.am...s.com/1086.pdf