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We recently bought a new GLS63 for my wife. It's been a week with the car so far and we traded in our beloved 2015 GL550 as part of the deal.
First impressions:
* We went with the standard 21 inch wheels to get as much sidewall as possible given we live in NJ and surviving potholes is of utmost importance. Especially as this car will be my wife's daily driver and has to be utterly reliable for ferrying kids around. I had also looked up the specs on MBUSA to confirm that these wheels would be fitted with all-seasons, but that's a mistake on the site, and these come with summer rubber.
* Ride quality: Excellent on the 21s. Our GL550 might have been smoother because I had swapped out the 21s for 19s but that's not a fair comparison. I have taken a few sharp turns in the car and I can report that it corners absolutely flat. It is shocking how fast you can take this car through the corners. So far we are both very happy.
* Winter tire situation: Absolutely horrible. I got quoted 10k by my local MB dealer for a set of equivalent 21inch rims with Pirelli winter rubber on them, and the rear rims aren't even available yet from MBUSA. This is going to be a pain to find the right set of winter wheels and tires for this car.
* Build quality: I felt my 2015 was more solidly built on the inside. I don't know how to explain it, but my 2015 had the designo interior and everything was incredibly tightly put together. I would say that this car is 95% there in terms of the same attention to detail. I've had to pull out a small piece of rubber adhesive that was jutting out from under the windscreen. I was not expecting that. Leather is of good quality. We'll see how it holds up. Our 2015 looked practically new on the inside when we traded it in.
* It is roomier on the inside. My wife and kids enjoy the space and separation in the captain's chair arrangement. If you have child seats bolted on the second row, you'll appreciate the 3rd row access with a single button. I am looking forward to NOT having to take the car seats out to let people into the third row.
* Burmester sound system: I have 2016 S550 with the Burmester high end and a G63 that comes standard with it as well. It does sound incredible. But, if I had to rank them, S550 > GLS63 > G63. I suspect the GLS wins over the G63 just by affording the system a larger sound stage. There is something a cut above in my S550 with the Burmester that blows everything else away.
* Lack of wireless CarPlay is annoying but you get used to it. The more annoying aspect is the truncated CarPlay display on the main screen. I was not expecting that as my G63 uses the entire screen for CarPlay. Oh well, #firstworldproblems. At least the GLS is a touchscreen unlike my G63.
* We are still on our first tank of gas, but when we fire it up in the morning, it has a minor shudder to the engine, especially when we put it into reverse. I am hoping this is the hand built engine settling in and it'll smooth out over time. I put in 93 octane gas in it today as our first fill-up and it immediately seems smoother. Could it really be that the dealership fed this beast with low grade gas and that's why we have the shudder, who knows. I'll report back here.
* This thing hauls! It sounds good doing it, but the G63 sounds way more guttural. I am spoiled by the G, so it feels unfair to compare this exhaust note.
* How do I put this: this car so far isn't as refined as the 2015 GL550. Everything feels like it is settling in. The transmission, the brakes, the engine. I am sure it'll settle down and smoothen out, but know, you are aware of every single mechanical component in this car. As you should be! It's an AMG.
* I am pleasantly surprised with the EQ Boost ISG system and how smooth it is and believe it or not, I am getting 18 mpg around town in this car compared to the paltry 15 we used to get in the 2015. I suspect it's because of a combination of my wife's driving habits, which are much more serene than mine, and the ISG helping out in short bursts.
Overall - we are happy. We are waiting for it to settle down. It is one beast of a car. The one HUGE annoyance is that if you live in areas with serious winters, you are SOL with the wheel and tire situation.
I’ve had my GLS63 now for 7 months and I still love driving it. It really is a fantastic vehicle. However it has been in the shop 3 times for a check engine light and cylinder misfires. The last visit AMG in Germany released a ECM software update to account for US gas quality (words from the dealer) and it’s been better since then. There is some stutter when the engine is cold and does run a little rough, but I really account that as the engine is such a beast and ready to slam you back in your seat.
I got a full PPF wrap and full ceramic tint around it. It’s great.
Mine was a snap purchase because my wife ‘stole’ my ‘20 GLE580 since she liked it so much. Both are great vehicles.
Re winter wheel+tire assembly - I called MB USA tire and they let me know 21” winter assemblies are on their way. For anyone interested, part numbers are BQ6670091(front) and BQ6670092(rear). I placed the order today through my dealership with an ETA of October. In case this helps anyone with a GLS63 looking for winter options with minimal hassle. Pricing in the ~6k range.
mine is set to build on the 30th of this month. One the fence letting it go. Have had 2 different people offer up to take it.
If you actually get your 63 built I would keep it. Drive it for a few months and if you don’t like it the car will be in high demand since there won’t be any V8 Mercs built until 2023. You may see it appreciate.
However if your dealer calls and says it’s now a GLS450 - cancel.
not a terrible idea. However I need to sell the Audi then. Hard to pass up additional cash on something never owned.
Originally Posted by DubDub12
If you actually get your 63 built I would keep it. Drive it for a few months and if you don’t like it the car will be in high demand since there won’t be any V8 Mercs built until 2023. You may see it appreciate.
However if your dealer calls and says it’s now a GLS450 - cancel.
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