So it's been about 3 weeks since I picked up my '23 GLS450 and though I still don't have many miles on it, I have enough thoughts to at least start my review. This car is replacing a '16 GL450 and other comparisons will also come from a '24 X7 xDrive40i that I cross-shopped. This review may not help any current '23 shoppers as stock is quite low and the '24 models are just around the corner but it may help potential CPO buyers years from now.

Engine/Performance (4/5)
The car is ultra-smooth and sneaky fast! My '16 was similar but didn't have the benefit of the mild-hybrid (I'm still getting used to the lack of noise at very low speeds like when parking). Biggest disappointment is that the HP and torque are the same as my '16 besides the change from a V6 to I6 (this will impact another rating down the road). The X7 I tested was sportier but did exhibit a bit of lag when you floor it that isn't present on the Mercedes (could be caused by the transition from the battery to the gas engine).

Comfort (4.5/5)
The driver's seat is pretty good (I have the MB-Tex) and I can see myself being able to sustain long trips in it. I especially like the customization feature that creates a default seating arrangement based solely on your height as a starting point (can be further tweaked afterwards)! I've never seen this on any other car and wish more manufacturers did this! The X7 I drove had the additional side bolster adjustments that can better "hug" your body shape. I had leather seats in my '16 that felt a smidge less comfortable than the current car. Plenty of USB-C ports all around (one USB-C to USB-A adapter is included w/the car). The suspension is soft and supple. The ability to raise or lower the air suspension matches the X7. You can also have the car lower when exiting.

Infotainment (3.5/5)
The MBUX system is pretty powerful but I much prefer the iDrive 7 in my X3. Too much drilling into menus and although favorites can be set, it's at least 2 clicks/presses to get there. The fact that it's 2023 and wireless CP/AA is still not in the car is a huge demerit as the X7 has had it for a while. The angled wireless phone holder is a good idea on paper given the limited real estate up front but once you have cups in the cupholders, it's a PITA to access that area! I also had a wireless charging pad/wired CP in my '21 TLX and it is the most useless combination imaginable! The touchpad works but clicking it requires pretty significant pressure (I try to avoid the touchscreen because it's not safe and it dirties the screen w/fingerprints). Luckily, you can use the mini-trackpad on the steering wheel but that operation can be hit or miss depending on how oily your fingers are! If you're using a long wire to connect your phone to the dataport and it is touching the touchpad incidentally, you will find that all touch controls will act strangely! My understanding is that wireless CP/AA is coming to the '24 redesign so hold out for that one if you can! Having said that, the MBUX system is a vast improvement over the '16 COMAND that I'm happy to leave behind!

Edit: Despite physical buttons for HVAC, the current temperature setting can only be seen on the touchscreen so make sure to get that extended warranty in if planning to keep longer than 4 years! CarPlay (and I would imagine Android Auto as well) takes up only the center 3/4 of the entire screen! BMW has fullscreen CP and makes use of all screen space!

Burmester Audio (3/5)
I have the standard Burmester Audio and am very glad that Mercedes defaulted to this as standard equipment! Even now, X7s have the crappy HiFi by default (to be fair, many builds have the Premium Package which gets you the HK system). I can confirm that even the standard Burmester system can play multichannel FLAC files that I've had since my days w/Acura's ELS 3D system. I can also confirm that the hidden USB under the armrest can also play FLAC files from a USB stick and works simultaneously w/CP (and maybe AA, which I can't test). I'm still dialing in the sound in the large cabin but I have discovered a huge fault that could be a huge deal breaker for many. Apparently there is a woofer hidden near the driver's left foot that makes itself known with any decent mid-range/LFE frequencies. You are not only hearing the music but also feeling it! It's a bit disturbing when you don't expect it and there was no such issue in the X7 I tested. I would have definitely given the system a 4/5 if it were not for this design flaw! I would have been fine w/my '16's HK system as well.

Edit: The test drive of the X7 was noticeably quieter from outside noise compared to the GLS450. I think you get acoustic glass standard on the BMW whereas it's an $1100 option for Mercedes.

Passenger Comfort
I'm holding off on a rating until we get a long road trip in w/a fully loaded car. It does appear to be roomier than the '16 we replaced and the X7 as well. By choice, I have the bench 2nd row and not captain's chairs. I much prefer the "magic seats" in my '16 as they were faster to fold and created a bigger gap to enter the third row. The operation to fold the 2nd/3rd row is slow. Mercedes forces you to hold the button down in the second row to put the seat back down for safety reasons (prevent accidental crushing). If you prefer one-touch bringing the seat back down, the X7 has that w/o needing to hold the button.

Fuel Economy (3/5)
I was very disappointed to see that the fuel econ barely budged compared to my '16 (no doubt due to engine spec being similar). Even more odd, the '20 current gen debut had a slightly better combined fuel econ over the '23 (at least on paper)! The '24 is getting a stronger engine so maybe wait for that one if you can. The X7 has a stronger engine in this class of car so if fuel econ is king, give the BMW a closer look.

Storage/Trunk Space (4/5)
There is ample space throughout the cabin for storage though the space beneath the right armrest appears to be slightly smaller than my '16 one. With all seats up, the trunk is larger than my '16 model and I'm sure the additional 3.5" car length helped! The X7's trunk is really tiny and always had me questioning if it should be in this class (if it weren't for the wheelbase, a fairer comparison for the X7 might be the Q7 which has a bigger trunk w/all rows up). One advantage for the X7 is that it has a split tailgate where the top portion can be opened w/o opening the bottom (like a pickup). I can't wait to do a long road-trip in this GLS as the '16 performed its duties admirably! If you want a bigger trunk, you'll want a full-size SUV like an Escalade.

My biggest disappointment is this car has barely changed since it was introduced in the 20MY. Note that we were replacing my wife's car so she had the final say. If it were up to me, it would easily have been the X7! Despite the bias, I hope my observations are neutral for the most part and that any criticism for the Mercedes was warranted! Hopefully we can get some members to confirm a lot of the observations I've made!

Edit: Didn't realize until I had picked up the car that the wheels/tires are staggered. This will probably make finding tires a bit more complicated. A spare tire is included (X7 has none since it's on RFT tires).
Edit2: You can't get a flat-bottomed steering wheel that's heated. My understanding is that the '24 model no longer has this limitation.

 

Thanks for the observations! The only disagreement I have is with infotainment, I don't know why but from the get go MBUX has felt more intuitive and better for me and I've always found the touchpad really good, while iDrive 7 was convoluted and hard to opperate for how my brain works. I found iDrive more like an android OS and MBUX more like an iPhone OS. I also don't find wirless carplay to be a huge benefit, it has some bluetooth lag so I find wired quite nice in that regard. But obviously those are very subjective things and prove why we have different options - not everyone has the same taste!

 

The fact that the '24 GLS models will have wireless CP/AA means that's what most people want, no?

I forgot to add in my review that the HVAC temperature setting can only be found onscreen, despite physical buttons being present to change it. I highly recommend getting the extended warranty if planning to keep the car longer than 4 years!

 

I'd agree with you there, and it's definitely more like "old school" aux cables vs bluetooth. I still like wired carplay, but it's definitely older feeling.

 

Most OEM wireless CP/AA connections work by using Bluetooth for the initial handshake and then handing off to WiFi for the primary connection. In theory, this WiFi is capable of more bandwith than the typical USB connection to the phone, allowing for higher quality music, video streaming etc. The catch is how much copy-protected content you're allowed to see/hear over such connections!

 

That's an in-depth review, I guess if you don't want staggered, you don't have to buy staggered when the tires are due though..? Just buy square? I mean for certain models MB even offers squared winter setups for their cars with staggered setups so I would assume it wouldn't be an option. The main problem is depending on what size wheels you have.. 21? 20? finding tires will be difficult.

 

Wheels in front are different size from wheels in back. They’re AMG wheels from the Night Package.

 

If they are the same size so 20 and 20 then yes, but sounds like you have 20 and 21 or 21 and 22? Staggered doesn't always have to have different size wheels (just tires) but in your case it might be? Is that what you are trying to say?

 

Front are 275/45 21” and rears are 315/40 21”. First number is width, right?

 

Yes

 

Can any other GLS owner out there confirm they received a staggered setup? How difficult is it to get tires?

 

For the GLE/GLS, 18 19 and 20 inch wheels are always a square setup and 21 22 23 inch wheels are always a staggered setup.

 

That's good to know! My prior GL450 was 20" and had a square setup.

 

This is worth trying if you really want wireless carplay. I have the android auto version and it works very well. I think it works better than other dongles that do both AA and CP because it's dedicated to one platform and doesn't have to do any type of software handshake.

WQQBFF CarPlay Wireless Adapter Wired CarPlay Convert Cars Wireless CarPlay 2023 Upgrade Plug & Play Wireless CarPlay Dongle Converts Wired to Wireless Fast and Easy Use Fit (Black) https://a.co/d/6Ht4nab