Ok, so my local dealer (good people) was kind enough to let us test a new very well equipped ($107msrp) GLS 450 overnight.

Impressions:

The transmission for the short time we've had it performed fine, no clunks up/down, no lags always all in comfort mode and full auto (no paddles).

The 450 has plenty of power for what it is, comp'd to our 24 GW lll it falls short, but in all fairness the GW is 520 hp, also a 6 cyl, but a tt monster and no mild hybrid assist which is supposed to come for 25.

The ride on the 23" AMG rims was just a tad rougher than the 22's on our GW lll but they are all -seasons vs max performance on the GLS'

There were a few rattles in the mid-section of GLS (10 miles on the odo when we picked it up)

The AC was great, far better than the 2 X7's we tested, and it was 95 here today, it was on par with the very robust AC in the GW.

The ventilated seats were terrible, no cooling to speak of and I used my favorite tricks of setting the CC to face and floor which helps draw cold air under the seats then up to the driver...weird thing is, this used to work well on our S Coupes but not on the GLS. Perhaps MB switched to the drawing it away vs pulling the cooled ambient air in up toward the torso, but either way they are quite poor. The GW cooled seats blow these away in every way.

The seats had the leather upgrade but not the $2900 upgrade, and they need it as the leather felt hard and thick, not soft/smooth, too much like text but not quite as bad.

The seats were also not very comfortable, both my wife and I couldn't get comfortable after about a half hour of driving. We tried every setting, but nothing worked, Interestingly, we had a 2023 GLS as a rental last year and we couldn't get comfortable in that one either. The massaging seats were quite good but not as good as those in the GW which are some of the best we've ever had including those in our S's. Too bad the GW is a body on frame or we'd keep it.

The acoustic glass is a must and does a superb job of keeping outside noise at bay and highly recommend it.

Fit and finish was good and materials were good too, but doesn't compare to the S class sedan, as it's a step or two down from it (as it should be I guess).

Before we left the dealership, we also drove the new AMG GT 63 coupe, and those seats were far more comfortable. I'll review that vehicle separately on the appropriate forum in the next day or so. Tomorrow we will also test the new CLE 53 AMG coupe which finally came in, to test/see in person as I want to order one for the wife's dd.

My final analysis is the GLS is a fine large lux SUV, but we were left wanting, especially at that price point. The $2900.00 upgraded leather would have helped, as would ADS-Plus and/or E-ABC with it being on 23's, but they are 580 items only. They did not have one 580 in stock but had 17 new GLS 450's sitting on the lot. These vehicles are not selling very well. We were very happy that the 9 speed did a fine job, and with no excuses/rationalization needed, it did what it's supposed to do with no fuss nor muss . Why 50% of the X7's are having Ac issues is beyond me as it just like the GLS are both inline 6 that are MHEV's and it was ice cold with no excuses even in 95' heat, air out of the vents was super cold. The X7 offers a better/more engaging driving experience and just as smooth when comp'd to both being on 22's and no extra suspension packages. BTW, the X7's dynamic handling can be had on both the 6 and 8 cyl versions.


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Thanks for the observations! My MY23 GLS450 ventilated seats work fine (cold air pushing eventually getting warmer over time from recirculating). My MBTEX seats are also quite comfortable and we've made numerous 2+ hr road trips in them. Although I don't have the leather option, I can definitely see MB cheapening out in the current gen compared to the leather seats I had in my MY16 GL450 (that car was well-built and "cheap" wasn't even a thought!). Since you were making X7 comparisons, you didn't mention how much roomier the GLS is over the X7, especially the trunk! I was faced w/this decision a year ago and decided on the GLS even w/o knowing about the AC issues and the subsequent brake booster issue in the X7.

I'm surprised you weren't put off by the lack of buttons and didn't comment on the intermittent brushing of the capacitive controls on the steering wheel!
Any thoughts on the sound system?

 

If brand new, the seats do soften up over a short amount of time to get more comfortable. Ours was similar, seemed stiff and what contours were in them from the factory all seemed to be in the wrong spots. But after a month or two, we both noticed they became more comfortable overall. I think as seat cushions become thinner and thinner across nearly all car makers, this is becoming a more common theme. I'm dealing with it again right now on a new Ford Bronco. Cushion a little stiff here, a little stiff there, but is settling down to fit my old tailpipe.

I never really got into the acoustic glass thing. Seems nice, but "noisy" isn't really an adjective I would consider for any GLS in my opinion. Instead of the glass, I would certainly pay extra for more sound deadening in the engine bay and perhaps better engine mounts to keep the engine noise down under acceleration. Not that it's terrible, but that's just my thing.

 

Glad to hear re your ventilated seats, similar to my old S Coupes, but these new ones were abysmal.
I do like buttons especially those with a great tactile feel
I will be doing an extended X7 test tomorrow-Friday and will report back. My previous test of two new 25's 60 and 40 was for a total of 90 mins. BTW I tested the new 25 g550 G-wagen today and it was amazing in every respect.

 

LOL, the tailpipe comment was priceless
It wasn't that the seats were stiff (the quality/feel of the leather was), but uncomfortable in their form - tested a 25 G-wagen today and we found its seats were superb.
The AG just blocks out a busy world and the solar windshield does a great job of heat reflection

 

I could be wrong but the acoustic package includes additional sound insulating materials in the cabin. It's also not just noise, IR is reduced for hot climates and additional protection from smash and grabs that seem to be more common in urban settings.

Better engine mounts is an interesting idea. Do the AMGs come with better active engine mounts? If so, I wonder if we are able to install those mounts into non-AMGs?

 

Lots of positives, good to hear!

 

"There were a few rattles in the mid-section of GLS (10 miles on the odo when we picked it up)"

I'm interested to know what you mean by this. I have a '24 GLS and I am infuriated by all the rattles in this car since I purchased it in Sept. 2023. The first one started four days after I drove it off the lot and ultimately turned out to be a loose trim panel on my center console. Now I am dealing with an odd crunching/stretching sound around the doors. In a $100K+ vehicle I NEVER would have expected this. I am already starting to consider an X7.