Instrumented Test
If for any reason the base $64,805 GL450 isn’t cushy, flashy, or techy enough, don’t worry; you can deploy more than $40,000 in options to spruce it up. Hate parallel parking? Spend $970, and the GL will do it for you. Sick of hearing the third-row passengers whine about your A/C setting? Three-zone climate control costs $1450. Way too busy to check your blind spots? The Driver Assistance package flashes warnings for $2800. Kids smear chocolate on everything? The $4800 Designo Auburn Brown quilted leather seats nearly match Hershey’s hue.
We could go on: Our tester came with 20 options. A six-digit GL450 is an automotive unicorn since S-class money is usually spent on, well, an S-class and not a family-friendly SUV. That said, the GL has one of the most useful third rows on the market.
Standard air springs at all four corners along with optional adaptive dampers and dynamic anti-roll bars ($3950) distill blemished blacktop down to smooth road. What the lightweight electric-assist steering lacks in feedback, it makes up for with easygoing low-speed maneuverability. Besides, full-tilt cornering is irrelevant because stability control inhibits lateral acceleration to 0.73 g.
Even with all the peripheral options, the powertrain—a 362-hp, twin-turbo 4.7-liter V-8 mated to a seven-speed automatic—stands out, and there’s no upcharge for a 5.8-second 0-to-60-mph sprint, a notable accomplishment for a 5712-pound wagon. It’ll tow 7500 pounds, just 100 less than the body-on-frame Cadillac Escalade EXT.
We averaged 14 mpg. If you don’t want to hear that, crank up the 14-speaker Bang & Olufsen audio system; it’s a $6800 option.
Until Mercedes makes a three-row S-class, the loaded GL will carry the responsibility of hauling more than five people in true luxury. It checks all the boxes, but you might want to be judicious about how many you choose to mark on your order form.
