Like a bodybuilder in a tuxedo, Mercedes-Benz’s audacious GLS580 is a muscular and dashing transport for those who simply can not make do with a smaller or less powerful SUV. This Teutonic 7-seater is Stuttgart’s answer to the Chevy Suburban and Cadillac Escalade, with eye-watering dimensions, specifications and of course, price tag. Chock full of technological goodies, this tank of a utility vehicle is impressive but confounding with its thirsty “hybrid” set up and stratospheric price tag.
Large and In Charge
There’s no escaping the sheer girth and mass of the imposing GLS580. Tipping the scales at nearly 6000 lbs, the mammoth SUV is a fortress of sure-footed Germanic comfort and plush civility. You can opt for a V6 in your GLS, and in the process save yourself around $30k, but the V8 is much better-suited to the platform, and moves this large SUV with aplomb. And what a V8 it is! It's a 4.0L twin turbo variety, augmented by an electric motor to create a “mild hybrid” set up, and pump out a healthy 483 hp and 516 pounds-feet of torque.
This giant box will scoot to 60 mph from a stand still in a scant 4.7 seconds, all the while saving for the college fund of your local gas station owner's kids. The EPA-estimated mpg for the GLS580 is a poor 14/18, and from all indications, the real-life mpg numbers are scarier than a night at the Bates Motel.
Pricey Proposition
Ticking a few boxes on the options list will easily bring up your final tally to $120k and beyond. Admittedly, we are talking about the S-Class of SUV’s here, and we all know Mercedes' flagship sedan is not exactly a bargain-basement vehicle. Among the goodies that can add hefty sums to your as-tested prices is a set of 23-inch AMG wheels at $2750 and a $6500 E-Active Body Control suspension system that is as close to a magic carpet ride as one can get in a tall SUV. You can expect the usual Mercedes attention to detail and attractive trim pieces to make themselves seen and felt.
Vault on Wheels
If you have the means and want a safe and capacious luxury express that can transport 8 people in tomb-like silence, let the three-pointed star show you the way.
Sources: Car and Driver, Motor1