Item: Used Mercedes GLS 2015-2020
Rating: 3
Author: What Car? Team

The <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/audi/q7/4x4/used-review/n813">Audi Q7</a> is much more than just your typical luxury SUV. It rides like a limo, has excellent straight-line performance and masses of space inside. It also delivers sublime refinement and is well equipped.

The <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/volvo/xc90/4x4/used-review/n838">Volvo XC90</a> is a hardy perennial in this class. It’s big, classy and has a spacious interior. It’s well equipped and, like the Q7 and the GLS, has room for seven. Like the Q7, it’s cheaper to buy and should prove cheaper to run than the GLS.

<h3>For all the latest reviews, advice and new car deals, sign up to the What Car? Newsletter <a href="https://pages.haymarket.com/whatcar/wcar-form.html">her</a>e</h3>

<h3>If you're interested in finding a used <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-cars/mercedes-benz/gls?used=true&amp;nearlynew=true&amp;postCode=tw1%203sp&amp;sort=asc&amp;sortBy=cashPrice">GLS</a>, or any of the other SUVs mentioned here, head over to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-cars">Used Car Buying</a>&nbsp;pages to find lots of cars listed for sale at a great price.&nbsp;</h3>

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What is it like?

Ownership cost

Advice for buyers

Our recommendations

Alternatives

Mercedes’ line-up is vast – ranging from the A-Class family hatchback through to staple saloons such as the C-Class and E-Class, and onwards towards multiple SUVs, luxury saloons and even sports cars. Coupés and convertibles are thrown into the mix as well.

As one of the ‘big three’ German brands, Mercedes most often finds itself competing with Audi and BMW but more recently has found itself fending off Jaguar and Volvo, too.

Mercedes models are known for comfort. One example of this is the E-Class, because while the Audi A6 has a plusher interior and the BMW 5 Series handles better, the E-Class is probably the most comfortable for a long motorway journey.

MERCEDES-BENZ

The Mercedes GLS has plenty of space and is well equipped, but it seems very expensive even used

Used Mercedes GLS 2015-2020

On paper the diesel 350d is the most economical, with an official figure of 37.2mpg and corresponding CO2 emissions of 199g/km, under the old NEDC calculations. You are unlikely to better 30mpg in the real world. Only consider either of the two petrol-engined versions if you have access to your own private oil well.

Expect annual car tax bills to be high. If your GLS was registered before the tax changes of April 2017 came into force you’ll pay a hefty premium based on the car’s CO2 emissions. If it was registered after that date, you’ll pay a flat-rate fee currently £150 a year as well as a luxury car tax supplement for cars costing over £40,000 which currently stands at £325&nbsp;a year. Likewise, expect insurance to be high, and servicing costs too, although there are a number of specialist dealers who’ll service your Merc at a cheaper price than the main dealers. &nbsp;

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The Mercedes GLS has plenty of space and is well equipped, but it seems expensive even used


You’ll need around £37,000 to get behind the wheel of a GLS. This should buy you one of the 2015 or 2016 cars with an average mileage for the year and a full service history. Spend a little more than this to buy one from a franchised dealer, and pay between £40,000 and £45,000 for a 2016/2017 model. Spending above £45,000 should buy you a 2018 or 2019 model from a Mercedes dealer.

We would seek out a 350d diesel-engined car, as its running costs, while huge, are moderate compared with the petrol-engined alternatives. AMG Line trim is comfortably equipped and worth looking for too.

Our favourite Mercedes-Benz GLS: 350d AMG Line

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<h2>What we're looking for:</h2><ul><li>Logical and beautifully built interior, with great infotainment</li> <li>More than enough space for five passengers or, even better, seven</li> <li>Strong performance along with impressive efficiency</li> <li>Composed handling that limits any feeling of unwieldiness</li></ul>

We class a luxury SUV as being anything where our pick of the range costs more than £45,000 – and at this price point, buyers' expectations are high. So, as well as all of the qualities that make regular SUVs such well-rounded choices –&nbsp;such as decent space for passengers and luggage, a classy interior and robust materials – we also want a cosseting ride, the latest driver assistance technology and enough space to really stretch out.

The Land Rover Discovery proves that you don't need to spend a lot of money to get a luxurious SUV, but if you've got a bit more to spend, the Audi Q7 is perennially popular among buyers, and with good reason. Or, at the very top of this market, there are newer additions such as the BMW X7 to consider.

Luxury SUV

This is a huge car that will have been used in urban areas and on the school run so check the bodywork carefully for scuffs and dents, and also the alloy wheels for any kerb damage. Check the condition of the interior carefully, as this will have been used enthusiastically by families and children on their way to rugby practice.

Make sure all electrical extras fitted work as they should, and check the air suspension. Also be wary of any suspension-related warning messages on the dashboard, such as ‘Please wait, car is rising’, which might come up when you start the car. These could point to leaks, which will take a bit of time to sort and could lead to a costly burnt-out compressor.

Other than that, we haven’t heard of any major issues to be concerned about with the GLS, but these are complicated cars, so you’ll want to check that all the electrics function, the sat-nav does its job properly and there are no concerning warning lights on the dashboard.

It also pays to inspect the underside of your prospective purchase, to look for signs of off-road use such as scrapes or old mud. If it has such signs, it isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but be aware of the potential for damaged components; you might want to get the underside professionally inspected before signing on the dotted line.

Sadly, the GLS didn’t figure in our latest reliability survey, so we can’t draw any conclusions on the model’s reliability. However, Mercedes as a manufacturer didn’t get a particularly glowing score, coming 26th out of the 31&nbsp;manufacturers included. That doesn’t bode too well.

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Imagine you want an <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/category/luxury-suv">SUV</a> and you want it made by <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/mercedes-benz">Mercedes</a>. You could try the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/mercedes-benz/gla/hatchback/used-review/n921">GLA</a>, a neat raised-up runabout based on the diminutive <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/mercedes-benz/a-class/hatchback/used-review/n19118">A-Class</a>, or you could step up to the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/mercedes-benz/glc/estate/used-review/n904">GLC</a>, a slightly more capacious and practical SUV aimed firmly at families, or you could up the ante with the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/mercedes-benz/gle/estate/used-review/n989">GLE,</a> a large and very expensive luxury model that’ll certainly do its best to impress the neighbours.

If, however, you want a luxury&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/category/luxury-suv">SUV</a> so large it can seat seven in comfort and still have room for a bootful of holiday luggage, as well as terrifying the drivers of lesser vehicles into submission, then what you want is the humungous GLS. It was originally called the GL, but a facelift and the adoption of even more opulence in 2015 was enough to justify an updated moniker.

Buyers can, from new, choose between a 350d version, with a 3.0-litre V6 diesel, a 400 version with a petrol engine and a superfast 557bhp 5.5-litre V8 petrol GLS 63, all models coming with a nine-speed automatic gearbox and all being four-wheel drive.

Three trims are available on your new GLS – AMG Line, designo Line and the AMG breathed-on GLS 63. The entry-level model gets 21in alloy wheels, adaptive air suspension and LED headlights, a panoramic sunroof, a sports braking system and an aggressive AMG bodykit on the outside, while inside there is a 360-degree camera, tri-zone climate control, heated seats all round, a Harman and Kardon sound system, and Mercedes-Benz’s 8.0in infotainment system with DAB radio and Bluetooth connectivity. Upgrade to the more luxury appointed designo Line and your GLS gains Mercedes’ active curve system, limiting body roll and increasing agility and safety. There is also ventilated and massaging front seats, four-zone climate control, temperature-controlled cupholders, rear sunblinds and a luxury quilted leather upholstery. Those looking for the almost unbelievable combination of battleship-size and supercar speed might consider the GLS 63, with its aggressive bodykit, high-performance braking and exhaust system and AMG-embossed sports seats to go alongside the 5.5-litre V8 under its bonnet.

On the road, the GLS is smooth and refined, if not, as you might expect given its girth, an outright ball of fire. It steers well, and its handling is safe and secure, even if it’s not particularly agile or keen to change direction and it’s definitely not possessed of the sort of set-up to please a keen driver. It rides well, though, and in Comfort mode there’s only the odd shimmy over very bad bumps. Indeed it sponges away most large obstacles with ease and is remarkably settled on the motorway. Switching to Sport adds stiffness to the dampers and causes more jostling over cracks and potholes.

Inside the beast, the driver benefits from an electrically adjustable seat and steering wheel to ensure a huge range of possible positions. Visibility is good all-around, helped by a standard 360-degree camera. The new 8.0in screen and digital instrument cluster readout is much sharper than on earlier GL models and more easily navigated using a solid, metallic rotary dial and a new multifunction steering wheel. Most of the dash and door materials look and feel high-quality, too, such as the stitched-leather dash and wood trims, but some of the switchgear plastics and the odd sharp edge let the side down.

Space, however, is deeply splendid. There’s loads of room up front, and plenty of room for three adults in the second row. The third row also has room for two adults, and getting in and out of there is also easy thanks to the electrically adjustable seats in the middle row. Boot space with all seven seats in place is good, with enough for a couple of medium-sized suitcases, while with the rear two seats folded away it’s huge. &nbsp;

This second-generation version was replaced in 2020 by an all-new model.&nbsp;

If you're interested in finding a used <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-cars/mercedes-benz/gls?used=true&amp;nearlynew=true&amp;postCode=tw1%203sp&amp;sort=asc&amp;sortBy=cashPrice">GLS</a>, or any of the other SUVs mentioned here, head over to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/used-cars">Used Car Buying</a>&nbsp;pages to find lots of cars listed for sale at a great price.&nbsp;

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Used Mercedes GLS 2015-2020 review

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