New Mercedes GLS vs BMW X7: costs
The glitzy new Mercedes GLS promises to be as luxurious as it is practical, but does that make it the ultimate seven-seat SUV? First it has to beat BMW's updated X7...
Buying and owning
Costs, equipment, reliability, safety and security
Big discounts are offered on both of these luxury SUVs, but even so, for the price of the GLS you could buy the X7 and still have enough change for a Ford Fiesta for the nanny to drive.
Both cars are affected by heavy depreciation, but the GLS has more value to lose, and that pushes PCP finance payments even higher. And, while the BMW X7 is predicted to cost a little more than the Mercedes GLS in servicing over three years (both cars have three-year, unlimited-mileage warranties), the X7 proved marginally more economical in our test. Overall, the X7 has a big advantage when it comes to costs.
The GLS claws back some points by having more kit; in Premium Plus Executive trim, it beats the X7 M Sport by providing TV screens for second-row passengers and separate climate control for those in the third.
But the X7 isn’t exactly sparsely equipped. Adaptive cruise control with lane-keeping assistance is standard, for example, along with four individual climate control zones for occupants in the first two rows. And even if you add optional packs for gadgets such as second-row TV screens, it’ll still work out cheaper than the GLS.
The bigger difference is in standard safety equipment. While neither car has been tested by the safety experts at Euro NCAP, you can rest assured that both are stacked with the latest technology, but the GLS gives you a longer list of preventative safety features as standard. It will automatically assist with steering if you’re trying to avoid a crash, and it can also move occupants away from the doors just before a side impact.
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