Mercedes-Benz GL450 4Matic Review: Grand Luxury. No pun intended.

While Mercedes has made the hands free, electrically folding third-row of seats standard on the GL, the typical BMW X5 owner needs to remind himself to lift and separate as he fiddles endlessly with many, many clasps typical of SUVs.

We forgive you for thinking about the GL450 as some kind of decked-out, monster truck from Germany. After all, we needed to look over our shoulders, past the expansive view of the rear-view mirror, with all seats folded, and we still found it hard to believe that we were piloting a true, seven-seater sports utility. If you were to take a look at the spec sheet of this GL, you’d be surprised to learn of it’s relatively low kerb weight, for a car it’s size anyway.

On the most part, it was how, noticeably well the many complex parts of the GL synchronized together as a whole. The new 4.6-liter V8 lacks a little on the low end, but it is one that doesn’t mind the heaviest of lead feet.

Any sort of disparity between engine and transmission is very, very much absent. Never once were we in a position where there was a lack of forward thrust, for example, in dire overtaking situations on nasty b-roads and in tight traffic spots. The transmission almost learns your driving style over a short range, which is nothing less than impressive.

The car gets to 100km/h in 7.6 seconds on a hot day, although it feels sort of numb, courtesy of all that luxury. The active suspension played a huge part in the car’s directional stability at insane, three-figured speeds, but the steering could do with a little more weight. The front control-arm and rear multilink suspension do their job well.

The humongous brake rotors managed to grind the Benz down to a stop from 100km/h in just 126 feet with no fade or major ABS judders.

All in all, the GL450 has been, and will be the new definition for a luxury sports utility vehicle. It is the benchmark of how such a car it’s size should act and behave, particularly compared to it’s rivals like the Range Rover Sport Supercharged and the nimbler, but much less comfortable BMW X5.

Also, for a price of $353,888 it makes a noteworthy consideration against less practical, more focused sedans like a LS460 and so forth, simply because it matches, and perhaps surpasses their basic functions.

Credits: Text and photos by Amery Reuben