The Best Mercedes-Benz S-Class on Sale Right Now Is … the GLS
Key Points
- Mercedes-Benz’s overreliance on technology as luxury has rendered its flagship, iconic S-Class sedan less enjoyable for everyday use than its largest SUV (for now, anyway).
- The GLS is more user-friendly and more luxurious-feeling, but the S-Class is still better to drive.
- I’m just as mad as some of you probably are that I’m recommending an SUV over a sedan. We’ll get through this, I promise.
I recently spent time driving both a 2025 Mercedes-Benz S580e sedan and a 2025 GLS580 SUV, and a realization hit me: I would rather have the GLS three-row SUV as a daily driver. As an avowed cars-over-SUVs person, that’s a very stark realization to have, but it’s true. And it comes down to one very simple thing: buttons.
Related: 2025 Mercedes-Benz S580e Review: Too Much Teknik
Buttons, Buttons, Who’s Got the Buttons?
Takeaways:
- Not the S-Class!
- Until the GLS’ central physical controls are replaced by the giant touchscreen system in the S-Class (or, we hope, until buttons replace touchscreen tech in the S-Class), the GLS is more user-friendly and more luxurious-feeling.
We’ve made this point time and time again, but Mercedes’ move to touchscreen-based controls instead of dedicated physical ones in most of its vehicles is not as luxurious as the company seems to think it is, nor is it nearly as intuitive. Frequent use has led us to adapt to the MBUX infotainment system’s foibles, but just because you can get used to something doesn’t mean it’s actually good. I was pretty good at using the terrible touchpad controller in Lexus models, too, before that brand rightly did away with it.
But back to Mercedes. The S-Class’ controls are nearly all in the central touchscreen, and the ones that aren’t are touch-sensitive ones on a small bar below the display or on the steering wheel. All are frustrating and cheap-feeling. The GLS, meanwhile, has those same (dumb) steering-wheel controls, but a bevy of buttons and switches below a row of dashboard air vents are for the climate-control system, and they are delightfully premium-feeling. Yes, there’s still a touchpad controller on the center console, and yes it’s still a poorly designed control interface for a vehicle, but you a) don’t have to use it because the infotainment display is a touchscreen, and b) it’s surrounded by more physical controls. I’ll take the touchpad in trade, thank you very much.
Does the GLS Drive Better, Too?
- Takeaway: The S-Class sedan is still better to drive; I haven’t fully gone over to the dark side.
No, the GLS580 I drove was not as smooth or connected to the road as the plug-in hybrid S580e; the car still wins out on pure driving enjoyment. But given the S-Class is, well, a big, fast, comfortable autobahn eater, is it that much better than the GLS? I don’t think so.
And for what it is, the GLS580 impresses. It’s got a menacing but slightly subdued V-8 rumble, but the powertrain is tuned more for comfort than performance and it can take a moment to respond to aggressive acceleration. Ride quality with our test vehicle’s adaptive air suspension was excellent, too.
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- How Much Is the 2026 Mercedes-Benz E-Class?
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Is the GLS-Class as Expensive as an S-Class?
Takeaways:
- GLS models are significantly more affordable than equivalent S-Class sedans.
- Does affordability matter to those shopping for six-figure vehicles? Probably not. But bang for your buck should.
The GLS is also easier on your bank account, though how much this might matter to the average luxury vehicle shopper is debatable. But there’s no arguing the big SUV’s value.
The entry-level 2026 GLS450 starts at “just” $91,500 (all prices include destination fee), while a 2026 S500 is a relatively eye-watering $120,750. The gap narrows with the 580 models, but it’s still a five-figure difference: $117,400 (GLS) versus $131,950 (S-Class) for base prices.
Features can vary and Mercedes offers such a level of customization that a GLS can certainly cost as much as some S-Class models, but for tens of thousands of dollars less, you can get an almost-as-good-to-drive GLS that’s also far more user-friendly and luxurious-feeling.
Would I rather have an SUV than a sedan? Yes. Sometimes. In very specific circumstances — like this one.
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