Top 5 Reviews and Videos of the Week: 2019 Mercedes-Benz GLS Joins the Party
The three-row 2019 Mercedes-Benz GLS450 is one of the older models in the automaker’s lineup and probably due for a full update sooner rather than later. Still, Cars.com reviewer Aaron Bragman found the entry-level GLS to be a solid choice among a class that includes the likes of the Cadillac Escalade, Lexus LX 570 and Lincoln Navigator.
Related: More Expert Car Reviews
“The 3.0-liter V-6 is perfectly adequate for around-town use, highway cruising and people hauling,” Bragman reports in his review. “Upgrading to the larger engines doesn’t appreciably affect tow ratings; the GLS450 and GLS550 are both rated to tow 7,200 pounds, while the GLS63 gets a slight bump, to 7,500 pounds. It’s wonderfully quiet out on the highway, with more wind noise than engine noise making its way into the well-sealed cabin.
“The GLS450 handles like a big SUV: a bit floaty, a bit vague in the steering and somewhat top-heavy when changing directions. It doesn’t have the active suspension that’s newly optional on the high-tech GLE, but it wouldn’t surprise me if the next one offers it. It feels heavy because it is heavy: The GLS450 is more than 5,300 pounds, and more powerful models are even portlier. It’s lighter than the hulking American behemoths (despite the Navigator’s aluminum body) but more than 300 pounds heavier than a Range Rover. Again, though, the whole idea here is that you’re not driving this thing aggressively anyway, so why not make it a sedate experience all-around? It’s cushy, comfy and rather slow. Mission accomplished.”
You can read Bragman’s full review below, where the GLS450 makes its first appearance in our weekly rankings at No. 4.
The BMW 3 Series First Drive is our most popular video, once again, while our preview of our first ride behind the wheel of the new 2020 Jeep Gladiator is still in second place, and our First Drive of the updated 2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata is in fourth for another week. The two newcomers include a comprehensive overview of our 2019 Compact SUV Challenge in third and our video review of the 2019 Hyundai Elantra in fifth.
Check out the top five reviews and videos of the week below.
Top 5 Reviews
1. 2019 Toyota RAV4 Review: Delivers More, Costs More
2. 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Review: A Mixed Bag of Big Improvements
3. 2019 Ram 1500 Review: Top Luxury or Work, But Not Both
4. 2019 Mercedes-Benz GLS450 Review: Aging Battleship Still Packs a Wallop
5. 2019 Kia Sorento Review: Jack of All Trades
Top 5 Videos
1. Driving the 2019 and 2020 BMW 3 Series
2. 2020 Jeep Gladiator: A Ride on the Wild Side
4. 2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata: First Drive
5. 2019 Hyundai Elantra: Review
Cars.com’s Editorial department is your source for automotive news and reviews. In line with Cars.com’s long-standing ethics policy, editors and reviewers don’t accept gifts or free trips from automakers. The Editorial department is independent of Cars.com’s advertising, sales and sponsored content departments.
