If you’ve seen one Mercedes interior,
you’ve generally seen them all. We’re not
fond of the GLS’ fiddly (and distracting)
MBUX infotainment system or the way it
hides second-row USB outlets in a drawer
at the back of the center console.Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class
standard 335-hp 3.0-liter turbocharged
I-6 rather than the optional 4.4-liter
twin-turbo V-8, which makes
523 horses. This smooth-revving six-
cylinder pairs with an eight-speed auto-
matic and standard all-wheel drive.
Right off the bat, the X7 doesn’t live up
to the promises on the tin. Although we
really enjoy BMW’s 3.0-liter turbo I-6 in
other models, we’re not sure it’s the right
choice for a three-row people hauler.
Quick around town with a throaty, sporty
exhaust note, the six-cylinder starts to
run out of steam on the highway with just
a driver on board. A full load of passen-
gers might overburden this BMW.
Its ride quality is even worse. “The
body control is just disappointing, espe-
cially for a BMW,” features editor Scott
Evans said. “The body is always moving
around, side to side, diagonally, front, and
back.” The X7’s poor body control is one
of the reasons it wouldn’t be fun to spend
much time in the second or third row.
The other reason is because of the
BMW’s small, cramped insides compared
to the rest of the field. The X7 has
the least legroom, least second- and
third-row shoulder room, least third-row
headroom, and the least amount of cargo
space behind the third row, with a paltry
12.8 cubic feet of cargo volume—less than
BMW’s compact 3 Series sedan. “Not
something you’d want to load a bunch
of people into for a long trip,” execu-
tive editor Mac Morrison said. And that’s
assuming you could conveniently get in
the third row, as the motors that slide the
first-row seats and second-row bench
forward for third-row access are pain-
fully slow. Worse, when the first two
rows motor back, they don’t return to the
starting position.
BMW does at least thrill the cramped
occupants of its $96,895 X7 with a beau-
tifully finished cabin. Each and every
row of the X7 features the same wave-
form quilted brown leather and walnut
and satin metallic trim. Materials are
all generally of high quality, too, save for
some orange peel on the wood trim. We
especially liked the second row’s power
window and sunroof buttons on the door
panels, as well as its heated seats and
ample USB ports.Despite some positives, the BMW X7
just doesn’t outride, outdrive, or out-luxe
the established players in this segment.
It’s a good first effort but unfortunately
not a great one.3RD PLACE: 2020 Mercedes-Benz
GLS 580 4Matic
If this story were purely about which SUV
we most like driving, the Mercedes-Benz
GLS 580 likely would’ve fared better than
its respectable third-place finish. “The
GLS feels the most carlike, and it’s easily
the sportiest drive of the four, easily the
driver’s choice,” Morrison said.
That’s not exactly surprising consid-
ering the GLS’ platform supports both
hot-rodded AMG and super-luxe Maybach
models and comes with a standard air
suspension. The Benz’s optional 4.0-liter
twin-turbo V-8 doesn’t hurt, either.
Although a hybridized 362-hp 3.0-liter
turbocharged I-6 is standard, Mercedes
opted to send us a lightly optioned
GLS 580 instead. Found in everything
from the G-Wagen to the AMG GT, in the
GLS 580 the V-8 makes a test-best 483 hp
and 516 lb-ft of torque and is paired with a
nine-speed automatic and AWD.APRIL 2021 MOTORTREND.COM 47