Category: Large 4x4s 
Price Range: £67,485 to £67,485
Road presence, performance, Mercedes image
Absolutely huge exterior, but cabin not that roomy; M-Class is better-looking
Only consider the GL if you absolutely have to have seven seats and off-roading capability - or want to make a big statement. The R-Class and M-Class are more practical options and cost thousands less.
Not a given with all Mercs these days, but as the GL shares much of its architecture with the latest, vastly improved ML, we're happy to give it the benefit of the doubt. The GL, ML and R-Class are all built in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, a factory which has been overhauled recently.
This is an extremely complex vehicle, however, with a lot of electronic equipment - and Mercedes has had a poor track record with this in the last few years.
Its dealers have scored badly in customer satisfaction surveys too, suggesting that they're not good at sorting problems when they do occur.
The leather used for the seats and to coat the dashboard is soft, supple, nicely stitched and clearly high-grade, but some of the interior detailing is less than perfect, however, especially in the wood-trimmed versions. Still, it does all add up to a cabin worthy of a £50,000-plus car - just about.
