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.
This is the finest recent example of Mercedes going niche-mad. The only possible reason to buy the GL over the five-seater ML-Class is because you really need the (optional) extra seats. And even then, we'd urge buyers to look at the excellent long-wheelbase R-Class, which has six seats and considerably more interior space than the GL.
Three six-footers sitting behind each other in the GL's three rows will find legroom tight (unless the front seat occupant compromises his comfort and slides the seat forward). Simply put, the GL isn't as spacious as it looks from the outside - and with the extra third row of seats in place, there's very little luggage space, as the boot floor is high and the seats placed well back towards the tailgate.
That extra third row of seats (as we mentioned, the only reason to consider the GL at all) do electrically fold away at the touch of a button, however, which is neat. The middle row 60:40-split bench seats can be stowed too, by folding the seat-squabs forward and then dropping the backrests. The result is a vast 2,300 litres of load space (imagine that many cartons of milk in the back to get some idea). The tailgate can be opened and closed electrically, which will be good news for shorter people, as it rises very high when open.
The front seat environment is good, basically mimicking that of the ML-Class - that means a sensible control layout and seats that are supportive and cosseting. Ride comfort is quite good, too, as long as you don't select Sport mode for the adaptive dampers. Wind and tyre noise weren't an issue, either, even at high cruising speeds.
