Which year to buy
Best bet2017Fewest serious problems: 0.5× usual
Newest we'd buy2024The latest year rated a good buy
AvoidNoneNo year stands out as bad
Bar height: serious owner complaints to NHTSA for that year per car on the road, against this model's usual year.
Verdicts computed from NHTSA owner complaints, defect investigations and recalls. Cars on the road from New York State registrations. (How we judge.) Data checked 2026-10-06.
Trims and features
2027 GLS trims
| GLS450 4MATIC | GLS580 4MATIC | AMG GLS63 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apple CarPlay | Standard | Standard | Standard |
| Wireless Apple CarPlay | Standard | Standard | Standard |
| Android Auto | Standard | Standard | Standard |
| Wireless phone charging | Standard | Standard | Standard |
| Head-up display | Optional | Optional | Standard |
| Heated front seats | Standard | Standard | Standard |
| Ventilated front seats | Standard | Standard | Standard |
| Heated rear seats | Optional | Standard | Standard |
| Heated steering wheel | Standard | Standard | Standard |
| Leather seats | Optional | Standard | Standard |
| Remote start | Standard | Standard | Standard |
| Sunroof or moonroof | Standard | Standard | Standard |
| Panoramic roof | Standard | Standard | Standard |
| Power liftgate or tailgate | Standard | Standard | Standard |
| Blind-spot warning | Standard | Standard | Standard |
Features from Mercedes-Benz's 2027 equipment guide ("Optional": a package or option adds it); base price, seating and driver-assistance equipment from NHTSA's vehicle database (vPIC), as Mercedes-Benz reports it. "—": not verified in our sources. "Varies": standard on some versions of the trim.
Year by year
| Year | Engines | Drive | Fuel economy | Crash rating | Recalls | Owner complaints | Most-reported problem | CarPlay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 3.0L 6-cyl turbo, 375 hp 4.0L 8-cyl turbo, 510–603 hp | AWD | 16–21 mpg | Not rated | 0 | 19 | Unknown or other (7) | — |
| 2023 | 3.0L 6-cyl turbo, 362 hp 4.0L 8-cyl turbo, 483–603 hp | AWD | 16–20 mpg | Not rated | 0 | 10 | Service brakes (4) | — |
| 2022 | 3.0L 6-cyl turbo, 362 hp 4.0L 8-cyl turbo, 483–603 hp | 4WD, AWD | 15–20 mpg | Not rated | 0 | 16 | Forward collision avoidance (5) | — |
| 2021 | 3.0L 6-cyl turbo 4.0L 8-cyl turbo | 4WD | 16–21 mpg | Not rated | 0 | 37 | Electrical system (17) | — |
| 2020 | 3.0L 6-cyl turbo, 362 hp 4.0L 8-cyl turbo, 483 hp | 4WD | 18–21 mpg | Not rated | 0 | 38 | Electrical system (18) | — |
| 2019 | 3.0L 6-cyl turbo, 250–362 hp 4.7L 8-cyl turbo, 429 hp 5.5L 8-cyl turbo, 577 hp | 4WD | 15–18 mpg | Not rated | 0 | 28 | Unknown or other (6) | — |
| 2018 | 3.0L 6-cyl turbo, 250–362 hp 4.7L 8-cyl turbo, 429 hp 5.5L 8-cyl turbo, 577 hp | 4WD | 15–19 mpg | Not rated | 0 | 22 | Suspension (4) | — |
| 2017 | 3.0L 6-cyl turbo, 362 hp 4.7L 8-cyl turbo, 429 hp 5.5L 8-cyl turbo, 577 hp | 4WD | 14–19 mpg | Not rated | 0 | 42 | Unknown or other (10) | — |
Owner complaints are unverified reports to NHTSA, counted as filed: older years have had longer to collect them and sales aren't adjusted for, so see Which year to buy for a fair comparison. Most-reported problem: the component named in the most complaints that year. Sources: EPA, NHTSA, Apple.
Which years have…
Wireless Apple CarPlayApple CarPlay (wired or wireless)Wireless phone chargingHead-up displayThird row (7+ seats)Power liftgateLane centeringBlind-spot monitoring360-degree cameraHeated front seatsHeated second-row seatsVentilated (cooled) seatsHeated steering wheelLeather seatsRemote startSunroof or moonroofPanoramic roof
Every NHTSA-rated version: crash ratings, safety tech, recalls, complaints
| Year | Version | Stars | Forward collision warning | Lane departure warning | Recalls | Complaints |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Mercedes-Benz GLS SUV AWD | Not Rated | Standard | Optional | 0 | 19 |
| 2023 | Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class SUV AWD | Not Rated | Standard | Standard | 5 | 10 |
| 2022 | Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class SUV 4WD | Not Rated | Standard | No | 10 | 16 |
| 2021 | Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class SUV 4WD | Not Rated | Standard | No | 12 | 37 |
| 2020 | Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class SUV 4WD | Not Rated | Standard | No | 24 | 38 |
| 2019 | Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class SUV 4WD | Not Rated | Optional | Optional | 3 | 28 |
| 2018 | Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class SUV 4WD | Not Rated | Optional | Optional | 4 | 22 |
| 2017 | Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class SUV 4WD | Not Rated | Optional | Optional | 10 | 42 |
Source: NHTSA.
Every EPA-rated version: engines and combined mpg
| Year | EPA model | Engines | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | AMG GLS63 4matic Plus | Auto 9-spd, 8 cyl, 4.0 L, Turbo | 16 |
| 2024 | GLS450 4matic | Auto 9-spd, 6 cyl, 3.0 L, Turbo | 21 |
| 2024 | GLS580 4matic | Auto 9-spd, 8 cyl, 4.0 L, Turbo | 16 |
| 2024 | GLS600 4matic Maybach | Auto 9-spd, 8 cyl, 4.0 L, Turbo | 16 |
| 2023 | AMG GLS63 4matic Plus | Auto 9-spd, 8 cyl, 4.0 L, Turbo | 16 |
| 2023 | GLS450 4matic | Auto 9-spd, 6 cyl, 3.0 L, Turbo | 20 |
| 2023 | GLS580 4matic | Auto 9-spd, 8 cyl, 4.0 L, Turbo | 18 |
| 2023 | GLS600 4matic Maybach | Auto 9-spd, 8 cyl, 4.0 L, Turbo | 17 |
| 2022 | AMG GLS63 4matic Plus | Auto 9-spd, 8 cyl, 4.0 L, Turbo | 15 |
| 2022 | GLS450 4matic | Auto 9-spd, 6 cyl, 3.0 L, Turbo | 20 |
| 2022 | GLS580 4matic | Auto 9-spd, 8 cyl, 4.0 L, Turbo | 18 |
| 2022 | GLS600 4matic Maybach | Auto 9-spd, 8 cyl, 4.0 L, Turbo | 17 |
| 2021 | AMG GLS63 4matic Plus | Auto 9-spd, 8 cyl, 4.0 L, Turbo | 16 |
| 2021 | GLS450 4matic | Auto 9-spd, 6 cyl, 3.0 L, Turbo | 21 |
| 2021 | GLS580 4matic | Auto 9-spd, 8 cyl, 4.0 L, Turbo | 18 |
| 2021 | GLS600 4matic Maybach | Auto 9-spd, 8 cyl, 4.0 L, Turbo | 16 |
| 2020 | GLS450 4matic | Auto 9-spd, 6 cyl, 3.0 L, Turbo | 21 |
| 2020 | GLS580 4matic | Auto 9-spd, 8 cyl, 4.0 L, Turbo | 18 |
| 2019 | AMG GLS63 | Auto 7-spd, 8 cyl, 5.5 L, Turbo | 15 |
| 2019 | GLS450 4matic | Auto 9-spd, 6 cyl, 3.0 L, Turbo | 18 |
| 2019 | GLS550 4matic | Auto 9-spd, 8 cyl, 4.7 L, Turbo | 16 |
| 2018 | AMG GLS63 | Auto 7-spd, 8 cyl, 5.5 L, Turbo | 15 |
| 2018 | GLS450 4matic | Auto 9-spd, 6 cyl, 3.0 L, Turbo | 19 |
| 2018 | GLS550 4matic | Auto 9-spd, 8 cyl, 4.7 L, Turbo | 16 |
| 2017 | AMG GLS63 | Auto 7-spd, 8 cyl, 5.5 L, Turbo | 14 |
| 2017 | GLS450 4matic | Auto 9-spd, 6 cyl, 3.0 L, Turbo | 19 |
| 2017 | GLS550 4matic | Auto 9-spd, 8 cyl, 4.7 L, Turbo | 16 |
Source: fueleconomy.gov.