Initially launched as the GL in 2006 and renamed the GLS for 2017, it has been steadily chipping away at the marketspace long dominated by the domestics such as the Cadillac Escalade, Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban, Ford Expedition, and GMC Yukon. Those domestic entries have evolved from pickup-truck-based SUVs to properly civilized machines in their latest generation. A couple years ago the Lincoln Navigator received a massive update, and the new generation of the Escalade, Tahoe, Suburban, and Yukon will have independent rear suspensions that add much-needed third-row space. Those General Motors SUVs haven't arrived yet, so we'll simplify matters and pit the BMW against the Mercedes to see how they stack up.
The Matchup
Although both Mercedes and BMW sell smaller SUVs with third rows, the promise in this segment is a combination of luxury and space for up to seven people. Both the X7 and the GLS offer available heated seats and automatic climate control in their third rows. (That's five zones of separate temperature control.) It also means sufficient stretch-out space for the rearmost area to be used in more than just a pinch and for more than just small children, plus there's space for cargo even when that back row is occupied.
The X7 and GLS we're testing here are the entry-level six-cylinder models—the X7 xDrive40i and GLS450 4Matic. Both start in the $75,000 neighborhood and can be optioned until they soar past $100K. Our test vehicles came well equipped, bringing their prices to $85,445 for the BMW and $96,835 for the Mercedes. The V-8–powered models, the X7 xDrive50i and the GLS580, start near $100,000 and continue the climb from there.
On the Road
These two vehicles largely deliver on our expectations for speed, comfort, and sophistication at this lofty price point. The GLS is refined and comfortable no matter what driving mode it's in. Even in Comfort mode, it can hustle without feeling floaty. In contrast, an X7 in Comfort mode is softened to the point that its body motions are bothersome. But selecting Adaptive or the Sport setting cinches up those movements considerably. Think raised S-class and 7-series wagons and you won't be far off. In fact, it's easy to forget the size and mass and find yourself driving both of them much faster than you realize or intend to.
As in many BMWs, the X7's steering is somewhat numb and disconnected. We thought we liked the GLS's far better until we drove them back to back and found the Mercedes's to be only slightly better. On big impacts, the GLS will send an occasional quiver through its structure, and the giant wheels send more noise and vibes into the cabin over broken roads. The X7 is resolutely solid. The GLS also exhibited odd body undulations over rough sections of roads, almost like they were tripping up its active, hydraulic-and-air suspension, called E-Active Body Control, a $6500 option. Perhaps the base air-spring suspension would do better in this regard. But E-Active Body Control also enables bounce mode, which is always a crowd pleaser, and also the possibility to lean into turns in three different intensities, but that sensation just feels strange in practice.
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