GLS

With its biggest GLS, Mercedes defends its luxury-SUV territory with grace.

Power fold from the rear cargo area keeps it easy, and the 17.4 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third row is enough to hold the gear for a youth sports weekend. The 64-way ambient lighting underlining the gorgeous wood dash and stretching out to the door panels and sills reminds me of a basement discotheque in Europe’s capital cities. It grows to 42.7 cubic feet with the third row folded. The only downside is you have to hold the button for the full return. For $4,350, Mercedes will paint the otherwise black wheel arches the same color as the body and upgrade the standard 20-inch wheels to 21-inch five-spoke AMG wheels. With a towing capacity of 7,700 lb, the unibody SUV is nearly as capable as its truck-based rivals, and it’s more manageable and more luxurious while still allowing plenty of space for six with second-row captain’s chairs like my tester. It makes 362 hp and the 369 lb-ft of torque comes on as early as 1,600 rpm. At the onset of the 2022 model year, Mercedes withheld its twin-turbo V-8 engines due to the double whammy of supply constraints and chip shortages. The bold and the beautiful still airs on the 2022 Mercedes-Benz GLS 450. Still, the GLS 450 is more efficient than the new Lexus LX 600 or larger Lincoln Navigator. With winter receding, however, the roughest roads still rocked those 23-inch wheels on my tester. It’s remarkable that the GLS costs the same as its American-made rivals.