Going Head to Toe To Toe With A $155K Mercedes-Benz AMG GLS63

2-21-24 Photo Feature
2024 Mercedes Benz AMG GLS63

The thrill of full-throttle performance to be found in the 2024 Mercedes-Benz AMG GLS63 can be quite enticing; intoxicating even, if that weren’t such a careless use of a metaphor. Hopefully though, it’s enough to make up for some of this vehicle’s shortcomings, or should we say picadillos since everything opulent is writ large with this model.

Our week with this uber muscular premium SUV was defined less by its overt power and luxury than by its needless excesses and oddities. One could start with its $155,200 price tag – a mere trifle to some buyers, we suppose.

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RPM News Weekly Photos by Rich Taber

Granted, all that glitters about this vehicle may only be half the story, knowing that the reasons for its uncommon interior quietness and stellar on-road dynamics are hidden from view, and contribute substantially to its six-figure MSRP. Nevertheless, we could name three vehicles that collectively barely exceed that dollar figure and would match many features while making their owners perfectly happy, too.

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In any case, the foremost questions we found ourselves asking were these:

• Are the power and prestige that a handcrafted hybrid assisted AMG 4.0-liter biturbo engine offers worth the EPA estimated annual fuel cost of $4,050? Our guess is that the expense is actually going to be higher in real world driving. Why? Well, for us, on a 9-mile drive, mostly Interstate highway, we achieved a paltry 13.9 mpg. (see photo). This is well below the EPA combined rating of 16 mpg. Even so, the EPA figure equates to using 6.2 gallons of gasoline for every 100 miles. How does one justify that in these times when it’s critical for all of us to lower our CO2 footprints? Or, when Mercedes-Benz has a much more enviro-friendly alternative in the EQS SUV?

• Next, how is it that a $155K model with nearly every winter-ready feature one could ask for not have a heated steering wheel? Yes, the website says that feature is standard, but it was not to be found in the test vehicle we drove. After much research, we concluded that the $600 credit listed on the Monroney sticker was likely for this omission and that there possibly was a supply chain issue getting some part for the feature. Regardless, the blank spot on the steering column where the switch should be led us to wonder whether the steering wheel itself was still equipped with the necessary heating element and that it was just the switchgear that was missing, or perhaps an entirely different steering wheel was installed.

• Speaking of the steering wheel, to what extent did the design engineers examine the level of distracted driving involved in managing the umpteen functions laid out across and around the steering wheel? In a nutshell, we think it’s excessive. Just look at the photo. Then read the manual. There are even more than meets the eye! Should we suppose that if we’ve managed to set up all the amazing safety technology correctly, we won’t need to worry about being distracted?

One more thing, redundancy is a good idea and certainly to be appreciated in the multiple ways there are to lower the rear seats in the GLS63, both electronically and manually. But the use of blazing red straps instead of integrated color coordinated latches is puzzling. Is this, too, a safety feature for emergencies? Have we answered our own question? Is this all part of the intricate layers of detail that go into making a $155,200 vehicle?

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