2024 Mercedes-Benz Maybach GLS

The GLS is Mercedes-Benz's largest SUV, but well-heeled customers can push the bounds of premium luxury even further with the Maybach GLS 600. With a price tag in the $175,000 range, it costs twice as much as the standard GLS, ensuring a higher level of exclusivity. For the money, you get a more stately appearance and an interior that rivals those assembled by Bentley and Rolls-Royce. This year, the big Maybach receives a minor nip-and-tuck but otherwise returns in the same exquisite form as before.

The "regular" GLS is already an impressively luxurious SUV. Adding the Maybach touch doesn't just raise its prominence with a distinctive grille and available two-tone paint scheme, it also upgrades the interior with a slew of noticeable improvements. The quality of materials, from the supple leather surfaces to the rich wood trim, makes a strong impression, while the smooth ride quality will fool you into thinking the vehicle is floating rather than rolling. Add in Mercedes' excellent technology features and the Maybach is nearly unassailable, as pointed out in our Expert Rating below.

At this level of luxury and price, there are few SUVs that could be considered a rival to the Maybach GLS. The Bentley Bentayga costs more and boasts one of the plushest interiors on the road, and the even pricier extended-wheelbase version is a better match to the Maybach since its rear legroom is comparable. The Rolls-Royce Cullinan takes old-school luxury to its zenith but costs twice as much as the Maybach. Closer to Earth, the Land Rover Range Rover is impressive for its off-road abilities while the BMW Alpina B7 makes a strong impression with its effortless performance. In the last year, however, the all-electric Maybach EQS SUV thoroughly impressed us and is quiet as a crypt on the highway.