2022 Mercedes-Benz GLS vs 2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe

The 2022 Mercedes-Benz GLS in its base GLS 450 form presented a more subtle and less flashy appearance compared to its competitors like the Cadillac Escalade, Land Rover Range Rover, or Lincoln Navigator. Mercedes avoided a gaudy grille, unlike the BMW X7 or Lexus LX. However, other GLS models offered more visual drama. The AMG GLS 63 performance model featured flared wheel arches, a muscular grille, prominent rectangular exhaust tips, and AMG-specific 21-inch wheels. The Maybach version was adorned with chrome everywhere, including the grille, window trim, and front-bumper mesh, and came with a traditional hood ornament and power running boards, available with massive 23-inch wheels.

Inside, the Maybach model offered added luxuries like reclining rear seats, while the AMG version had a performance-oriented interior with stainless steel trim and heavily bolstered Nappa leather seats. The Air Balance Package perfume spritzer was also an option. Our test car had a basic interior by GLS standards but still looked luxurious with leather upholstery, a panoramic roof, and ambient lighting. The digital instrument cluster and infotainment touchscreen housed under one piece of glass were well integrated, making the GLS 450’s interior feel appropriate for a luxury SUV.

The 2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe lineup expanded to six trim levels, including the base trim, 30th Anniversary, Trailhawk, Overland, Summit, and Summit Reserve. Prices started at $61,660, with the Summit Reserve costing $80,320 before upgrades. Our test vehicle in the Trailhawk trim level included a panoramic sunroof, Luxury Tech Group II, and Advanced ProTech Group II, bringing the MSRP to $72,630. The Grand Cherokee Trailhawk 4xe was identifiable by its sky blue exterior detailing, matte-black hood decal, unique wheels with all-terrain tires, and the Trail Rated badge.

Despite its high price, the Grand Cherokee Trailhawk 4xe’s interior fell short of expectations. There was too much plastic, including gloss black surfaces that attracted dust and fingerprints. The leather and artificial suede upholstery were nice, but the overall interior leaned too much on shiny and fancy elements rather than substance and quality. The glossy surfaces made some controls hard to read, and other controls were difficult to see while driving. However, the steering wheel controls were easy to see and use, and the radio tuning and stereo volume controls on the back of the steering wheel spokes were a delight to use.

The 2022 Mercedes-Benz GLS 450 featured a 3.0-liter turbocharged inline six-cylinder engine paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission and Mercedes’ EQ Boost mild-hybrid system. The gasoline engine produced 362 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque, with an electric motor adding 21 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque in short bursts. The electric motor also served as the starter and powered most accessories, reducing the engine’s workload. The GLS 450’s six-cylinder engine provided ample power, and the electric assist was well integrated. The inline-six engine offered better balance and smoothness compared to V6 engines, making it a perfect fit for a luxury vehicle.

However, the GLS 450’s suspension lacked the refinement expected from a luxury car. Despite the standard air suspension, which could raise and lower the ride height and negate impacts from potholes, the test car exhibited poor body control, bouncing over bumps and leaning in corners. The GLS 450 had a maximum towing capacity of 7,700 pounds, which was competitive but not the highest in its class. The Lexus LX and Lincoln Navigator offered higher towing capacities of up to 8,000 and 8,700 pounds, respectively.

The 2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe combined a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with a 17.3-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack and an 8-speed automatic transmission with an integrated 100-kilowatt electric motor. Together, these components produced 375 horsepower and 470 pound-feet of torque, with a towing capacity of up to 6,000 pounds. The Trailhawk had a standard four-wheel-drive system with a two-speed transfer case, Selec-Terrain technology, and a height-adjustable air suspension with semi-active damping, providing 10.9 inches of maximum ground clearance.

The Grand Cherokee 4xe offered an EPA-estimated 25 miles of all-electric range and 23 mpg in combined driving. However, during testing, the vehicle traveled only 21.2 miles on electric power before the gasoline engine turned on. After expending the battery’s energy, the Grand Cherokee Trailhawk 4xe averaged 19.3 mpg in the Auto driving mode. The gas engine sounded unrefined when revving, and the drivetrain power delivery was uneven due to torque surges. The regenerative braking system made it hard to stop smoothly, and body lean was evident in higher-speed curves. However, the Trailhawk provided quick acceleration in Hybrid mode, impressive ride quality, and confidence in urban and suburban areas.

The 2022 Mercedes-Benz GLS came standard with a seven-seat configuration, featuring a 60/40 split-folding second-row bench seat and two third-row seats. An optional six-seat version replaced the second-row bench with individual captain’s chairs. The second-row seats could slide forward and fold for access to the third row, and the standard bench seat could slide fore and aft as one piece, increasing legroom by 3.4 inches. The GLS offered 17.4 cubic feet of cargo space with all seats in place, expanding to 42.7 cubic feet with the third row folded and 84.7 cubic feet with both the second and third rows folded.

The GLS’ cargo space was slightly behind larger competitors like the Cadillac Escalade and Lincoln Navigator. However, Mercedes made loading and unloading cargo easy with one-touch power-folding second-row and third-row seats and a power tailgate. The air suspension could also lower to facilitate loading. Despite a few ergonomic issues, such as the touchscreen being too far away and the center console grab handles having no obvious purpose, the GLS was well equipped to move people and cargo.

The 2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe Trailhawk trim featured eight-way power-adjustable front seats wrapped in leather and artificial suede, with heating and ventilation. The interior was available only in black. The front seats were firm and relatively flat, and the rear seat cushion was low and lacked support. Rear legroom was tight, and the protruding plastic hooks on the front seatbacks could dig into knees. The Grand Cherokee offered 37.7 cubic feet of cargo space behind the back seat, expanding to 70.8 cubic feet with the back seat folded down, which was small for a midsize SUV.

The 2022 Mercedes-Benz GLS came with the Mercedes-Benz User Experience (MBUX) infotainment system, featuring a 12.3-inch touchscreen, 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto connectivity, navigation, SiriusXM satellite radio, and natural-language voice recognition. A 13-speaker Burmester audio system was standard, while a head-up display was optional. The voice recognition system, responding to “Hey Mercedes,” was the easiest to use, understanding normal speech better than most systems. The touchscreen and instrument cluster had good-looking graphics, but the navigation system had some issues, such as suggesting a route that would have added an hour to a trip.

The 2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe Trailhawk trim included a 10.3-inch digital instrumentation panel, a 10.3-inch front passenger infotainment screen, and a 10.1-inch touchscreen infotainment system. The Uconnect 5 technology offered wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, SiriusXM satellite radio, navigation, Jeep Connect services, and an Alpine premium sound system. The user interface was simple and straightforward, but the low-contrast graphics made the display appear washed out. The voice recognition system was average, and the digital instrumentation could be configured to suit preferences. The Trailhawk also had a 10.3-inch infotainment screen for the front passenger, supporting Bluetooth, USB, and HDMI connectivity.

The 2022 Mercedes-Benz GLS came with standard safety features, including forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, a driver-attention monitor, automatic high beams, blind-spot monitoring, a surround-view camera system, Crosswind Assist, parking assist, and Pre Safe. Optional features included adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, second-row side airbags, and advanced driver-assistance features like Active Steering Assist, Evasive Steering Assist, Active Lane Change Assist, Trailer Stability Assist, Active Blind Spot Assist, and Active Emergency Stop Assist. Crash-test ratings from the IIHS and NHTSA were not available at the time of publication.

The 2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe came with adaptive cruise control, forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, and a reversing camera with rear parking sensors. The Trailhawk added an active blind-spot monitoring system, intersection assist, a surround-view camera, front parking sensors, automatic reverse braking, and a Night Vision system. Jeep Active Drive, a semi-autonomous driving assistance system, was available on some versions but not the Trailhawk. The NHTSA gave the Grand Cherokee 4xe a five-star overall rating, with a four-star rating for driver protection in a frontal-impact collision. The IIHS awarded the 2023 Grand Cherokee a Top Safety Pick+ rating, but this did not specifically include the 4xe plug-in hybrid powertrain.