Ferrari 488 vs Mercedes-Benz GLS

What's the difference?

James Cleary road tests and reviews the new Ferrari 488 Spider with specs, fuel consumption and verdict.

It’s almost inevitable. Tell someone you’re a motoring journo and the first question will be, ‘So, what’s the best car you’ve ever driven?’ 

Without getting into an esoteric analysis of what the word 'best' actually means in this context, it’s clear people want you to nominate your favourite. The fastest, the fanciest, the car you’ve enjoyed the most; the one that’s delivered a clearly superior experience.

And if I enter the room of mirrors (where you can always take a good hard look at yourself) the answer is clear. From the thousands of cars I’ve had the privilege of sliding my backside into, the best so far is Ferrari’s 458 Italia, an impossibly pure combination of dynamic brilliance, fierce acceleration, howling soundtrack and flawless beauty.

So, the opportunity to steer the open-roof Spider version of its successor, the 488, is a significant one. By rights, the best should be about to get better. But does it?

It’s fair to say Mercedes-AMG GLS63 buyers really want it all; good looks, cutting-edge technology, seven-seat practicality, leading safety and V8 performance to name a few key desirables. And, lucky for them, the new model is finally here.

Yep, the latest GLS63 is yet another exercise in excess, leaving very little to be desired by its buyers. Indeed, it ticks almost every box when it comes to a utility vehicle that well and truly puts the sports in Sports Utility Vehicle.

But, of course, this raises questions over whether or not the GLS63 is trying to do too much. And given this model does a whole lot more than its predecessor, these questions need to be answered again. Read on.