Rent a Mercedes GLS in Dubai
Rent a Mercedes gls class in Dubai at the Best Market Rates - No Commission!
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Seven adults, all of them comfortable, plus a boot that still takes a few cases behind the third row: that's the one thing the GLS does that almost nothing else in this class manages. So if you've been weighing up whether to rent a Mercedes GLS in Dubai or split a big group across two cars, this is the page that settles it. We hand it over with insurance and unlimited mileage already in the rate, which matters on a car this size because the airport runs and the Abu Dhabi days add up fast. The argument here is straightforward. For a genuine seven-up family or group, the GLS is the right call. For anything less, you're paying to move empty seats.
Does the third row actually fit adults
This is the whole reason the GLS exists, so it's worth being honest about. The third row in a GLS is one of the very few in any luxury SUV where a grown adult can sit back there for a real journey, not just the dash from the hotel to the restaurant. There's proper head and knee room, the seats sit at a sensible height rather than knees-to-chest, and the second row slides to share legroom out. Two adults in the back for the Hatta drive or the airport loop is fine, not a compromise you apologise for.
Compare that to the GLE, which is the car a lot of renters confuse it with. The GLE offers a third row too, but it's an occasional one: kids, or adults for a short hop, knees up. If your group is six or seven actual adults, the GLE quietly becomes a five-seater with two unhappy people in the boot. The GLS doesn't make you have that conversation.
Boot space with all seven seats up
The follow-on question, and the one that catches people out, is luggage when the car is full. With all three rows in use the GLS keeps roughly 355 litres behind the back seats. That's enough for a few cabin bags and some soft luggage, a real grocery run, or the day's beach and pool gear for the family. It is not enough for seven people each arriving at DXB with a large check-in case. Nothing with a usable third row is.
The trick is matching the load to the seats you need. Drop the third row and you're near 890 litres, which swallows a proper holiday's worth of suitcases for five. Fold both rear rows flat and you're at well over 2,000 litres, van territory, for moving furniture or kit. So for a family of five flying in for a week, the GLS is generous. For seven adults plus seven big cases off the same flight, plan a luggage transfer or step up the conversation with us before you book, because the maths doesn't bend.
GLS, GLE or a V-Class: pick by the job
Three cars get asked about for the same trip, so here's the split.
Take the GLS when you have a real seven-seat group and you want them all in luxury, with the boot doing useful work behind them. School run plus a desert weekend, a multi-generation family visit, a wedding party that wants to arrive properly. This is its job and nothing does it better in the segment.
Drop to the GLE if your usual load is five and the back two seats are a now-and-then thing. The GLE is shorter, easier in a Marina tower car park, lighter on fuel, and still every bit a Mercedes inside. For a couple or a family of four who occasionally need two more seats, the GLE is the smarter rental and you stop paying for length you rarely use.
Go to a V-Class instead if the trip is pure people-moving: eight aboard, airport shuttles, a tour group, luggage stacked in the back. The V-Class carries more bodies and more bags than the GLS and the doors slide for kerbside access. What it doesn't give you is the GLS cabin or the way it drives, so if comfort and the badge are part of the point, the GLS wins. If it's logistics, the van wins.
Living with the size, and the fuel
The GLS is a big car, close to 5.2 metres, and you feel that in older multi-storey bays and tight valet lanes. In practice it's easier than the numbers suggest: the cameras give you a clear overhead view, the air suspension on the V8 cars settles it nicely on Sheikh Zayed Road, and on the open highway to Abu Dhabi it's quiet and unbothered. Long, hot days are where it earns the rate, and the climate control cools the whole three-row cabin fast even after the car's been sitting in a surface lot at 45 degrees.
The honest caveat is fuel. The GLS 580 runs a mild-hybrid V8 and it's thirsty, especially around town, so a week of city driving and a couple of Al Ain or Hatta runs means more fuel stops than a diesel SUV would. Mileage is unlimited in our rate, so the distance itself costs you nothing, but plan the stops on a long day with the family aboard.
How we hand it over
We bring the GLS to your hotel, villa or the DXB and DWC terminal, run the walk-around with you, and point out the row-folding and the third-row controls so nobody's wrestling a seat at the kerb. Delivery and collection across Dubai are free, the Salik tag is fitted, and insurance plus unlimited mileage are already in the rate. Visitors need a passport, a home-country licence, and an International Driving Permit if that licence isn't in English or Arabic. Residents bring a UAE licence and Emirates ID. If you're travelling with kids, tell us how many child seats you need when you book and we'll have them fitted before we arrive.
FAQ — Common Questions Answered.
Can adults really sit in the GLS third row for a long drive?
Yes, and that's the main reason to rent this one over a GLE. The GLS gives the back row genuine head and knee room, with the second row sliding forward to share legroom, so two adults can ride there comfortably on a run to Hatta or Abu Dhabi. It sits them at a normal seat height rather than knees-to-chest. For a true seven-adult group, it's one of the few luxury SUVs that doesn't turn the back seats into a punishment.
How much luggage fits with all seven seats up?
You keep around 355 litres behind the third row, which holds a few cabin bags, soft luggage or a full grocery and beach load for the day. It won't take seven large suitcases off one flight, because no usable seven-seater can. Drop the third row and you're near 890 litres, enough for five people's holiday cases. If you're seven adults each with a big case from DXB, talk to us first so we can plan the luggage rather than have it not fit at the kerb.
Should I rent the GLS or the GLE?
Rent the GLS if you regularly carry six or seven people and want them all in real comfort with luggage room behind. Choose the GLE if your normal load is five and the rear two seats are only an occasional need, because it's smaller, easier to park in Dubai towers, and lighter on fuel. The GLE's third row suits kids or short adult hops, not long journeys. Match the car to how many seats you actually fill most days.
Is the GLS expensive on fuel for the Abu Dhabi or Al Ain run?
It uses a fair bit, yes. The GLS 580's mild-hybrid V8 is thirsty in city driving and only eases off a little at a steady highway cruise, so a long day to Al Ain, Abu Dhabi or Hatta with the car full will mean a fuel stop or two more than a diesel SUV. Mileage is unlimited in our rate, so the kilometres themselves cost nothing extra. Just factor the fuel into a big road day and you'll have no surprises.
Can I take the rented GLS to other Emirates or into Oman?
You can drive the GLS freely anywhere in the UAE, from the Abu Dhabi commute to a weekend in the northern Emirates, with nothing extra needed. It's a strong long-distance car for a full group and the Salik tag is already fitted for the gates. Taking it into Oman is separate and needs cross-border insurance arranged in advance, so let us know before pickup if Oman is on the plan. Give us a day's notice and we'll sort the paperwork.