3 Best Mercedes-Benz SUVs for Fall Road Trips from Plano
October in North Texas earns its reputation as drive-somewhere season. The triple-digit heat has finally lifted, the Sam Rayburn Tollway opens up past Frisco, and there’s enough daylight left after work on a Friday to be deep into the Hill Country by midnight. Buyers and returning clients rarely ask us which Mercedes-Benz SUV is best in the abstract. They ask which one fits *this* trip, five people and a full cargo hold, or two people and a light bag, or a family that needs a third row to keep the peace before they cross the county line.
Our ranking rests on three verifiable numbers. Cargo space with seats up, EPA highway fuel economy, and passenger capacity. We’ll name one real tradeoff for each. The overall pick for most Plano drivers heading out this fall is the 2026 GLE, and we’ll show exactly why, and where it falls short.
The Rankings at a Glance
| Rank | Pick | Best For | Standout Spec |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GLE 450 4MATIC® | The versatile fall road-trip default | 33.3-74.9 cu ft cargo; 7,700-lb tow rating |
| 2 | GLC 300 4MATIC® | Couples and light packers who want efficiency | EPA-estimated 31 mpg highway |
| 3 | GLS 450 4MATIC® | Three-row families, no compromise on space | 84.7 cu ft max cargo; 7 standard seats |
No. 1. GLE 450 4MATIC®: The One That Fits Most Trips
The GLE lands at the top because it gives up nothing important, even where it doesn’t win a single category outright. Mercedes-Benz lists the cargo capacity of the 2026 GLE at 33.3 cubic feet with the second row upright, enough for four proper bags and a cooler, and up to 74.9 cubic feet when that row folds flat. Towing capacity on 4MATIC® trims reaches 7,700 pounds, which matters if you’re pulling a boat toward Possum Kingdom or a camper toward the Guadalupe.
Powertrain is where the 450 settles longer drives. The 3.0-liter inline-six with EQ Boost produces 375 horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque, and its mild-hybrid architecture recovers energy through braking rather than forcing a stop to recharge. The EPA rates the GLE 450 4MATIC® at 25 mpg highway. Mid-pack by class standards, and we won’t pretend otherwise. A 17.4-gallon fill on the GLC stretches noticeably further per stop. On a sustained I-35 corridor run, though, where you’re trading off between an eight-hour drive and a six-stop gas-station crawl, the GLE’s powertrain composure matters as much as the number.
Fall rewards a couple of GLE standards in particular. The standard MBUX Superscreen runs 4th-generation software with AI voice assistance and over-the-air updates, which means navigation adapts to live traffic without you managing it. The standard panoramic roof floods the cabin with that October light in a way that makes five hours feel like three.
Explore the 2026 GLE on our lot
Name the tradeoff plainly. 33.3 cubic feet behind the second row is competitive, though hardly spacious. Load five passengers and serious luggage and you’ll feel the constraint. The GLS earns its keep there.
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No. 2. GLC 300 4MATIC®: The Efficient Two-Person Drive
The GLC is the right call for a two-person trip, and it deserves more credit than its size suggests. For a couple heading to Fredericksburg for a long weekend, it’s the correct answer. The EPA rates the 2026 GLC 300 4MATIC® at 31 mpg on the highway, and against the GLE 450’s 25 mpg, that gap is real.
Over a 400-mile round trip south on I-35, it adds up to a meaningful difference in fuel stops.
Cargo runs to 21.9 cubic feet behind the rear seats. Enough for two proper carry-ons and a weekend’s worth of gear. Not enough for four passengers on a week-long trip. Know your use case.
A 255-horsepower turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder moves the GLC briskly through the hills west of Austin. It gives up the GLE’s silky inline-six, and you notice on a sustained pass maneuver at highway speed. Our team has driven both extensively on the Tollway and the adjacent US-75 corridor. The GLC rewards a driver who’s moving at a measured pace and wants precision. The GLE rewards the driver who wants to arrive without effort.
No. 3. GLS 450 4MATIC®: Three Rows, No Apology
The GLS is the only Mercedes-Benz SUV in the lineup with standard seven-passenger seating, and it makes no pretense of being compact. At 205 inches in length, it parks like a decision. Behind that third row, you still get 17.4 cubic feet of cargo space. Fold the third row and that expands to 42.7 cubic feet. Fold everything and you’re at 84.7 cubic feet, the kind of number that ends packing negotiations.
The GLS 450’s standard powertrain is a 3.0-liter inline-six with mild-hybrid EQ Boost producing 375 horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque, and the EPA estimates 24 mpg on the highway. Slightly behind the GLE on highway efficiency, meaningfully ahead of the V8-powered GLS 580.
- Seven standard adult seats with real rear legroom, not the “technically three rows” reality of optional-third-row SUVs
- Standard 4MATIC® all-wheel drive across the lineup
- 84.7 cubic feet of maximum cargo capacity, the most in the Mercedes-Benz SUV range
- Available Burmester* High-End 3D Surround Sound System for long-drive listening
- Air suspension standard, which keeps the ride composed over varied Texas pavement
The tradeoff is worth naming plainly. The GLS is wider and longer than the GLE and GLC, which matters the moment you’re hunting for parking in a historic Texas small town square. Marble Falls and Fredericksburg were not designed for a 79.9-inch-wide vehicle. If most of your fall trip is open highway and a destination with real parking, it’s irrelevant. Plan spontaneous stops in the older parts of San Antonio, and you’ll notice every inch of it.
Which One Is Actually Right for You
Three questions settle it for most Plano buyers we work through this with, and the first one does most of the sorting. How many people are coming? Three rows needed means the GLS, full stop. Two passengers, light bags, a Hill Country destination, and the GLC earns its efficiency advantage. Everyone else, five passengers, mixed cargo, open road, belongs in the GLE.
The 2026 GLE 450 4MATIC® stays our team’s consistent recommendation for fall road trips out of the Plano area, and the reasoning is simple math. 33.3 cubic feet of cargo with seats up, 74.9 folded, 375 horsepower, a 7,700-pound tow rating, and an MBUX Superscreen that handles navigation without asking you to think about it. All of that covers the realistic fall trip from the Dallas North Tollway to wherever October takes you.
Come see how the three compare in person. We’re on the Dallas Parkway, and we keep the full GLE, GLC, and GLS lineup on our lot.
*Burmester is a registered trademark of Burmester Audiosysteme GmbH, Berlin, Germany*
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