The luxurious GLE holds its own in many ways with its quiet interior, impressive fit and finish, supportive seats, and strong engine. But the SUV's distracting controls and lackluster handling might drive shoppers to consider competitors such as the BMW X5.
Ride comfort is a traditional Mercedes-Benz strong suit and, most of the time, the GLE's stately ride absorbs bumps well. But at low speeds on rough pavement, there's an unbecoming jiggle that can be felt in the cabin, and a floating feeling over slight rises when traveling at highway speeds.
The GLE is a large, substantial vehicle and feels heavy in corners, mostly because the steering is slow to respond and the noticeable body roll. Its handling is sound, but the GLE lacks the sporty experience found in the BMW X5, for example.
Power delivery from the GLE 450's turbocharged six-cylinder engine is plentiful. But not all shifts by the nine-speed automatic are smooth. This is particularly evident when slowing down and the transmission shifts into a lower gear. The standard 2.0-liter turbo four cylinder that comes on the GLE 350 is no slouch but at low speeds sounds less polished than the V6.
We got 20 mpg overall with our GLE 450. The GLE has a 48-volt mild-hybrid system that makes the stop/start function work smoothly. Base GLEs come with a turbocharged four-cylinder engine that might get slightly better fuel economy.
The GLE has the extremely quiet, well-appointed cabin one would expect from this brand at this price. The front seats are very comfortable and supportive for long drives. We appreciate the number of ways the seats could be adjusted, and their optional massage feature and heated armrests are opulent indulgences.
Even the generous cargo area has high-quality carpeting and plastic panels, which almost discourages owners from throwing any gear back there.
It's pretty easy to get in and out of the GLE's cabin, but the optional running boards are awkwardly located. They end up forcing passengers to either take an unnaturally wide step to avoid them, or hit their calves on them when exiting.
The controls present a real roadblock, and were unanimously scorned by the staff for being unintuitive and distracting to use. Many functions are buried deep in multi-level menus; for example, it takes a vexing six steps to adjust the lumbar support on the front seats.
Drivers can use a touchpad between the seats or tiny touch-sensitive buttons on the steering wheel (think of the buttons on old Blackberry phones) to interact with the audio, phone, and navigation features in the infotainment system. It's easy to accidentally brush either of the pads, which can change the center screen, the gauges, or both at inopportune moments. Even though the screen responds to the touch, it's too far away for drivers to comfortably use when driving.
The voice commands and Apple CarPlay compatibility can alleviate some of this frustration, but overall, this is an example of high-tech gone awry. Most other luxury brands have a more seamless user interface. Android Auto isn't available.
Standard advanced safety equipment includes forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, and blind spot warning. There is also an optional package that includes partial automation capability, which can maintain and vary the GLE's speed as well as keep it in its lane.