Discussion
The new GLE looks like a great all rounder, 7 seats, plenty of space, decent price and range of engines. One issue is on the online configurator there seems to be a real lack of interior options - is this simply the RHD market? Basically seems you're limited to black leather... and that's it?
I had one for the day and prepped this review below:
The vehicle I have is a 19 GLE300D Premium Plus with driving assistance pack.
I believe it is in Hyacinth red but please correct me if I am wrong!
I will hopefully try and answer queries below and took a good selection of pics I will upload later today.
Engine and ride
The engine feels very refined, smooth and is actually quite punchy. On the move it feels deceptively quicker than on paper,however, it does feel a tad sluggish in my view from standstill. It can be a little raucous when in sport and accelerating hard but then it is a 4 pot diesel so to be expected. General driving it is actually very quiet and picks the relevant gears to minimise cabin noise.
The ride is compliant and not too bouncy. It drives like my Cayenne on the air in Comfort mode with standard ride height. It doesn’t feel too wallowy in corner but does have some roll as to be expected.
Interior
I immediately noticed some of the poorer quality plastics on the lower panels which is a shame as the rest of the cabin feels well built and finished to a high standard. I particularly like the trim and stitching around grab handles and climate control.
The display is crisp and clear and very easy to use. The buttons feel solid and make a nice click when pressed.
The nappa leather is soft (not quite as soft as my Porsche) but the seats for me did not offer enough bolster or lumbar support. My wife felt they were very supportive but I am much larger than her so maybe that’s the problem? Also I have sports seats in my Cayenne and the Performance seats in the C43 so a tad unfair to compare?
On the seat front...I fitted in the third row with my wife in front and I am 6 foot! My head touched the roof lining so could only do a short journey in there!
I was not sold on the ash trim. It looked good until you touch it. It feels very cheap and has a plastic sound when you tap it. If it was my choice I would have carbon (not released yet except on 53) so would stick with gloss black or alu.
Memory seats are very easy to use and worked when driving, I have not tested comfort access. The massage seats felt strange to me but never had or used before, not something I would use on a daily basis.
The air balance package was not overpowering or overwhelming. It was noticeable in the cabin but pleasant. The energising bits etc on the tech I could not see myself using in reality. Massage relaxing etc...
The 360 camera was fab but the sensors were
overly sensitive (maybe you can change this) I found I tried on my eyes over the red areas and beeping!
No HUD on this model
‘Hey Mercedes’ was a show stopper. Intuitive, quick and precise. Navy was easy to use and augmented view a great addition.
I did did not use parking systems unfortunately as had no need to. I do like the blind spot assistance but other driving features I generally turn off.
I was surprised with the Burmester As have heard criticisms. I have this as a £4K upgrade in my Cayenne and it was in my view just as good. It is worth any extra cost purely for the speaker grilles!!
Overall its a great car and in the 300D form would be more than dynamic for everyday driving. For me I would want air ride and larger wheels along with more supportive seats so would have to be an AMG for me not just an AMG Line. But for a very practical family suv with lots of tech it is perfect.
The vehicle I have is a 19 GLE300D Premium Plus with driving assistance pack.
I believe it is in Hyacinth red but please correct me if I am wrong!
I will hopefully try and answer queries below and took a good selection of pics I will upload later today.
Engine and ride
The engine feels very refined, smooth and is actually quite punchy. On the move it feels deceptively quicker than on paper,however, it does feel a tad sluggish in my view from standstill. It can be a little raucous when in sport and accelerating hard but then it is a 4 pot diesel so to be expected. General driving it is actually very quiet and picks the relevant gears to minimise cabin noise.
The ride is compliant and not too bouncy. It drives like my Cayenne on the air in Comfort mode with standard ride height. It doesn’t feel too wallowy in corner but does have some roll as to be expected.
Interior
I immediately noticed some of the poorer quality plastics on the lower panels which is a shame as the rest of the cabin feels well built and finished to a high standard. I particularly like the trim and stitching around grab handles and climate control.
The display is crisp and clear and very easy to use. The buttons feel solid and make a nice click when pressed.
The nappa leather is soft (not quite as soft as my Porsche) but the seats for me did not offer enough bolster or lumbar support. My wife felt they were very supportive but I am much larger than her so maybe that’s the problem? Also I have sports seats in my Cayenne and the Performance seats in the C43 so a tad unfair to compare?
On the seat front...I fitted in the third row with my wife in front and I am 6 foot! My head touched the roof lining so could only do a short journey in there!
I was not sold on the ash trim. It looked good until you touch it. It feels very cheap and has a plastic sound when you tap it. If it was my choice I would have carbon (not released yet except on 53) so would stick with gloss black or alu.
Memory seats are very easy to use and worked when driving, I have not tested comfort access. The massage seats felt strange to me but never had or used before, not something I would use on a daily basis.
The air balance package was not overpowering or overwhelming. It was noticeable in the cabin but pleasant. The energising bits etc on the tech I could not see myself using in reality. Massage relaxing etc...
The 360 camera was fab but the sensors were
overly sensitive (maybe you can change this) I found I tried on my eyes over the red areas and beeping!
No HUD on this model
‘Hey Mercedes’ was a show stopper. Intuitive, quick and precise. Navy was easy to use and augmented view a great addition.
I did did not use parking systems unfortunately as had no need to. I do like the blind spot assistance but other driving features I generally turn off.
I was surprised with the Burmester As have heard criticisms. I have this as a £4K upgrade in my Cayenne and it was in my view just as good. It is worth any extra cost purely for the speaker grilles!!
Overall its a great car and in the 300D form would be more than dynamic for everyday driving. For me I would want air ride and larger wheels along with more supportive seats so would have to be an AMG for me not just an AMG Line. But for a very practical family suv with lots of tech it is perfect.
The old model was surprisingly capable as an off-roader. Without the off-road pack the electronic traction control does a good job but they are in a different league of capable with the fancy diff’s, low range, increased ride height, underbody protection etc. that come with the off-road pack. As someone who grew up with LR Defenders and thought of them as Chelsea Tractors before trying them on an off-road course I was mightily impressed.
If you want to try them out I’d recommend the off road experience at MBW (Brooklands).
If you want to try them out I’d recommend the off road experience at MBW (Brooklands).
SteveM46 said:
Any thoughts about the GLE as an off-roader?
Having had my enthusiam for an RRS/RRFF dampened by reliability concerns I'm casting around for a top quality alternative, but I can't see anything about the GLE as an ATV even though you can buy it with an "off road pack"!!!
Having had my enthusiam for an RRS/RRFF dampened by reliability concerns I'm casting around for a top quality alternative, but I can't see anything about the GLE as an ATV even though you can buy it with an "off road pack"!!!
chazd said:
I had one for the day and prepped this review below:
The vehicle I have is a 19 GLE300D Premium Plus with driving assistance pack.
I believe it is in Hyacinth red but please correct me if I am wrong!
I will hopefully try and answer queries below and took a good selection of pics I will upload later today.
Engine and ride
The engine feels very refined, smooth and is actually quite punchy. On the move it feels deceptively quicker than on paper,however, it does feel a tad sluggish in my view from standstill. It can be a little raucous when in sport and accelerating hard but then it is a 4 pot diesel so to be expected. General driving it is actually very quiet and picks the relevant gears to minimise cabin noise.
The ride is compliant and not too bouncy. It drives like my Cayenne on the air in Comfort mode with standard ride height. It doesn’t feel too wallowy in corner but does have some roll as to be expected.
Interior
I immediately noticed some of the poorer quality plastics on the lower panels which is a shame as the rest of the cabin feels well built and finished to a high standard. I particularly like the trim and stitching around grab handles and climate control.
The display is crisp and clear and very easy to use. The buttons feel solid and make a nice click when pressed.
The nappa leather is soft (not quite as soft as my Porsche) but the seats for me did not offer enough bolster or lumbar support. My wife felt they were very supportive but I am much larger than her so maybe that’s the problem? Also I have sports seats in my Cayenne and the Performance seats in the C43 so a tad unfair to compare?
On the seat front...I fitted in the third row with my wife in front and I am 6 foot! My head touched the roof lining so could only do a short journey in there!
I was not sold on the ash trim. It looked good until you touch it. It feels very cheap and has a plastic sound when you tap it. If it was my choice I would have carbon (not released yet except on 53) so would stick with gloss black or alu.
Memory seats are very easy to use and worked when driving, I have not tested comfort access. The massage seats felt strange to me but never had or used before, not something I would use on a daily basis.
The air balance package was not overpowering or overwhelming. It was noticeable in the cabin but pleasant. The energising bits etc on the tech I could not see myself using in reality. Massage relaxing etc...
The 360 camera was fab but the sensors were
overly sensitive (maybe you can change this) I found I tried on my eyes over the red areas and beeping!
No HUD on this model
‘Hey Mercedes’ was a show stopper. Intuitive, quick and precise. Navy was easy to use and augmented view a great addition.
I did did not use parking systems unfortunately as had no need to. I do like the blind spot assistance but other driving features I generally turn off.
I was surprised with the Burmester As have heard criticisms. I have this as a £4K upgrade in my Cayenne and it was in my view just as good. It is worth any extra cost purely for the speaker grilles!!
Overall its a great car and in the 300D form would be more than dynamic for everyday driving. For me I would want air ride and larger wheels along with more supportive seats so would have to be an AMG for me not just an AMG Line. But for a very practical family suv with lots of tech it is perfect.
Thank you, much appreciated.The vehicle I have is a 19 GLE300D Premium Plus with driving assistance pack.
I believe it is in Hyacinth red but please correct me if I am wrong!
I will hopefully try and answer queries below and took a good selection of pics I will upload later today.
Engine and ride
The engine feels very refined, smooth and is actually quite punchy. On the move it feels deceptively quicker than on paper,however, it does feel a tad sluggish in my view from standstill. It can be a little raucous when in sport and accelerating hard but then it is a 4 pot diesel so to be expected. General driving it is actually very quiet and picks the relevant gears to minimise cabin noise.
The ride is compliant and not too bouncy. It drives like my Cayenne on the air in Comfort mode with standard ride height. It doesn’t feel too wallowy in corner but does have some roll as to be expected.
Interior
I immediately noticed some of the poorer quality plastics on the lower panels which is a shame as the rest of the cabin feels well built and finished to a high standard. I particularly like the trim and stitching around grab handles and climate control.
The display is crisp and clear and very easy to use. The buttons feel solid and make a nice click when pressed.
The nappa leather is soft (not quite as soft as my Porsche) but the seats for me did not offer enough bolster or lumbar support. My wife felt they were very supportive but I am much larger than her so maybe that’s the problem? Also I have sports seats in my Cayenne and the Performance seats in the C43 so a tad unfair to compare?
On the seat front...I fitted in the third row with my wife in front and I am 6 foot! My head touched the roof lining so could only do a short journey in there!
I was not sold on the ash trim. It looked good until you touch it. It feels very cheap and has a plastic sound when you tap it. If it was my choice I would have carbon (not released yet except on 53) so would stick with gloss black or alu.
Memory seats are very easy to use and worked when driving, I have not tested comfort access. The massage seats felt strange to me but never had or used before, not something I would use on a daily basis.
The air balance package was not overpowering or overwhelming. It was noticeable in the cabin but pleasant. The energising bits etc on the tech I could not see myself using in reality. Massage relaxing etc...
The 360 camera was fab but the sensors were
overly sensitive (maybe you can change this) I found I tried on my eyes over the red areas and beeping!
No HUD on this model
‘Hey Mercedes’ was a show stopper. Intuitive, quick and precise. Navy was easy to use and augmented view a great addition.
I did did not use parking systems unfortunately as had no need to. I do like the blind spot assistance but other driving features I generally turn off.
I was surprised with the Burmester As have heard criticisms. I have this as a £4K upgrade in my Cayenne and it was in my view just as good. It is worth any extra cost purely for the speaker grilles!!
Overall its a great car and in the 300D form would be more than dynamic for everyday driving. For me I would want air ride and larger wheels along with more supportive seats so would have to be an AMG for me not just an AMG Line. But for a very practical family suv with lots of tech it is perfect.
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