2023 Mercedes-Benz GLE

The 2023 Mercedes-Benz GLE is a midsize three-row luxury SUV that can seat up to seven people. It’s meant for drivers who want an upscale SUV with two rows of roomy seats, high-tech features, and a premium interior. The GLE features a dazzling cabin with upscale convenience features and a stylish design. Mercedes also offers the GLE with an extensive lineup of powertrains that includes five different options with up to 603 horsepower. And despite being a premium SUV for the entire family, the GLE is even a competent off-roader that can be used to tackle light trails.

The GLE separates itself from the pack with its comfortable seats, dazzling cabin, high-tech features, impressive off-roading capability, and powerful lineup of engines. Keep in mind, though, it trails key rivals when it comes to space in the third row, ride quality, and its unintuitive infotainment system. The GLE’s third row is tight for adults and is best suited for children on short trips. Compared to rivals, the GLE also doesn’t have the same plush ride quality, while its available Airmatic air suspension system brings a floaty ride quality. And while the GLE comes packed with tech features, its infotainment system can be hard to use because of unintuitive controls.

Mercedes-Benz GLE Changes for 2023

• No notable changes.

Where the GLE Sits in the 2023 Mercedes-Benz Lineup

Mercedes-Benz’s vehicle lineup includes SUVs, electric cars, convertibles, sports cars, and cars such as the A-Class. The GLE is positioned in the middle of Mercedes’ SUV lineup, above the GLA, GLB, GLC, and EQB, but below the GLS, EQE SUV, EQS and G-Class.

2023 Mercedes-Benz GLE vs. the Competition

A midsize luxury SUV such as the GLE is an ideal choice for shoppers who need an SUV with a premium interior, seating for up to seven people, and powerful engines. The GLE competes with these rivals:

• Porsche Cayenne: Sharp handling, 7,700-pound towing capacity, premium cabin, powerful engines, and a large interior.

• Genesis GV80: High-end styling, refined ride quality, well-equipped trims, available third row, and punchy twin-turbo V6 engine.

• BMW X5: Broad range of engines, upscale cabin, intuitive infotainment system, and impressive tech features.

What’s the Best 2023 Mercedes-Benz GLE Trim for You?

Which Trim Is the Best Value

With features such as a turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine, a 12.3-inch touchscreen, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, a sunroof, heated front seats, and synthetic leather upholstery, the GLE 350 comes well-equipped with luxury features. Its list of standard features also includes a wireless charging pad, navigation, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, a power liftgate, LED headlights, 19-inch wheels, dual-zone automatic climate control, an adaptive suspension, keyless entry, power-adjustable front seats, and memory settings for the driver’s seat.

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Best Trim for Fuel Economy

The GLE 350 has rear-wheel drive and a turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine. With a 9-speed automatic transmission, it can achieve up to 22 mpg combined.

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Best Trim for Cargo Space

With the backseat in place, the GLE has up to 33.3 cubic feet of cargo space. In total, the SUV has 74.9 cubic feet of cargo space.

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Best Trim for Towing

When properly equipped, the GLE has up to 7,700 pounds of towing capacity.

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Best Trim for Off-Roaders

With available all-wheel drive and a high-tech adaptive air suspension that can lower and raise the vehicle and even help it shimmy out of sand or mud, the GLE has commendable off-roading capability.

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Top-of-the-Line Trim

The range-topping AMG GLE 63 S is the best option for maximum performance and luxury. It has a twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 engine that makes 603 horsepower, 21-inch wheels, an electronic limited-slip differential, adaptive headlights, sport seats, high-performance brakes, a microfiber steering wheel, a performance data recorder, a Burmester audio system, a surround-view parking camera, leather upholstery, heated and ventilated front seats, and a sport-tuned adaptive air suspension.

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Should I Buy an Older Mercedes-Benz GLE Instead?

The 2023 GLE is in its second generation, which was introduced with the 2020 model. Any older second-generation model (2020-2023) will be broadly similar to the 2023 GLE. You could save money by purchasing a used GLE that’s older than the 2023 model.

You can find a used Mercedes-Benz GLE with Carfax used car listings. Each used car comes with a free vehicle history report.

Research the GLE from other model years

Mercedes-Benz GLE Hands-On Test Drive

Driven by Carter MacLeod

• Trim Tested: GLE 450 4Matic 2-Row SUV

• Price as Tested: $79,915 (including destination charge)

Mercedes’ midsize SUV has one of the nicest interiors in the class and a strong engine lineup. However, our midtier GLE 450 test car, with options, was $80,000. Even in the rough-and-tumble world of 2022 car pricing, that’s expensive. Is the GLE 450 worth it, compared with its rivals? We took a summer road trip up the East Coast to answer that question.

There’s nothing like a few hours in a car to shake out flaws in its design and build. Spoiler alert – the GLE didn’t have any. Over the course of a week, the GLE reminded us why it is one of the segment’s top choices.

How It Drives & Handles

Our test car was a GLE 450, one step up from the base GLE 350. Opting for the 450 adds $5,000 to a base GLE. In this rarified segment, a $5,000 premium for an engine this good is a bargain. Compared with the GLE 350, the 450 has 107 more horsepower and 2 more cylinders. The additional power is noticeable on the highway, but the extra cylinders made the biggest difference. Upgrading from a 4-cylinder to an inline-6 makes the GLE much smoother. The engine vibrated so little it was hard to remember it was on.

The GLE 450 has a mild hybrid system – an integrated starter-generator that allows the SUV to coast without burning gas and charge the battery while braking. Thanks to this system, the GLE can sit with its engine off and all of its systems running for longer than a normal vehicle. The electric motor also adds 21 horsepower under hard acceleration. The hybrid technology helps the GLE 450 get the same fuel economy on the highway as the less-powerful GLE 350, and even better fuel economy when driven in the city.

While the GLE 450 is quick in a straight line, it isn’t on curving roads. The BMW X5 still wears that crown. No matter, though, because the GLE is more luxurious and comfortable than the X5 and costs less. Our test vehicle was equipped with the Airmatic suspension, which allows for adjustable firmness and ride height. The ride was indeed smooth, although it sometimes felt bouncy going over dips in the road at high speed.

Comfort, Quality & Usability

Loaded as it was with $16,000 worth of options, our GLE was not representative of a standard-issue model. Among the more appealing options were the heated and ventilated front seats, the panoramic sunroof, and the sound-deadening Acoustic Comfort Package.

The prevailing theme inside was rugged opulence. Rugged touches included the large handles on the center console and the boxy air vents on the dashboard. Black leather upholstery extended from the seats to the dashboard. Expensive-looking metal switches and LED mood lighting added sleekness. The natural-grain brown walnut trim was simply gorgeous, especially paired with the delicate perforations in the silver Burmester speaker covers.

There was ample space in the first and second rows of the GLE, and the seats were all-day comfortable. Cargo space was generous behind the second row and easy to access with the power liftgate and electronically lowered air suspension.

Mercedes’ MBUX infotainment system can be overwhelming at first glance. It uses two 12.3-inch-wide screens (one in front of the driver and one in the center of the dash), each with its own set of steering wheel controls. The center screen also has a touchpad (like you’d find on a laptop) and touchscreen controls.

Once I learned the ins and outs of the system, I enjoyed the beautiful graphics and the sheer number of functions. Important controls such as climate and audio get hard buttons that sit outside the touchscreen.

Our test car was equipped with the Driver Assistance Package, which included adaptive cruise control with automated steering, automated lane changing, and stop-and-go traffic assistance. Paired with the automatic parallel parking system, the tech in the GLE could drive the vehicle unaided for very short spurts (although neither I nor Mercedes would recommend doing that). There are plenty of high-tech safety aids ready to step in should things go wrong on the road, including automatic emergency braking, lane keep assist, blind spot monitoring, and evasive steering assist.

Editor’s Note: Review is based on test driving the 2022 model.

Carfax vehicle reviews let shoppers compare a vehicle’s specs against its competitors. However, some aspects of a vehicle – performance, comfort, usability – can only be evaluated through actual driving. That’s why we evaluate as many vehicles as we can, so you’ll know what to expect.

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