By Eric Peters
When the Lexus RX came out way back in 1998 (as a new ’99 model), it had the advantage of being the first luxury crossover SUV. No one else had anything like it.
Now everyone else does.
Mercedes-Benz has the GLE-Class, which competes with the latest iteration of the RX as well as a plethora of other midsize luxury crossovers including the BMW X5, the Acura MDX and the Porsche Cayenne — in italics to emphasize the fact that even Porsche sells crossovers now.
So, what’s different about the GLE?
What It Is
The GLE is Mercedes’ midsize crossover. It seats five or seven, depending on the configuration. It’s available with either rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. It’s also available with an inline six-cylinder engine/mild-hybrid drivetrain that almost matches the gas mileage of the standard turbocharged four-cylinder engine while outgunning it by 107 horsepower.
Base price for the RWD GLE350 is $57,700. Opting for the 4Matic AWD system bumps the MSRP up to $60,200. The GLE450, with the six-cylinder engine/mild-hybrid drivetrain and 4Matic AWD, stickers for $66,450.
What’s New For 2023
2023 is a carryover year, with few changes from last year other than some new paint colors available this year. It is likely next year will see some updates, as the current GLE is now three years old.
What’s Good
Base price is several thousand dollars lower than that of the BMW X5 ($61,600).
Available with a third row.
Extremely smooth ride and engine (if you get the optional six).
What’s Not So Good
Base price is $10,000 higher than that of the Lexus RX ($47,400).
Less athletic feeling than the Acura MDX and BMW X5.
Third row is hard to get into, and sit in, if you’re not a kid.
Under The Hood
As is true of practically every new vehicle, the GLE’s standard engine is a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine. It is the same engine that comes standard in several other Mercedes models including the current E-Class sedan.
It makes 255 horsepower, is paired with a nine-speed automatic and (your pick) RWD or 4Matic AWD. The RWD iteration gets to 60 in about seven seconds, and gets 19 mpg in city driving and 27 mpg on the highway.
The optional engine and drivetrain is where things get more interesting. The GLE450 does have a six but it’s inline, like the X5’s, and it’s paired with a mild-hybrid setup that delivers nearly the same MPGs ( 20 city, 25 highway with AWD) as the base 2.0 engine, along with much more forceful acceleration capability.
This one gets to 60 in about five seconds.
It can also pull a 7,700-pound trailer.
On The Road
The GLE is actually luxurious, not just luxury-branded.
It has the kind of ride — very soft, very quiet — that luxury vehicles used to have before they transitioned into luxury-sport vehicles. This is complemented in the GLE 450 by the electric-car smoothness of the six-cylinder engine/mild-hybrid drivetrain — with almost 600 miles of highway driving range.
Another aspect of this Benz’s plushness is ease of use. Though the GLE has all the modern stuff, including a large LCD touch screen dashboard, it does not require effort to use it. You don’t even have to actually touch anything to get the GLE to do things like turn on those massaging seats or dial up whatever channel you’d like to listen to.
Just ask it to.
Say, “Hey, Mercedes,” and then it will.
At The Curb
The GLE is a midsize model — 194.3 inches end to end — but it is capable of carrying up to seven people if the optional third-row seat is ordered. That seat is of course chiefly for children and young adults who can get back there and who fit back there, but having the extra seats is nice when you need to carry a couple more kids than will fit in a two-row SUV.
And if you skip the seats, you have that much more room.
Relative to its primary rival, BMW’s X5, the numbers are almost identical. The GLE has 33.3 cubic feet of space behind its second row and a total of 74.9 cubic feet with the second row down. The BMW has 33.9 cubic feet behind its second row and 72.3 total cubic feet. It is also exactly the same 194.3 inches long overall.
Subtle design niceties include a thumbwheel volume control for the audio system and a simple, functional On/Off button on the left side of the steering wheel column for the heated steering wheel.
Just remember that the stalk on the right side of the steering column is for the transmission, not the windshield wipers.
The Rest
While you can still get a GLE “coupe” with a lowered roofline (reviewed by this column separately), one thing you cannot get here is the diesel engine that’s available in Europe. American regulations have rendered it almost impossible and very uneconomical (due to the costs of regulatory compliance) to offer a diesel engine in anything that’s for sale here.
Also not available here, for now, is the plug-in hybrid version that’s available in Europe. However, this one’s likely to become available as the regulations favor this setup.
The Bottom Line
The GLE is Mercedes’ bestselling crossover for a reason. And it’s not because it’s the same as what everyone else is selling.

Eric’s latest book, “Doomed: Good Cars Gone Wrong!” will be available soon. To find out more about Eric and read his past columns, please visit the Creators Syndicate webpage at www.creators.com.
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