Used 2016 Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class Consumer Reviews

Traded my E350 for this GLE350. Quite satisfied.

One complaint about this vehicle is the poor gas mileage, however, I knew about it and chose this model regardless. Complaint #2 is the egregious charge for service; my first oil change/service A cost almost $300!!! Outrageous!

GLE350 - The Quirks

We purchased a 2016 GLE350 as a replacement for our 2010 Lexus RX350. This is our first Mercedes-Benz, and overall, it's a wonderful car. I'm posting this review mostly to point out the "quirks" we've noticed in our first month of ownership. Note that we've previously driven Lexus and BMW, so those are our primary comparison points. 1. No Bluetooth audio! The Bluetooth only works for phone calls, not for playing music. This was an unpleasant surprise. If you want music from your phone, you have to physically plug it in via USB, and use either the direct audio option, or Apple CarPlay. 2. The navigation system defaults to reading directions aloud. There's no way to change this default; you have to physically mute the voice... every... single... time. 3. The "Dynamic Select" drive mode defaults to "Comfort". There's no way to change this default; you have to physically change it to "Sport"... every... single... time. 4. The in-car Operator's Manual only works while you're in Park, so your passenger can't look something up while you drive. And it's surprisingly sluggish; feels like a circa 1990's computer, chugging away to load the next page. 5. The radio controls are surprisingly "dense." It seems to take an awful lot of clicks to view your favorites, or browse up and down the dial. 6. I still haven't figured out how to store the fuel cap in the "holder". For now I've just let it dangle; I'm pretty sure it's supposed to have a slot, but I can't figure it out. 7. The printed/PDF Owners Manual seems to have been written for non-humans of some kind. The language is stilted, the instructions are riddled with so many warnings that it's really hard to find the actual info, and the info itself is ridiculously sparse and un-helpful. Please, car companies (especially Mercedes), hire an editor who can actually write! 8. After a month of trying, we've yet to successfully actually get the car to park itself, as advertised. Google or YouTube this; you'll find tons of other folks similarly confused, including dealers who humorously try to demonstrate this on YouTube and fail even in the videos! I'm sure it works, but wow, it seems utterly non-intuitive, and I really, really wonder how many total times in the history of Mercedes-Benz how often a driver has actually used the feature to actually park their car.

Best vehicle I've ever owned

I looked at midsized BMW, Lexus, Audi, Infinity, Land Rover and none compared to the MB GLE300d. Gorgeous, comfortable, luxurious, roomy interior. Back seats easily fold flat. Beautiful exterior. 600 mile range on a tank of gas. Rides like a dream. If you want a vehicle to drive like a sports car, this is not it. If you want to glide along in total comfort, this is the SUV for you. I feel positively regal driving this vehicle. L.O.V.E. it!

The 'New ML' -Newer is not always Better

Pros: Styling a little better than older-styled ML series, interior design excellent, comfort excellent, great cargo space Cons: Annoying exhaust systemsounds at low RPMs, sounds like a constant drone at low speeds Sluggish acceleration BMW drivers or older ML owners will probably not like this car.

Starship Enterprise

When I back our new GLE out of our small crowded garage, I feel like the music from Star Trek should be playing that accompanies the Enterprise when it moves from its dry dock in Space. We're seniors and hadn't planned on a new car to replace our '04 320E wagon, until my wife rode in a friend's M class and said she never felt so safe. A neighbor was riding in a new Accord a year and a half ago and was blind sided by an inattentive driver a year and a half ago and took a most a year to recover from her injuries, which made us a little skittish driving. We loaded the GLE with Safety features and we are skittish no more. I've driven a lot of cars in 50+ years (just about every major domestic and foreign brand including Lada). and this is the most solid and controlled. No problems acceleration to get on our 70mph turnpike with the basic 6, but you won't win any drag races with it. This is a luxurious "tank" with every creature comfort. Looking forward to taking it out in the snow once we get some on the East Coast. I don't think it will slow us down in our traveling this year!

Nothing to complain about

After driving this for about three years and putting on 50+ miles per day commuting, the only thing that went wrong was an alignment issue that ate up the tires prematurely. Once that was fixed, nothing major. The interior shows almost no wear. On the highway I average around 24 mpg if I'm being gentle. Transmission could be snappier at times but it's adequate and the torque this thing generates is more than adequate. I normally drive in Comfort mode. Sport does wake the transmission up but it's almost too aggressive and the steering becomes strangely heavy (though very direct). The 400 is the sweet spot of the GLE range in my opinion.

Safe and Luxirious

If you want sporty, the BMW X5 could be a better choice for you. If you want straight-line speed and off-roading capability, the Range Rover Sport could be more appropriate. But, if you use your premium SUV for driving around town, taking the kids to practice and going on long road trips, you absolutely cannot beat the GLE. It is the safest, most reliable, most luxurious and one of the most feature-laden SUVs you can buy in its price range and competitive set. If you want sporty, get a sports car or sports sedan. If you want straight-line speed, get a Corvette. If you want off-roading capability, buy a body-on-frame truck. But, if you use your luxury SUV like just about everyone else uses their SUV, then get a GLE. In terms of within the Mercedes line, I've driven the current generation GL450 a few times, and by comparison the GLE 350 has a newer design/sleeker front-end, and a much improved infotainment system. In fact, the infotainment system works much better than BMW iDrive and Range Rover's system as well - though the new Volvo XC90 might have the GLE beat by a hair. Get a GLE for the reasons I mentioned already and you won't be disappointed.

LOVE my GLE!

I really love the new GLE! I compared it to the Lexus RX, GX, Toyota Highlander, 4runner, and BMW X5. Overall I think this was the best choice for the options and luxury you get compared to the others. I have a 15 month old, and I feel like it is the perfect size SUV. It isn't too big, nor is it too small. In my research process I did find it challenging to find a car with the exact features that I wanted. So my recommendation is to check multiple dealerships for their inventory and really study and learn about the features available. I was able to find exactly what I was looking for at a great price- it just took time and patience. The car drives great, and handles really well. I LOVE using the sport mode when it's just me in the car. My car has the panorama sunroof, which seemed like a cool feature- but living in Texas I am finding that it just makes the car get hot really fast! Thank goodness the AC works quickly! Overall, it's a great car and I'm glad we purchased!

leaks from the roof and any problems

Three years there were no problems. 2019: Sunroof is leaking, air conditioning problem and transmission replacement.

New GLE

We looked hard at the Porsche Cayenne which is a better car in most ways but couldn't justify another $10k. This is the 3rd MB SUV that we've owned and it's the best one yet.

Stylish, Solid, Stable

The GLE feels like a tank, but is an easy daily driver that provides luxury and power with a feeling of safety and confidence.

First Benz

I gave my GLE 350 an overall rating of 4. I love the ride and the luxury interior. It is not five because I am comparing it to my former Lexus RX 350. When compared to the Lexus the RX is a little smother and quier ride. In the GLE I made the mistake of getting a 20 inch ring. I am a female and when getting in the step is s little high. Ok for tall guys I guess.

Dang Nice Ride

Sang nice SUV. Quiet on the inside with very few minor quirks: 1) Yes--you must reset the ride stability control each time...big deal 2) Ride is a little floaty but overall it is comfortable and roomy. 3) MPG is what I expected and yes it averages around 20MPG combined. Overall, I would buy it again as the Mercedes folks always give us a great deal and service is superb. The AC works great and keeps it cool in the MS heat. Great job Mercedes....

Love my GLE350!

I had the opportunity to upgrade from a 2015 ML350 to the new 2016 GLE 350 and thought, why not. I am SO glad I did! I loved the ML350 but after just a few days with the GLE350, I knew I had made a good decision. The technology is so superior and the gear ratio is different so that it has more punch from 1st gear on. The ride is even better especially when you customize it with the sport mode. I felt safe in the ML but this GLE is like riding in a bank vault with all of the additional safety features. I see myself keeping this vehicle for years and years unless of course Mercedes comes up with even more enticing features during the next revision. AND it IS a Mercedes so I know if anything goes wrong or is in need of repair, Mercedes will do a quality job making it perfect again.

4 Cylinder Diesel

The GLE300d is a great buy for long commuters and as a travel vehicle for families. Short daily commutes are not quite as enjoyable considering the 4 cylinder engine is not as responsive as the 6 cylinder diesel in its predecessor. There is ample torque so it is very responsive for an SUV. The navigation and infotainment system contains a lot of tools and the apps are great: there are opportunities for Mercedes to improve on it though e.g. split screen like BMW does to allow apps to run side by side with the navigation. The finishes on the vehicle are amazing as expected of a real Mercedes.

Reliable but wanted a smoother ride

The comfort mode doesn't soften the ride as we had hoped. Seems the same as performance mode, just the shifting is different. The test drive was fine, but over time in driving under many road conditions, we were disappointed in the overall comfort, especially on long drives. Reliability has been great

GLE 300D pragmatic and efficient.

Luxury true to Mercedes-Benz, the GLE 300D is very smooth and handles very well in city, highway or distant driving. It is particularly great for long distances with the fuel efficiency and ultra comfortable seats. It is also very spacious with fold-able rear seats. A lot of luxurious features as expected with this class like remote app start, keyless entry, push start, navigation etc. The turbo charge engine makes for an enjoyable drive, while the torque makes for a sprightly SUV. However if you are looking for an insanely fast SUV, you might want to consider the AMG.

Leasing is a bad deal!

Overall we like 2016 GLE 350. But we do not like the lease plan, regret deeply. In the past we always puchase car. So we decided to buy this GLE, our credit score is excellent, the interest rate is low 1.99%. When we came to accounting office (Mercedes-Benz of Tampa) to complete the paper, this young staff sweet talked to us, selling the leasing plan. He told us how good the leasing plan is, how much saving we will get through leasing. It sounded so good, we believed him, and signed 3 years leasing paperwork, paying $789.40 per month. However, later on we found out the dealer advertising the same car leasing for $599. We are overpaying the leasing fees, plus insurance is $700 more per year than the purchase. So we called back to ask for a change to purchase, he said that we can't change any more. We regreted to listen to this guy's sweet talk. We will pay extra money and lose the car value after 3 years. Leasing is a bad deal, should not do it.

Great Vehicle Benz.

Great Benz I just got last month. Bad things First: - Lane Keeping Assistance sometimes failed working. Dealer ship has called me to get it back and change it for me, perfectly solve this, and nothing to worry about it. - MPG is really not that great, 20 Hwy and 16Citys, so in the end of the day 18 is what you get normally on monitor panel. - Acceleration, it is powerful indeed, because it is a big axx SUV, but it doesn't give you the feeling of any pushing-back-to-your-seat, UNLESS you turn the car into "Sport Model", yeah the comfort model is kind of slow reaction is like driving a boat, I suppose they intended to do it maybe to give your passenger a steady ride feeling. The Sport Model turn this car into a beast. 0-60 under 7 seconds. Good things: BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEENZ, what else you can say, it is a Mercedes Benz, they always make everything as perfect as they can. Trust me this one is better than X5, Q7 XC90, as long as you drive it and live with it, you will find more beautify side of it.

Good overall car

Interior is spacious. Like the locking/unlocking features a lot. It's a no-nonsense car. The entertainment system has been improved a lot and works very well without much confusion. HVAC works great. takes less than 10 seconds to de-fog windshield. pleasant engine noise. rides a little bit wobbly. suspension can be made smoother. so far so good. A good purchase during the times of low interest rates and easy to get financing. Bought the car from Autonation MB San Jose. It's a great dealership. Salesperson John Nguyen has been helpful and very courtious.

Great balance between performance and luxury

The new GLE-class continues to improve on the Mercedes SUV line first introduced as the ML-class. The 2016 GLE has a beautiful interior with very comfortable and supportive seats, an extensive "infotainment" system (slightly confusing at times but full featured), very sprightly performance from the base 3.5 liter V-6 engine, excellent handling, and plenty of passenger and cargo room along with best-in-class safety features. Given all that (and the Mercedes name), it's also quite fairly priced. UPDATE: One year and 10,000 miles later, I'm still very pleased. Reliability has been excellent - no issues. We have taken several long weekends with the vehicle and have been pleased with the flexibility and roominess of the cargo area (with the split fold-down seats) and overall comfort during long drives. It has done well in bad weather, as well - both snow and heavy rain. The only "nit" I can pick is that I wish the low-beam headlights were xenon or LED - as it is, the halogen headlights are fine during good weather but a little weak overall, especially when it's raining.

GLE 350 4matic engine seized

I leased GLE 350 4matic on June '16 and the engine seized on August '16 with 3200 miles on the car. Waiting on the dealer to know what caused it.

Overall better than BMW or Lexus

Love the vehicle. Use it for long trips and never tired of driving it.

Reliable, but ride is not very smooth

I rate highly on reliability and performance. But if you want a smooth ride more like a sedan, I would check out other vehicles. Even in the comfort mode, the ride is still disappointing.

GLE 63 yeah best of many worlds!!!!!!

Wow is all I can say. Powerful fast great car like hsndling. Amazing sound system and impressive. If your easy on the gas pedsl it immitates a luxury car well witj a nice little v8 rumble. Will gladly cruise sll day in mercedes like comfort. Hit the go pedal and wave goodbye ro most sports cars. This is my 5th meeceses suv 1st GLE and im going to trade this one in for a new one soon. Ok gase mileage but ita ro be exowctwd. Features easy ro use. Easy ro park in tight spaces and the great thing is it can go off road quite well. Mine has 220k miles as i deive about 80k a year for work. As a used car its a peeformance bargain.

Not sporty enough, rough ride

If you are looking for a sportier driving suv, this is not it! Acceleration is just adequate for a suv this size, and handling is more towards the comfort side. After 6 months of ownership, this SUV doesn't feel solid. Going over rough bumps, there is way too much squeaks and rattles. The ride should be a lot more solid feeling from a German manufacturer.

Mercedes SUV

Great vehicle with a quiet ride. Good mileage for its size. Side to side sway when going over bumps is about the only negative.

Very practical comfortable SUV update

Assuming you want utility and not a sports car, this is a great vehicle. It is very comfortable, well appointed, solidly built and roomy. Diesel clatter is only heard outside, from the interior you can’t hear the difference between a gas engine. It’s very quiet. Although initially skeptical, the torque and turbo make it quiet impressive off the line, with plenty of passing and climbing power. On the highway it has a terrific ride and delivers over 30+ mpg at 80 mph. The cargo space is cavernous. My E sedan is more engaging to drive and smoother, but that should be expected in comparing a SUV to a sedan. My only disappointment is that a rock shot up through the grill and destroyed the intercooler, which in my mind is a design defect. Mercedes didn’t cover it. Overall it is an extremely practical and comfortable vehicle. Update - I have now had the car for over 3 years and it has over 60,000. The car has had no problems other than the incident with the rock, it is smooth and comfortable, and gets 30-35 mpg on the highway. UPDATE. I have now had this car for 4 years and 40,000 miles (70,000 total). Other than the rock hitting the intercooler I have had no problems. All Mercedes diesels were subject to a class action and I recall. Mercedes handled it well and did major service on my vehicle, paid me a significant settlement and provided extended warranties for the work. A check engine light went on for about a day lately. The dealer did a quick scan and scheduled an appointment saying it was related to the recall work. I am increasing my ratings by a star to 5. I really don’t think you could get a much better utility vehicle. Everything written above remains true. The car has been very reliable, fit and finish holds up well, it hasn’t cost much to maintain. I did purchase a three year annual service plan, which has proven to be a good value. The dealer is excellent. They always get me a loaner, keep me updated on a daily basis and get the car serviced promptly. The fit and finish have held up as expected in a Mercedes and the vehicle has returned about 29 mpg overall, which has included equal parts, urban, highway and suburban driving. They only made this model for one year for the US market, so it is a rare gem. My only complaint at this point is that the Apple Play is a bit glitchy and the phone has to be connected by a cord. The system was new for this model in 2016. It just goes to show you how much technology has advanced in 7 years.

Diesel pulls my boat with ease

Fuel efficiency while pulling 5k pounds worth of boat is priceless. All wheel drive at the boat ramp leaves non believers in shock as it pulls up to 7k boats out of the water.

under power, rough suspension

we drove the GLE 350 for a few days. ride quality is poor, i could feel most bumps even though i selected comfort on the suspension settings. the entertainment control is confusing... the engine felt underpower for such a heavy car. we drove the BMW X5 3.5 a few days before getting this car and the bmw is much better in everything.. must better ride quality, engine is very responsive, it brakes much smoother than the GLE 350. the only difference is here is that i think the X5 has a turbo while the mercedes does not, which made this comparison a bit unfair for the mercedes.. also the bmw is meant to be a sportier car therefore it will be more responsive while the mercedes is supposed to be softer and more comfort. but overall we are still very disappointed with the quality of GLE. we drove the older bigger siblings of The GLE, the GL 450 a few years ago.. and the GL 450 was also a big disappointment. it was too big and it drives like a minivan. i think mercedes still has a lot to learn in making luxury SUV. we drove the E300 diesel station wagon last year and we were very happy with the overall performance of the car.. so back to my point, i think mercedes makes a great sedan but not SUV.

I'm picky

I've owned several MB's SUV's, including the larger GLS (which I strongly do not recommend because of dangerous hydroplaning). The GLE is a very nice mid size SUV. Handling is excellent. Ride comfort...excellent. Visibility....excellent. Lane assist....excellent. Cargo space....excellent. Fuel economy....not bad for it's size. Build quality.....excellent. Very solid and safe feeling on the road. So many great features. Mine is pretty much loaded. The MB dealership in N. Olmsted, Oh owned by Bernie Marino is top notch. So then why not 5 stars? The nav system voice control is virtually worthless. I would never pay for it again. With the new ones I believe you can get Apple/Android controlled nav. I strongly recommend that option. Also, the collision safety feature that warns you if you are too close is totally worthless. It will occasionally bleep out of nowhere for no reason. Finally, when driving long distance after a couple hours the dashboard will tell you "it's time to take a break"......huh???? So you "ok" on the steering wheel control and goes away, then comes back every few minutes. Lol Just annoying. Anyway, no show stoppers here and so many great features. A very well built (and expensive) SUV. If you're willing to shell out the dough this is a great choice.

Mercedes

Great car with a nice ride. Beautiful design inside and out. Equipped with nice safety features

EXCELLENT VEHICLE FOR LONG TRIPS

I have been driving this 2016 Mercedes Benz GLE 350 for two years and could not be more pleased with the safety, luxury , performance and entertainment options. My vehicle came with the Active blind spot, Active lane departure, and Distronic Plus. It also came with the LED package and driving at night is a very relaxing experience as compared with a previous model which came with Halogen H-7 lights. All these features made my drive more relaxed and fun. 302 HP is adequate for my trips and the 273 ft-lb of torque works fine. Great vehicle with lots of luxury.

Adble

I have been driving diesel car more than 25 years now and this is my second AdBlue system, I can tell u it’s nothing but headache and stress. I have 2016 GLE350d with 50,000km on it and been in MB dealer 2 times with counting down the eng starts even the tank has been ful to spillage level. I don’t think they even know what to do, they reset the computer with new software and second time they even changed the computer under the recall but the more I read about it it’s the fluid they use and crystallizes and start all type of issues from the tank to level sensor. Anyway this is my last MB diesel. Good old days tanks they made.

Annoying lane assist

Love the overall practical performance of this vehicle, the interior design and vehicle comfort is great for me being 6.2 in length. The only issue I do not like about this vehicle is the lane assist vibration going off in the steering wheel when you do not use your turn signal on the highway when changing lanes.

My GLE 350

This is my first Mercedes and I like the fit and finish of the interior. The ride is comfortable. The gas mileage isn’t bad for a vehicle of this size and weight. I purchased it as a certified pre-owned and other than brake replacement which is normal wear and tear I haven’t had any problems with it. The only problem that I have is the driver’s seat is very uncomfortable and the vehicle seems top heavy when going around corners. But I’m perfectly happy with my vehicle.

Not what I expected

doesn't have pizazz. u can't adjust radio while in reverse. doesn't have Android auto. the drive is rough, bumpy and uncomfortable. None of my family members will drive it. handling is not what you would expect for a Mercedes

GLE

This is an awesome vehicle. I have leased 2 ML's and a GLE and I highly recommend them.

Nice Ride

gle 350

Mercedes gle3504matic

Fantastic All Around

This has been our family car for a while now and it is just amazing. Acceleration is not great but other than that it is perfect. It is comfortable, quiet, handles decently well and has a great up high driving position. Has been 100% reliable and with minimal maintenance costs. It has about 50K miles on it and is still running amazing, will definitely be buying another GLE class, maybe just with the upgraded engine!

Gle

Reliable and easy to drive with comfortable driving

GLE “The right size Mercedes-Benz “

This car has all the safety “Bells and Whisles”. Strong performance in a great looking ride!!

Love my MB SUV