Used 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class SUV Consumer Reviews
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Luxurious, Techy, but a miss in some areas
JT, 12/08/2019
2020 Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class GLE 350 4MATIC 4dr SUV AWD (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 9A)
183 of 194 people found this review helpful
Overall opinion: I would not buy this car again. I purchased the Mercedes GLE 350 in April, and have put about 6000 miles on it. I waited to write this review to ensure I was being fair with my criticism. Pros: It looks great on the outside, and has very nice comfort amenities including ventilated and massaging front seats, and heated and cooled front cupholders. The main selling point for me was the two large integrated digital touch screens (12.3 inches each) that you use for everything from navigation, to music selection, to personalized setting selections within the car. It is very much like a touch-pad in its abilities, which is the reason I purchased this particular model over others (pre-2020 models did not have the touch capability, and required you to click with a mouse like item on the center console). The technology and sound systems within the car are all top notch with extreme customization. Cons: The built in navigation system, while visually stunning in its detail, is awful. I don't use android auto (for an optioned-out $75k car, you shouldn't have to plug in your phone and use Google Maps) and the navigation routinely grossly over- or underestimates the journey time and best route (if it even finds your location, which about 50% of the time it does not). Also, it often "arrives" at the destination in the middle of a four lane divided highway when your true destination is off a side road in a plaza. If you are used to more detailed explanations from apps like Google maps or Waze, you will not like this navigation system. The Voice Assistant program is frustrating. We have a divided house on this. I hate it, my wife finds it helpful. I think having the activation tied to a word ( 'Mercedes') is nice, but it routinely turns on during conversations in the car (because it mis-hears words that it thinks sound like 'Mercedes', then your conversation is interrupted while you are shouting cancel at the system!). It doesn't have an acceptable level of comprehension, and it is much easier to type the destination in (if you aren't using Google, which you should use instead). I have the voice assistant shut off on my profile. My wife likes it because she often makes hands-free phone calls, can ask it to change the temperature, radio station, etc. The design for storage in the front of the car is terrible. The placement of the wireless charger is too inaccessible to be convenient, so the cupholders are the only real space to put everything you need - phone, drink, keys, hand sanitizer, etc. it is not well designed. The lack of USB plugs is baffling (there are zero) and having to keep the adaptors handy is inconvenient every time you need to charge a device. The lack of running boards. Unless you build the exact car you want prior to purchase, most dealers won't include this as an option for any GLEs on the lot. For my wife who is about 5'4", getting in this car can be challenging. The first few few weeks of owning this car she pulled her groin trying to get in/out of the vehicle at this height, and has even fallen out of the car. The Early Collision Warning system is a great technological addition to the vehicle, but there seems to still be a lot of "kinks" that need worked out. I've had to adjust the sensitivity several times but there is still a high number (5 or 6 instances in 7-8 months) where I'll be sitting at a red light and all the sensors surrounding the vehicle turn red, and the warning sound blares for no reason. There was also a time when I was driving down a highway and the system registered the shadow on the road from an overhead highway sign as a car in front of me and slammed on the brakes. It was quite scary, as there was a car behind me at the time, but thankfully no accident occurred. Obviously driving across shadows is a regular occurrence, so I'm not sure what caused that particular issue, but that's the same problem with the other times with the sensors going off when there is not any obstruction there; we were not able to determine what the causation was. Overall, the car isn't terrible, it just has several irritating features that don't allow you to enjoy driving it, which is very disappointing for a $75k Mercedes. Most of these features you would not notice during a short test drive.
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Flaws everyday
Gus, 07/12/2021
2020 Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class GLE 450 4MATIC 4dr SUV AWD (3.0L 6cyl Turbo gas/electric mild hybrid 9A)
20 of 20 people found this review helpful
I had a GLE450 for 2 years and it spent almost 4 months in the shop for different repairs. Computer and electronics are awful and MB technicians couldn’t figure out what was wrong. Most unreliable cat ever. Left me in the middle of the street several times. One time I couldn’t turn it off. Many others I couldn’t turn it on. It was a real pain. I lost 20k when I finally got rid of it.
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I wouldnt buy this car again.
Scqombothi, 11/21/2019
2020 Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class GLE 350 4MATIC 4dr SUV AWD (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 9A)
94 of 103 people found this review helpful
The day I picked up my car I got a service to return for service. I had to drop my new GLE back to fix it. A couple of weeks later the rear windshield wiper came off. A month or so later I got a recall. The wires in the engine had been wound too tight. I had to take my car back for 24 hours to fix. Today I got another recall. Apparently the trim on the back windows can come off while driving and cause an accident. When I called to take in my car for the recall I mentioned to the receptionist that this is my 3rd recall. Her reply : yep, we are sending a lot of recalls these days, This is my 3rd Mercedes. My experience with my GLE is turning me off generally on Mercedes.
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A pricey new entry in a crowded up-scale SUV field
Confidential, 02/10/2020
2020 Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class GLE 350 4MATIC 4dr SUV AWD (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 9A)
28 of 31 people found this review helpful
Nice new styling and great digital technology. But vinyl seats on an upscale vehicle? (Suddenly, a $65k car becomes a $75K car.) The base engine is a bit piggy for this beefy vehicle. The dealer advertised a misleading, low price and would not honor the ad. Experience from 2 separate dealers: they are somewhat snooty. I bought a nicely-equipped Audi Q7 at a much lower price.
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Comfortable SUV but some flaws
Nino B. , 05/25/2020
2020 Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class GLE 350 4MATIC 4dr SUV AWD (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 9A)
36 of 41 people found this review helpful
I had the GLE 350 for three full days as a loaner car while my S550 was at the dealership for extended maintenance. The GLE design is handsome and interior is very well laid out. The SUV is surprisingly quick for having just an in-line 4 cylinder engine. The interior lighting borders on gaudy making it look like you’re in a cheap nightclub. Ride was floaty over bumps in the highway. Tried to compensate using sport mode setting but it still was bouncy. Road noise could have been better since the loaner wore cooper tires. Michelin’s would be better in my experience. Surprised to see mercedes use mini USB ports for phone chargers. Had to use the cigarette lighter to charge my iPhone. Phone location on dash is not the best. It’s slotted underneath the center dash stack. Better location is in front of the center console but hard to route charging cord there. MBUX system took some took some time to get familiarize. Liked the options to change display appearance. After a while it didn’t matter and was just a difference in colors being displayed. Birdseye camera view was cool. The front end camera was buggy at times when exiting driveway. Rather than turn off to see navigation map it stayed on. Also, the keyless touch door handle is less responsive than the one on my s-class. Ride was like floating on a firm cloud but seat became uncomfortable during long rides. The seat is bolstered too much in the front corners. I could not get as good a seating position as my s-class. Overall it’s a really nice vehicle and compelling choice for an upscale SUV.
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