2025 Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class Consumer Reviews
Pricing
64 mile range, luxurious, beginning to disappoint
This is an edited review after initially 5 star. Going into sixth week and some problems are beginning to make the ownership experience somewhat regrettable. On the plus side it’s luxurious with a great ride and I’m getting 64 miles per charge which is great, it’s like an EV with unlimited range. However, one of the features I was looking forward to benefiting from, augmented reality navigation, can’t be used in practice because it’s virtually impossible to search for a destination in the first place, so it’s back to CarPlay. And a terrible rattle has developed in the sun roof. The level 2 charger that came with the car has also developed problems. I’m souring on this collection of “features” that seem poorly tested and thrown together to check boxes on a feature list. Will update if anything changes for better or worse.
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Stay away from the hybrid!
If you are reading this I encourage you to really research the electrical issues with this car. There is a recall for a brake issue on a small number of cars and yes, that does happen so no big deal. As we are now learning through experience however this car has numerous other software issues. As soon as the weather got cold and damp issues started and the dealer is now “in contact with Germany” about them. They let slip they have another in the shop that has been there 11 months (that’s a patient customer!) with similar issues. Overall the car is solid construction wise and rides beautifully. The issues with soft brakes and “performance extremely limited” and turtle light and check engine lights however is frustrating. We bought it on faith and good experiences with the last two leases. This car appears half baked and not ready for prime time. Please note that our loaner Gas based GLE is very nice. I think this is a hybrid only issue.
- GLE 450e Plug-In Hybrid 4dr SUVMSRP: $72,5008 mi away
- GLE 450 4MATIC 4dr SUVMSRP: $81,3558 mi away
- AMG GLE 63 S 4dr SUVMSRP: $135,0458 mi away
A positive surprise in almost every way
First, I am a long time Mercedes owner and have owned all the major classes but not the smaller ones. I speak from my experiences only. I drove the GLE 450e first then the GLE 350 and settled on the GLE350. I didn't think dragging the extra weight around and loss of under deck storage and spare tire was worth it. Have a flat in the mountains and you will wish you had that spare! Plus I can tow 7700 pounds with the hitch installed. I bought it fully loaded as I wanted the advance safety features as well as comfort features.The leather seats are really comfortable and I love the massage feature! The air works great and all the controls are easy to access via buttons or just telling the car to turn them on or off. The stereo Burmeister, is really fantastic in surround. The advanced driving system is Level II and makes it safer and easier. It will guide you back intro your lane if you stray, automates speed and distance and knows where intersections are, etc. I feel much safer with this feature. Also the Parktronic will ease you into a tight parking spot with no trouble. What really impresses me Is the new MBUX system and its integration with Apple iPhone. You run them both simultaneously and it knows which one to respond to at any time. In addition my partner has a profile and his iPhone is integrated at the same time. Incredibly impressed. Plus I love the new Navigation Mercedes uses. Absolutely accurate down to the parking lots and I now use it instead of Apple Nav. It is not often after as many Mercedes as I have had to be surprised in a most pleasant way but I am. The only down side is the gas mileage which is only helped by careful driving and E mode. You can roll the highway at 28mpg under good circumstances but in town 20 is the best I get. I'll take the trade for the comfort and ride height and cargo capability for now.
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Annoying clunk from rear camera
We liked the car at first, but shortly noticed a clunking noise in the rear at low speeds. We thought it was something the dealership left in the cargo area. Come to find out it’s the camera extending and retracting by itself around 18mph. Turns out the dealer knows about this and MB isn’t doing anything, stating it’s by design, and other BS about it being a safety feature. We are on electric most of the time, and with just a short 10 mile trip around town, it will trigger this thing 20 times: out at a stop light, in after acceleration, out at slow down, etc. once you hear it you cannot unhear it. I sent it back to dealer, and was told they know it’s an issue, but won’t do anything until they hear from MB. I emailed MB and was responded with a canned reply about this being a “safety feature”. I’ve been on several MB forums and this began with the 2024 years and continues with 2025 models. I’ll probably trade it in for a BMW X5. We deserve better for a $70k “luxury” vehicle.
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Quibbling about perfection
I've had my GLE 450e for a month now, and its powertrain, transmission, interior (including the a/c system) are perfect: smooth and intuitive. I'd give it 5 stars, except for these quibbles: MB gave NO storage alternatives in the way-back when they filled up the rear with the PHEV battery -- it needs some cubbies and bag hooks; now, the tire-repair kit and portable charger just slide around with nowhere to go (even some Velcro tabs would help). Next, the purse/bag hook in the passenger footwell is missing-in-action. Next, the SUV is pretty high and, IF it does not come from the factory with the $600 running boards (which look very nice), there is no factory kit for dealer installation; my dealer quoted $5,000 to install post delivery, and strongly recommended against it (as if!). Finally (short list, eh?), exterior styling has some bogus fake elements that could easily have been made functional: the exhaust ports and the rear-end brake vents are totally fake; the front brake vents occupy about 1/10th of the allotted space but that space does not accommodate fog lamps or any other functional use. That said, I am very satisfied with the 2024 GLE 450e.
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