2024 Mercedes-Benz GLE

Most Mercedes-Benzes give their owners industry-leading comfort and technology. The cost of that experience is an expensive base price with expensive options and below-average reliability. The brand produces a wide variety of vehicles for the U.S., including coupes, station wagons, sedans, convertibles, and even two-seat sports cars. Its two- and three-row SUVs that we’ve tested have powerful engines and interiors that are roomy and quiet. Generally, Mercedes-Benz fit and finish, inside and out, is exceptional and helps justify prices. Mercedes-Benz’s EVs range from compact to large three-row SUVs. Across the lineup, controls for the complex climate and infotainment systems aren’t as intuitive as we find in other luxury vehicles. Like most European luxury brands, used Mercedes-Benzes can have expensive out-of-warranty repairs, although Consumer Reports has found used models with above-average reliability.

The new GLE is very quiet and impeccably finished inside, and has firm, supportive seats. The uplevel GLE450 has a powerful 3.0-liter turbo six-cylinder engine that returned 20 mpg overall in our tests. The standard engine is a 255-hp, 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder. The GLE rides comfortably, but its handling is rather dull. It comes with a new infotainment system with a wide display that houses the instrument panel and the center screen for the audio, phone, and navigation systems. These, along with some comfort settings, can be changed through the touch screen, touchpad, or steering-wheel, touch-sensitive controls. We found the system to be extremely distracting to use, even with the ability to use voice commands. Forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking are standard. A 4.0-liter V8 turbo engine that generates 603-hp in the GLE 63 S is new for 2021. Updates for 2022 include standard adaptive high-beam assist.