2024 Mercedes-Benz GLE Class

Mercedes offers the GLE-Class as a standard crossover or a crossover GLE Coupe with a sloped roof. It’s more like a sedan on stilts than a coupe, but it’s the style leader of the lineup. 

The GLE gets a slight styling update for 2024 but it keeps its muscular lines. The grille remains high-set with the Mercedes star logo front and center. A chrome trim piece bisects the logo, adding vertical lines this year, and the outboard air intakes are now more noticeable with additional trim pieces that delineate them from the rest of the lower fascia. The flanks have top and bottom character lines to square off the door and fender shapes, and the wheelwells are filled with 19- to 22-inch wheels. A sharply sloped pillar behind the rear doors adds a sense of motion to the SUV, while the Coupe’s roofline angles down to the rear much earlier.

Inside, the GLE is about luxury and technology. The tech is handled by two large 12.3-inch screens under a single pane of glass. Luxury comes in the form of (mostly) authentic materials to create a warm or modern look. Synthetic leather is standard, but the real thing is optional and buyers can choose real wood, aluminum, a metal weave, or carbon-fiber trim. 

Only the GLE 350 comes with rear-wheel drive. All other models have all-wheel drive, which Mercedes calls 4Matic.

How fast is the Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class?

It starts off reasonably quick and progresses to downright fast. 

The GLE 350 sports the base engine, a 2.0-liter turbo-4 that produces 255 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque. It motivates the big SUV from 0-60 mph in 7.0 seconds, which isn’t overwhelming but is plenty for any daily commute. 

The GLE 450 4Matic sports a turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-6. It makes 375 hp this year (from 362 hp last year), and 369 lb-ft, and it uses a 48-volt mild-hybrid system that minimizes any turbo lag with a dash of 20 hp. It cuts the 0-60 mph time to 5.5 seconds. 

The 0-60 mph sprint drops to a scant 4.3 seconds in the GLE 580 4Matic, with its twin-turbo 4.0-liter V-8 spinning out 483 hp and 538 lb-ft and its 48-volt system chipping in an additional 21 hp.

The AMGs start with the 53 model, which gets a tuned version of the turbo-6 that makes  429 hp and 413 lb-ft and is good for a 4.9-second 0-60 mph run. The 63 uses a breathed-on version of the twin-turbo V-8 that ratchets the power all the way up to 603 hp and 627 lb-ft, which cuts the 0-60 mph run to just 3.7 seconds. Both also get a 48-volt assist.

The AMG and V-8 models bring the engine note forward and highlight their power with pops and crackles between gears and when letting off the throttle. Otherwise, the engines are smooth and their sound lurks in the background.

All engines are mated to a smooth-shifting 9-speed automatic transmission that rarely gets confused. The GLE 450 4Matic and 580 4Matic can tow up to 7,700 pounds.

New this year is the GLE 450e 4Matic plug-in hybrid. It teams the base 2.0-liter turbo-4 with a 134-hp electric motor that also spins out a hearty 295 lb-ft. Total system output is 381 hp and 479 lb-ft. Its 23.3-kwh battery should provide about 40 miles of EV range. 

The plug-in hybrid system is very effective. The motor’s significant torque can allow the 450e to drive in EV mode almost exclusively while the battery has sufficient charge. Flooring it will yield a 5.8-second 0-60 mph run, but it can be just as satisfying to drive in the smooth silence of EV mode while having enough power to keep up with traffic and merge on the freeway. 

The 450e has EV, Hybrid, and Battery Hold modes. Hybrid aims for the best efficiency, and EV will only start the engine if drivers top 87 mph or dig very deep into the throttle. Battery Hold will preserve the current level of charge in case a driver needs to drive emissions free later in a trip. 

No matter the model you choose, the GLE will ride smoothly, though the GLE 63 with its 22-inch wheels can occasionally pound over harsh bumps. Air springs and adaptive dampers are available, and they are worth the money as they iron out the ride even more and help the GLE handle better than it should for its size and weight. AMG models have flatter handling and more agile moves thanks to active anti-roll bars. 

The second row also has good space, and can fit three across. The GLE Coupe’s roofline and smaller rear doors make it harder to get into the second row. They also have slightly less headroom.

While a third-row seat is available, we recommend moving up to the GLS-Class if you plan to carry more than five people. The GLE’s third row will work in a pinch, though, as long as those in the way back don’t mind sitting with their knees at their chins.

The cargo hold is sizable, with 33.3 cubic feet of space behind the second row and 74.9 cubes behind the first row in the standard SUV. Those numbers drop to 27.3 and 63.2 cubic feet, respectively, in the GLE Coupe models.

Mercedes is at or near the top of the market in terms of interior quality. The GLE sports top-notch, well-assembled materials throughout its cabin, and buyers can opt for even better with leather and trim upgrades.

The GLE comes standard with automatic high beams, a surround-view camera system, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitors, a driver-attention monitor, and an exit warning system. Also available are active lane control with automatic lane changes, adaptive cruise control with stop and go, and speed limit recognition.

Which Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class should I buy?

We recommend the GLE 450e 4Matic plug-in hybrid model. It should run about $70,000.

How much is a fully loaded Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class?

An AMG GLE 63 4Matic+ tops $120,000, and comes loaded with nappa leather upholstery, cooled front seats with massage, heated and cooled cupholders, a head-up display, a Burmester audio system, remote start, bigger brakes, a panoramic sunroof, an air suspension, an electronic limited-slip rear differential, dynamic engine mounts, a performance exhaust system, and 21-inch wheels. Choose a bunch of options and it can top $150,000.

Opt for the all-wheel-drive GLE 350 4Matic and the 2023 ratings were 20/24/21 mpg, while the GLE 450 4Matic carried 20/25/22 ratings. The GLE 580 4Matic got 16/21/18 mpg, and the AMG GLE 53 4Matic topped out at 18/22/19 mpg. The AMG GLE 63 4Matic+ was rated at 15/20/17 mpg. Coupe variants lost 1 mpg on the highway and/or city but not overall.

The new GLE 450e 4Matic has not yet been rated, but it should deliver about 40 miles of electric driving range.

All models require premium fuel.