The Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class is one of the most desirable models in the mid-size luxury SUV segment ever since the initial launch of the marque back in the late 90s.
With the arrival of the fourth generation of the GLE, it turned out to be a default choice for those who want a luxurious traveling experience without losing on the versatility offered by a fairly large SUV.
Offered for a base MSRP of $58,650, the 2022 Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class can be had in three trim configurations, just like the previous year.
Apart from the inclusion of automatic high beams and two new exterior color palettes, the 2022 GLE-Class remains unchanged, meaning the spacious cabin, long list of optional extras, and the butch styling are retained too. Competing with the likes of the Genesis GV80, BMW X5, and Volvo XC90, here are 10 things you need to know before buying the 2022 Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class.
10 Luxurious Cabin
The Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class has never disappointed us in terms of the luxury and quality that the interior provides, and the same holds true for this 2022 iteration as well. Step into the cabin, and you would be impressed with the interior that comes with premium leather, aluminum trims, and wooden accents, all of which helps it to look and feel special.
The upholstery comes covered in MB-Tex leather in multiple shades, however, you could also opt for the full-leather upholstery for an additional $1,620 or Nappa leather for $2,990. There are multiple options for wooden inserts and the features like the panoramic sunroof, ambient lighting, and soft-touch materials everywhere take it a notch above the Audi Q7 and Acura MDX.
As the interior design of the GLE-Class, the exterior design is also stunning. The butch front fascia and the elegant side profile make sure that it’s going to attract many eyeballs out on the open road. We also admire the clean-looking rear end, which is very similar to the more expensive Mercedes-Benz GLS.
The blacked-out elements to the front end give it the right aggression when viewed head-on, and we also loved the 19″, 20″, and 21″ wheel options it comes with. The AMG multi-spokes on the GLE gives it the proper stance and elegance, and the silver roof rail, chrome window lining, and the LED headlights and LED taillights are classy too.
8 Quite Spacious
Space has never been a problem in this luxury 5-seater German SUV, and the 2022 iteration keeps the same quality. Get into the front row, and you would be happy to do 1,000-mile road trips with very little fatigue and discomfort.
The leather upholstery feels plush and the heat, ventilation, and powered seats offer excellent side bolstering and under-thigh support.
The ergonomics are as good as they get, and the multiple cubbyholes and large glovebox improve the versatility. The same is also the case with the rear seat. When it comes to the front and rear row, the headroom and legroom turned out to be better than the Audi Q7 and BMW X5. The shoulder room of 58.3″ makes it good enough for three passengers in the rear. You could also opt for an optional third row, even though the space is not going to be good enough for fitting tall adults.
The 2022 Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class comes fitted with the independent front and rear suspension setup with coil springs and anti-roll bars on all four corners. Even though Mercedes is quite famous for its mature ride quality in many of the other iterations, the GLE-Class will disappoint you if you think that the ride is going to be very magic-carpet-like.
The stiffly sprung suspension setup doesn’t do a good job when driving at slow speeds, as it tends to jostle the passengers more than the Q7 and MDX. Even when driving on the highway, the ride quality does jiggle the passengers occasionally, which is not going to be very enjoyable. However, you could go for the optional air suspension system, and that improves the ride quality tremendously, the only deterrent is its expensive pricing.
6 Impressive Refinement
The GLE 350 comes with a turbocharged inline-4 motor, and it is one of the smoothest powertrains your money could buy. The engine sounds sweet throughout the rev range, and even when driving close to the redline, there are no major vibrations that creep into the cabin. The inline-6 motor that is present in the GLE 450 is even better.
The sound deadening is excellent and the cabin of the GLE-Class doesn’t get a lot of external noises. The wind noise and road noise are on the lower side. Even the tire noise is well under control for the 19″ and 20″ wheel trims. However, when equipped with 21″ AMG wheels, the tire noise was a bit more than we expected.
The braking of the 2022 Mercedes-Benz GLE 350 is handled by the 13″ front and rear rotors. With the front rotors being ventilated, the braking doesn’t see much fade under extreme use. The initial bite is up there with the BMW X5, and the braking progression is more than adequate to stop from triple-digit speeds with ease.
ABS kicks in when necessary, and the front-end dive is much lower than the Acura MDX. We were also impressed with the excellent feedback offered through the brake pedal. Apart from that, the 70-0 mph braking distance of 175 feet is superior to the rivals.
4 More Than Adequate Grunt
Even if you go with the base GLE 350 trim, which comes with a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4 motor producing 255 hp and 273 lb-ft of torque, you would never feel wanting for more. The torque curve is wide, and this mid-size luxury SUV turned out to be an effortless cruiser. The engine feels refined, and the 9-speed automatic transmission is relatively fast and smooth while shifting gears. It can be had in either RWD or 4MATIC AWD drivetrain too.
If you want more fierce acceleration without compromising too much on fuel efficiency, the GLE 450 is a great pick. It comes with a 362 hp hybrid turbocharged inline-6 motor and punches out a superior 0-60 mph time of 5.3 seconds. The acceleration is very crisp and the low-end and mid-range of the GLE 450 shines more when compared to the GLE 350. The overall performance of the GLE 450 is superior to the Audi Q7, and it is a very capable family hauler, even when opting for the optional 7-seater variant.
If you want the performance that could even shame some of the 2-door sports coupes without losing out on the capability and comfort of an SUV, Mercedes has got you back covered with the GLE53 AMG. Under the hood of this crossover sporty offering lies the 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-6 motor coupled with an electric supercharger, giving it a combined output of 429 hp and 384 lb-ft of torque.
The 0-60 mph comes in an astonishing 4.7 seconds, and the quarter-mile run of 13.4 seconds makes it even faster than the Porsche Cayenne. The acceleration is fierce and putting your foot down does push you back to the sports seat. The gearshifts are ridiculously fast, and if you want even better performance and grip, there is a sports mode on offer too.
2 GLE 350 Managed To Return Solid Gas Mileage
If you are worried about the fuel efficiency offered by the premium mid-size SUV, you are not going to be disappointed with the base GLE 350. The RWD drivetrain variant offers a city gas mileage of 19 MPG and a highway gas mileage of 27 MPG. The combined gas mileage of 22 MPG is better than the Acura MDX and Audi Q7.
With a fuel tank capacity of 22.5-gallons, the highway tank range of close to 607 miles tops the chart too. However, if you get the 4MATIC AWD variant, the highway fuel efficiency does drop slightly to 26 MPG, which is not going to be a big deal for many.
The long list of standard safety and driver-assistance features, coupled with a few more coming in as optional extras, makes the GLE-Class an enticing proposition if you want a safe family luxury SUV. The standard driver-assistance techs include automated emergency braking with pedestrian detection, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and driver monitoring alert.
The optional driver assistance package can be had for an additional $1,950 and offers you features like active distance assist, active steering assist, evasive steering assist, pre-safe plus, and adaptive cruise control. The GLE-Class received a 5-star rating in the NHTSA crash test and the 2022 top safety pick + title in the IIHS crash test.
