Mercedes AMG GLE 53 - Tremendous SUV
- 11 months ago
2023 Mercedes-AMG GLE-Class
Starting at $78.100
Highs Silky-smooth inline-six, high-budget interior, impressive ride.
Lows GLE Coupe offers less versatility for more money, poorly hides its mass, swills fuel in GLE63 S form.
Verdict The AMG GLE turns up the heat on the Benz GLE-class, but its strong competition does more for a lot less.
Overview
Mercedes’s GLE-class SUV ditches the Benz branding and receives the AMG treatment, which nets the mid-size SUV more power, a performance-oriented suspension setup, and a handful of design tweaks. Mercedes-AMG offers its GLE-class models in both SUV and fastback body styles, as well as in GLE53 and GLE63 S guises. The former packs a 429-hp forced induction straight-six under its hood, while the latter relies on a 603-hp twin-turbocharged V-8 for motivation. Both come standard with all-wheel drive. Despite their lesser cargo capacity, the hunchbacked Mercedes-AMG GLE53 and GLE63 S Coupes sticker for more than their squareback counterparts.
What's New for 2023?
This year marks the 55th anniversary of the AMG performance brand. To celebrate this, Mercedes-AMG is offering the GLE-class in a limited-run Edition 55 guise for 2023. The special-edition model includes distinct cues such as side-mounted Edition 55 graphics, matte-gray 22-inch wheels with Edition 55-exclusive center caps, and a steering wheel with commemorative badging.
Pricing and Which One to Buy
AMG GLE53: $78,100
AMG GLE63 S: $121,150
We'd save our money and stick with the more conventional and boxier GLE-class SUV. Black and Polar White are the only no-cost paint options, and we'd pair the more sinister color with the AMG Night package that includes blacked-out exterior trim. The illuminated three-pointed star emblem is a neat option. The optional heated steering wheel will keep our hands warm, and the Acoustic Comfort package helps keep the cabin further isolated from the noise of the outside world. The Multicontour front seats with massage and rapid heating function are also must-haves. The soft-close doors and four-zone climate system round out our selections.
Engine, Transmission, and Performance
The GLE53 features a nine-speed automatic transmission and standard all-wheel drive. Its engine is supplemented by an electric supercharger that's powered by a 48-volt electrical system. Combined with the GLE53's turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six-cylinder engine, the SUV’s powertrain produces 429 horsepower and 384 pound-feet of torque. That setup helped catapult a GLE53 Coupe we tested to 60 mph in 4.7 second and through the quarter-mile in 13.4 seconds at 103 mph. Compare that with a Benz-branded 362-hp GLE450 we tested, which did the deeds in 5.3 seconds and 13.9 seconds at 100 mph, respectively.
The GLE53 also features a trick suspension consisting of an air-bag system coupled with active anti-roll bars that's said to provide corner-carving capabilities without sacrificing ride quality.
Starting at $78.100
Highs Silky-smooth inline-six, high-budget interior, impressive ride.
Lows GLE Coupe offers less versatility for more money, poorly hides its mass, swills fuel in GLE63 S form.
Verdict The AMG GLE turns up the heat on the Benz GLE-class, but its strong competition does more for a lot less.
Overview
Mercedes’s GLE-class SUV ditches the Benz branding and receives the AMG treatment, which nets the mid-size SUV more power, a performance-oriented suspension setup, and a handful of design tweaks. Mercedes-AMG offers its GLE-class models in both SUV and fastback body styles, as well as in GLE53 and GLE63 S guises. The former packs a 429-hp forced induction straight-six under its hood, while the latter relies on a 603-hp twin-turbocharged V-8 for motivation. Both come standard with all-wheel drive. Despite their lesser cargo capacity, the hunchbacked Mercedes-AMG GLE53 and GLE63 S Coupes sticker for more than their squareback counterparts.
What's New for 2023?
This year marks the 55th anniversary of the AMG performance brand. To celebrate this, Mercedes-AMG is offering the GLE-class in a limited-run Edition 55 guise for 2023. The special-edition model includes distinct cues such as side-mounted Edition 55 graphics, matte-gray 22-inch wheels with Edition 55-exclusive center caps, and a steering wheel with commemorative badging.
Pricing and Which One to Buy
AMG GLE53: $78,100
AMG GLE63 S: $121,150
We'd save our money and stick with the more conventional and boxier GLE-class SUV. Black and Polar White are the only no-cost paint options, and we'd pair the more sinister color with the AMG Night package that includes blacked-out exterior trim. The illuminated three-pointed star emblem is a neat option. The optional heated steering wheel will keep our hands warm, and the Acoustic Comfort package helps keep the cabin further isolated from the noise of the outside world. The Multicontour front seats with massage and rapid heating function are also must-haves. The soft-close doors and four-zone climate system round out our selections.
Engine, Transmission, and Performance
The GLE53 features a nine-speed automatic transmission and standard all-wheel drive. Its engine is supplemented by an electric supercharger that's powered by a 48-volt electrical system. Combined with the GLE53's turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six-cylinder engine, the SUV’s powertrain produces 429 horsepower and 384 pound-feet of torque. That setup helped catapult a GLE53 Coupe we tested to 60 mph in 4.7 second and through the quarter-mile in 13.4 seconds at 103 mph. Compare that with a Benz-branded 362-hp GLE450 we tested, which did the deeds in 5.3 seconds and 13.9 seconds at 100 mph, respectively.
The GLE53 also features a trick suspension consisting of an air-bag system coupled with active anti-roll bars that's said to provide corner-carving capabilities without sacrificing ride quality.