- 9 minutes ago
Two premium plug-in hybrid SUVs, two very different approaches: the BMW X5 xDrive50e brings sharper handling and strong performance, while the Mercedes-Benz GLE 350 de 4MATIC prioritizes comfort, space and efficient diesel power. This comparison reviews their refreshed designs, boots, rear-seat room, cockpits, infotainment, electric range, charging and everyday driving, then puts both SUVs through a simple off-road test.
See how the BMW’s petrol-electric powertrain and the Mercedes’ diesel plug-in hybrid compare on the road, and where each model makes compromises. A practical luxury SUV review for anyone researching the BMW X5 versus Mercedes GLE, PHEV SUV range and charging, family-car space, ride comfort or premium hybrid performance.
See how the BMW’s petrol-electric powertrain and the Mercedes’ diesel plug-in hybrid compare on the road, and where each model makes compromises. A practical luxury SUV review for anyone researching the BMW X5 versus Mercedes GLE, PHEV SUV range and charging, family-car space, ride comfort or premium hybrid performance.
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00:00bmw x5 x drive 50e and the mercedes-benz glee 350de 4 matic two interpretations of midsize
00:07premium suvs and two approaches to plug-in hybrid powertrains you'll find reviews of both of these
00:14suvs on my channel links in the description below if it's your first time here subscribe and press
00:20the bell icon to get notifications about new reviews also channel members get to watch this
00:25weeks or months in advance and it's ad-free and now let this suv battle commence i'll compare design
00:34boots rear seats cockpits infotainment system hybrid powertrains ride and handling and finally
00:39we'll do some very simple off-road test
00:56both suvs are in their facelift phase the x5 got an optional illumination of the radiator grill the
01:02headlights are sleeker the rear lamps now display an x motif or rather each displays half of an x
01:09there are new bumpers new paint colors the usual the biggest changes are of course in the cockpit
01:14more about that in a moment the changes to the gle are equally subtle the formatic all-wheel drive is
01:22now standard on all european models it used to be possible to order the least powerful petrol model
01:27with rear-wheel drive as car makers strive to cut emissions electrification is inevitable this means
01:34diesel models are now at least mild hybrids or phdvs both suvs are just over 490 centimeters long and over
01:43two meters wide each both are just under 180 centimeters high and the wheelbase is 297 and a half centimeters
01:53in
01:53the bmw and 299 and a half centimeters in the mercedes ground clearance is around 21 and a half centimeters
02:02in both cars
02:03the bmw weighs just under two and a half tons while the mercedes weighs almost 2.7 tons
02:10both cars can tow up to 2.7 tons which one do you like better so far
02:18and now let's look inside the bmw x5 boot the highlight here is the split tailgate which makes
02:26suspicious noises which is great when you want to change your shoes after exercising or skiing
02:31the bmw claims this boot has 500 liters capacity and it's about right according to my measurements
02:36fold the backrest and you get 1720 liters now because of the traction battery there's only
02:41some small storage under the boot floor enough to fit the cargo cover and maybe maybe if you really
02:49apply yourself one charging cable but just in case bmw gives you this cable bag
02:59the x5 boot is approximately 113 centimeters wide 100 centimeters deep and the height is 40 centimeters
03:08under the cargo cover with the cassette taking away another three centimeters around the backrests
03:13on the plus side the cargo cover is easy to remove on the downside the plug-in hybrid does not
03:19have a
03:19large storage compartment under the entire floor and the floor is slightly raised versus the non-hybrid
03:25models compared to the pre-face lift versions the levers to fold the rear seats have disappeared
03:30i could not find them in a configurator maybe this is a temporary change or maybe bmw reserved it
03:37for the non-hybrid seven seater other than that there are shopping bag hooks a 12 volt outlet and on
03:44versions with optional pneumatic suspension a button to lower the rear suspension to make loading easier
03:53mercedes doesn't provide boot capacity for the hybrid glee so i had to look in the german automotive press
04:00which claims there's 470 liters in the five seat configuration and 1865 liters with the backrests
04:07folded also mercedes gives you not one not two
04:14but three bags with different charging cables
04:20german engineering yeah
04:24the glee boot is approximately 110 centimeters wide 100 centimeters deep and 43 centimeters high to the cargo
04:33cover minus 3 centimeters for the cassette closer to the backrests the plug-in hybrid has no underfloor
04:39storage compartment not even the smallest one for a repair kit nor does it have a recess on the side
04:44as a result the repair kit the first aid kit and possibly cable bags are taking up space in the
04:50main
04:51compartment of my luxury suv boot fortunately you can specify most mercedes ph evs with optional dc charging
04:58so on longer trips you can just skip the slower charging cables rear seat in the bmw is quite
05:04ordinary the backrest splits 40 20 40 there's an armrest with some cup holders four zone climate control
05:11heated side seats and large door pockets in the x5 with the driver's seat set to my driving position
05:18i'm 175 centimeters tall i only have 15 16 centimeters leg room i remember a few years ago when i
05:26first reviewed
05:27this generation x5 i was surprised at how relatively little space there is in the back of such a large
05:32suv well this hasn't changed and i still don't know how it's even possible i've measured the x5 and the
05:40glee inside and out checked the thickness of the seats the length of the cockpit the distance from the
05:45windscreen and i can't explain where the space disappears in the bmw also the doors don't cover the
05:52sills but at least the floor in the middle is almost flat in the backrest of the front seats we
05:58have
05:58optional usb ports and anchor points to attach accessories the optional window blinds are manual
06:04i don't know how mercedes did this but in the gle i have eight centimeters more leg room than in
06:13the bmw
06:13x5 how is that even possible yes in the gle i have easily 24 25 centimeters of leg room behind
06:22the
06:23driver's seat set up for me and yes i checked the distance of the front seat from the dashboard and
06:28it
06:28is the same as in the x5 the thickness of the seats is similar but in the mercedes there's more
06:34bolstering
06:35and they are softer so they look thicker in the back of this test car we get an optional tablet
06:41in the
06:41armrest it's for controlling the seats multimedia air conditioning as long as it connects with the
06:46car because there is a 50 50 chance it won't i mean i could just use buttons for the ac
06:52but no i'm gonna
06:53use a tablet because that's fancier also because of the tablet the cup holders had to be moved to an
06:59extended center console so while i can control the ac from the tablet i have to lean to get my
07:05drinks anyway
07:06at least there are large door pockets and the doors don't cover the sills while those side steps may
07:13look cool they make getting in and out unnecessarily difficult
07:20and if you think less leg room in the back of the bmw is a result of my different driving
07:25position
07:28you are mistaken
07:31according to my measurements behind the wheel of the bmw x5 i sit as close to the dashboard as in
07:37the
07:37glee but the distance from the dashboard to the rear backrest is only 157 centimeters in the x5 which
07:44is around five centimeters less than in the gle the facelifted x5 gets bmw os eight and a half this
07:52infotainment system means among others getting rid of traditional gauges even though these have long been
07:57digital and only looked analog it also means preparing bmw cars for over-the-air software
08:03updates and digital services which car makers would very much like to sell to customers but for the time
08:09being the customers do not show due enthusiasm about it regardless of the brand while moving majority of
08:17the settings to a touch screen saves car makers a lot of money it is also annoying customers who want
08:22to change something and need to take their eyes off the road same with the now flat buttons for drive
08:29modes in place of what used to be sticking out of the console for a brand renowned for its focus
08:35on
08:35the needs of real drivers bmw too often forces me to take my eyes off the road the cup holders
08:42are cooled
08:43and heated and as usual they obscure access to a wireless charger the x5 gets some of the largest door
08:49pockets on the market the storage compartment under the armors is medium size and so is the glove box
08:55bmw like mercedes now offers scents to be sprayed through the ventilation behind the wheel of the
09:03gle i feel as if i'm sitting lower than in the x5 however the seats are at the same level
09:08from the ground
09:09the difference is in the window line which in the gle is about five centimeters higher than in the x5
09:18the cockpit is more or less what mercedes has been offering for the past six years or so
09:24it is a dual display running across two-thirds of the dashboard i like the sub-like slats for the
09:30ac
09:30vents which run across the entire width of the display introduced in 2018 the mbux operating system is
09:37in my opinion a better solution than bmw os8 even if in newer models more physical buttons are being replaced
09:44by features displayed on the ever larger screens and i don't get it why some of the seat settings are
09:51on the doors and some within the infotainment system the cup holders are also large storage
09:57compartment under the armrest is large but the glove box is small the door pockets are generous
10:20sorry for the cliche but the x5 drives like a bmw it's got quick direct steering at least compared
10:27to the gle the suspension is stiff and the reaction to the gas pedal is immediate this test example is
10:32powered by a six-cylinder inline petrol engine there is also an electric motor which draws energy from a
10:3825.7 kilowatt hour net capacity traction battery ac charging is up to 7.4 kilowatts takes up to
10:46four and a half hours there is no dc option
10:53the total power output of the internal combustion engine and the electric motor is 489 horsepower
10:59the torque is 700 new meters the claimed 0 to 100 kilometers per hour time is 4.8 seconds i
11:06achieved 5.6
11:07seconds in normal mode but four and a half seconds in sport mode the promised fuel economy of less than
11:13one liter per 100 kilometers is of course for wltp cycle where the car runs mainly on electricity
11:20once the energy in the traction battery has been depleted over longer distances expect fuel consumption
11:25like that of a six-cylinder petrol engine in a 2.5 ton suv i.e a dozen or so
11:31liters per 100 kilometers
11:34electric range of up to 110 kilometers is achievable under optimum conditions but bmw
11:39attempts you to drive faster so it can be difficult to achieve more than 80 kilometers but for many
11:44people this is still more than their daily commute the x5 has intelligent regenerative braking when
11:50the car detects slower traffic ahead or an intersection or a speed limit it starts to slow down on its
11:56own
11:57and recovers some energy in the process helping to extend the electric range while there is no battery
12:04recharge mode it is possible to recover some electric energy in sport mode although
12:09there is no economic justification for this if you plan to drive in zero emissions mode after a long
12:14motorway journey for example you can activate the battery save mode bmw has always had good driver
12:21assistance systems and this has not changed adaptive cruise control and lane keeping assist work with me
12:27not against me thanks to bmw os8 features such as a system that allows you to save a series of
12:34parking
12:34maneuvers in certain locations or coming to more bmw models for example i can save a location on my street
12:40from which the car reverses autonomously into my driveway
13:39from which school can addicted to but can store a traffic to the cartway as BRA see howspl Constantia
13:59compared to the x5 the glee is much more comfortable and relaxed the mercedes doesn't like to take
14:07corners fast instead it pampers you with soft seats with adjustable bolsters adjusted correctly
14:15these seats will hold you in place should you decide to take a corner with a bit too much enthusiasm
14:21for this car's liking mercedes offers three plug-in hybrid versions including the 350de with
14:31a two liter diesel this certainly makes sense in some situations such as when i often have to drive
14:37a few dozen kilometers or more on the motorway but at the destination i want to or i need to
14:43drive
14:43in zero emissions mode this gives me good fuel economy on the motorway and zero emissions in the
14:48city the claimed range of up to 109 kilometers is probably achievable in optimum conditions but
14:55during the review the daytime temperature was below 10 degrees celsius and at night it dropped to round
15:00zero so the computer only showed 80 kilometers range if you need to recharge the battery the
15:06gle takes up to 11 kilowatts ac but there is also an option for 60 kilowatt dc charging so you
15:12can
15:12regain about 50 kilometers range during a short break to stretch your legs once the energy in the
15:19traction battery was exhausted i drove for a while using the internal combustion engine the average
15:23fuel consumption was around 5 liters per 100 kilometers but if i recharge the traction battery every 80 to
15:30100 kilometers or so i would probably have reached some ridiculous result below one liter per 100
15:35kilometers glee also has intelligent recuperation but it's not as effective at slowing the car down as
15:42in the bmw adaptive cruise control or lane keeping assist are as good as in the x5 while mercedes doesn't
15:48offer parking memory on the gle i've seen it on some of the brand's newer models the time from 0
15:56to 100
15:57kilometers per hour should be 6.9 seconds i couldn't get below 7.2 seconds even in sport mode on
16:04dry tarmac
16:25both suvs depending on the powertrain can be fitted with optional off-road packages but these test units
16:32here only have optional air suspension which lowers or raises by a dozen millimeters or so depending on
16:38the drive mode selected as both cars are on standard tires and without the off-road packages i only perform
16:45my diagonal approach test where i stop halfway up a small incline so that the wheels on the diagonal have
16:51limited grip and then i try get going again no surprise both cars got up without any problems
16:58it's worth noting that the x5 and glee have mechanical all-wheel drive rather than the rear axle being
17:04powered by an electric motor like in the lexus rx but even so i don't expect many owners to take
17:11their
17:11luxury suvs off-road any further than a gravel driveway to their mansions bmw x5 prices start at 87 300
17:21euro for
17:22the x drive 50e with additional equipment it costs 129 822 euro the mercedes-benz glee prices start at 87
17:38435 euro
17:40for the 300 d4 matic this test model with options costs 115 932 euro the x5 is better to drive
17:52as a bmw
17:53suv and as a ph ev it also has more modern and more relevant gadgets but charging is its weakness
18:00i'm also
18:00disappointed by the tighter interior and a rather cheap sounding tailgate
18:12mercedes on the other hand is more comfortable offers faster ac charging and has a dc option
18:17it is also more spacious inside however the tablet is no replacement for something really useful like
18:22automatic parking and a two liter diesel is just as good in real life as a ph ev with a
18:28two liter diesel
18:29and which one of these suvs would you rather have let me know in the comment section below
18:37if you like my sarcastic down-to-earth and possibly mildly amusing car reviews join me every friday 3 pm
18:44central european time and don't forget to subscribe and like this video as it helps me with the youtube
18:50algorithm thanks for watching and i will see you in the next one
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