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Was surprised on their write up of the GLE450 engine compared to the 4 cylinder GLE350. "GLE450 we drove didn't feel radically quicker than the more lightly option 350". They seemed to be pleased with the 255 HP turbo four. I was expecting great reviews on the turbo charged six. Maybe I need to find a 2014 ML550 vs waiting or new GLE450.
Here's a review of the CLS450 powertrain, which is same as the GLE's, that may give you a different perspective:
"The refiring of its new 3.0-liter inline-six, which goes virtually unnoticed in stop-start operation, is likely the Mercedes-Benz CLS450'S most endearing quality. Yet the seamlessness of this most casual of operations is but a prelude to the engine's full performance. It is a sweetheart of a thing: part fluid, intuitive response; part effortless motivator of steel and aluminum. Some cars have reactors under their hoods. Some simply have engines. This one has a just-right selection of bits that move in facile unity to get you where you want to go. We're not idle flatterers of every new engine, but this one-this return to six in a row for Mercedes is something genuinely special." -- Car & Driver
Another thing my dealer couldn't confirm, nor could the corporate technology trainer he emailed, if the navigation feature has an aerial option (akin to Google Earth view) and if it is available no matter what magnification level. Any input from knowledgeable individuals? The other SUV's I was looking at do (Cayenne and even the Range Rover crappy system does) so I assume it does, but it's important to me to make sure it is available on the MBUX system. I work with maps and am often in the field and could use it. Yeah, I have it on my phone and tablet/laptop that I take with me, but I will use it in my vehicle as well. Thanks
Watch the video of the A Class MBUX that Joe posted in #1651 just before the 9:00 mark - yes, it does.
I did. What was less clear to me was that although it did give an aerial view at a certain magnification, it appeared to revert back to typical map view as it magnified closer. I'm really needing to it stay on aerial view even at the very closest street level magnification, and I didn't get a clear sense that it does. Dealer said his 2018 (he didn't say model and I didn't think to ask) gives an aerial at a wider magnification, but reverts to map view at closer magnifications and won't show aerial at that level at all. My 2017 GLC43 with the upgraded nav will do the same, but won't give an aerial view at close magnifications. Not sure why, really, and I've fiddled with the settings. I'm betting it will do what I want as the Audi/Porsche/Rover all do, but I've learned my lessons about assumptions.
If the video absolutely shows it in aerial at close magnification, sorry, I missed it. I'll look again.
Yeah, we've been playing with that for a couple months when there was no other info out there. BTW, at least with Chrome you can translate the site well enough to understand things. Here's mine:
As far as leather, are you sure the car you saw (LA show?) had leather? Even with leather seats, the dash and perhaps the door panels are faux leather (MBTex). There are three upgraded Nappa leathers available for the seats, but only in black or black/white.
Looks awesome, looks like we will be near twins (im going for the 19" wheels)
Im not sure about the seating surfaces of the two I saw, Im only concerned with the dinamica seats (have them in the BS and I could never go back).
What i'm referring to is the material on the dash/grab handles. I just really don't like crocodile texture faux leather. Its very cheap looking. Especially modern iterations of it look especially cheap. Atleast the ones in cars like the E46 looked much more smooth and came across very nicely. Since this is an all around family car, its ok, certainly not a deal killer. But if MB offered it for another 1-2k as an option it would be a game changed for the interior IMO.
For reference, the new A class had a smoothly textured leather/faux leather dash and it looks phenomenal and very high end. An A class mind you... The implementation on the e63 is also outstanding. It seems strange not to see it here. I have a feeling MB will offer it on the AMGs, but for some of us 450 purchasers, it would have been nice as an option
Here's a review of the CLS450 powertrain, which is same as the GLE's, that may give you a different perspective:
"The refiring of its new 3.0-liter inline-six, which goes virtually unnoticed in stop-start operation, is likely the Mercedes-Benz CLS450'S most endearing quality. Yet the seamlessness of this most casual of operations is but a prelude to the engine's full performance. It is a sweetheart of a thing: part fluid, intuitive response; part effortless motivator of steel and aluminum. Some cars have reactors under their hoods. Some simply have engines. This one has a just-right selection of bits that move in facile unity to get you where you want to go. We're not idle flatterers of every new engine, but this one-this return to six in a row for Mercedes is something genuinely special." -- Car & Driver
Its a good engine. Its a good fit for the car. Its not going to be anything that makes you giddy the way a Cayenne or X5 can. For that the GLE53 would be the minimum. But for general family duties, getting around town and making solid passes without any fear on the freeway its a good engine
[QUOTE=GregW / Oregon;7634996]I'm not thrilled with the style (look more lux than sporty), but they are good and meaty with the 315s and good dish in the rear. Not like W166 IMO.
I agree but don’t really understand the hang up with Factory wheels. It’s so easy to get a unique wheel aftermarket to fit any taste. The choices are less with 22’s and the different offset front and back but nothing that spacers won’t fix. Some of the wheels aren’t cheap but a set of forged wheels will reduce unsprung weight and you will have a wheel that others don’t. On one Audi Forum there are vendors that sell Vossen and BBS two high end brands. Audi has the same bolt pattern so I’m sure they can fit a Mercedes or BMW and probably do. I almost always use my Factory wheels for winter tires and Custom wheels for Summer. The Mercedes Dealer SA’s were all staring at the wheels on my wife’s Audi and wanted to know if they were a special order. I had added S Line center Caps so they look stock.
Edit: Vorsteiner is one I forgot to mention. Mandrus is another that specializes in Mercedes.
I'm not thrilled with the style (look more lux than sporty), but they are good and meaty with the 315s and good dish in the rear. Not like W166 IMO.
Yup, had those on my S coupes yawn...
Was at the delaer yesterday and my wife saw the 22" wheel style we all seem to luv but in the 20" version and she luved the look...looks like she getting a 53 unless something else changes. I also think a nicely equipped 53 will be a better overall value than a super loaded 450.
BTw drove the new E53 cab...that engine is a rocket motor
I agree but don’t really understand the hang up with Factory wheels. It’s so easy to get a unique wheel aftermarket to fit any taste. The choices are less with 22’s and the different offset front and back but nothing that spacers won’t fix. Some of the wheels aren’t cheap but a set of forged wheels will reduce unsprung weight and you will have a wheel that others don’t. On one Audi Forum there are vendors that sell Vossen and BBS two high end brands. Audi has the same bolt pattern so I’m sure they can fit a Mercedes or BMW and probably do. I almost always use my Factory wheels for winter tires and Custom wheels for Summer. The Mercedes Dealer SA’s were all staring at the wheels on my wife’s Audi and wanted to know if they were a special order. I had added S Line center Caps so they look stock.
Edit: Vorsteiner is one I forgot to mention. Mandrus is another that specializes in Mercedes.
I'm a stickler for keeping the quality and fit equal or better than the German OEMS (I wouldn't put Mandrus in that category). The stock wheels on my BMW are monoforged, which is the best; I don't think the Mercedes wheels are forged, but they are high quality. Certainly BBS and others can meet these standards - but you are going to pay more than the OEM.
Last edited by GregW / Oregon; 12-20-2018 at 04:52 PM.
I'm a stickler for keeping the quality and fit equal or better than the German OEMS (I wouldn't put Mandrus in that category). The stock wheels on my BMW are monoforged, which is the best; I don't think the Mercedes wheels are forged, but they are high quality. Certainly BBS and others can meet these standards - but you are going to pay more than the OEM.
Are you just assuming they are better because they are Mercedes wheels? Some Mandrus wheels are forged and I don’t see any GLE wheels that are forged. They all appear to be cast....flow formed....who knows. IMO, it’s a stretch to assume that one wheel is superior to another without something other the brand of wheel. Most wheels are of good quality today with modern manufacturing methods. What constitutes an inferior wheel? I don’t recall news about a wheel failure in recent years and it would probably cause a wreck.. I just did a search and didn’t find anything other than Carbon Fiber and RR wheels. Even MB’s wheels are messed up by potholes, curbs, wrecks, etc.
Are you just assuming they are better because they are Mercedes wheels? Some Mandrus wheels are forged and I don’t see any GLE wheels that are forged. They all appear to be cast....flow formed....who knows. IMO, it’s a stretch to assume that one wheel is superior to another without something other the brand of wheel. Most wheels are of good quality today with modern manufacturing methods. What constitutes an inferior wheel? I don’t recall news about a wheel failure in recent years and it would probably cause a wreck.. I just did a search and didn’t find anything other than Carbon Fiber and RR wheels. Even MB’s wheels are messed up by potholes, curbs, wrecks, etc.
Okay, I was too general. It is unlikely a name brand wheel is going to fail under normal conditions, but its strength to avoid dents and stay true, and also weight for a given size can vary widely; that as well as the optimization of fit to each vehicle. There are a ton of marginal wheel manufacturers out there, but also lots of good ones. Within any given manufacturer's line, there also may be a range of products with different manufacturing techniques and levels of quality. One way to assure a certain level of quality is with TUV or JIL certification which includes structural & fatigue testing. Not a lot of manufacturers go to this trouble, and there are some that claim certification that do not have it. This is from the back of a 9Jx20 wheel that came on my '12 ML that indicates JIL certification (also says "Made in USA" on another spoke:
The Mercedes wheels may not be the absolute best but they have an inherent level of quality that matches that of the car. Certainly I'm all for having unique wheels that fit your taste and let your vehicle be a little different than all the others on the road.
Okay, I was too general. It is unlikely a name brand wheel is going to fail under normal conditions, but its strength to avoid dents and stay true, and also weight for a given size can vary widely; that as well as the optimization of fit to each vehicle. There are a ton of marginal wheel manufacturers out there, but also lots of good ones. Within any given manufacturer's line, there also may be a range of products with different manufacturing techniques and levels of quality. One way to assure a certain level of quality is with TUV or JIL certification which includes structural & fatigue testing. Not a lot of manufacturers go to this trouble, and there are some that claim certification that do not have it. This is from the back of a 9Jx20 wheel that came on my '12 ML that indicates JIL certification (also says "Made in USA" on another spoke:
The Mercedes wheels may not be the absolute best but they have an inherent level of quality that matches that of the car. Certainly I'm all for having unique wheels that fit your taste and let your vehicle be a little different than all the others on the road.
Most people are just like you, they don’t trust aftermarket wheels. Aftermarket is an unknown in most cases today because engineering, proper manufacturing and xrays have replaced the expensive stress testing of individual wheels. The cost to test each individual wheel would be prohibitive for most mass market vehicles. The reason many wheels are Cast or Flowcast is the freedom to make a wheel that just can’t be duplicated by forging a piece of billet Aluminum with a CNC machine. It’s also less expensive. A Flowcast is a Cast wheel with an additional step that strengthens the wheel. In reality the risk of any wheel failure is minuscule compared to the risk of a tire failure. Most wheels are engineered for a comfortable margin of safety.
A billet forged wheel will take slightly more abuse than a Cast because it’s denser...stronger. The cosmetic properties or ability to reduce bending of any Cast wheel will be similar since they contain about the same material. Billet is all Aluminum and Cast is mostly Aluminum with alloys. Aluminum is soft and stretches when damaged so unlike metal it can’t be returned to its original shape. Thats why repairing Aluminum auto parts is normally done by replacing the panel or in rare cases to cut out and weld in a new piece.
I value my my life as much as the next person. That said I’m a lot more concerned about my tires than the wheels. I replace tires long before they need it. As to the cost of a premium aftermarket wheel that’s a matter of choice. For us it’s a mod that differentiates our vehicle from others and we get a wheel that suits our taste. Since we need a second set of wheels the incremental cost isn’t that much. I’m certainly no expert so I could be overlooking something.
Most people are just like you, they don’t trust aftermarket wheels. Aftermarket is an unknown in most cases today because engineering, proper manufacturing and xrays have replaced the expensive stress testing of individual wheels. The cost to test each individual wheel would be prohibitive for most mass market vehicles. The reason many wheels are Cast or Flowcast is the freedom to make a wheel that just can’t be duplicated by forging a piece of billet Aluminum with a CNC machine. It’s also less expensive. A Flowcast is a Cast wheel with an additional step that strengthens the wheel. In reality the risk of any wheel failure is minuscule compared to the risk of a tire failure. Most wheels are engineered for a comfortable margin of safety.
A couple last comments, then I'll shut up.
I don't distrust aftermarket wheels in general, but the manufacturer has to earn my respect. "Proper manufacturing and x-rays" are fine, but that leaves it up to the manufacturer to self-certify vs. a third party organization. That's like letting the farmer saying, "oh, yeah, I'm organic" vs. a certification by USDA or others. As I said about wheel failure, yes, that's rare - more common is dents or out-of-roundness or trueness caused by potholes, etc.
A billet forged wheel will take slightly more abuse than a Cast because it’s denser...stronger. The cosmetic properties or ability to reduce bending of any Cast wheel will be similar since they contain about the same material. Billet is all Aluminum and Cast is mostly Aluminum with alloys. Aluminum is soft and stretches when damaged so unlike metal it can’t be returned to its original shape.
10,000 ton forged wheels should be the best. That being said, I've never bent a Mercedes wheel in 21 years of ownership.
I value my my life as much as the next person. That said I’m a lot more concerned about my tires than the wheels. I replace tires long before they need it. As to the cost of a premium aftermarket wheel that’s a matter of choice. For us it’s a mod that differentiates our vehicle from others and we get a wheel that suits our taste. Since we need a second set of wheels the incremental cost isn’t that much.
As I said, I fully support the aftermarket wheel route if you can afford it and if you screen the options. I'll be using the 20s off my W166 as Winter wheels, so the ones that come stock will stay there for the rest of the year. Since my wife drives our SUV 95% of the time, I'm not big into modding. My M4 has lots of personal touches.
I stopped by the MB dealer today to confirm that my build had been properly updated (yes it was...for now), and while there stopped by the Parts desk to talk about potential winter wheel tire packages, and struck an interesting conversation. Apparently it is a policy ( either the dealer's or MBUSA not sure but I assume the former for now) that once your car comes configured with a certain wheel size they will not permit owners from purchasing official MB wheels of a different size which they enforce via vehicle VIN#. Nor will they install wheels of a different size if you bring them in for a swap-out.
I looked at the guy like he had three heads.. He was dead serious. My sales consultant confirmed this 'policy' and attributed it to warranty concerns. So if my GLE was sold with 21" wheels their expectation is that I would equip it with 21" snows as well. wut?????????
I stopped by the MB dealer today to confirm that my build had been properly updated (yes it was...for now), and while there stopped by the Parts desk to talk about potential winter wheel tire packages, and struck an interesting conversation. Apparently it is a policy ( either the dealer's or MBUSA not sure but I assume the former for now) that once your car comes configured with a certain wheel size they will not permit owners from purchasing official MB wheels of a different size which they enforce via vehicle VIN#. Nor will they install wheels of a different size if you bring them in for a swap-out.
I looked at the guy like he had three heads.. He was dead serious. My sales consultant confirmed this 'policy' and attributed it to warranty concerns. So if my GLE was sold with 21" wheels their expectation is that I would equip it with 21" snows as well. wut?????????
Yeah, even though the car comes with a variety of sizes that are suitable for Winter. Makes no sense.
[QUOTE=GregW / Oregon;7635320]A couple last comments, then I'll shut up.
I don't distrust aftermarket wheels in general, but the manufacturer has to earn my respect. "Proper manufacturing and x-rays" are fine, but that leaves it up to the manufacturer to self-certify vs. a third party organization. That's like letting the farmer saying, "oh, yeah, I'm organic" vs. a certification by USDA or others. As I said about wheel failure, yes, that's rare - more common is dents or out-of-roundness or trueness caused by potholes, etc.
Your information is different than mine. Wheel certifications are a thing of the past from what I know. JIL certification is really JUL a Japenese requirement that a Wheel Manufacturer self certifies not an outside third party. TUV is a third party certification but that certification requires testing of each individual wheel. Is TUV testing done on any production vehicles today? A few exotic high priced vehicles, maybe! I seriously doubt any GLE will come with TUV certification. If that’s correct then it’s all about self certification. Wheels today are made in highly automated modern factories to be competitive.
In today’s litigious environment a company won’t be in business long if they produce inferior wheels. Nor will wholesalers or the large retailers like Tire Rack accept liability by purchasing from them. There will always be exceptions but like I said the odds are very small, IMO. Buy an established brand from a well established retailer and you should be OK. Buying a Mercedes wheel certainly meet that criteria but your options are limited and you will pay a premium price.
Greg, I just configured my build with the dealer and the Trailer package required another trailer pre-requisite of increased towing capacity. Ever hear of that? Also they couldn't add Magic Vision right now?
Ron, are you trading your SQ5 on the GLE 450 you have on order?
No we will be keeping the SQ5. I love driving it even though it’s my wife’s car I sneak it once in awhile and usually drive when we are out together.
I will probably get rid of my Denali truck. I’m sure I will regret not having it on occasion but after almost 50 years trucking I’m ready for a change. Our big toys are all gone so we really don’t need a truck. A more sensible approach would have been to sell the Audi but my wife doesn’t care for the Mercedes and she loves the Audi. She will probably soften on the GLE after we get it but you married guys may understand my situation😱
12-19-2018, 03:50 PM
