I realize most in here will be biased towards the GLE because- well, you are in here. I get it but I also believe you can be unbiased and I welcome all feedback. I test drove the 2020 GLE350 and I get it. What an amazing, luxurious and beautiful work of art on wheels...and don't get me started on the infotainment and stereo- amazing. I have been struggling to decide between the GLE and the 2020 RX350 and would welcome opinions from the GLE experts.

How I see it...

If I could just drive either vehicle, no strings attached- I would pick the 2020GLE 350 all day long. It's simply nicer- slightly heavier & a touch safer. It is however the 1st model year (nice improvements but should I expect issues?)

The RX350 is still "nice" and the mechanical are all proven. It does not bother me that everyone has one- maybe two. It's for a very good reason. I have owned another Lexus, GS350 sedan now for years. Besides brakes, which I can do myself in an hour, I put gas in it and she goes. Flawless reliability, safe, gets compliments. Also, the RX will easily last 15 years without needing much. Hence it's a logical choice when considering another vehicle- track record!

We would be PURCHASING- not leasing. Cost of long term ownership is a concern. We usually keep our vehicles 10 years.

My priorities are #1. Safety and #2. Reliability. I don't want to have to worry about $2,000+ brake jobs and dealers taking me to the cleaners. They design them so you mostly have to go to the dealer for everything. CAN YOU EVEN DO BRAKES YOURSELF ON A GLE without running into sensor issues? I find that type of design engineering obnoxious- forcing us to the dealerships. It all started with the check engine light strategy that prooved to be a money maker.

I'm sure many in here have also owned Lexus products. I am curious to hear from everyone, just to get your overall thoughts. I'm sure my pre-purchase concerns are fairly common and ones you also considered. This would also be our first Benz.

That said, I'll wrap up by asking what are your top 3 things you LOVE and 3 things you don't quite LOVE about yoru GLE. Is the 4 cylinder turbo adequate? We don't need a ton of power.

THANKS & HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

 

You will find many former Lexus owners here and you will find many former Mercedes owners on ClubLexus.com. Both have reasons for not liking what they had and loving what they have now. I have one of each. My Lexus is a 2017 RX450h and I love it. I also like my GLE350 but I have only had it for 5+ months. I think the RX has a slightly quieter and softer ride but it does not have all of the technology that the GLE has. That may be a good thing. There is so much information available in the GLE that you need to be cautious that you do not allow it to become a distraction. NAV map updates are free (for 3 years I think) with the GLE. Although only one region can be selected to update automatically, you still need to do a manual update to get the audio files that go along with the automatically updated file.

My dealership experience with Lexus has been phenomenal. It's the small things. For instance, my MB dealer will come pick up my vehicle but I have to ask them to do it. My Lexus dealer, who is almost 50 miles away, will ask if I want them to come pick it up. A subtle but significant difference in the approach to customer service.

A routine maintenance at my Lexus dealership runs around $100. I don't think that will be the case with MB.

I can fit four sets of golf clubs straight across in the back of the Lexus. You have take the woods out of your bag in the GLE.

I also have to put in a plug for the Toyota Hybrid drive. It is the best in the industry! You can find simulators on the internet. I average around 30mpg in a vehicle of that size!! There are no belts to replace and brakes will last you over 100,000 miles!!!

In the end, it is your vehicle, spend time in each and go with the one that fits you the best. Whatever you decide to do, enjoy it!!!!!

 

If reliability and hassle-free ownership is one of your highest criteria you should probably go with the RX. Like you said, the GLE is a new iteration and already it has had several recalls. You should expect some growing pains as everything is smoothed out.

 

WA3CUJ- Thanks Bob- that is exactly the type of well thought out and valuable feedback I was hoping for. We love our Lexus too. The GLE is like ice cream- it's extremely tempting but I am well aware that in the long term, it probably won't be very good for me!

 

turko- Thanks. In my heart I know that, but sometimes we buy via emotion. Everything emotionally is saying GLE all the way!

You all are great in here- really appreciate all this honest, unbiased feedback! Please keep it coming.

 

I’ve had both recently and I am not a Toyota fan. They make no enhancements or changes during a model year unless safety related or the mid cycle refresh. I had issues with both my Tundra and RX350 that they would not fix them-“working as designed” reply. They make a beautiful car but beauty is only skin deep. I won’t list all the issues most were minor things like.... no sound from rear speakers unless balance moved 90% to the rear. Ventilated seat fans so weak you could feel no air but a tiny fan spins slowly. Navigation was crap....routes over a cliff, guidance to gravel roads, segmented by states so you had to change the basic location if you moved across a state line. Refused to fix a factory defect to the steering column out of warranty even though there was a TSB to repair and dealer screw up diagnosing it-$2800 item.
Mercedes is truly a step up in what you get with a lot of attention to detail and the dealers are more service oriented. All manufacturers outsource components and are subject to issues. By design German cars have higher maintenance that can be covered by a long term contract. I hate the brake dust and replacement of pads and rotors at 30-40,000 miles but the trade off to having better stopping distance is worth it. My wife almost put me through the windshield the first time she drove her Mercedes following her RX.
How you use the car and your preferences and tolerance for detail might help make your decision. Both brands have a loyal satisfied customer base!

 

Ron.s- Very helpful, thanks for sharing. Yeah, the Nav is not great and audio, so so. Sorry to hear about your $2,800 issue. I would pursue that under a safety angle. You can't be the only one with that issue (hence the TSB). Lexus is great, but not perfect for sure. I don't expect much from forced air (seats). I would prefer electric- instant heat and not bother with air. More or less a gimmick IMO.

Do you know if it's possible to change the brakes yourself in a GLE? I am very handy- just don't have any computers if the ECU needs to be reset. I read one guy changed his brakes and then his car would not start- many lights up on the dash after. It's not so much about the $- I just enjoy working on my own vehicles occasionally.

 

I definitely prefer to buy with emotion and what makes me happy.

I don't keep my vehicles that long though. What I do is lease the car to see where things are at after 4-years. If the car has been rock solid, I'll buy it out and keep it a little longer.

If it's been a headache, I'll replace it with something else.

I find the 1st year teething problem thing to be overdone though. I've owned plenty of 1st year cars (most of which I was one of the first people to take delivery). After a few trips to the dealer, everything is pretty much sorted out. Not really a huge deal breaker for me as I'd rather have the newest and coolest toys. In some cases, they've also be trouble free from new.

If you look at the issues on the forums, it's skewed towards people looking for help. You won't see many posts like "Hey,I've owned my car for 1-year, I've had absolutely no problems, please help!". Those owner's just enjoy the car and discuss other things.

For my cars, it's typically German over Japanese now (and I've owned plenty of Acura's and Infiniti's in the past). There's just a different feel about them that I enjoy more.

 

Thanks KJ- Yes and no. When I hang out in the Lexus forums, there are not many posts about issues- though I get the happy owners tend not to post as much. They tend to talk about customizing, share pics, etc. In the Mercedes forum I do see more issues being discussed. I also suspect that MB owners have slightly higher expectations and may be more verbal. The GLE is also simply more complex than the RX.

 

The brakes would be a question for the dealer service department. On Audi many owners do their own brakes but there is a wear sensor that would need to be changed if you wait too long and it’s damaged.
I forgot to mention that my GLE was an early build but the base car is rock solid. Most issues are annoying software type conflicts to a new MBUX system that is an industry best except maybe for Tesla. It might take time to get all the bugs out but there have already been several updates.

 

Thanks Ron- makes sense. I can deal with software. Glad to hear otherwise you feel it to be very solid. When we drove it, I felt the same but it was brief- typical 15 minute loop. I do wish it was a natural aspirated engine and not turbo boosted- higher compression=more wear, maintenance and costly things to break. I would have gladly taken the 2mpg hit on MPG.

Is it worth it to buy the extended warranty in your opinion if purchasing the GLE? If so, which one makes the most sense? Unless there is only one offering

 

There's an old saying that the car always breaks just after your warranty expires. If you're going to be keeping your car long term as you say, the extended warranty would be a good investment.

 

We currently own a 2014 Lexus RX 350 and our new GLE 450. The Lexus is my wife's third and we have had absolutely no issues with them. Nothing more than normal maintenance. It's a great car, and the service we have received at the dealership has been impeccable. The RX is aging now, technologically speaking (it is certainly far behind the GLE), and we'll probably replace it in the spring. We'll probably test drive the new RX and an Audi Q8, then choose between the GLE, RX and Q8.

I don't think you can go wrong with either one, so to me, the deciding factor would be price. You can get a fully loaded RX for about the same price as a base GLE 450. If you're comfortable spending an extra $10K to get a decently equipped GLE, that's the car I would rather drive. The GLE certainly has more of a wow factor than the RX.

 

ok my .03... We where a long time German car family, Mostly Audi... then ditched Audi in 2004 over electrical issue's that neither the dealer or corporate would fix in a reasonable manner... With young kids in the house we decided to get something more reliable...

Got a new 2004 Lexus GS430... Nice power, incredibly reliable... over 150k miles had only 1 issue with a light on the heater switch. Switch still worked just no light Otherwise all maintenance stuff, gas, brakes oil etc...

Then we moved to Florida and I decided my wife need another convertible (The Audi was an A4 Cab).

In those years we learned Lexus was super reliable but boring to drive. No steering feel, strong brakes but no feel etc.... didn't like the Lexus IS cab... and my awesome wife love's V8's

Audi sting is still there... so looked at new 2016 E550 Cab.... great driving car, big power... so far very reliable... couple minor things that dealer took car of, no fuss no muss...

So for us.. in short.... if you truly like to drive and all that goes with that we go German, if it's a reliable appliance you want, then tough to beat a Lexus...

As far as extended Warranty you don't have to pay the exorbitant fee they will likely try to gouge you for at the local dealership, there are a couple people here who will give you a significant discount.. thousands..

Mike

 

My husband and Use each other’s car. He always claims how luxurious the MB feels and looks. The Lexus is an amazing SUV, however, it just can’t compete with the built of MB. The MB feels safer, quieter, smoother, more solid and to be honest, it implies status for those that care. Dealership, both have been outstanding, MB treats me better when I have to go in. I must also say. I have the leather imitation in my MB, and the I have the red leather in my Lexus, I think the MB feels like better quality. My Lexus had to have the door panel replaced as the arm rest wear looked hideous and very obvios. I love both cars tho.