My GLE350, 6 months old, 7300 miles update.




Pros: I love it. A joy to drive. Super quiet. After 3 months it had kind of a creaking sound when going over bumps etc. lasted about a week, then gone and has been super quiet ever since. Standard steel suspension truly is great. Excellent ride. Love the MBUX. I stream Spotify constantly with perfection. Phone calls are very clear on both ends. People don’t even realize I’m in my car. Love the sport modes. Love the seats and massage. My first 4 cylinder in my life. Had many muscle cars in the 70’s. Not only is it quick, the fuel economy has been fantastic. Average 26.8 mpg around town and got 31mpg on a trip to Atlanta averaging over 70mph. Love the spacious seating.
Cons: Hard to find. Just cosmetic. The exterior is a bit boring. Should have gotten the AMG trim line. Vehicle sits too high and the wheel/tire gap to the wheel wells is way to large so larger wheels and tires are necessary so it doesn’t look like a Tonka 4X4 truck.
Only had one mechanical issue back in July where the MBUX locked up and disabled the vehicle. Disconnecting the battery for a minute and reconnecting was all it took.
Pros: I love it. A joy to drive. Super quiet. After 3 months it had kind of a creaking sound when going over bumps etc. lasted about a week, then gone and has been super quiet ever since. Standard steel suspension truly is great. Excellent ride. Love the MBUX. I stream Spotify constantly with perfection. Phone calls are very clear on both ends. People don’t even realize I’m in my car. Love the sport modes. Love the seats and massage. My first 4 cylinder in my life. Had many muscle cars in the 70’s. Not only is it quick, the fuel economy has been fantastic. Average 26.8 mpg around town and got 31mpg on a trip to Atlanta averaging over 70mph. Love the spacious seating.
Cons: Hard to find. Just cosmetic. The exterior is a bit boring. Should have gotten the AMG trim line. Vehicle sits too high and the wheel/tire gap to the wheel wells is way to large so larger wheels and tires are necessary so it doesn’t look like a Tonka 4X4 truck.
Only had one mechanical issue back in July where the MBUX locked up and disabled the vehicle. Disconnecting the battery for a minute and reconnecting was all it took.








- Love the AMG exterior and 21" wheels. The AMG interior is good (miss the heated steering wheel, though), but if doing again I would do the Nappa leather upholstery instead of the Dinamica.
- E-ABC is great, but maybe overkill. I wanted more roll control than standard Airmatic. I did get the extended warranty because I worry about long term issues. The upcoming Active Ride Control (GLE 53) may be the ticket.
- The ride is super in Comfort mode, even with 21s, but handles extremely well in Sport & Sport+. No rattles or creaks at all.
- I've had some GLE 350 loaners, and sorry, but the 4-cylinder and steel suspension doesn't hold a candle to the big brother, just IMO. 48v system is really nice for start/stop.
- Mileage is decent, I'd say +15% better than my ML 350. Not outstanding, but with the large tank good for a 500-mile run (well, if you keep it under 80!).
- Car spent 14 days in the shop on 2 occasions because of failure to restart, but after software updates has been perfect for the last 2 1/2 months.
- I'm anxious to see how the updated (since my '12 ML) 4Matic works in the snow and ice. Not too anxious, though!
- MBUX is good, but I think it over complicates some things. Would be nice if you could just "save all current settings" into your profile. Voice control is quite good.
- Hardly any issues with Keyless-Go unlocking/locking.
- Miss the flat load floor of the W166.


