Hello all,

It's been a while since I've posted. Bit of background: I used to be a 100% BMW fan and at the same time a MB hater. BMW was a much better fit for my driving style.

Fast forward quite a few years and our family SUV is now a 2017 GLS550. Like essentially all Mercedes, it is a comfort based car with sporty elements. I think it serves its purpose, but the detractors are: 1) although its very fast and solid, its not really fun to drive - shocker - ; 2) Although its a bargain compared to an Escalade, its an expensive car; and 3) this is the most important one here folks - my wife drives it 99% of the time and when she does, she's alone probably 80% of the time. She wants a smaller SUV (despite the fact that she packs for Armageddon whenever we take a trip). It's off lease this June

So.....

911 is my DD. Cayenne, would be my choice if it were 100% for me, but since its not, its too expensive to get one that's well equipped (torque vectoring, rear steering, PASM etc..)

narrows it down to: X5 4.0i M sport or GLE 53.

Size is essentially the same. X5 is a touch lighter, gets marginally better economy and is significantly cheaper on a lease (@$200/month apples to apples). The GLE 53, when equipped with the biggest wheels and red calipers looks the part. Much in the same way that an X5M does. But what is most compelling to me is the fact that the GLE has AMG tuned suspension whereas the 4.0 M sport has base, albeit good, suspension (unlike in other markets, a.k.s. Canada, where the M sport package includes M adaptive suspension).

I feel like the GLE in 53 guise, with all the trimmings, would be a much more unique vehicle on the road than an X5 4.0i even on 21 inch wheels (I hate runflats).

I posted this on a BMW forum as well to invite comment. I'm curious what factors I may be overlooking and why you would choose one over the other.

Thanks for any input.

Regards,
DRP

I ordered a GLE 63s this week and was comparing it to the BMW X5M.

My impressions are the following:

BMW
-higher quality materials
- interior does not feel as special though
- more driver focused, the car just feels sportier and wraps around you a bit more
- exhaust sound is nothing impressive
- probably faster than the GLE
- More of a "sports car" than a GLE
- ride is harsher
- looks are okay

Mercedes
- lower quality cabin materials but interior does have a wow factor
- I love the panamerica grill. Looks so aggressive
- exhaust note is one of the best in its class
- more comfortable to drive
- does not feel as sporty and the interior doesn't "wrap" around you so to speak
- more roomy
- interior lighting is incredible
- Burmeister sound is the best in its class
- overall feels a bit more special than the BMW

I know these are slightly different cars than what you are looking at but I choose to go with Mercedes. It just feels a bit more special to me. But at the end of the day I might value things that you might not so ultimately you have to make that decision. For me for example the exhaust note is important and AMG is miles ahead of BMW in this regard.

Overall AMG's definitely more special than the M cars. However the difference is marginal so you can't lose either way. My biggest issue is the price tag, 130K for a GLE is steep. 20-30K more and get yourself a G!

My situation is similar to yours. My wife is the primary driver of the SUV, but I want something that performs when I drive it. I've had every generation of ML/GLE since the first in '98, though I've always compared to the X5. At the same time I've had every generation of M3/M4 Coupe as my DD. Given you are not driving it every day I think the 53 would be the best choice. Even the 450 is spunky, but I got E-ABC to make it a bit sportier. The 53 with Active Ride Control should satisfy your needs and not be too over-the-top for your wife.

I think the GLE 53 is the best all around choice for good suspension, performance & a comfortable ride. The EQ-Boost, Electric Turbo and linear throttle make it smooth but quick. Car and Driver tested a Coupe at 4.7 0-60 instrumented time so the published is understated. My second choice would be an Audi SQ8. At 500hp and with more Porsche goodies like all wheel steer, torque vectoring and available active sway bar makes it a nice choice. It is a more comfortable Porsche Cayenne, IMO.

Why not BMW X5 M50i?

Personally I find the BMW X5 M50i is the best of this bunch in terms of tech, drive, ride quality, handling, interior options. The only reason I bought a GLE is because the rear legroom in the GLE is much better and eclipses any other mid-size SUV. This is useful when you have a rear facing child seat. GLE also looks better but that is subjective.

I would be curious to know what they say at the BMW fourm. Obviously we are all super biased here lol

I think the comparators are:

GLE350 vs X5 xDrive40i
GLE450 or 580 vs X5 xDrive50i
GLE53 vs X5 M50i
GLE63 vs X5M

Not quite. The xDrive50i has been discontinued.

So based on 2021 line-up comparisons would be:

GLE350 vs X5 xDrive40i (Mercedes bringing a 4 cylinder to fight a 6 cylinder)
GLE450 vs X5 xDrive40i (Interestingly the less expensive and slightly lower hp 6 cylinder BMW is faster than the slightly higher HP 6 cylinder Mercedes)
GLE53 vs. X5 M50i (Mercedes bringing a 6 cylinder against an 8 cylinder)
GLE580 vs X5 M50i (Mercedes has an advantage here for the more luxury oriented buyer)
GLE63S vs X5M (Close match)

IMO, all of these comparisons oversimplify things when trying to compare performance. Performance might be one place to start. Big power with turbo lag might not be as fun to drive vs the GLE 450 and up with none. Also the stop start is seamless on the GLE. We spend most of our time in stop and go traffic at leisure speeds. So what does OP want for his wife.
What about the looks, Tech, comfort, handling and particularly with an SUV the actual utility of the vehicle? Even price may be a factor for some and that can vary since some features require other options you might not want.
BMW seems to have a long history of frequent repairs...Mercedes is not much better of late.

One thing I did like about my old BMW was that they had a very nice service center: free coffee/drinks, snacks, TV’s, workstations. It made all my time there seem to fade away.
Good luck.

Or, get a used G for the same price. With that said, it's not a good comparison. G class buyers are unique. The G is an amazing luxury off-road machine but not many who buy them go off-roading. It's a design that is decades old, very masculine, and unappealing to many. I'm sure there are those that find the GLE unappealing too so not trying to throw stones. A G's high center of gravity, boxy design, poor mileage, less than stellar cornering dynamics, and high wind noise make it unacceptable for many. I can see why it is not cross shopped with a GLE. It's really in a class by itself but, if one were to cross shop, it would be with a Range Rover and that would be for off-road ability.

All valid points and agree. The G is more special though, and holds value.

@BigJob13 Easy answer. Let your wife choose. Don't even give her a suggested list.

Speaking of which, one of my local dealers have "used" (probably "punched" car) 2021 G550 for sale. MSRP is listed as $136.5K. How much do they want? $155K. Never understood the car's appeal nor usefulness as an on-road vehicle.

Coming from a GLS I would expect that you and your wife will likely find both the GLE and X5 more athletic and nimble compared to the GLS due to the smaller size and weight. As for which to get, you'll have to spend some time behind the wheel, as at the end of the day, its your opinion (or mainly your wife's) that will matter most. Here's my Pros/Cons of each vehicle.

BMW X5 xDrive 40i
Pros -Excellent Engine + Transmission Tuning/Combo
-Better Interior Materials + Multi-Contour Seats
-Excellent Lease Incentives
-Split Tailgate + Large Cargo Hold
-Best Infotainment on the Market
-Decent Driving Dynamics
-Excellent Driver's Assistance Technology
-Possibly Better Reliability + Build Quality
Cons -Okay Exterior Looks
-Stupid Gauge Cluster/Lack of Customizability
-Not as Dynamic as Prior X5's/BMW's
-Tight Backseat for Class

MB GLE 53 4Matic+
Pros -Fantastic Powertrain + Start Stop System
-Gorgeous Exterior and Color Options
-Modern Interior Design and Ambient Lighting
-Huge Backseat for the Class and Big Cargo Hold
-Great Ride/Handling Balance
-MBUX has Plenty of Features + Customizability
-Optional 3rd Row
-Great Burmeister Audio
Cons -Could have a bit less Hard Plastic for the $$$
-Heated Steering wheel is not AMG-Designed (can someone confirm this?)
-Lease Deals much more Expensive than Equivalent BMW
-Possibly Worse Reliability/Build Quality

In UK merc is much better value for money.

Great rundown. Obviously some things are subjective, so although I agree for the most part, I’ll give my perspective
Mercedes does make a heated version of the full AMG steering wheel, it just can’t be had with the drive unit.
I think that the BMW looks better from a traditional perspective, although I think that the Mercedes’s tall hood makes it more impressive and imposing and gives it more presence.
I much prefer the MBUX software to iDrive 7. I found with iDrive 7 I couldn’t properly navigate the system via only the scroll wheel or only the touchscreen, I needed to mix both. Obviously an outlier, but I thought MBUX was super intuitive and immediately felt natural to me.
I find the split tailgate annoying. It sticks out too far and makes it harder to reach in.
Also I think the BMW forums have complained just as much about reliability as this forum with the GLE haha.
I was shocked at how tiny the second and third row was in the X5. I’m short (5’6) and with the front row in my position, the second row all the way forward was too small and the third row was still too small. The seat was so short. In the GLE, even with the second row all the way forward it was still as comfortable as the X5 with the second row all the way back, and the
theid row was totally usable.

I like MBUX but I think the reason that I prefer iDrive is the rotary knob, I just don't find the trackpad as reliable as a good ol' knob in inputting correctly.

Good to know about the AMG wheel, its been quite confusing, especially since on the builder the moment you option a heated wheel it renders the "luxury style" three-spoke steering wheel instead and on some models with the similar style AMG wheel there is no option for heating.

X5 reliability has mellowed out over the last year or so. Many of the early issues were mainly related to iDrive/tech but they have gotten things straight. BMW has actually decently improved their reliability (other than their V8 engines) over the years. Of course reliability is a YMMV situation, but I do see MB slipping behind BMW in regards to reliability and build quality in recent years, and overall it just seems the GLE seems to be a bit more problematic on average not just based on forums but what I've read from reliability surveys and have heard from my contacts at dealerships, but of course YMMV.

Agree on the second row space, its tight for the class, its one of the reasons wife loved the GLC, she gets X5 interior space for the grandkids and friends, but X3 sized handling and proportions and easier to park and maneuver.

Mercedes has three basic wheels at least in the US. There is the base round wheel with the piano black, the AMG sport wheel with the aluminum, perforated grips, and flat bottom, and the full AMG wheel which is like the sport wheel but has big vertical supports on the bottom and is thicker and has the option for alcantara. The base wheel and the full AMG wheel have available heating iirc, and the mid range sport wheel does not.