Hello!

I currently have a 2020 C43 sedan. I love it but life may be dictating that I need an SUV. I am able to trade out of it into a 2021 GLE350 with AMG appearance which I think l LOOKS great but I am a gear head and I feel like the base 4cyl is going to disappoint. I do realize the GLE450 is a better performance option but price is a consideration. Anyone feel their GLE350 is in need of a boost or is it perfectly fine and relatively fun day to day?

thanks!

 

That's a loaded question, as the answer is purely opinion. There is a thread here where this subject has been discussed extensively.

Bottom-line, you need to drive both a GLE 350 and a GLE 450 and decide for yourself if the price difference vs performance matters. I own a GLE 350 4Matic and have no issue with the performance. Others here would disagree.

 

I wouldn't touch the 450 with a ten foot pole considering the 48 volt battery issue. A proprietary item that will eventually wear out that has the capacity to dead stick the car.... no thanks! I have a 350 and and quite satisfied with its performance. No it's not a catapult but its's respectable.

 

Nonsense, I have had a 450 for 19 months and no issues, they have had a batch of "bad" 48 volt batteries but the VAST majority of 450 owners haven't had ANY trouble with the battery- brilliant car.

 

Seems like good advice.

My C43 is a fun little car. Read: Little. My 7 year old fits fine but my concern is a baby seat going in. My wife has a rav4 so we use it a lot for house stuff, but it'd be nice to be able to drive my own car to haul bikes (i'm big into mountain biking) and hauling things from the store.

 

The GLE is a good size for many - large enough for utility & family trips without being huge. I'm in the 450 camp - but drive the options. IMO, the 4-cylinder is just not refined enough for a vehicle in this price range.

 

I would agree. I am way too much of a lead foot for a 4cyl in anything

 

Looks like the 450 may be a better fit for you, coming from a C43. Not sure what other cars have you driven so your perspective may differ. Compared to the XC90 T5, the 350 is actually a lot smoother and has a better throttle response. However the G01 X3 4-cyl is the most responsive and "willing" if you compare those three. So depends on what you're willing to settle on. Maybe a lightly-optioned 450 to keep it within budget?

 

I test drove the 350 and 450 before purchasing in late 2019. The 350 is adequate certainly, but to stop start feature is very noticable and the car weighs over 5,000 lbs. A lot for a 4 cyl even with turbo. As soon as I test drove the 450 I felt it was much more sophistcated and a good reserve of power. So far 12,000 miles on ours no problems - knock wood (we got the wood steering wheel.)

 

I came from a GLC43 and the 450 is a much more refined car, the only thing I miss is the exhaust noise, everything else is better on the 450.

 

Same, I've had my GLE since Nov 2020 and never had one single issue with the 48V battery and was shocked to hear about people having issues.

 

I would suggest you test drive both, as that's what I did and the 450 was a no brainer for me. I knew I was going to eventually regret had I ordered the 350.

 

Consider this: 80% of the GLEs that Mercedes sells are 350s. There’s got to be a reason. When you read the magazines or some of the commentary on this message board, you could come away feeling that it is a no-brainer to just get the larger engine. Our 350 is almost a year old, it’s been flawless, there’s nothing coarse about the engine, and there is plenty of power there when we need it.

 

I went back and forth 350/450 until the decision was taken out of my hands .... the only way to get a 450 with the options I wanted was to special order. So I got the 350 and never looked back. Sure, it's not as refined but it is way more available and adequate.

 

I live at 5,280 feet, and logged several hundred miles in a GLE350, as a loaner for my GLE450. It was Aspen Viewing season, so we drove a few of the 10-12,000' passes. Also some long stretches of Blue Highways, some with traffic.

I was surprised at just how strong the GLE350 is. It has the usual 4cyl turbo lag, but it's better than our Macan in that regard.
Compared to the 450, which has quick throttle response, it does quite well in passing maneuver's, but runs out of steam (drag) at about 90mph. It'll easily top 100, but you want to enter Sport Mode before you start a pass. The 450 doesn't run out of steam until over 105 (as fast as I have needed).

This high speed performance, the start-stop being no better than everybody else's, and the 4 cyl sound are the biggest differences between the 450 - and the standard 19" tires aren't up to the chassis in normal driving. I actually found the 4cyl sound to be kind of sporty.
I guess you should add the difference in seating position to the comparison. The better view of traffic is a plus in the GLE, but it tends to pitch side-to-side, accentuated by the distance from the ground. It's certainly not a Go Cart. This may be the hardest to adapt to.

@vrhaines I also spent a week each in the GLE350 and a 2020 C43 sedan, back to back as loaners. About 500 miles in the 43, also driving the passes in Colorado and on roads I travel frequently. The C43 is noisier, the ride is less supple, and - surprise to me - I also had to enter "Sport" mode to get passing response. I was underwhelmed. I thought somebody must have filled with 87 octane and compromised the power, so I waited and filled the (kind of puny) tank with 91 octane, which did improve the power, but it still didn't have the passing performance I expected. Maybe the 43 is geared too tall.

You can tell the C43 is an aging platform, and you can also tell that the GLE is a more modern platform.
I also found the 350 fuel mileage to be wonderful, better than our '19 GLC with essentially the same engine. 30+ on Interstates at 85, mid/low 20's in town. (The 450 did even better!)

Don't get the 19's.

 

GREAT ANALYSIS.

Thank you for your indepth assessment. The 43 rides rough, there's no doubting it but it handles very well and I like the way the car carves corners.

I just hate four cylinders, turbocharged or not, and I think It would bother me!

 

I felt the same about the prospects of owning a 4 cylinder motor...actually refused to waste my time with a test drive. My wife talked me in to it (the test drive), and we both agreed that the 350 was surprisingly good. For my needs, it came down to money and I couldn't justify the extra cash for the 450 considering how well the 350 runs. I fully expected the 350 to be a turd and it would easily justify spending the extra for the 450 but that didn't happen.

 

There's no hiding the inherent lack of refinement in the 4cyl, but it punches above it's weight in terms of performance. 12,000 miles on mine and it continues to impress me. All things being equal, I think the 450 would be a much nicer overall experience, but I was happy enough with the 4cyl and it keeps money in my pocket to get a E Coupe when I find the right one. Secondarily - less flexibility and selection in 450's - so, can be tougher to make a deal on a 450.

 

On a dark desert highway, cool wind in my hair, Warm smell of colitas, rising up through the air...

...We’ve had occasions to pass on two-lane roads. The 9-speed gets it done with that 350, up to 75 in a flash. Also, over 10K miles averaging just a hair under 26.

 

Price and availability is the reason.

 

Absolutely love my GLE450. I didn't even consider the 350. I'm sure it's a nice car for some people, personally I like the power and torque so the 450 was the obvious choice.

 

To repeat-- I like the power and torque of the 450. I leased the 350. The difference between the two bought me a new professional camera.

 

I haven’t been in the 450 but I got a 350 as a loaner today. The power isn’t bad and I bet it would be a great everyday driver for a lot of people. But OMG the noise as that motor spins up. It goes decent but it sounds like the hamsters in there are really gettin’ worked up.
Good luck.

 

That was my main hesitation about getting the 350. Sounds like a rental car from the economy section; however, the power is adequate and it does settle once you get going. It’s actually adds to the sportiness (or so I tell myself).

 

It does! You can wind up that motor all day and still within its legal limits

Not so with the 450, the fun ends too quick.