Hi there, I'm considering getting a GLE 450. Test drove X5 and GLE yesterday, GLE seems "floaty" comparing with X5. Will you get used to this quite quickly?
I like the overall package on GLE(design, space etc), the two things bugging me are 1)no wireless carplay, which I think I can use a dongle to get by. 2)driving on a cloud feeling
Will you start to enjoy that experience after some usage?
TIA

 

What kind of suspension did the GLE 450 you test drove have? I"ve read that the airmatic suspension can feel floaty in the regular mode but firms up in Sport mode.

My GLE 450 has the standard suspension and I felt it was pretty soft initially. However, after driving it for a while, now I'm fine with how it feels and drives. I like how comfortable it is in long drives, which is the main reason why we purchased a GLE.

 

I've had one for a month. There is a lot to love. MBUX is so good, plus I put all my music on a usb and let that sit in the car, I don't even use CarPlay. Don't even care. I can take an enjoyable drive and be free of the damned phone.

I have the steel suspension. It does not take jarring bumps very well, a little harsh and seems like it needs better shocks. But if you are on something relatively smooth it is really good, other than harsh potholes, normal undulations and light to medium bumps do not seem floaty.

Some stuff I do not like:
The 4-3, 3-2 downshifts are terrible. The downshift points are off. One has to excessively modulate the brake pedal input to slow the car smoothly. I don't like it but I'm getting used to it. I'm exaggerating, but it's like you're in a manual car and someone downshifts it without telling you.
The stereo is boomy and has a hugely punched up mid bass - like +12 dB at 120 Hz - it's awful but does get better by minimizing the bass and punching up the mids and highs on the EQ.
The windshield wipers are god awful. Weak, juddery, non-adjustable intermittent. Overengineered to the point that they totally suck.

 

These are the same dislikes I have!

 

The transmission is adaptive, and learns your driving habits. If you spend some time driving aggressively, the tranny will become aggressive, too. It takes a little while to adapt to a more sedate style, but until then it can be pretty racy.
There used to be a way to clear the transmission's learned behavior, resetting it to start again. I think there still is, but I don't know the steps.
Maybe you could research and see if that helps.

 

We can't be driving the same kind of car. Mine has none of the above and the rain-sensing wipers are excellent. The transmission will learn your driving style just give it time.

 

Here’s what I have

 

What I like about the car:
E-ABC really minimize body rolls. It does not stop the bump on potholes, but it really reduce/stop the body roll for un-even roads. Sometimes its fun to see the car in front and behind me take a "bump", or "roll" on bridge joins, construction patches, and realize that you don't feel none of it.
Quiet. I have the acoustic comfort package, and it really helps with minimizing the road noise.
Head up display is really nice to keep eyes on road. I used to have to scan the cluster every so often to check my speed, but with HUD, I put the speed information up there so I can keep my eyes on the road.
Warmth and comfort package really help with heat in the winter. My old car used to take 5 - 10 minutes of active driving before I can feel heats. The heated seat also takes a while to heat up. The Mercedes package along with rapid heating seat really speed up the process.
Glide mode with the 48v system helps with fuel efficiency. On the perfect condition (no wind, mostly level highway condition), I can average close to 30 mpg (calculated based on the mileage and fuels added method, so should be more accurate than the in car estimate). On my normal commute, I can average about 25 - 26 mpg (40 miles one way, with 30 on highway, and during rush hour traffic). The other benefit is that when the engine is off (glide mode, or auto stop start), it keep the AC running, and much smoother restart.

What I don't like:
Wiper. I have the same issue as a few of the other members. The dealer replaced it multiple times but it doesn't help. I end up replacing it with kimblade, which helps as the "rubbing" surface (or contact point) is much smaller, reducing the noise. I feels like it most likely have something to do with the exterior windows surface, material, and/or coating it has?
The downshift is also not the smoothest. I am a very "smooth" driver (is it the right term? ), and always drive with light acceleration (so shouldn't have the "learning" issue others had mentioned), but with constant brake pedal pressure, I can feel the engine braking effect when the car downshift from 4 - 3 - 2 (and to 1 if in comfort mode). My car is in the shop now for a few things and this is one of them, and they said they updated the software? So will see if the downshift behavior will change.
Running board is too small. Compare to my sister's Pathfinder, the running board is a bit small. I have to put my feet "sideway" (facing front or back) when using it. On my sister's pathfinder, even though it doesn't fit the entire foot perpendicular to the car, I can still comfortably stand on it when getting on/off the car. (but, I have to say, the light on running board is really "cool")

 

That'll drive me nuts! Try this "hack" I saw on youtube.

 

My wipers do this exact thing. It's just unacceptable. Thanks for reminding me I need to take it in before the more rainy season comes again. I had kind of forgotten about it while the sun has been shining all summer.

 

Sounds like dried-out or dirty blades. With the exception of the first wipe, mine is very smooth. Mine is garaged so it might make a difference.

 

And I thought my wiper judder was because of the ceramic coat on the car 😂😂. You learn something new everyday. On the topic of GLE. I have a 2021 GLE 450 and I really love it. It’s fun enough to drive while being an awesome cruiser on the highway and for long trips. It has good storage and space inside compared to a lot of the comparable cars. I have the steel suspension and while I really wanted the air suspension (mine was available on the lot at my dealer) I have to say that as the last poster mentions it can take big hits kind of sharp (I also have 21’s) and gets a little jittery on uneven roads at speed but overall I find it a simple and decent one setting suspension which is good for most driving. I think the interio ergonomics are excellent and just simply love driving mine. I just hit 3,000 miles and have my car on vacation.

 

I had the judder too, but it also happens to all my cars when I replaced my wiper blades and put rain-x on it. What I do is apply silicon lubricant to the rubber part of the blade where it makes contact with the windshield and that resolves it.

 

So far so good.

I'm coming from a 13 ML350. I can say the GLE feels hefty in anything but sport mode.

The trans is very smooth IMHO especially since it is interactive with the EQ system. I've driven muscle cars and performance cars - as well as Hondas (currently have a 160k mile Accord with factory slipping auto tranny that has been known to often fail out of the dealer lot - yes a Honda!). I drive that car glacially... and toss the keys to nyc parking lot attendants without a care in the world!

This 9G trans is very very streetable and let's figure MB knows what they are doing with it... the 9G-Tronic is in hundreds of thousands of MB vehicles!!! Furthermore we are all in factory warranties. I have not read much about 9G frustrations... drive hard!

Oncoming concerns w GLE will be battery durability. Tech durability.

Wheels are huge on these cars... airmatic cost is likewise huge... I feel its a good compromise on the steel and good looking wheels. Avoid potholes!

.o2

 

Are you testing the wipers dry? I don't see any rain.
I wouldn't expect wipers to work well on a dry surface...

 

This is me, and this happen to 2 brand new wiper replaced by dealer, which leads me to believe that there might be some "coating" on the windshield which cause the issue.

 

Exact same thing, my video is daylight so maybe you can't see the drops, it was raining about as hard as in your video.

There is definitely a coating on the windshield. I think it comes from Mercedes and then the dealer adds more junk to the window when they prep the car. There is a bulletin on it. The dealer polished mine several times and it has gotten better - about 80-90% of perfect. I think I will see if the coating wears off more and it gets even better, or maybe I will go in and get another polish.

See

https://mbworld.org/forums/attachmen...-model-167.pdf

 

I will try to buy the cleaner specified and clean it myself. My dealer is not helpful for this specific issue. Everytime I mentioned it, they just replace the wiper and call it a day.