manbeing

I just came back from a local Mercedes dealership. They offered me $4,000 off MSRP for a brand new 2023 GLE 350:
Mojave Silver metallic, 4matic, 20 inch wheels, premium pkg, driver assistance pkg, walnut wood trim, heated steering wheels, running board, Panorama roof , Trailer hitch and Front passenger seat memory
$69000 - $4,000 = $65,000 before tax and tag.
Good deal?
Should I wait for 2024 model?BTW, the engine idle auto stop/start is noticable on 350, but not on 450. Does anyone why?

mb2be

Most likely due to 48V on 450. They both are very annoying to me. At least they give you the option to turn it off.

manbeing

I also tested drive an X5. the idle stop and go is really seamless. Is it also equipped with a separate battery?

mb2be

X5 also has 48V. They don't have 2.0 like GLE. So that may be why it's less noticeable like the 350. Many me included find it annoying too. I coded it off. Or you can set the car the way that it would not kick in. Many also say it's seamless.

BlueYonder

The X5 also has the 48v battery. Or you could have driven the Hybrid version. The 2024 version of the GLE 350 is supposed to have the 48v battery also which would make the start stop system less noticeable.

GregW / Oregon

As others said, the 48V integrated starter/generator (ISG) sandwiched between the engine and transmission in the 450 makes start/stop seamless, as well as enhancing performance and eliminating belts. The 4-cylinder 350 does not have this, making start/stop more noticeable. BMW does not have a turbo 4-cylinder X5, except as a plug-in hybrid. AFAIK, the 48V system on the 6-cylinder X5s still uses an belt driven motor/generator, which is not as elegant an engineering solution. Only you can decide what is right for you. I feel the 350 does not have a refined enough powertrain for this level of vehicle. As noted, the 2024 350, renamed 400 e I believe, will have the ISG which should help refinement and performance.

mb2be

Would you rather have a more elegant system or more reliable system? The plug in hybrid is also I-6 TT. And yes, at this level, 2.0 shouldn't even be an option. But people buy so it works for MB... and those who are afraid of the deadly 48V.

ddeliber

I agree with all the above comments. The ISG is the real reason for the significantly improved *** IMO it is noticeably better than in the X5.
Also IMO the 2.0 I4 is too small for a GLE, but that is just my opinion - buyers choice.

WRT the price, I believe you may be able to get more off this weekend - last weekend of the quarter, and from all sources I have seen March has been really bad for all car market segments. Dealers need sales and you can get over $5K off an X5 with an i6. Just my .02c

Shui

May I ask where the dealer you can get the discount? And how did you get the price down? All I was told now is stick with MRSP.. I am looking for buy the 2023 Model as well now. Thank you!

shotgun_banjo

If you are going with a 4 cyl wait for the 2024 and get the one with the 48v. Test drive a MB 4 cyl vehicle with the mild hybrid so that you know what to expect. But I would strongly push you to consider getting the 6 cylinder instead. There is a HUGE performance difference between the 4 cyl and i6. If you will load the vehicle almost full every time and will be driving on hills a lot of time then the 4 cyl will be stressed. On the GLE 450 with a full load, thule cargo box on top, traveling 60-70mph, eco mode and using the coast feature well I can get 31-32 mpg which is better than the EPA rating. On city I get 19-20 mpg on comfort mode. On sport mode don't even bother caring for MPG as you will get addicted.

W205C43PFL

All good advices by other forum members, I will just go ahead and link some threads and hopefully it helps you decide if you want the 350 or 450:
https://mbworld.org/forums/gle-class...ispreloading=1
https://mbworld.org/forums/m-class-w...166-owner.html
https://mbworld.org/forums/gle-class...gle-350-a.html
https://mbworld.org/forums/gle-class...20-gle350.html
https://mbworld.org/forums/gle-class...50-engine.html
https://mbworld.org/forums/gle-class...uld-i-get.html
https://mbworld.org/forums/gle-class...vs-gle450.html

W205C43PFL

German inline-6s are inherently smooth so that is a real plus compared to four cylinders due to it being more balanced and other things. The 48V system others mentioned will help with fuel economy you don't otherwise expect in a six cylinder. The four cylinder if you constantly push it to achieve the same that six cylinder can do with minimal effort and workload you might end up using more fuel. As the six cylinder can achieve the same task with less effort and stress than the four cylinder and at lower RPMs too, especially when merging on the highway, since the vehicle runs at lower RPM despite being a six cylinder, it uses less fuel completing the same task the four cylinder is trying to complete.

E55Greasemonkey

Do you really need 4matic where you live? When coupled with the 350's 4 cylinder engine, acceleration is lethargic. The 2wd version is adequate, but not great.

PLINYELDER

From what I’ve researched there is not a lot of money on the back end of GLE’s. If you can get one at invoice I’d say that’s a great deal!

Aggie57

We have a 2WD 350 GLE, done 10,000 miles in it over 18 months. I have the start/stop off 99% of the time, it really doesn’t help fuel economy unless you’re really stuck in gridlock traffic constantly and the performance is fine for general use. It’s not as torquey or as smooth as the old 3.5 V6 of course, or the i6 in the 450 (as a passenger, Ive never driven one of those).

Even 5 up with a trunk full of luggage is not a problem, I just wouldn’t want to tow a boat or similar any distance on the highway. That 9-speed does a great job of dealing with the smaller engine; there’s a reason they sell so many of them.

W205C43PFL

Good choice on not wasting your time on the start/stop, it was introduced so the numbers look better for the automakers. Not to mention unless you are stopped for like more than 15 seconds I think or 30 seconds, you waste more fuel starting the engine backup.

GregW / Oregon

Not sure what this is based on? Do you have a reference? Not much extra fuel is not required to start, AFAIK, not like back in the old days where you had to pump the carburetor.

W205C43PFL

That is what I read, just sharing what I read. Sorry if it is inaccurate.

W205C43PFL

Thanks for bringing carburetor back up, I feel old. Hmmm so I think I found something similar to what I read before not sure how accurate but apparently when the engine stops for less than 30 seconds, the fuel used is higher than being saved with the auto start/stop system mainly because of the cranking and the alternator needs to use more fuel to charge the starter battery again, it is worse if the engine is still cold as it cranks longer. Some vehicles probably not MB engages auto start/stop even if everything is ice cold. Like I said I am unable to verify the accuracy of this.

GregW / Oregon

A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.

"Automatic start-stop technology started appearing on cars a few years back, and people have mixed feelings about it. While it certainly saves some amount of fuel, there's no easy way to know just how much is saved. Also, depending on the calibration of the system, stop-start can be incredibly annoying to live with. But thanks to this video put together by Engineering Explained, we now know how beneficial using a start-stop system really is.

Most people think the amount of fuel saved using a start-stop system is negligible, but in reality, that fuel burned while idling at a stop adds up quickly. A study by the Society of Automotive Engineers found that using start-stop can see a car's fuel economy improve by over eight percent in heavy traffic. That might not sound like a lot, but over time, it adds up to a whole lot of wasted gas.


And if you're worried that start-stop systems put additional strain on starter motors, don't be—Fenske says automakers have taken that into consideration, improving the durability of their starter motors accordingly. So next time you think about turning off start-stop, maybe consider leaving it on if you care about saving gas."

--Road and Track

Note that the GLE mild hybrid system uses the 48v ISG which has an abundance of power and battery. There is no alternator - the starter/generator does it all.

https://www.roadandtrack.com/new-car...0up%20quickly.

W205C43PFL

What I shared is not knowledge in a sense of what you are thinking it is just what I read, sorry for the confusion. Thanks for the links either way, might be helpful for others. That said I was talking about the GLE 350 all along NOT the GLE 450, thanks. I am well aware of what the GLE 450 system is capable of and how it works. That said though, your information might help others, it does not have anything to do with what I said, I didn't talk about how it affects the starter motor on non 48V system vehicles or how much fuel is burned on idling.

manbeing

We test drove a 450 yesterday and was impressive by its powerful engine compared to 350's I4 engine, but most dealers don't have enough 450 in stock, 2 or 3 compared more than 10 350. it is difficult to negotiate.
I am going to build a 450 from the dealership but just not sure if i can get the same discount as they gave me on a 350.

W205C43PFL

To add to this: I quoted forum member Aggie57, which like I said was a GLE 350.

W205C43PFL

Yes the 450 is in higher demand, evident from seeing more on the road (that is what I see here in Canada).

GregW / Oregon

The bottom line is these systems actually can, depending on your driving conditions, save significant fuel. They're not just to make the numbers look better for the manufacturer, they are better.