I think this will be my next car…exactly what I’m looking for, checks all my boxes.

Review: 2024 Mercedes GLE 450e PHEV does hybrid the right way (greencarreports.com)

 

​​​​​​My thoughts too, as long as it's fun to drive.

 

I'm not sure when I'll move into the 450e arena let alone full electric but what, or why, would one buy a vehicle that can only go maybe 40 miles on battery? I can't see buying a vehicle like this to only drive it within the limits of the battery.

 

Short answer, 70% of Americans drive 40 miles or less per day. I fall into this category ~85% of the time. Thus a car like this would eliminate 85% of my fuel use and be more convenient (I could recharge it in my garage every night). It would also be more luxurious to drive, as 85% of the time there would be no engine noise, and I would need to make a lot less trips to Costco for gas — more convenient. However for that 15% of the time I drive more the 40 miles, I usually drive a lot more (300-400 mile weekend excursions). I don’t want to worry about range anxiety, and I wouldn’t with this vehicle—just gas and go. After 40 miles in this vehicle, it will operate like a strong hybrid once the 40 mile electric range is used. I anticipate that once the 40 miles of electric range is used, and it is in hybrid mode, it will get round 30 mpg in city/ 26 mph highway, and around 28 mpg combined. So when I do use gas, I will also use less (better MPG).

While you can road trip in an EV, it is still a hassle. You’re going to be tied to the next supercharger station, and you better hope there isn’t a queue, and once recharging you’re going to be there 30-40 minutes to get an 80% SOC. I would consider a full EV for a daily commuter car, but not for a road trip/weekend excursion car.

 

“The [EV] motor only makes 134 hp, but it also produces a very healthy 325 lb-ft of torque. It teams with a 2.0-liter turbo-4 that makes 248 hp and 295 lb-ft on its own for a total system output of 381 hp and 479 lb-ft.”

”When floored, the 450e doesn’t feel as quick as a V-8, but it hits 60 mph from a stop in a quoted 5.8 seconds. A heavy right foot will access that power, and it’s even easier to tap into in the available Sport mode, which holds gears longer for the smooth-shifting 9-speed automatic transmission.”

Sounds like it would be with those specs. Yes it will be an I-4 you hear, not a V8, so you know…trade offs…but I kind of like the growl my 350 makes when it goes.

 

My GLE550e mates the more powerful V6 with the electric motor giving it a total of 436hp and 479 Ft-lb of torque. When you are on a road trip, once the battery is depleted, you are primarily relying on the gasoline motor. I would have much preferred that Mecedes made the PHEV with the straight 6 like BMW’s X5 50e.

 

Just happened to stumble across this article by chance...good timing. Here's another opinion to consider.\

Commentary: I'm ready to trade in my electric car. Here's why

Opinion by Mariel Garza • 4h ago

 

You have every right to your opinion, and it is true that an I-6 is smoother than an I-4 due to physics, but the I-4 in the 350 isn't loud at highway speeds, and it provides a fuel use and weight saving due to 2 less cylinders. So IMO, I think the use of an I-4 with a stronger electric motor is a design trade off that makes a lot of sense in a PHEV. It is also true that there will still be a usable charge in the hybrid battery (due to regen capability) once the EV range is used up and it is in hybrid mode -- that electric motor will be still there to assist the I-4 when extra power is needed. It should still accelerate like it has a full charge for 20 seconds or more (i.e., 381 hp and 479 lb-ft).

 

To me, "Fun to Drive" is a suspension, steering and braking thing, not 0 to XX.

With the 167, Mercedes finally shed their "luxury at the cost of fun" (unless 0 - XX is one's narrow definition of fun). Now, equipped well, it's Fun, but still too heavy.

If they gain much more weight or go all boat-like and floaty, I'll look elsewhere.

I agree about the utility of the plugin Hybrid concept.

 

Don’t disagree however, if it accelerates like a Prius…. That’s not fun either. Cheers.

 

Weight certainly contributes to things like this, MX-5 although not necessarily high horsepower but fun to drive, but then I guess it wasn't fair for me to compare that to an SUV...

 

So Kyle Conner has posted (YouTube) two range tests of the 2024 GLE 450e: one at constant 70 mph, yielding 58 miles of all-electric range; and one in urban/city stop-and-go driving (speeds < 45 mph), yielding 68 miles of all-electric range. I've test-driven the 2024 GLE 450e six times in the last two weeks over a couple dozen miles (four different dealerships), seeking to get a feel for the drive train -- both the lethargic 4-cylinder ICE and the under-powered electric motors. In doing stop-and-go driving (< 45 mph), i find that the car computer does predict (after some driving) close to 60 miles of all-electric range (though I can't test that with dealership cars that are for sale with low odometer readings).

I'd like to hear from anybody who's bought the 2024 GLE 450e (it's only been at dealerships in the USA in the past month, I'm told), as to their experiences with the drivetain (even if only for a few days or weeks -- something I can't experience without buying one). I'm also curious to hear pros and cons of the instrument panel and the infotainment screen, and use of the drive-mode switch, for those with these new Mercedes PHEVs (the screens are different in content with PHEVs vs. non-PHEVs).

 

How loud is the 4 cylinder engine? On both city driving (did you switch to ICE or hybrid mode or stayed in electric) and what about highway / higher speed driving?

I'm looking at the BMW X5 50e and possibly the RX 450H+ even though the latter's battery may be too small and it has a pretty bad 4 cylinder engine - I drove the regular hybrid (with the much smaller battery, I think it's 1.7kWh or maybe even below 1) and it was not good... engine was loud and struggling. Also looking at the TX plug-in, that comes with a V6 (same engine that I have in one of my cars now) but probably won't be out for at least six months... I would like to know your thoughts on the 450e inline 4...

 

The TX plug in doesn't have air suspension like their high end ICE TX. This was pointed out in you YouTube video review of the lineup. Just in case you aren't aware.

 

The X5 50e has less electric range, and I won't consider it because it has climate controls only in the touchscreen; been there, done that ('22 Volvo) -- never again.

As for the ICE on the GLE 450e, under rapid acceleration it sounds a lot like the ICE in our RAV4 Prime, which ain't pretty. My '22 XC60 T8 ER sounds better (also 4-cylinder, 2-liter ICE). However, I've only been able to get one test drive without a sales person sitting beside me and directing my (limited/short) route. I've tried all the modes except off-road. (Some of the cars don't seem to want to allow me to put it into Off-Road mode, and I can't figure out why not -- and the sales people don't understand it, either.) My focus was on testing the all-electric because I'll be doing most of my daily driving in all-electric, and really only use the ICE for out-of-town road trips (about once a month). Aside from fast acceleration, the ICE didn't seem too bad, but the problem is that this thing weighs > 1000 lbs more than my XC60 does (and the latter is not small). But I did not feel that the vehicle doesn't have enough power; I haven't accelerated onto an expressway from an entrance ramp, or turned into right high-speed traffic from a stop sign and acclerated only in electric mode, but I am not worried about it. The electric-only drive seemed pretty peppy. For me, the 4-cylinder ICE in the 450e is not a big deal; I expect that it'll get 25-30 mpg in my highway driving. I'm not buying PHEVs to track them or race other cars. [For me, the biggest negatives to the 450e is the famous Mercedes unreliability factor -- again second from the bottom among all major carmakers in CR's 2023 rankings -- and its ugly/gaudy/ostentatious (to me) huge star emblem on the front grill and the absurd chrome fake exhaust outlines on the rear. I'd want to get a detailer to black out both for me if I buy a 450e. The huge size and weight of the 450e is not a plus in my book, either; it seems like a whale next to my XC60. I don't care to project that I'm driving a MB; I'd rather fly low under the radar. I'd be much happier if the MB package -- better electric range, DC fast charging, better computer screens, paddle shifters, and physical buttons/dials -- were put into a Volvo XC60 ... but alas they aren't, and so here I am.]

One thing that pleasantly surprised me in the 450e is that, if you put the car in D- mode ("D" = Drive, then tapping the left paddle shifter), you get a lot of regen at speed: the car slows down fairly rapidly (and not in a jerky manner; i.e., nicely controlled) at highway speeds, but then it seems to go almost into a coasting mode once you get to 20-30 mph (so you have to use the brake to come to a stop). This is totally the opposite of the one-pedal driving in my XC60 (which, when you take your foot off the accelerator pedal, slows down very slowly at highway speeds but then really digs in under 30-40 mph and brings you to a full stop without the brake pedal pretty quickly). I vastly prefer the XC60's regen braking to that of the 450e, but my surprise is that the 450e does a lot of regen at speeds > 20-30 mph, contrary to the expectations that I'd had from the YouTube and written online reviews of the 450e. In fact, I was able to gain back 1-2 miles of battery charge in only a couple miles of driving at 45-55 mph this way in the 450e, which surprised me; I think I was in Sport mode, also (but it might have been Hybrid mode).

I've got a couple more test drives set up with different dealerships in coming days, and hope to do more highway driving than I've been able to do so far. I'll say this about my spending hours in the GLE 450e over a couple of weeks at multiple dealerships (much of it just getting to see what all the computer screens can do): I'm more impressed the more I spend time with this vehicle. One thing that is super-annoying about it is that there's a big "lip" that sticks out below the door on both sides of the car, which annoyingly rubs against my leg/calf when getting in and out of the car (this is the version without running boards); I have never seen this in any car before -- very stupid design. And I've been in a couple of 450e vehicles with the running boards; they are super-bad and annoying. Lots of reviewers have commented on the annoying "compass-arrow" keys at the top center of each side of the steering wheel, and they have legitimate gripes: they are poorly designed and don't respond well (you have to slide your finger left/right or up/down, and it's just a bad design) ... but I was able to get the hang of it after spending a lot of time in the car, and it's not a deal breaker for me (in fact, I could get it to work pretty quickly and well after a lot of practice).

 

Yes, I know, it's actually inferior in pretty much every aspect. No rear-wheel steering (they put that on the 500h F-Sport), no auto dampers, no panoramic roof, etc. Possibly no acoustic windows either... Which is pretty weak for the top of the line model ($$$) in this product family... Probably both to keep the cost under $80K for the tax credit and also the weight aspect (for the electric range, which is kind of weak at 33 miles stated which in reality is probably closer to 25 miles here in FL with A/C running all the time).

I'm looking for a comfortable cruiser and also space in the back for two kids 9 & 11. Need some type of electric battery in order to run the A/C without the ICE running. Also comfortable on the highway as we I drive on average 60-70 miles / day, most of it highway. This is why I am curious as to the noise level of the 450e 4 cylinder on the highway. Around town it will mostly be electric and hybrid and I don't need to race.

 

These are great insights @cometguy . You're really analyzing all aspects... the design of the body panels is probably supposed to mimic actually having running boards. Apparently (according to our friend Thomas from Autogefuhl on Youtube) running boards increase the aerodynamic aspects of these SUVs and they put a lot of them on the EQE / EQS models as well.

 

I didn't know the running boards improve aero.

 

I learned that the big lips sticking out below the doors comes with the AMG Line Exterior package, so I won't be getting that, which means I can't get the Night Trim package either (to black out much of the chrome on the car's exterior), which I wanted. So if I order a GLE 450e, I'll change from my preferred color of blue (which looks not very good with all that exterior chrome, to my eye) to getting the Selenite Gray (which makes the chrome not look quite so gaudy). I don't understand why so many automakers are so into chrome all over their cars, inside and out.

 

I think that little reverse curve running the length of the floor, where are the running boards are mounted, is the shape that improves aerodynamics. Not the running boards themselves.

 

I believe that any Mercedes with the 48V mild hybrid system can run the A/C without the ICE running. It's one of the things I really appreciate about my 2020 GLS450, when I am sitting at a long stop light in hot weather. The ICE is off, but I still have ICE cold air and no reduction in fan speed either. (couldn't resist the pun, sorry...)

In vehicles prior to the 48V, the ICE would cut out for only maybe ~10 seconds (ECO Start/Stop) in really hot weather, before needing to restart to maintain comfortable interior temps, since the A/C compressor wasn't on, just the blower.

Even still, I imagine that the 450e could run the A/C without the ICE running for a longer period of time, depending on charge, compared to the standard 48V mild hybrid. It would be interesting to know what the maximums are, both for the 48V mild hybrid, as well as the 450e. Anybody know?

Happy Motoring!

 

I would rather own a PHEV than a full electric. The range anxiety on long trips, not worrying about what range I will get during winter and the cost of the full battery replacement after 8-10 years of ownership just makes more sense. Please remember replacement of a EQS battery is in the north of $50k. By the time the car is 6-7 years old the value of the GLE will be close to the value of what the battery will cost and battery cost will not go down. It makes all EV vehicles a buy and throw away toy.

 

All of our PHEVs (Porsche, Toyota, Volvo) have been able to run A/C in electric-only mode, but not heat. To have heat come on, the ICE has to come on.

 

Agree/disagree. I own a PHEV for a family/road trip car that my wife drives. Most days she drives less than 40 miles a day taking the girls to school and it’s all EV power.

I also have a full EV as a commuter car, and it is a superior choice as I can recharge it every night in my garage for 11 cents/KwH. So it depends on your intended use and your ability to recharge at home.

As for GLE resale value, I just sold my 2020 GLE 350 4Matic , which stickered around $77,000 new, to my Mercedes dealer for $38,000. Carmax offered me $37,000. My GLE still had three months on the warranty and only 46,000 miles. That’s a depreciation over four years of approximately 50%.

No idea how reliable the battery on a EQS/EQE will be, but it is warranted for 10 years and 155,000 miles (somebody check me - going from memory) by Mercedes.

For warranty purposes, EV batteries are considered “bad” when they only have 70% capacity at a full charge. So it’s not like the car is dead and can’t be driven— unless the battery bricks. You just have 70% of the range which I believe on the EQS is more than 300 miles new — so even with a use up “bad” EV battery you should still be able to go more than 200 miles on a charge — and that would be with over 155,000 miles on it. In reality, the battery in the EQS/EQE should have more than 70% capacity at 155,000 miles — more like 85-90% capacity. So how long do you plan on keeping it? Would you keep a GLE/GLS for that length of time? What would be the value of a GLE after 10 years and 155,000 miles? What would be the value of an EQS/EQE after 10 years and 155,000 miles with a 70% capacity battery (worst case), or a 85-90% capacity (expected)?

Not an open and shut case yet— not enough data.

 

The GLE450e has an electronic A/C compressor. ICE running or not will not effect the A/C performance.