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I just finished a 5000 mile roadtrip in my brand new 2024 GLE 450. SW Florida to Las Vegas and back with stops including Las Vegas, Jerome AZ, Marathon TX, San Antonio Riverwalk, Roswell NM, And Lake Charles LA.
The good:
The GLE 450 performed well. No squeaks, no rattles, no mirror whistling, no hard shifts, no 48v battery issues, wipers worked without skipping (I have the magic vision system). Air conditioner kept the car cool even in temperatures of 117°. Engine oil and coolant temps remained well within the normal range even at 117° outside air temp. I was especially impressed with the air suspension. The comfort setting worked well and was not "floaty" at all. On winding, narrow roads in the mountains, switching to the sports setting made a real difference with very little lean during tight turns. I loved the 80 MPH speed limit on Texas highways and wind noise was minimal until pushing 90 MPH. I have the 20" Michelin Primacy Tour A/S tires. They were comfortable and remarkably quiet. The leather massage seats were comfortable and remained that way on several 12 hour days. The navigation system worked well and successfully re-routed me around multiple miles long backups on the interstate (it seems that every highway in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida is under construction).
The irritating:
The wireless CarPlay was unreliable, connecting about 25% of the time. It worked 100% of the time when connected via cable. I just updated the software on my iPhone and hope this will improve wireless connection reliability.
The bad:
On the next to last day, I took a rock from a Circus Truck, (the pickups with huge wheels that extend well past the wheel wells with no fender or mud flaps to prevent them from throwing shrapnel all over the road). This resulted in a six inch crack in the windshield.
The verdict:
After over 5000 miles, my GLE 450 has so far met my expectations, the engine is well matched to the car and provided ample power on mile high mountain roads for passing. The fit and finish is excellent and the cabin materials are of high quality. The GLE 450 is a pleasure to drive on long trips.
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chassis (07-30-2023),EXTRAOLD (08-03-2023),jaxslk (07-29-2023),js_cls (07-31-2023),Lanzz (08-01-2023),stktyz33 (10-16-2023) and 1 others liked this post. (Show less...)
Nice report, and congratulations on your purchase.
Contrary to some of the postings you may see here, we have a 2020 GLE350 with 41,000 miles which has been absolutely flawless. Just two “Check Engine” lights easily fixed by the dealer. 25.9 mpg average since new. Occasional “Quirks and Features” that are gone the next day. Drove it up the hill to Silverton, CO at 10,000 ft. and the little 4-banger did a fine job.