I traded in my 2014 ML350 for a 2024 GLE 450 and thought I would share some thoughts after 3 months on the changes in the model 10 years later. I had a great experience with the ML and had no major mechanical issues putting 140K on the speedo, new motor mounts at 125K was the biggest expense.

GOOD:
1) interior is so much nicer, great use of wood
2) quieter - I did opt for the insulated glass package
3) technology on lane warnings is light years improved
4) engine power is great - I understand I went from a 350 to a 450 - the power is impressive
5) headlights - much improved

BAD:
1) seat heaters are terrible - barely warm the seats - the vented seats are nice when it's hot but I like to use the seat heaters in the morning on the way to the gym, not nearly as warm as the ML would get
2) picky - I miss the sunglasses holder near the rear mirror - I know they packed tech in my sunglasses storage space but it was convenient
3) active steering assist - I have now gone on 4 road trips - just when I get comfortable with the semi self driving, the car runs across a line with no warning or drfts into another lane - I just don't feel like the system is ready for prime time - need some major software updates, and yes these are interstates, well marked in great weather conditions
4) no question you have more of a "tub" feel in the driver's seat, parking was easier in the ML, I find myself having to use the parking camera to navigate parking lots

Just my thoughts about 120 days in - overall I love the car

 

There are two systems. Active Lane Keep Assist and Active Steering Assist. They are independent of each other and each one can be independently activated/deactivated. But the latter is only active while DISTRONIC is active. This is the semi-autonomous part. It actively steers the vehicle within your lane. There are some restrictions and it still requires you to essentially hold the steering wheel and help along at times. Related to that there's a third system. Active Lane Change Assist. If it's turned on and you use your indicators on a separated multi lane highway to change lanes, it will check the adjacent lane and if open it will automatically perform the lane change. Make sure you are familiar with all these systems and have the right ones active. I personally have Active Lane Keep Assist turned off, because it's mostly annoying and quite violent when it makes last minute corrections using the brakes. It also will only kick in if you cross a solid line. It won't stop you from crossing a dashed line. The Active Steering Assist in conjunction with DISTRONIC is what will actively keep you within your lane.

 

I changed my post to reflect active steering assist - it works keeping you centered 98% of the time but the other 2% is scary - drifting and crossing the solid line on well marked roads

 

Hm, do you have "rapid" variation of the heated seats? I have the rapid one and the seats on my GLE heat up super fast and get somewhat toasty, so my wife often reduces the temperature on hers. You do need to be in the seat to feel how hot they get. My only beef with the heated seats is that they don't automatically turn on when you remote start the car.

I think you'll get more comfortable with it and even make your trips more enjoyable if you take this system for what it is - driving assist. It's not self-driving or semi-self driving, it's just not safe to use it this way. On long trips, you can choose to either have Active Steering Assist on and still keep the hands on the steering wheel AND make sure the car takes the trajectory you're comfortable with OR turn it off so it will be totally up to you to center the car in the lane. Personally, I found that Active Steering Assist enabled is 15-20% better than having it disabled on long trips. The key is to make sure the car is always on the trajectory you're comfortable with.

Active Lane Keeping assist - we just keep enabled at all times, it's not too intrusive and provide a good second layer of defense.

On newer cars, including 2024 GLE, it uses the steering and not the brakes, under normal conditions at least. Also, on my 2024 GLE, it does kick in and react to dashed lines unless your turn sign is on or you're actively steering. Not all v167s are the same, there changes between model years on how many of these systems operate.

 

As said in the post above, it's an assistance system and not a self driving system. You are still in charge and required to keep your hands on the steering wheel. The green steering wheel icon in the instrument cluster shows you if it has a lock on the lane or not. It goes gray if it can't figure out where the lane is and then it will just go straight. The system isn't perfect, because the roads aren't perfect, either. Even Tesla's hyped Autopilot and FSD system have many "Oh S...t" moments. We are a long way from true self-driving. Even the autonomous Wemo taxis that are roaming around in some cities like here in San Francisco need regular intervention from a remote driver. GM's Cruise got taken off the road, because it turned out they needed to intervene every 2 miles or so and had other issues.

 

I don't have the cold weather package (I assume that's the rapid heating seats) - living in the South I didn't think I needed it, especially didn't think I needed it to get decent heated seats

 

whoa, my 2020 has the sunglasses storage behind the rearview mirror. Hmmmm

 

Doesn't that depend on whether you have the steering assist? I think the cameras behind the mirror take up the space that was there for the glasses.

 

It's the sensors for the Interior Assistant, part of the Pinnacle Trim option that replaces the sunglasses holder on GLE/E vehicles. I have a 2023 E450 Cabriolet without the sensors that has a sunglasses holder...my 2020 GLE 350 & 2024 GLE 53 have the sensors and don't have the sunglasses holder.