I'm considering to go from a 2012 E550 Coupe + 2017 Chevy Suburban combo to a single 3 row MB SUV. Since it would become a daily driver, I dont feel like doing a GLS, too big for my daily commute. My wife does have a minivan, so can haul family in that as needed.

I still want to do a 3rd row in case my wife and all my kids pile into my car, and in case if the minivan ever breaks down, we still have 3 row vehicle. We are a family of six. Debating whether the GLE 3rd row is in fact usable for children ages 8 to 14. I have test drove Kia EV9 (eh, it's a Kia so can't be spending more than 30K for it), Tesla Model Y/S (3rd row stinks), Lincoln Aviator (its too cluttered), and a few others. I thought about GLS or X7 but honestly I dont want a daily driver that big. Just a mid-size SUV with usable 3rd row when needed. Normally I only take 3-4 people in the vehicle, on rare occasions it'll be all six.

If anyone owns a GLE with 3rd row and actually use the 3rd row, please fill me in on your experience. Also want to know is the GLE suspension comfortable or bumpy. MB may not have the touch on their SUVs for smooth rides like they do for their sedans, I can tell you the Suburban is like riding a cloud. Just because a vehicle has air suspension doesn't mean it's a smooth ride, so it's all about the combo of tires/wheels + suspension setup + shocks + air suspension and how they work together. I feel like vehicle companies, including MB, are missing the mark on smoothness of the ride quality when in the past they really focused on that.

Thank you for your feedback in advance!

 

Depends on your tolerance level for very unhappy teenagers.

 

We use the 3rd row periodically but not often. It should be ok for kids 8-14 (usb-c outlets back there too). I wouldn't stick two adults adult back there for a trip longer than 60-90 min. If you do opt for the GLE w/w 3rd row, only use the electronic switches to slide the seats up for entry and exit. Make sure not to pull the red emergency release loops to move up the second row seats. The straps can get jammed up internally and be an issue.

Air-matic w/ 22 inch wheels & 20 inch for winter, comfort mode is soft "floaty" as my wife described it upon delivery and she prefers the sport mode setting. I like the softer suspension. Ride quality is about the same between the 22 & 20 inch wheels.

 

Do Escalades have different suspensions than suburbans? If so, I always found the suspension systems in Escalades (rentals and car service when traveling) to be inferior in terms of comfort than my GLE with E-ABC and Mercedes loaners with airmatic.

 

I've had adults 175 cm (5'9") in the back seat. It's doable for a short trip, but definitely not for longer than 30 minutes. An 8 year old will definitely be fine, but a 14 year old? That depends on how tall they are. Also, if you have kid's car seats in the second row, getting in the third row is a real pain. You have to take out the car seats first.

 

I bet the GLE is better. Escalade and Suburban share same electronic magnaride shocks, Escalade higher level trim(s) also has air suspension.

 

That depends on how you have the car seats installed. If you only use the LATCH / Tether anchors (not the seatbelt), you can tilt the seat with the child seat still attached for access to the third row. It also depends on how many child seats you have and where you have them installed in the 2nd row, since if they are too wide they can interfere with the seat folding of either the right or left side. You can see how it works about 8 minutes into this video (GLS, but works the same on GLE)
I have 3 car seats in the 2nd row (fixed forward facing for 5 year old on the left, removable rear facing for infant in the middle, and fixed front facing for ~3 year old on the right). I can keep everything as-is - except the removable rear-facing seat in the middle has to be out, but the base it attaches to can stay - and still tilt the right seat for access to the third row. Removing the middle rear-facing seat is easy because it just drops down into the base and auto-latches, there's nothing to remove or install, and it's easier to do that anyway to strap the baby in outside the car and then put the seat+baby in together.

As far as how useful the 3rd row is, I'm still not sure. Child seats don't work there (even if they could fit, there is no tether anchor on the back of the seat which I think is required for all forward facing seats). So your child has to be old enough to not need a child seat, but not too big where they won't fit. Also the "drop" between the seat base and the floor is very minimal, so your knees would be bent very high if you're too tall. I guess the sweet spot is ~8yo to young teens or smaller sized adults, and for shorter trips. It's the reason we've been looking at the GLS recently, although it's tough to justify spending so much for just ~1 foot of extra length versus the GLE. But child seats can work in the 3rd row of the GLS. As of now I haven't had anyone use the 3rd row of the GLE since getting the car in late 2019.

 

I guess it depends on the child seat model. I have boosters with wide backs attached with ISOFIX. They also have wide elements to the sides of the head of the child. When the GLE seat goes forward, the child seat hits against the front seat. There just isn't enough room for the GLE seat to move fully. Additionally, the backrest tilts a bit forward and the child seat restricts that. I have to remove the child seat to access the third row.


I couldn't find the exact model online, but something like this makes it impossible for me to access the 3rd row without removing it.

 

There is one big benefit to the third row. It comes with electrically adjustable second row. You can move it forward to increase the trunk space. I don't know if you can move the second row at all without the third row package.

 

I agree with most of the comments so far. My wife has a GLE350 with the third row. It was great when the kids were little. Now the youngest are 10 & 12 and tall for their age so it's mostly the 10-year old back there. We can change people for short trips, and it helps when we have more than 5 in the car. But it's not a long ride option.