Hey all,
So those who have driven both a 2024 350 and a 2024 450, is the turbo lag less on the 450? Or about the same since they both use the same 48v system? I'm sure responsiveness overall is 100% better than the 350 but will I still experience the lag I get with the 350?

I have had my 350 for about a year now and while I didn't feel it was underpowered at first, I now feel it is. I hate the lag you sometimes get when jabbing the gas pedal. There will almost be a delay for a second before the car starts moving.

I am now going to trade my 350 in. I have two options really. 1. A brand new 2025 X5 fully loaded (msport, msport pro etc.) 2. A CPO 2024 GLE 450 fully loaded (almosr like my 350)

They would cost me about the same monthly. The CPO has 6k miles on it (my 350 has 8,500). The CPO was used as a demo model.

I drove the x5 the other day and was blown away by how responsive it was compared to my 350 and how quick it was. I have yet to test drive a 450.

I prefer the interior and even the look of the gle a lot more though and just feel it feels like a luxary vehicle where I don't feel that in the X5 and the x5 is more cramped on the interior and seems just more simple and boring. There doesn't seem to be anything special about it look wise. However the B58 engine and the ZF Trans seems to be rock rolid and super reliable.

There are some tech things the gle has that the bmw doesn't and that I will miss if I switch. There are some things the bmw has that the gle doesn't that seem cool as hell (their driving assistance package has highway assist which gives you completely hands free driving on highways given the right conditions) but since I never experienced those features, I don't know what I'm missing yet I know what I'm missing in terms of the MB features the bmw doesn't have.

Payments will be the same. I considered ordering a brand new gle 450) but a similarly equipped X5 is like $300 less a month. I will already be paying $300 more a month for the x5 than I'm paying for my 350, and if I got a brand new 450 equipped how I want, it would be $600 more a month than what I'm paying for the 350. Bmw has a great 2.99% rate right now and I also got 7% of msrp. So if I want a 450 with all the options I want, and keeping the cost down, CPO it is for me.

I really don't know what to do. The CPO 450 seems to be in great shape, has a rock chip or two on the lower front bumper but other than that it looks good. I have yet to see it in person yet because it's at a dealership 300 miles away. It was the closest one with the color and ALL the options I want and even has a couple my 350 didn't have (premium steering wheel, spoiler and acoustic glass package). The msrp on the 450 was $94,900k and the want $85k for it which is high compared to kbb value but it is CPO and they are giving me about $7k more for my 350 in a trade than any other dealer has offered me (and I went to like 4 or 5 different dealers).

I really don't know what to do and keep going back and forth between getting a brand new x5 or the CPO 450.. I know most here will say go for the CPO 450 but I would be interested in hearing some opinions.

 

Best you test drive one yourself and see how it feels with your driving style. Delays can also come from the throttle mapping and the transmission, not necessarily just turbo lag. A smaller displacement engine will always lag more than one with larger displacement, though. Having said that, you'll find that regular Mercedes-Benz models will overall drive more lethargic than an equivalent BMW. BMWs are fundamentally set up more sporty, whereas MBs are more chauffeur cars as I like to call them. They have a much more feathered throttle response to give you more of a soft takeoff rather than ripping off the line. If you want a responsive MB you pretty much gonna have to go AMG. You might wanna test drive a GLE 53 as well to see what I'm talking about. What specific X5 model did you drive? The M Sport such as the M60i compare more to the 53 models on the MB/AMG side.

I can tell you this, I can't stand regular Mercedes-Benz models regardless of the engine. They all have horrible throttle response, especially in Comfort mode. Whenever I drive a loaner I have to immediately put them in Sport/Sport+ so that they drive and respond somewhat decent. Which begs the question, what mode do you drive your 350 in typically? Comfort mode in regular MBs as said is super feathered. Nothing happens at first when you stab the throttle. This has nothing to do with the engine. It's how MB chooses to map the throttle response.

 

The x5 I'm looking at is the base xDrive 40i.

In my 350, the drive mode I use depends. I tend to use Eco on long trips for gas economy and tend to use either comfort or sport mode during normal driving (more sport mode than anything). I for sure love that the gle rides so smooth. I know some drivers don't like that but I like that "floating" type feeling. It's a more comfortable ride. It's an suv and I don't expect it to be a race car but I just feel the 4 banger in the 350 is over worked but I do want the vehicle to go when you step on the gas. I guess I should go drive a 450 just to check it out..my previous gle was a 2017 with a v6 and I thought the power in that was fine.

 

Yeah a 255 hp 4-banger trying to move 5000 lbs isn't gonna be very exciting that's for sure. The X5 you are looking at has 120 more horses and 6-cylinders with about equal weight to your GLE, so you definitely gonna feel that.

 

Just came across a band new 2024 gle 450 with a $3k Amex discount and about $7k dealer discount. On their site it lists it at 93k but through Amex and trucar it shows 83k which is actually $2k less than the CPO 450 with 6k miles. It's alpine gray which is the color I prefer but the interior is not real leather and is Bahia Brown/black. Not sure that's the nicest interior color for the alpine gray but it might not be a deal killer either since it has everything else I want.

 

Ask yourself - which one would make me smile more when I see it in the garage or across the street?

That would be the one one you'd take better care of, and probably keep longer.

 

That is for sure the GLE. The x5 isn't bad, but when I look at my gle in the garage I just think "wow.. That's gorgeous" when I look at the x5, I think "it's nice...not as nice as my GLE though" although the x5 drives a lot better compared to my 350 in terms of power and responsiveness but that's expected because the x5 has the i6 vs the i4.

 

Another thing that is expected is bmw tend to lean more towards sporty because that is literally what they call themselves "the ultimate driving machine".

The GLE is a nice luxury cruiser and main focus is luxury unless you go AMG while bmw even base models are mainly designed to be sporty. That said, the GLE 350 drives pretty well as well.

 

What drive mode do you use? The default (C)omfort mode has a horrible delay between gentle pedal movement and engine activity. Drive it for some time in (S)port mode and see if it feels better. Even our 580 will feel delayed in comfort mode vs sport mode because of the pedal characteristics.

 

Does the new GLE 450 have the air suspension? Try driving it in the sport mode. The air suspension tightens things up nicely.

I would suspect few buyers of the GLE 450 wished that they had purchased a 350 instead. I personally never considered the 350 after my first test drive, I was coming from a GLE550e and the weaker, buzzy 4 cylinder did not impress me. I also considered the BMW X5. The BMW straight six is a fantastic motor, but the smaller size, lack of an air suspension option, and the tacked on appearance of the instrument panel vs the integrated look of the GLE led me to choose the GLE 450.

 

Yeah, my gle 350 does ride smoothly for the most part, I just think it needs more oomph

When i showed my wife the x5 interior, she said "it looks like a normal car, it doesn't give the impression that it's a luxary car. The MB looks like a luxary cat on the inside."

The X5 was for sure a pleasure to drive compared to my 350 in terms of throttle response and overall pep of the car. I do prefer the smoother ride in the MB though. My elderly mom always comments how nice my 350 rides when she is in it.

Mostly sport mode (sometimes comfort), when I take longer road trips (3+ hours) I usually am in eco but I expect the car to be more sluggish and less responsive then.

The other day I was on a two lane road and came to a point where I could pass the car in front of me and I had to basically floor it to get enough speed to pass him and I still didn't feel it accelerated fast enough. Another car was approaching and it was a little too close for comfort.

 

I love silver/gray with tan/brown interiors. That's what I have in my M2 now. Looks like a pretty good deal. What is the AmEx discount? We have Platinum cards but never saw that, maybe just because we're not currently in the market.

 

I lived with both the 350 and 450 for some time both 2024's. I had a 450 for about a little over a week for a loner.

The 450 was nice, it had better top end power. However do I think it is worth the extra money? No, not at all. I said it multiple times when driving it. It wasn't anything more special then my 350... If you're going to trade in the 350 I'd advise you try to find a 580. It's the sleeper a lot more HP, non AMG so you don't pay the 53's AMG insurance.

If you're going to upgrade, do it right. Don't just go to the 450. you'll get board and realize it's the same car that you had.

I also think the 53's have a 10k cash incentive on them. The dealer won't tell you unless you bring it up.

 

I have not driven a newer 350 with the mild hybrid. However, plus 120 hp and 74 lb-ft has got to be felt in a good way, and the just over 10% price premium is nothing at this level. And the fuel economy is basically a wash, 19/26 vs. 19/25.

 

If you have an Amex card, you can get up to $3k off. Seems like they are giving $3k off the 2024 models and about $500 off for the 2025 models. The 2024 with brown interior also has a dealer discount of $7k. I'm assuming to get rid of it since it's one model year old now.

I found a 2025 one, but it's an 8 hour drive away in Ohio. Msrp on that is $94k but with discounts $91k, I'm sure I can negotiate for more. That has black interior and the only thing it doesn't have is the acoustic glass.

I think have it narrowed down to these two and still am considering the x5 although leaning much more heavily on a 450.

2024 brown interior (not sure how I feel about that, and it's not leather.. But not being leather is not a deal killer.) has everything else I want. I don't care about air suspension. Has the acoustic glass and get a little more than $10k off msrp:
To be honest, the price for this 450 is around what my 350 sold for when it was new, very similarly optioned (I bought it slightly used with 1k miles on it)
https://www.mboflancaster.com/new/Me...d9820ab576.htm

2025 black leather interior. Doesn't have the wood/leather steering wheel and doesn't have acoustic glass, but has everything else I want and is black leather. About $3k off msrp
https://www.mercedesbenzofeaston.com...b5kb1sb293748/

 

My 2020 350 had a noticeable turbo lag, you just get used to it and compensate. I always felt the 350 had enough power if you get on it. The 450 I have now certainly has more power but I just don't have to get on it as much. It's a matter of driving style. The 450 was in for service and I got a 2024 350 as a loaner. The mild hybrid has totally eliminated the turbo lag and if I were buying new, would probably get the 350. My biggest gripe about the 2024 350 was the new MBUX software and touch sensitive "buttons" on the steering wheel. I like the tactile feel of real buttons and switches.

 

I just traded in a 2024 BMW X5 for a 2025 Mercedes GLE 450. I think the GLE is much better looking. The X5 seems to have had more power, but I'm still breaking in the GLE so I really haven't tested it. The transmission in the X5 is also much smoother. I'm glad I went with the GLE. No regrets.

 

Both where a 24. I honestly didn't feel a difference in day to day driving. Wouldn't go for a 450 over a 350. It's really the same car....

 

Your described passing scenario is precisely where small turbo hybrid engines are weak. Driving around surface roads with stops and starts the difference between the 350 and 450 is minimal because of the electric motor and high transmission ratio. From a stop the electric motor can provide 100% of its torque. Once moving though the electric will start to loose efficiency and torque. This gap will have to be filled by the ICE. Theoretically the turbo should already be spooled up but the 4 cylinder engines will quickly reach their output limit in comparison to the 6 cylinder in the 450. The effect is that it will feel good driving around town but you will notice its limitations on the highway if you aren't simply cruising at a steady state.

 

I PM'ed one to you that I thought looked good.

 

This was said before and to say it again, on the highway they both complete the same task, accelerate to 100 kph for example, the six cylinder runs at lower stress and RPMs and takes less effort to complete the same task.

While the four cylinder is using full force to complete the same task. As a result, from experience anyways, it is more fuel efficient when doing accelerations and maintaining speeds on the highway. Although both GLE 350 and GLE 450 have a 9G TRONIC and that helps with fuel economy at high speeds as well. It is the most efficient for an ICE to maintain speeds below 2,000 RPMs at highway speeds.

 

Precisely. This also leaves power in reserve for the OP's passing example.

Also true, though if we're purely talking efficiency I find that speed has a far greater impact than RPM. Our diesel ML will get 28 MPG on the highway at 70+. Drop that to 60 and it will be close to 32 MPG. I haven't driven the GLS on enough road trips to measure this but I suspect it is similar even though the GLS still isn't turning 2000 RPM at the same speeds it is doing more work to push through the air resistance at the higher speeds.

 

Well, yes like you said, drag, so aerodynamics also plays a role : )

Obviously weight and tire pressure and the type of tires also plays a role. Then of course there is how much load in the vehicle : )

 

Yeah, for that the 350 simply doesn't have the power to move such a large and heavy vehicle like that with such a big frontal area. Top speed and acceleration are all about peak horsepower. Air resistance increases exponentially with speed. In order for a car to double its speed, it needs four times the power, so the faster you drive, it needs exponentially more power. With 255 hp, you just don't have that kind of headroom given the weight and poor aerodynamics of an SUV.

 

Didn't realize the newer one had different buttons. My 2020 has a couple capacitive touch buttons, so there are more now?