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Hi all - new member here taking delivery of GLE 450 Coupe
Hi everyone,
This is a big step for me - I've been loyal to the BMW brand for over 20 years with a long lineage of cars, with the latest two being a '22 M850 Convertible and a '23 X3M40i (wife's car).
Lately we've been wanting a slightly larger and more comfortable SUV for road trips to replace the X3 and I had my eye on the '26 X5 50e. Short version: We HATED the interior and lack of tactile controls.
So just secured the following coupe to replace the X3M40i:
2026 GLE 450 new
Twilight Blue Metallic
Macchiato Beige / Black Leather
Natural Grain Brown Walnut Trim
Options:
Pinnacle Trim
Driver Assistance Package
Winter Package
21" AMG MultiSpoke Wheels
Rear spoiler
Door handle inserts, Chrome
And a bunch of other misc options.
I was very impressed with the quality, look and feel of the interior compared to the X5. I know it won't be quite as sporty or handle as well as either the X3M40 or X5, but to be honest every car I've had from BMW has been an M variant and I'm kind of looking forward to something a little more plush and comfortable (getting old I guess). I'm also looking forward to participating in the discussions and sharing my experiences. I pick it up early next week!
Excellent choice. We ordered this one in September and picked it up around Thanksgiving. I agree with your BMW assessment - they're just a bit too boy-racer in their styling these days. Oh, and the BMW coupes look cobbled together while the MB looks much more refined. Enjoy your new ride, and congratulations.
Congrats and agree with your post.
I just took delivery of a 2026 GLE450 SUV (ordered in November) ... I came from a 2022 BMW X4 M40i.
Only one day in, but so far, loving the GLE.
Excellent choice. We ordered this one in September and picked it up around Thanksgiving. I agree with your BMW assessment - they're just a bit too boy-racer in their styling these days. Oh, and the BMW coupes look cobbled together while the MB looks much more refined. Enjoy your new ride, and congratulations.
Hi everyone,
This is a big step for me - I've been loyal to the BMW brand for over 20 years with a long lineage of cars, with the latest two being a '22 M850 Convertible and a '23 X3M40i (wife's car).
Lately we've been wanting a slightly larger and more comfortable SUV for road trips to replace the X3 and I had my eye on the '26 X5 50e. Short version: We HATED the interior and lack of tactile controls.
So just secured the following coupe to replace the X3M40i:
2026 GLE 450 new
Twilight Blue Metallic
Macchiato Beige / Black Leather
Natural Grain Brown Walnut Trim
Options:
Pinnacle Trim
Driver Assistance Package
Winter Package
21" AMG MultiSpoke Wheels
Rear spoiler
Door handle inserts, Chrome
And a bunch of other misc options.
I was very impressed with the quality, look and feel of the interior compared to the X5. I know it won't be quite as sporty or handle as well as either the X3M40 or X5, but to be honest every car I've had from BMW has been an M variant and I'm kind of looking forward to something a little more plush and comfortable (getting old I guess). I'm also looking forward to participating in the discussions and sharing my experiences. I pick it up early next week!
2025 GLE450 SUV (non coupe) here; Catalana Beige and Black interior, same wood trim. The seats are going to be hard to keep clean, but I do love the interior. My only complaint: they removed the compass display they used to have.
Another long time BMW owner here. It was time for something different, so I cross shopped a BMW X6 and a GLE 450 coupe. Both were very similar in terms of driving dynamics but I liked the interior and looks of the GLE much better. Expected to be here in April. Cirrus silver with black leather and a few more options.
Another long time BMW owner here. It was time for something different, so I cross shopped a BMW X6 and a GLE 450 coupe. Both were very similar in terms of driving dynamics but I liked the interior and looks of the GLE much better. Expected to be here in April. Cirrus silver with black leather and a few more options.
Wow - great looking car in that color!
I imagine you and I will be sharing our perspectives a lot having come from BMW.
Here are some early impressions, having only put 50 miles in our GLE.
Ride and seat comfort is excellent.
Interior fit, finish and appointments seem more luxurious than X3/X5 class
Very disappointed that user profiles cannot be assigned to the key fobs! The only way to change the user profile is once you are already sat in the vehicle. So let's say for example my wife last drove the car...she's all of 5;1' so the seat is going to be far up. She also prefers her climate temperatures to near freezing. Now it's my turn to drive. I use the fob to unlock the car - the seat doesn't move. I have to use the door memory button for the seat to move to my pre-set position and then once inside, select my profile from the touchscreen to retrieve my preferred climate settings, music/volume, etc.
Burmester stereo is very good, but not quite as good as the Bowers &Wilkins. It only has a 3 band equalizer...but it's still very, very good.
MBUX user interface is fine. I don't think it is quite as intuitive as BMW, but that may also be because I need to get more familiar with it.
Digital screens are beautiful
We LOVE the tactile buttons for everything: climate control, music volume, etc.
I personally much prefer this steering wheel design over BMWs which don't look luxurious - they have a more industrial look. And I've seen complaints about the touch controls on the steering wheel but to me they are useful and aren't presenting any issues.
The inline 6 seems powerful but you need to dig in deeper into the throttle to experience it...even in sport mode. Just something to get used to, but definitely not lacking.
The brakes in our last 2023 X3M40i were very touchy, - brake pedal and feel in this car is much nicer.
Getting in and out of this coupe is....interesting. My wife is short so she thinks she looks awkward getting in....and for me (I'm 5'10") I have to duck my head to get in. Also, I'm used to using my left hand to reach for and grab the seatbelt but it's further behind so it's better to just use my right - which will take some getting used to as well but not a big deal.
I wish there were a button dedicated to switching music tracks forwards or backwards. You have to either use the touchscreen or touchpad and I find myself frequently skipping over at least two songs trying to do so. I'm also looking for a way to list out tracks so I can scroll through and select one, - haven't found this ability yet but again, haven't really spent enough time to look.
The Mercedes app for the iPhone seems great so far.
My car is fairly loaded and has the Augmented Reality for Navigation included....so that means it has a forward looking camera installed. But to use it as a dashcam (an advertised feature), I have to pay $200. Seems like a cheap money grab to me - for a $95K car you're going to nickel and dime me for that?
Last item for now....no maintenance is included. And from what I hear, service visits are expensive. They tried to sell me a discounted maintenance plan, but when I asked to see what is included in each service visit, there was a lot of line items for "check this..." or "check that..." So I figure when I go for service visits I'll just ask for a simple oil change, cabin air filter change, or whatever else is needed from a consumable perspective but I'm not paying Benz or any other car manufacturer for time spent checking things especially on a brand new car (admittedly this is one of my pet peeves).
I'll keep posting more experiences as we drive it more and I can't wait for you to take delivery of yours to start comparing from our prior ownership perspectives!
Wow - great looking car in that color!
I imagine you and I will be sharing our perspectives a lot having come from BMW.
Here are some early impressions, having only put 50 miles in our GLE.
Ride and seat comfort is excellent.
Interior fit, finish and appointments seem more luxurious than X3/X5 class
Very disappointed that user profiles cannot be assigned to the key fobs! The only way to change the user profile is once you are already sat in the vehicle. So let's say for example my wife last drove the car...she's all of 5;1' so the seat is going to be far up. She also prefers her climate temperatures to near freezing. Now it's my turn to drive. I use the fob to unlock the car - the seat doesn't move. I have to use the door memory button for the seat to move to my pre-set position and then once inside, select my profile from the touchscreen to retrieve my preferred climate settings, music/volume, etc.
Burmester stereo is very good, but not quite as good as the Bowers &Wilkins. It only has a 3 band equalizer...but it's still very, very good.
MBUX user interface is fine. I don't think it is quite as intuitive as BMW, but that may also be because I need to get more familiar with it.
Digital screens are beautiful
We LOVE the tactile buttons for everything: climate control, music volume, etc.
I personally much prefer this steering wheel design over BMWs which don't look luxurious - they have a more industrial look. And I've seen complaints about the touch controls on the steering wheel but to me they are useful and aren't presenting any issues.
The inline 6 seems powerful but you need to dig in deeper into the throttle to experience it...even in sport mode. Just something to get used to, but definitely not lacking.
The brakes in our last 2023 X3M40i were very touchy, - brake pedal and feel in this car is much nicer.
Getting in and out of this coupe is....interesting. My wife is short so she thinks she looks awkward getting in....and for me (I'm 5'10") I have to duck my head to get in. Also, I'm used to using my left hand to reach for and grab the seatbelt but it's further behind so it's better to just use my right - which will take some getting used to as well but not a big deal.
I wish there were a button dedicated to switching music tracks forwards or backwards. You have to either use the touchscreen or touchpad and I find myself frequently skipping over at least two songs trying to do so. I'm also looking for a way to list out tracks so I can scroll through and select one, - haven't found this ability yet but again, haven't really spent enough time to look.
The Mercedes app for the iPhone seems great so far.
My car is fairly loaded and has the Augmented Reality for Navigation included....so that means it has a forward looking camera installed. But to use it as a dashcam (an advertised feature), I have to pay $200. Seems like a cheap money grab to me - for a $95K car you're going to nickel and dime me for that?
Last item for now....no maintenance is included. And from what I hear, service visits are expensive. They tried to sell me a discounted maintenance plan, but when I asked to see what is included in each service visit, there was a lot of line items for "check this..." or "check that..." So I figure when I go for service visits I'll just ask for a simple oil change, cabin air filter change, or whatever else is needed from a consumable perspective but I'm not paying Benz or any other car manufacturer for time spent checking things especially on a brand new car (admittedly this is one of my pet peeves).
I'll keep posting more experiences as we drive it more and I can't wait for you to take delivery of yours to start comparing from our prior ownership perspectives!
I keep 3 satellite radio stations on my "favorites" and display "favorites" on the screen; I can move from one to another by swiping the touch pad on the console.
Wow - great looking car in that color!
I imagine you and I will be sharing our perspectives a lot having come from BMW.
Here are some early impressions, having only put 50 miles in our GLE.
Last item for now....no maintenance is included. And from what I hear, service visits are expensive. They tried to sell me a discounted maintenance plan, but when I asked to see what is included in each service visit, there was a lot of line items for "check this..." or "check that..." So I figure when I go for service visits I'll just ask for a simple oil change, cabin air filter change, or whatever else is needed from a consumable perspective but I'm not paying Benz or any other car manufacturer for time spent checking things especially on a brand new car (admittedly this is one of my pet peeves).
I'll keep posting more experiences as we drive it more and I can't wait for you to take delivery of yours to start comparing from our prior ownership perspectives!
Really, they go rid of 3-year included maintenance? I was not aware of that. I remember when it used to be 4 years. Looks like only EVs get 2 years now. BTW, my SUVs have been Mercedes since my '98 ML but DDs have been manual BMW Ms since my '01 E46 M3 Coupe.
Last edited by GregW / Oregon; Feb 26, 2026 at 11:44 AM.
I keep 3 satellite radio stations on my "favorites" and display "favorites" on the screen; I can move from one to another by swiping the touch pad on the console.
Good tip, thank you.
But is there a way to simply fast forward to the next track when using Apple Car Play for example without having to use the touchpad or screen? Is this possible using the controls on the steering wheel?
BTW, my SUVs have been Mercedes since my '98 ML but DDs have been manual BMW Ms since my '01 E46 M3 Coupe.
I bet that M2 with a manual transmission is an absolute blast - one of the best handling BMW M cars of late. My other "M" car is a '22 M850 Convertible. I would classify this as way more of a Grand Tourer than a true M car, but BMW seems to haul in a lot more buyers by just slapping on an M badge. But I wanted something exactly like this for road trips to California (we live in Colorado) and up and down the Pacific Coast Highway, can't beat it for that.
Update on next track selection. I found a neat trick: just say "Next track" and the car will skip to the next track - no need to even say "Hey Mercedes" first. Cool.
Here are some early impressions, having only put 50 miles in our GLE
......
Very disappointed that user profiles cannot be assigned to the key fobs! The only way to change the user profile is once you are already sat in the vehicle. So let's say for example my wife last drove the car...she's all of 5;1' so the seat is going to be far up. She also prefers her climate temperatures to near freezing. Now it's my turn to drive. I use the fob to unlock the car - the seat doesn't move. I have to use the door memory button for the seat to move to my pre-set position and then once inside, select my profile from the touchscreen to retrieve my preferred climate settings, music/volume, etc.
I agree about the door lock and profiles. But there is an easy work around, read below.
Burmester stereo is very good, but not quite as good as the Bowers &Wilkins. It only has a 3 band equalizer...but it's still very, very good.
It's the base radio. Just like the BMW B&W radio it costs several thousand to get the Burmester HD which is a better comparison. A $500 option can't realistically compare to a $5,000 option.
MBUX user interface is fine. I don't think it is quite as intuitive as BMW, but that may also be because I need to get more familiar with it.
MBUX uses Nvidia's contextual speech recognition, and will adapt to your pattern soon.
..................
Getting in and out of this coupe is....interesting. My wife is short so she thinks she looks awkward getting in....and for me (I'm 5'10") I have to duck my head to get in. Also, I'm used to using my left hand to reach for and grab the seatbelt but it's further behind so it's better to just use my right - which will take some getting used to as well but not a big deal.
Use the setting under Vehicle>Automatic seat adjustment>Easy entry/exit, and set it to "both" steering wheel and seat. Then, every time you shut off the car, the seat back will align itself with the door post so you can get in easily, and she can get out more easily as well.
The caution is - as soon as you start the car, The seat will resume its original position UNLESS you intervene and press the seat memory button that you have preset for the new driver. I just press the button as I'm closing the door.
........
Yes, I miss the key's identifying and setting the seat, but there are workarounds, above.
Yes, I miss the key's identifying and setting the seat, but there are workarounds, above.
re: Use the setting under Vehicle>Automatic seat adjustment>Easy entry/exit, and set it to "both" steering wheel and seat. I tried to do this, but for some reason the option for the seat adjustment is greyed out. The steering wheel moves though...
re: Use the setting under Vehicle>Automatic seat adjustment>Easy entry/exit, and set it to "both" steering wheel and seat. I tried to do this, but for some reason the option for the seat adjustment is greyed out. The steering wheel moves though...
Thank you for the recommendations and help!
Once you check the steering you will be able to also check the seat. However it doesn’t work forever; it loses the setting after a day or two or even less. It’s a known MBUX bug that will be fixed at some point.
Once you check the steering you will be able to also check the seat. However it doesn’t work forever; it loses the setting after a day or two or even less. It’s a known MBUX bug that will be fixed at some point.
I think mine has held for awhile now. However, there are still other MBUX issues.
Update on next track selection. I found a neat trick: just say "Next track" and the car will skip to the next track - no need to even say "Hey Mercedes" first. Cool.
That's what I was going to suggest you try. The hey mercedes is getting better and at times quite entertaining. For example: Hey mercedes, my butt is cold. "I'm turning on the drivers heated seat". Works with My passengers butt is cold too. Or hey mercedes, I'm hungry. And you will quickly get a list of the closest restaurants.
That's what I was going to suggest you try. The hey mercedes is getting better and at times quite entertaining. For example: Hey mercedes, my butt is cold. "I'm turning on the drivers heated seat". Works with My passengers butt is cold too. Or hey mercedes, I'm hungry. And you will quickly get a list of the closest restaurants.
In my internet research, the most entertaining Hey Mercedes command is "Hey Mercedes, activate ejection seat"
The driver's side door seat memory buttons rarely work, and when they do there is no rhyme or reason...I'm having the service department look into this. On a somewhat related note, when I enter the vehicle and select my profile the seat moves into position...but it does not consistently do so for my wife even though she has her seat memory position set and associated to her profile.
There is a buzzing noise coming from the right front side of the interior - dealer service is checking this out.
Per mikapen the Burmester system is considered the base, but I don't think this is true - it only comes with the Exclusive Trim or Pinnacle Trim (case in point: the service department gave me a GLE 350 loaner and it is a base model without the Burmester installed). But it is not the 3D HD option available on higher end models (the top of the line Burmester is apparently not even available on the GLE450) so in this sense it may be more comparable to the HK upgrade option in BMWs and should not be compared to the Bowers & Wilkins. I find the Burmester the better system vs the HK imo.
Ride on the Interstate at speeds of 75 - 83 mph is amazing - extremely quiet and comfortable.
The only way to even feel the massaging seats is to select the "intense" option, but it's fine. Better than not having it!
I am loving the headlights and their high beam throw - really impressive.
Sometimes when using CarPlay, the music begins in the car automatically, and sometimes it requires having to go and start the music manually even though the iPhone is on the playlist.
More to come on my impressions. I have about 500 miles on the car so far and am taking it really easy on the engine break in. But in comparison so far, the GLE 350 they gave me only has the 4 banger and you can definitely feel the difference
Last edited by RSinCO; Mar 12, 2026 at 07:40 PM.
Reason: Editing
If you browse this forum, you will see that the software is glitchy. The profiles don’t always work. I’ve had the display show one station while actually playing another station.
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