Greetings,

New to the forum and the Mercedes brand in general. Shopping for my first Benz and I'm finding myself quickly getting overwhelmed with information: seems like there's an awful lot to learn before making a purchase.

For the record, I've never bought a used car before; I've owned 3 cars in my life and they were all purchased new (a VW and two Subarus). Regardless of the model I plan on buying a CPO vehicle and would be willing to shop out of state for the right car (I'm in Oregon).

The reason for creating this thread is to educate myself more about what I should be looking for. For example, today I learned:
1) that the Lighting Package is a must have (and having owned cars with and without Xenon lamps I agree)
2) that the Lighting Package appears to be difficult to find on many used GLEs that I've seen
3) that KEYLESS GO doesn't always appear to imply push button start (I'm not sure what package that falls under actually)
4) I haven't been able to find anything with Distronic thus far (or at least not in the price range I've been shopping)

A few questions for the group:
1) aside from the Lighting Package, are there any features that I'd be foolish to not get? Right now I'm seeking models with at least premium package 1 and blind spot/lane tracking on top of lighting.
2) are there any significant differences between the GLE and ML? Most reviews I've read mention minor aesthetic changes and more built-in safety features.
3) are there many known problems with the 2016 GLE since it's a notorious "first year redesign" model? I noticed Consumer Reports gave it a low reliability rating but the details associated with it are so terse that I can't parse why.

Any other advice you'd have on choice of model, what to look for, or general CPO buying advice is appreciated!

You have a good grasp of what the needed options are. Unfortunately, so many GLE's and ML's come off lease or use as loaners. My local MB dealer has 10 GLE's on the lot, many of which were loaners. You can tell that by the fact that the Carfax shows the cars were either auctioned by MB or owned by the local dealer to begin with. That's why so few are well-equipped. I searched for 2 weeks to find my wife's loaded '14 ML350 2 wheel drive. Had an MSRP over $68k without the $2,500 cost of 4 matic. I jumped on it and bought it for what I consider a great price. One trick to accelerate the search is to try listingallcars.com. You can search for certified and after putting in the normal parameters, you can scroll down to the keyword search. That may help you identify cars with different packages, and then you can go on the dealer site to look more closely. I assume you've been on the MB CPO site. You can sort by price which will hopefully put the most well-equipped at the top. Just remember, he who hesitates is lost. Good luck! BTW I also bought a "stripper" '14 GL450 CPO from the local dealer. No Bi-xenon, no Harman Kardon, no hitch, no a/c seats, but it has 3 row a/c with pop-out rear windows, Parktronic with 360 camera and almond interior and Cinnabar Red for the color. Loving it.

Thanks a bunch for that info and the suggestion of the other website, I'll have to check it out!

I'd stick with the 7 speed if you do lot of city driving

the GLE 9 speed is great on highway but too many gears for city IMHO, Think reliability is good.

the GLE screen is great, but the mouse sucks.

The GLE Led headlights are awesome compared to ML HID, but the ML350 with HID you have some upgrade options in DS1 to take it up a notch.

FULL Led tail lights on GLE

Start/Stop...hate it.
Get real leather if you can.
Cupholder heat/cooling - never use it
Seat massage - nice but not deciding factor
Soft Close doors - like it!
Contouring Seats - Nice to have
Hitch - Must have, don't even think about aftermarket on MB
IPD - Nice safety addon, use it all the time.
Keyless Go - Must have..I think

I'd seriously consider a 2015 ML Bluetec low miles if you can with as many options/extended warranty. stay away from 25K miles+ Bluetec without maintenance history.

better yet check out the GLE63S...

I was debating the exact same thing and ended up going with the 2016 GLE. I liked the updated technology, the redesign of the front grill, and the slightly lower profile of the GLE. I also read that some of the current mbrace features will only work with models from 2016 and up.

I had GLE as a loaner for a few days, liked a car but not much different as mine ML BT.

I think you have a right list, only one addition to it :
I think Karman sound is the must, for me.

I know Airmatic has a lot of know issues, I would stay away form it.

Top 5 features I'd say:
1) HK7 if your an audiophile, this is a Must, the 800+ watts of power/bass will make for a great ride
2) Lighting package, either ML or GLE, great distance, great results, cant go wrong
3)Keyless GO (no consistently taking out, putting back keys)
Other features that i would say
4)Trailer Hitch (if you need to tow)
5) Up for debate: BSA (good to have but doesnt replace safe driving). Parktronic (Good for parking in tight spaces between cars). 360 SVC (good for maneuvering tight, small spaces)


Other features that are good but not necessary
1)Ambient lighting (optional for ML, P2 package for GLE)
2)Heated/Cooled cups
3)Panoramic roof (if your passengers want to look up haha)
4)Illuminated Star/running boards.. Good for nightime
5)Heated/Ventilated seats (if you wanna freeze your butt)
6)Airmatic package (I wouldnt advise, my mom has an old W220 (03 s430) and the front has lowered itself