Karisoo81

Hello Everyone,

I currently own a W204 13 with about 75k miles on it, I bought it brand new. I have to say I have been blessed so far with no issues. This is my second w204 my first one was a lease 9 to 13 that one was flawless as well. We have a need for an SUV, that being said the W204 will stay as there is a need for a second car. I am hoping the good folks here can help me narrow down a used buy between a GLE350, Audi Q7 and BMW X5.

I learned early on that the key to owning a German engineered car and keeping the maintenance cost low and affordable is to find the right mechanic. I live in Northern Virginia and the dealers here are the biggest scam artist I have seen, so through research I found an independent MB repair shop (Silver star Motors) which only attends to MB’s (A MB Purest) the real kicker he is a 2 Miles from my home. Looking to hear from folks who have had good & bad experiences with the Audi Q7 & the BMW X5 the years I am looking to buy are about the same as the W166. I would greatly appreciate your insights.

SUV John

I have a '16 GLE350 4Matic (no air suspension) that we tow a 28 foot camper (Grey Wolf 23MK) with, which is why we bought it. My towing topic, https://mbworld.org/forums/gle-class...gle-350-a.html may have helpful information if you're planning to tow with yours. It's hard to find something with a 7200 lb. tow rating that gets anywhere near the mpg of the GLE350. I'd love more torque and horsepower along with air suspension, but that's another vehicle for another day. I'd go with a larger Infinity since Lexus doesn't have the greatest fuel economy with the larger SUVs and it's too bad the Lexus RX line doesn't have a high tow rating or I would stay with them.

Our '04 RX330 has only needed brakes, tires, and oil changes for 14 years we've owned it, and still no rust either- although the rims are getting rough. CPO is the way to go in my book and has been nice. After the 1st maintenance visit, I've done my own oil changes and a rear brake job which, after it's all said and done, was actually easier that any car I've done so far after getting through the electric parking brake procedure to set up the repair process.

My sister gave up on her BMW SUV as it got to be a problematic vehicle and maintenance intensive so I'd say just pick the options and color you like if you've had good luck with MB and it's fortunate you have a good mechanic to go to.

Karisoo81

John,

Thank you for your highly informative response & Insight.I really appreciate you taking the time out to respond. We love being outdoors and going on hiking trips so this is definitely a value added proposition with the GLE. I will reach out to you in the future for some more insights. Be safe and take care.

chassis

I owned a VW Touareg in the years you are considering, which is the same platform as the Q7. Solid, period. Great towing, good interior durability, and great mileage with the diesel although I recommend against the diesel because of the DEF/DPF/NOX/EGR problems which are well documented. I think VW as a company is in a good place as a manufacturer, relative to delivering quality vehicles that consumers enjoy. My son has a recent model Tiguan and it has been good. A former boss has a Q7 that he likes. The Porsche Cayenne owners on Rennlist seem generally happy with their vehicles. I don't make the same statement for Mercedes. I don't care for Audi styling/aesthetics, but that is a subjective opinion. VW dealers are what I would call "reasonable" to work with.

I now drive a 2017 GLE 350 4MATIC that I bought as a one year old loaner with 3k miles. It has been a good car. I have the spring suspension, P2 package and a copule of stand alone options. It's a pretty good vehicle. We are outdoors people and I use the roof rack several times per year to carry 2 adult bikes and I use the tow hitch to pull at 3,500lb boat several times per year. Power delivery and steering while towing or hauling are extremely good. Brakes are a bit wimpy when towing, but not unsafe. They just don't have the power/authority that the steering and powertrain do. With a 3,500 lb trailer I do not use a weight distributing hitch or an electric brake controller. With a heavier trailer, WD hitch and brake controller, I think towing performance would be very good. Fuel economy is so-so with the M276 3.5L naturally aspirated V6. It is likely the most reliable engine for MB in the last 10 years. Having said that, it is not immune from problems. Early models had timing chain tensioner problems, and all models seem to develop oil leaks with time, from the front engine covers/cam solenoid covers and the rear main crankshaft seal. It's a Mercedes, what do you expect? Oil leaks are a feature.

The MB dealer experience has been disappointing, this is a near universal view. MB and Daimler are staggering under the heavy burden of launching (very poorly) new models such as GLA, CLA , GLB, GLE and the W223 S-Class and developing EVs. I hope they don't fail the W223 S-Class launch as they have the V/X167 GLE/GLS launch. They have lost sight of their core models and are hollowing them out by reducing content and quality. Daimler is under attack from BMW, Lexus and the Koreans, and hasn't seemed to create brand credibility with Maybach to offer an escape path towards a more expensive and exclusive market.

My wife owns a BMW X3, while not in your comparison set I can say the BMW feels far more sporty and has been more reliable (no leaks) than the GLE. The BMW dealer experience has been reasonable, however we haven't required much support from them beyond oil changes, which is a positive in my view. BMWs have a different feeling, more direct, connected and mechanical. I like this. Mercedes can feel vague and wallowy, especially the GLE. The N55 inline 6 cylinder has been around for over 10 years, this is a good thing. The ZF 8HP transmission in my eyes is one of the best in the world. My wife's X3 has this transmission and it is really that good.

Here is a strong comparison set in my view, not taking into account price, but rather focusing on last-of-platform build years:

2017 Q7 gasoline
2019 GLE 350
2018 X5 xDrive 35i

These three are all end of platform models with recent technology (nav, entertainment, apple carplay), good reliability and performance and recent styling except the Q7 which is rather dated now.

Roni07

Our friends traded in their GLE350 for a Tesla X.
they sad the MB cost them $5K in maintenance, in the last 3 years, also spent $2K in gas ⛽️ per year
They said they love their Tesla, maintenance is about 10% the cost, compared to the GLE350 and never have to come near a gas station again.
i think there’s going to be a lot on electric vehicle Incentives soon. Gas prices are also going up.

BlownV8

If someone is spending $5k/year to maintain a GLE, they are getting absolutely ripped off or are driving 150k miles a year. Yeah, makes sense to save $5k a year to go out and buy a new car plus taxes at $85k plus the investment of a rapid charger at home. Again, can't imagine someone ever paying $5k/year to maintain a GLE350. I would bet that most GLE350 owners don't spend that in 100k miles with all maintenance and upkeep costs.

Roni07

- $5K in the last 3 years. Please open your eyes. Plus about $2K / year at the pump.
I agree with you, it is B.S.
my 2016 GLE has 70K miles and just had $2,800 warranty work done.
Last year, I had brakes and spark plugs/ filter done for $1,800. Mercedes is not known for quality or reliability, you are paying $75K for looks. That’s all.
Why do you think Lexus RX330 outsold ML350, 4:1?
coincidence? Don’t think so. Lexus is actually known for quality and reliability, that’s why people chose it, over MB. It’s not a conspiracy, it’s a fact.

No, you don’t need a rapid charger at home. My friends use 220V to charge their Tesla, overnight, it takes 8h to fully charge. Please educate yourself.

BlownV8

LOL, you are right about opening my eyes. With that said, $5k in three years is still hard to believe but is possible if dealer maintained with oil changes way more frequently than recommended, the most expensive tires, tranny fluid change, had airmatic, was not under warranty, etc, etc. $2,000 in fuel in a year is believable if they are driving 12k miles a year with mostly city driving but the Tesla will cost less than half that in charging cost. Owning an S/SL with ABC can certainly cost that and more or a dealer maintained Airmatic equipped vehicle that is out of warranty. Most GLE 350's don't have Airmatic and that's a primary cost driver when out of warranty. If my GL had shocks and springs, I'm not sure if I would have spent $5k in 250k miles. For sure and if true, your friend's GLE350 had a higher running cost than my GL63. So far, the two GLE350's I've had only needed fluids. Not sure if there is an MB that is cheaper to run than a GLE350?

Electric or fuel cell cars are the way of the future but I can't buy into Tesla because the range is not where I need it and I would hate to be stuck at a charging station when I could be driving. Not ready for prime time, at least to me, due to range. Now, if I was primarily city with relatively short drives, yes, it would make sense for me. Even so, I like the sound of a turbo/supercharged V8/V12 so not sure I could stand the Tesla. Then there is fit and finish issues but that's for another conversation.....

chassis

Taking this a bit further off track, but also consider the shrinking gas tank syndrome for EVs. Range declines with age. And range declines with ambient temperature. EVs are years away from being ready for prime time.