whoisthis

i'm torn between getting a 2019-2020 s450 or 2020-2021 GLE450.
I own only one car and live in a townhouse with no garage(just a roof over the car)
ive driven my cadillac ATS for 2 years in michigan and the front end is messed up from rock chips, asphalt from "fixing" the pot holes , construction, and all kinds of stuff. Michigan life i guess.
Would it be a bad move to ever buy a S class for the only car? Will PPF film be strong enough to withhold against rock chips?
I would install PPF myself. Clear film won't show much imperfection from my unskilled installation.

i want to know if there are people in michigan driving a S class daily throughout the year

SW20S

You do not want to install the PPF yourself lol. Its a pro only thing, and it absolutely will show a bad installation.

I daily mine, it has PPF and the paint is fine. Its a car thats made to be driven, drive it and enjoy it!

whoisthis

do you live in michigan?
i go to different areas in michigan and it really dents your rims from potholes and bad construction.

SW20S

No, but even so...plenty of people in Michigan drive S Classes. Just dont get 20" wheels...

jayagopal50

Yes driving 2015 S Class since 2014 in Michigan after pick up from Sttugart.127K miles.

chassis

Tons of S-Classes in SE Michigan. Hard to say but some of them must be parked outside all the time.

will_atl

To answer your question of S Class vs GLE, for context I have a 2019 S450, and my wife had a 2020 GLE350, she now has a 2022 GLS450. The two are totally different vehicles, and you really need to decide which one you want, a mid-size SUV or a full-size sedan. With the GLE, you are going in the right direction with the 450, my wife always complained the 350 didn't have enough power for her.

Things that you will likely get in the S Class, that you will have to search/hunt for in the GLE, although I suspect most GLE450s are probably well spec'ed.

• Driver Assistance Package (Most of the S Class vehicles that I looked at had it)
• Leather Seats - MB Tex is good, but I like knowing that I have leather!
• Air Suspension
• Multi-contour/Massaging seats (I think that this will get you leather in the GLE)
• Don't get 20" wheels on an S Class in MI, they ride harder than I would like (with RF tires) in GA, and our roads are smoother!
• Heated/Ventilated Seats
• Automatic/Adaptive Headlights
• Surround View Camera
• Soft Close Doors

The GLE has more luggage space than the S Class, tires will have more sidewall, but you really need to drive them to decide which one works best for you. Oh, try out an S560 too, I had to make a smart financial decision to get the 450 rather than the 560!

When we got the GLS, the only thing that it didn't have, on my wishlist, was the Massaging seats (supposedly due to the chip shortage). My sales guy told me that the dynamic/active seat hugs is only available in sedans and coupes, so isn't an option in the SUVs.

js_cls

I recommend to try an E-Class sedan as well while OP's at it, a GLE and S-Class aren't really the same class of car so if you're gonna look at cars below the S, the E is also a great cruiser with many features that's worthy of consideration.

whoisthis

i tried hard to like the new E450 but i really dislike the front headlights and proportions.
@will_atl @jayagopal50 do you guys daily S class or have another car as well?
i lived in Michigan for many years and i don't think i have ever seen a single S class in winter. I see quite a lot of them in other seasons though.
2019 s450 and 2020-2021 GLE450 cost pretty close. This makes me lean toward S450 but then S450 losing 40% of it's value in 3 years.. lol

SW20S

Thats just reality with big luxury sedans.

The S450 is the better car in general, unless you need or want the attributes of an SUV. The GLE is nice, in fact I would consider a high spec one (GLE580) as a replacement for my S Class, but with the understanding its not the same caliber.

will_atl

Yep my S Class is my daily, I WFH, but run the kids around in I, to and from sports and school In the past I had Jeeps and a Cayenne that I used for those tasks, but I went down to one car, as I WFH and don't actually go anywhere, two cars seems excessive!
My wife has the GLS which she daily drives as well, I can honestly say that the GLS feels much nicer that the GLE, I know in theory they are much the same, but its all the things I listed above that it has that the GLE didn't have.

SW20S

But you can option a GLE to have almost all of that.

will_atl

Indeed you can, and tbh when I built one on mbusa it actually came out a little cheaper than the GLS. But the GLS was available on a suitable timeline when the wife wanted a new car! We have the 6 seat configuration, with captains chairs in the 2nd row and a usable (by teenagers) back row, and with the back row down, there is loads of luggage space. I also think that from a resale perspective, if/when the time comes, the GLS will do better, I am not sure that how much one would get back on a fully loaded/optioned GLE, where as these were fairly standard offerings on the GLS.
One other thing for @whoisthis , in the 2020 GLE you get a touch screen, but a 2019 S, you don't!

SW20S

Oh no question if it were a family car I would want the GLS. To drive around for just me everyday though, unless the GLS drove or rode substantially better theres no reason for me to get the GLS over the GLE. GLE can be had with a third row that can be used in a pinch. 9.5/10 its just me in the car.

will_atl

I wasn't able to compare apples to apples, as we went from a GLE350 on springs, to a GLS450 on air suspension, but IMO, the GLS does indeed ride so much better than the GLE. I would be interested to see how much difference the longer wheelbase of the GLS makes if you were to compare a 450 on air for both.

SW20S

GOTTA have air suspension agreed, I would only consider a GLE with air suspension.

How does your GLS ride compared to your S Class?