Mercedes-Benz GLE

The new GLE is very quiet and impeccably finished inside, and has firm, supportive seats. The uplevel GLE450 has a powerful 3.0-liter turbo six-cylinder engine that returned 20 mpg overall in our tests. The standard engine is a 255-hp, 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder. The GLE rides comfortably, but its handling is rather dull. It comes with a new infotainment system with a wide display that houses the instrument panel and the center screen for the audio, phone, and navigation systems. These, along with some comfort settings, can be changed through the touch screen, touchpad, or steering-wheel, touch-sensitive controls. We found the system to be extremely distracting to use, even with the ability to use voice commands. Forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking are standard. A 4.0-liter V8 turbo engine that generates 603-hp in the GLE 63 S is new for 2021. Updates for 2022 include standard adaptive high-beam assist.

Renamed from the M-Class, the GLE is a capable and luxurious midsized SUV. The GLE350 comes with a 3.5-liter, 302-hp V6 that delivers smooth and powerful acceleration with 18 mpg overall and generous towing limits. A four-cylinder turbodiesel and a plug-in hybrid are also available. Supple and composed, the GLE rides well and is quiet inside. Steering response is quick but comes up short on feedback and precision. Emergency handling reaches its limits at modest speeds, reducing confidence. First-rate interior finish and well-padded seats are interior highlights, but the infotainment system is complex. Forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking is standard.