Mercedes-Benz GLE review

Board the GLE and you half expect to be asked to switch your phone to flight mode and if you’d like a hot towel. Two giant 12.3-inch screens (mounted flush atop the dashboard with no hooded binnacle above them) beam massive quantities of information at you. As set-ups go, this is actually one of Merc’s more restrained efforts.

There are so many combinations of dashboard instrument layout and theme to scroll through that there’s every chance you’ll set it up once then never dare tweak it again, for fear of losing everything. The graphics on the latest MBUX system are pin-sharp, mind.

What’s it all like to use?

It ought to get easier to use over time, as Mercedes says the infotainment will learn your preferences for radio stations, nav destinations, loved ones to call and so on, and suggest them earlier as it appreciates your habits. Don’t buy a GLE if you’re planning on having an affair. You’ll be happier in an X5, most likely.

Navigating it all isn’t as simple as we’d like: Mercedes long ago got rid of its clickwheel touchpad, and the steering wheel is awash with haptic buttons. If you manage to go an hour without sticking the speed limiter on by accident, you’ll be doing well. Prodding at the screen isn’t as bad as in some rivals because of its sheer size, but bracing your hand to accurately tap and swipe is a pain.

The flush menu shortcut buttons surrounding the touchpad take some learning too, and if you’ve got the air suspension, the settings all depend on rocker switches that are clustered together. Finding the right one first time is a lottery. They feel dense and high-quality though, which can be said for all the switchgear save the curiously cheap indicator and gear selector stalks (common on many Mercs, weirdly) and the chintzy climate controls (shiny cheap plasti-metal). Still, some tinny heater switches are miles less annoying than a troublesome HVAC touchscreen (take note Audi).

What are the non-techy bits like?

The seats, for example, are supremely comfortable. The dash materials are pleasing; even the wood. Really. The armrest storage cubby is generous, as is the glovebox and door bins. Make sure you’ve got your USB-C adaptors handy, as Mercedes got on the bandwagon of the downsized socket way before most manufacturers.

Is it spacious?

Rear seat room is huge, in any direction. In any model with seven seats, the rears fold and adjust electrically – not as painfully slowly as a Land Rover Discovery, but we still prefer the simple manual ease of a Hyundai Santa Fe’s fabulously foolproof seats.

The rearmost seats are fine for children but even for a short trip, you’d not want adults in there. Access is aided by enormous rear doors, and everyone has their own lights and charging sockets. The plug-in and AMG versions don’t get the seven-seat option.

Open the electronic tailgate and you’re greeted with a boot 630-litre boot: fold all the seats back and it becomes a 2,055-litre cave. Bear in mind that this falls to 490 and 1,915 litres respectively in the 400e, on account of those bulky battery cells. What, you thought electric range came with no compromises?