2021 Mercedes-Benz AMG GLE S Coupe AWD Fast Facts |
4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 with electric generator starter boost (gas engine 603 horsepower @ 5,750-6,500 rpm; generator up to 21 hp/184 lb-ft of torque; gas engine 627 lb-ft @ 2,500-4,500 rpm) Nine-speed automatic transmission, all-wheel drive 15 city / 19 highway / 17 combined (EPA Rating, MPG) 16.3 city / 12.8 highway / 14.7 combined. (NRCan Rating, L/100km) Base Price: $116,000 (U.S) / $135,300 (Canada) As Tested: $134,000 (U.S.) / $160,400 (Canada) Prices include $1,050 destination charge in the United States and N/A for freight, PDI, and A/C tax in Canada and, because of cross-border equipment differences, can’t be directly compared. |
I struggle a lot less when one is hopped up on the vehicular version of steroids.
Earlier this year, the local press fleet sent me a 2021 Mercedes-Benz AMG GLE 63 S Coupe – what a mouthful of a name – and I was a bit confounded by its reason to exist. There isn’t one, just like with the Durango Hellcat, I suppose. Yet, like with the Hellcat, its on-road behavior makes a convincing case.
It also proved surprisingly adept at helping a relative move, though its utility is limited by that same sloping roofline. But I digress.
The eye-popping numbers on offer from the 4.0-liter, twin-turbo V8 are, well, ridiculous. Yup, that’s 603 horsepower and 627 lb-ft of torque lurking. As you might imagine, passing and merging aren’t exactly chores.
We also have on hand a nine-speed automatic transmission that actually seems to work as advertised, and (mostly) without rough shifts.
One might worry that a relatively tall four-door “coupe” would suffer when it comes to handling, but while the GLE 63 exhibits some body roll, it’s mostly muted, and the AMG air suspension with adaptive damping bends the laws of physics a fair bit. If you want true sports-car handling, shop elsewhere, but if you want a luxury SUV that can keep you entertained whilst traversing the suburbs, the GLE 63 will work for you.
Unfortunately, even the AMG treatment doesn’t keep the steering from feeling more than a little artificial. I find myself writing that a lot these days, concerning vehicles across the price spectrum, because it is apparently difficult for automakers to make electronic steering systems feel natural. Even with a performance subbrand like AMG working on it. The good news is that the GLE 63 isn’t the worst offender, by far, and the steering being on the light side makes commuting a bit easier.
It’s fast in a straight line, it sounds cool, it can haul a bunch of moving boxes – what else is life with the GLE like? Well, I’d be remiss if I didn’t talk about the interior, which is a mixed bag. I like Mercedes’ digital cockpit in general – the gauges look cool and are easy to read. I’m less impressed by the steering-wheel controls – the learning curve is just a bit too steep. Yes, this is somewhat of a car-reviewer problem, since owners would eventually learn the controls, but it’s annoying nonetheless.
It’s not the small mouse-pad-like controllers on the wheel that gave me agita, they’re easy to use. It’s the constant menu diving and the fact that some basic controls don’t seem obvious at first glance. On the more positive side of the ledger, I liked the switch for the drive modes, which is mounted on the wheel and easy to see and manipulate quickly while reducing the amount of time your eyes are taken off the road.
I also appreciated the feel of the soft Dinamica material on my hands while driving.
What I didn’t appreciate, or rather had a tough time wrapping my noggin around, was the price. The base price – the MSRP needed just to get in the door, so to speak – is $116,000. Even accounting for all the AMG goodies – the twin-turbo V8, the AMG suspension, the electronic limited-slip differential, and the drive-mode system – the number pops the eyes.
You do get Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, keyless entry, the dual 12.3-inch screens for infotainment and gauges, navigation, Burmeister audio, satellite radio, ambient lighting, heated and cooled front seats, dual-zone automatic climate control, wireless charging, panoramic roof, attention assist, active-brake assist, blind-spot assist, LED lighting, and adaptive high-beam assist. Carbon-fiber trim cost $1,750 and the Nappa leather seats another $250, with those charges being wrapped into the base sticker.
Options included a $1,500 carbon-fiber engine cover, $400 for the performance steering wheel, $2,000 (!) for the 22-inch carbon-fiber wheels, and $1,950 for a driver-assistance package containing most of today’s common electronic safety-assistance features. For $1,050, the heated front seats got heated more rapidly and the armrests and door panels also heated up (that’s, uh, unnecessary?). Another $1,650 added massaging seats and $750 added a front splitter and other exterior appearance bits. $1,100 added more sound deadening and $4,550 (you read that right) added an even higher-end version of the Burmeister audio system.
With the $1,050 destination fee, the charge was $134,000. Yikes.
You also will pay at the pump, often, thanks to EPA-estimated numbers of 15 mpg city/19 mpg highway/17 mpg combined.
On the one hand, the high sticker price sort of makes sense – AMG’s signature doesn’t come cheap, and the AMG touch makes the GLE 63 a fun-to-drive ute that can be docile when driven gently. Not to mention there’s plenty of Mercedes’ luxury, and if one is judicious with the option box, one can keep the price close to base.
On the other hand, as well put together as the package is, the price seems hard to justify, even given the luxury features. On yet the other hand, neither luxury nor performance cars are usually a rational purchase. They’re toys and/or status symbols and/or rolling houses of pampering, and are priced as such.
That said, this Mercedes is a bit odd, thanks to its styling and “coupe” designation, and it’s also delightful.
Just make sure your checking account has more than a few zeroes behind it.
What’s New for 2021
The 2021 Mercedes-Benz AMG GLE 63 S Coupe (man I am tired of typing that) is redesigned, adding power and new technology features.
Who Should Buy It
The overpaid techno fetishist with a need for speed.
[Images © 2021 Tim Healey/TTAC]
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Somehow these seem to be the go to status symbol in my city, especially in the part of town where the average income is probably 1/4 the base price of this.
“As Tested: $134,000”
At that price a car has got to be more then “Delightfully Odd”
Oh, wait, Mercedes is offering 2.9% for 168 months? Well, lets talk
I actually have kind of a weakness for these fast, stout little German crossovers, but that’s just one of those things that aren’t ever going to happen
How much it will be in month?
I’m baffled why somebody would pick this with the sloped back end over a more squared off one. It looks awful and certainly less useful.
Yup. I get why someone would pick a GLE over an E-class, even at the cost of some driving enjoyment. I don’t get why anyone would choose the “coupe” form of the GLE. Not only is it less practical, but the look is “misshapen hunchback.”
Seems to be a backwards PLC.
Hellcat Aztek
Everyone bashed BMW when they dared offer a liftback/’coupe’/fastback crossover, calling it hideously ugly. Now they’re everywhere, and everyone has forgotten how much they hate them.
Not for me, especially at this price. I’d be intrigued by the one with two fewer cylinders and a usable roofline, although at this point in my life I really need a third row.
Grand Cherokee L 4xe coming at you.
If they do ever put the 4xe drivetrain in the L I’ll be pretty interested. My wife and I are both fans of the XC60 and XC90 Recharges.
“The eye-popping numbers on offer from the 4.0-liter, twin-turbo V8 are, well, ridiculous. Yup, that’s 603 horsepower and 627 lb-ft of torque lurking.”
Well that part is awesome but the rest of it is awful.
I still think these sporty crossovers with low roofs and tight suspension are a silly endeavor. And at this price point, the only people who can afford it are gonna set the suspension to max comfort and never use more than 1/4 throttle.
This design, once mocked by enthusiasts as resembling a computer mouse, is as common as hen’s teeth now.
Once mocked? Still mocked, and by a lot more than just “enthusiasts”.
These cars are quite common in California among the “look at me, I’m rich” group. They are usually seen in places like Newport Beach, Bel-Air and Beverly Hills, frequently driven by “ladies who lunch”. In 3 years, when the outrageous lease is up, they are returned to swap for another big business write off. When they are 6 years old they can be purchased for about $40K, so your payment, repair bills and gas bills are EACH about $700/month. They are most frequently driven in heavy traffic and rarely haul anything more than groceries.
“frequently driven by “ladies who lunch”
I hope they are vaccinated.
I bought a 2012 ML 63 AMG for 33K in 2019. It is loaded with options including the performance package that puts out 550 horsepower. It had 72K miles on it, was in flawless like new condition and maintained scrupulously by a LA intellectual property lawyer. The interior is Dakota brown leather with natural ash wood. I love it. So yeah 6-7 years is the target, if you can find a good one….
“What I didn’t appreciate, or rather had a tough time wrapping my noggin around, was the price.’
That goes back to the old saying, “If you ask the price, you can’t afford it.”
Ugly as sin. Perfect for the marque chasing bored housewife in Newport Beach or New Haven who’s husband can lease this thing and get her off his back for $950 / month. That interior makes me dizzy and ill. What happened to beauty and elegance? 2 years after the lease ends these things will be at the ubiquitous BHPH lots East Colfax in 2025. That’s in Denver for you east coast types.
$950/mo is light for a $134,000 car. I’m going with $1500.
All the beauty and elegance went into the S-class AMG. There’s a car I’d sell a kidney for.
A Model Y Performance is slightly quicker 0-60 and in the 1/4-mile, stops sooner, and costs half as much.
The extra $65k for the M-B badge must be worth it.
All I see is a dog crapping.
These seemed to be the default rich a-hole vehicle in Europe, which makes sense to me because in a sea of little MQBs this draws the attention that six figures ought to.
In our sea of three row everythings driving in the shadows of 7′ tall trucks yet another middling mommy mobile pretty well disappears no matter how brightly they paint the brake covers.
Make it two feet longer and they’d be on to something.
High on the “Odd” list must be the brutalist front end, presumably borrowed from the Mercedes truck division.
The steady deterioration of the front clip styling over the past two decades from the fine fluted grilles and floating tri-star to the crude industrial clunkiness offered today seems to be the visible sign of M-B’s choice to provide huge gobs of power in a thrusting, threatening package.
Very sad.
Is this vehicle even available? I thought M-B stopped shipping the AMG V8 to North America.
Delightfully odd and next level ugly.
Worth noting: you can get the same engine and chassis in the non-coupe GLE.
Personally, if I were in the market for a gonzo SUV, I’d skip all these ugly-a** Benzes and pick up a Durango SRT or Hellcat.
The reason we have to pay 6 figures for 603 horsepower and 627 lb. ft of torque, is that if you are going to rape the earth like that, you at least have to pay a high price of admission.