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      06-02-2021, 01:06 PM   #1
bceye
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GLE vs X5

I am conflicted between getting a X5 45e or GLE 450 for a family car. The benefits of each I see so far:

GLE 450:
- Beautiful interior
- More quiet while driving
- Smooth (in a serene way) drive

BMW x45e:
- PHEV

I am sure some members of this forum must have gone through the same comparison between BMW and MB. There are probably other considerations that I haven't thought of. Ignoring the pricing, could you please comment why you decided to go with one or the other?
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      06-02-2021, 01:23 PM   #2
todd92
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X5

Better handling
6 cylinder standard, less costly
i7 best infotainment system

GLE

Roomier back seat
Infuriating infotainment system
Secure, but always feels lethargic
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      06-02-2021, 01:24 PM   #3
FastMarkA
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You're on a BMW forum, so be prepared for pro-BMW opinions.

Here's what I'd say:

1) It's apples/oranges to compare the 45e to the GLE450; comparing the 40i is truly fair, especially when the smooth/serene aspect is something you value (although having had a 40i and 45e, I can't really say the 45e isn't smooth...it is).

2) I personally find the exterior and interior of the X5 to be more appealing than the GLE, but that's incredibly subjective and personal opinion.

3) I think this might change for MY22, but when I shopped, the GLE *still* didn't have wireless CarPlay. Having had two BMWs where it connected to Bluetooth, I'd go crazy having to plug in my phone each time I used the car.

4) I personally hate MBUX with its swipe-pads all over the steering wheel and console to control the treasure trove of meaningless menus. I'd consider myself tech-savvy being one of the world's oldest Millennials, and even I get thrown off by that system.

5) On the subjective front again, the gear shift. Call me old school, but I really hate putting a car in "R" or "D" using a steering wheel stalk. Or more importantly, when I want to bump into a sport mode or manually shift gears, it just isn't as natural to me as a console shift.

Finally, the PHEV is awesome. I've only had mine for a week and already I like it more than the 40i, which was a great car. With 115 miles on the odometer, I'm still at a 100% full tank from the dealer.
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      06-02-2021, 06:11 PM   #4
Protocol_10
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You really need to drive both.

I sell BMW's for a living, and I still did some heavy cross-shopping mainly between the X5 and GLE. I also considered the Audi Q8 and the Porsche Cayenne, but the Q8 has no physical buttons & is all piano black (which drives me insane), and the Porsche costs a literal fortune while offering mediocre tech & stiff ride.

After weeks of deliberating, the X5 won me over. Here was my reasoning:

X5

-More fun to drive, handles better. The GLE almost felt sluggish, and it FEELS like a large chunky SUV.

-More user-friendly infotainment. The GLE interior looks slightly more modern with the single-pane glass design, but the glare is awful & it doesn't make good use of CarPlay (which is almost a dealbreaker for me). BMW's integration of CarPlay and Android Auto are not only superb, but also WIRELESS.

-The X5 has a more "aggressive, badass" look to it, especially with the M sport package. It has bolder exterior bodylines, which don't really exist on the GLE. The GLE is more rounded, and almost "fat" looking. Someone told me that the GLE's back end looks like it's wearing a diaper, and I can't unsee it. The GLE also looks more like a typical family SUV, unless you opt for the AMG exterior package/AMG engine upgrade.

-Feature for feature, the X5 gives you more for the money.

-The X5 M50i... 523 HP, Twin Turbo V8, just over 80k to start. If you want the V8 in a GLE, prepare to pay 113k to start.

Overall, the MB offers more interior space, a more "luxurious" look, slightly more comfortable ride (although the X5 is plenty comfortable), and arguably better ambient lighting. The BMW is more fun to drive, is more cost effective, arguably better looking, and more tech friendly. I just didn't feel "excited" to get into the GLE. I literally count the seconds until I can get back into my X5.

This is my personal opinion only, and should be treated as such. Drive them both for yourself!
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      06-02-2021, 07:47 PM   #5
iceRN09
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Mercedez feels too schizophrenic in terms of design and gimmicky specially the dash.. i prefer the BMW dash coz it will age better and it looks good
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      06-02-2021, 08:48 PM   #6
FastMarkA
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jtrock97 View Post
If you want the V8 in a GLE, prepare to pay 113k to start.
Another good point.

While it's no "Porsche-tick-every-box-you-want-including-the-steering wheel," I sure feel like when I build a Benz I have to do a lot more clicks to get it comparably equipped to the BMW.

And with each click, as we all know, retirement gets kicked down the road a little further.
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      06-02-2021, 10:30 PM   #7
DennisNYC
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Just last Thursday I was test-driving X5 40i vs GLE 350 vs Cayene base. (In fact, I wanted GLE 450, but they just did not have it available.)

So. Decided on X5 (why not Caynne - totally different and long topic) for the 3 following reasons:
-- Their current control panels, a-la two iPads on a tractor, is a hard "no". Does not feel like a car.
-- Gear selector on a wheel is the second "no". I guess I'm old school, so I need it under my right arm.
-- Very minor, but still. MB's auto start/stop is too "loud", "contrasting", compared to other cars. Did not find it comfortable.

Otherwise, in my particular case, with my habits, etc. MB won(!) in terms of driving feel. Very very smooth and I was able to drive it very accurately. I saw multiple forum threads and magazine reviews mentioning that Mercedes is "floating", "like a boat", "makes me nauseous", etc., while X5 and especially Cayenne have "great handling", etc... You know what? Totally not my experience! (I should mention, I was looking for a family car. If I wanted to race, I would be looking for something more appropriate.) So I was test-driving it in NYC for about 40 minutes, quick ride from 51st to 96 on Hudson Hwy, and then 20+min going down from 96th St to 52th. Traffic... lots of intersections, start-stops, pedestrians jumping out of nowhere, bicyclists and trucks trying to cut me... all that, however, I felt great! I actually _liked_ the ride. And the car itself was quite roomy, high-quality interior elements, buttons, etc. I liked the rear view mirror a lot, etc. etc.

So, it was interior that ruined everything for me, otherwise I'd take it over X5 and base Cayenne.
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      06-03-2021, 04:49 AM   #8
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Before buying X5 I had 3 main options and one just for "maybe" (diesel´s):
RRS - 225kw
GLE - 200kw
X5 - 195kw
and the last "maybe" option VW Touareg 210kw

To be honest, I did not test drive only the MB, because when I wanted to test then car was not ready and after many other testing I already chose X5

I really liked look of the RRS, but two factor´s made me think otherwise. First, it is heavy car and dynamics are not as good as with X5, secondly, infotainment is lagging and definitely step back from X5!
And price wise it was the most expensive car...with all my options that I wanted.

MB - because not test driving, I can´t say anything about driving dynamics and how it feels. Only checked inside and that I liked, especially customizable instrument cluster and ambient lighting! Overall interior looked well put together and premium! Outside was also OK, only with AMG trim line, not the base line!!!

VW - cheapest of them all and that showed inside of the car. Too much hard plastic everywhere
Driving was actually OK in sport settings with air suspension but still not the same level with X5.
What I really liked was optional Innovision Cockpit, huge center screen and customizable instrument cluster!

Finally X5 - just for the looks, RRS (R-dynamic) and X5 (M sport) are both nice to my eyes
Driving with 22" wheels and air suspension is totally fine, very welcome option is also integral active steering (helps a lot for parking in tight spaces)! In the city I use Comfort and highway´s always in Sport individual where i have steering in comfort and other setting in sport, IMO feel´s the best!
Inside quality is top notch (i have extended Merino leather), what is little bit sad is that BMW instrument cluster is not that functional as with MB and VW! One the plus side, iDrive is very intuitive and user friendly and not to forget wireless Carplay
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