2021 Mercedes Benz GLE63 S

Price as tested: $133,000

Stats: 4.0 Liter Twin Turbo V8 // 603 HP // 627 ft/lbs

0-60: 3.7 Seconds

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Text/Photography/Video: Yousef Alvi

This is the 2021 Mercedes Benz GLE63 S.  This is also a vehicle that is filled with so many contradictions it makes my head hurt.  Let’s get this out of the way first.  If you want a vehicle that can fit your 4 members of your family and haul goods along with ass…this is it.  The performance figures boggles the mind.  0-60 in 3.7 seconds in a 5000+ pound SUV!  The GLE63 doesn’t just pummel anything on the road…it annihilates it...it vaporizes it.  The GLE63 is also filled to the brim with tech…all sorts of tech.  Star Trek level of tech!  But all of that is put together in nothing short of disappointing fashion.  So let’s go ahead and break it down.  

The Good:  That glorious M177 engine.  This engine can be found in everything from a lowly ole C Class to the gigantic GLS class…along with various Aston Martins…for good reason.  It is one of the best V8s in production today.  It’s everything you want a performance engine to be.  It’s smooth, quiet and efficient(ish) when you want it to be…but give it the boot and the power it delivers is explosive!  Making 603 horsepower and 627 ft/lbs torque in this variant, the M177 engine is just a work of mechanical art.  

On the handling and ride front…the GLE63 takes a page out of the Lexus playbook.  It’s velvety smooth in every drive mode.  Yes, even in Race Mode the GLE63 never feels nervous, stiffly sprung or annoying.  It just absorbs the road underneath it and delivers what a Mercedes is meant for…a sumptuous ride no matter what the occasion.  

Oh the tech!  The GLE is the USS Enterprise in vehicular form. It has everything but one thing that absolutely stole the show was this:

The Bad:  The 9 speed transmission is brilliant…but it’s brilliant if you haven’t driven a 8HP ZF equipped vehicle.  The 9G-Tronic in this GLE63 always feels just a literal breathe behind in what the ZF offers in every category.  Whether it be downshifting, upshifting or even around town just missing that crispness the ZF delivers. If this was a standard GLE450…then it would be okay.  I wouldn’t even mention it.  But on an AMG…it stands out.

The Ugly:  This is what kills me about this car.  Our tester stickers for $133,000!  For that amount of money…you would assume nothing short of excellence in build quality.  Unfortunately that is not the case at all. Before I get there…let me explain one thing.

Now here we go: Here are some glaring examples I can’t get over:  

• The center arm rest squeaks incessantly (check video)

• The stitching on the dashboard is uneven

• The leather on the dashboard looks uneven

• The rear doors REFUSE to stay open on an incline (also check video)

• The power window controls feel hollow and honestly a bit cheap

At this price point…I’m sorry…it’s unacceptable.  

The uhh overall?  It’s frankly a bit infuriating. The gearhead in me LOVES this car.  The power, the noise and the handling is exceptional.  The GLE63 also oozes soul and character.  Every drive is a celebration of the automobile and bloody hell it’s practical.  There is space for everyone and everything in your life! BUT then the squeeks, flimsy controls and the various other quality issues…just breaks your heart.