2019 Mercedes-Benz GLE

MY2019 is the final year of the W166 generation; the US lineup started with the GLE 400 4MATIC biturbo V6, which is strong output for the class. AMG 43 and 63/63 S trims sat above it.

354 lb-ft from 3,500 rpm is a healthy figure for a mid-size luxury SUV.

A sub-6-second run is quick for a non-AMG mid-size luxury SUV.

The biturbo V6 delivers broad, smooth midrange with little lag, though by 2019 it trailed newer rivals' mild-hybrid sixes in refinement. Its auto start-stop is somewhat abrupt on restart.

The 9G-Tronic 9-speed shifts smoothly and quietly in normal driving but can be slow to kick down several gears for a pass.

A 7,200-lb rating is near the top of the mid-size luxury SUV class.

Every 2019 US GLE has 4MATIC AWD as standard, with DYNAMIC SELECT drive modes including off-road modes. The optional off-road package added a low-range transfer case.

With optional AIRMATIC ride-height adjustment and an available low-range package, the GLE handles light trails. It has no dedicated off-road trim or locking differentials.

MY2019 offered three engine choices: the V6, the AMG 43's tuned V6 and the AMG 63's twin-turbo V8. The GLE 550e plug-in hybrid had been dropped, so no electrified option was available.

This is the EPA combined figure for the volume V6 4MATIC trim, below average for a gas mid-size luxury SUV.

This is the EPA city rating for the GLE 400 4MATIC.

This is the EPA highway rating for the GLE 400 4MATIC.

EPA publishes no range for gas vehicles, so this is EPA combined MPG times the W166's 24.6-gallon (93 L) tank. KBB lists 26.4 gal, which looks like a digit transposition.

This is EPA's current annual fuel-cost estimate for the GLE 400 4MATIC, driven up by 20 MPG combined and the premium-fuel requirement.

EPA lists premium gasoline for every 2019 GLE powertrain, which raises running costs over regular-fuel rivals.

NHTSA never crash-tested the W166 GLE in frontal or side tests, so the 2019 model has no overall star rating. It was rated only for rollover, where it earned 4 stars.

The 2019 GLE earned an IIHS 2019 Top Safety Pick+ and rates Good in every crashworthiness test, including both small-overlap tests. The award applies only to vehicles with the optional front crash prevention and the specific headlights, so it sits below the top of the band.

The standard suite is only a basic low-speed Active Brake Assist plus Attention Assist. Blind-spot monitoring, lane departure warning/prevention and DISTRONIC adaptive cruise are all optional extras, which is a thin standard suite for a luxury SUV in 2019.

The optional system rates Superior in IIHS vehicle-to-vehicle tests, avoiding the 12 mph collision and cutting the 25 mph impact by 24 mph. The standard system does not meet IIHS forward collision warning requirements and its autobrake was not tested. No pedestrian rating exists for this generation.

Blind Spot Assist is optional rather than standard. Active (braking) blind-spot intervention and cross-traffic braking come only with the optional driver-assistance packages.

With the optional package, DISTRONIC PLUS with Steering Assist provides hands-on lane centering and Active Lane Keeping Assist corrects drift. It is an older-generation system that is less polished than the 2020 redesign's Active Steering Assist, and base cars have no lane departure warning at all.

DISTRONIC PLUS is a full-speed-range adaptive cruise with stop-and-go that reviewers rated well for smoothness. It loses points for being an extra-cost option on a luxury SUV and for lacking the route-based speed adaptation of the 2020 redesign.

The 2019 GLE has no hands-free highway mode, because Steering Assist requires hands on the wheel. Cadillac's Super Cruise was already offering hands-free driving at the time.

IIHS rates two headlight variations Good and Poor. The Good rating goes only to the curve-adaptive LED projectors with high-beam assist on Premium 2/Premium 3 package cars, and the other configuration rates Poor.

The upright greenhouse gives good forward and side sightlines, but the thick D-pillars limit the rear-quarter view. A rearview camera is standard, and parking sensors and the 360° camera are available in option packages.

IIHS rates the LATCH hardware Good for ease of use, with two full LATCH positions plus a tether-equipped center seat. The wide rear doors and roomy second row make two child seats easy to fit.

The 2019 GLE (final W166 year) is a strict two-row five-seater; the seven-seat option arrived with the 2020 W167.

Published figures vary by source and roof; roughly 39–40 in, mid-band for an SUV.

Front legroom is on the short side for a mid-size SUV.

Generous second-row headroom for the class.

Adult-friendly second-row legroom, competitive with X5/Q7 second rows.

No third row was offered on the 2019 W166 GLE, so it cannot carry more than five; rivals like the Q7, XC90 and X5 offered seven seats.

Good everyday cargo space for a two-row luxury SUV.

Large maximum cargo hold for the class.

Usable center-console bin, door pockets and a 40/20/40 split-folding rear seat with a nearly flat floor; nothing innovative, and the column-mounted shifter frees up console space.

Supportive, widely adjustable power front seats and a roomy rear bench; multicontour/massage seats were optional, but the base seats are more firm than plush.

Composed, comfortable highway ride, especially with optional AIRMATIC; the steel-spring base car on large wheels gets busier over broken pavement.

Hushed at highway speed with well-isolated V6; slightly more wind and tire noise than the newest rivals.

Dual-zone climate standard, but heated seats, heated steering wheel and ventilated seats were package options on a car costing over $55k.

For 2019, the last year of the W166 generation, the US lineup started at the GLE 400 4MATIC. That is a mid-pack entry price for a mid-size luxury SUV.

The GLE 400 4MATIC was the volume seller. Mercedes builds most dealer stock with premium, technology and driver-assistance packages, so a typical example costs about $7k over base.

German luxury service costs are above class norms. The aging W166 with a twin-turbo V6 adds repair exposure in years 5+ once the 4-year warranty runs out.

German luxury SUVs depreciate steeply. The 2019 model also lost value faster because the fully redesigned W167 2020 GLE arrived the following year.

Mercedes-Benz USA's standard new-vehicle limited warranty is 4 years/50,000 miles, typical of German luxury brands.

Mercedes gives the powertrain no longer coverage than the basic warranty. Lexus, Genesis, Acura and Infiniti rivals offer 6–10 years.

There is no complimentary scheduled maintenance; prepaid maintenance plans are a paid option. Perks are 24-hour roadside assistance for the warranty term and a mbrace connected-services trial. BMW, Volvo and Genesis rivals include free maintenance.

$63,000 volume-trim price minus its estimated resale value after 5 years (44% retained, or about $27,720) leaves about $35,280 in depreciation. Add the projected $6,800 in 5-year maintenance and repairs, and owning this vehicle for 5 years costs about $42,080 in total.

MY2019 is the run-out year of the W166 GLE, introduced in 2012 and facelifted as the GLE for 2016, so it is a mature, debugged build. Consumer Reports rates the 2019 GLE as more reliable than other vehicles from the same model year. Owner surveys are also strong, but air-suspension complaints keep it out of the top band.

Mercedes-Benz sits mid-pack to lower-mid in J.D. Power VDS and Consumer Reports brand rankings. It ranks ahead of Land Rover and Jaguar but well behind Lexus and generally behind BMW.

MY2019 GLE has six NHTSA campaigns, four of which reach the volume GLE 400. Three are fleet-wide eCall/communication-module software fixes. The one substantive campaign covers water collecting in the spare-wheel well and damaging the fuel-pump control unit, which can stall the engine; it spans the whole W166. There are no airbag, structural or weld campaigns like those on the W167 launch year.

The GLE 400 4MATIC's M276 3.0L biturbo V6 and 9G-Tronic automatic had been in wide Mercedes use for years by 2019 and have no systemic failure pattern. Known weak points are peripheral: the fuel-pump control unit recall and occasional cooling and oil-leak issues as mileage builds. The Airmatic air suspension (optional) is the most-cited owner failure.

The materials are high quality, with real wood and aluminum trim and soft-touch surfaces. But the 2012-era design was dated by 2019 against the new X5, Q7 and Q8, and reviewers noted its older infotainment screen and button-heavy console.

As the last year of a long-running generation built at Tuscaloosa, assembly was mature, and MY2019 has no build-quality recalls. Owner complaints are scattered: trim rattles, battery drain and infotainment quirks.

Mercedes-Benz has one of the densest luxury dealer networks in the US, about 380 dealers, with mature service operations. Its J.D. Power service satisfaction is competitive within the luxury segment.

The W166 platform's long run means parts are plentiful, and the independent and aftermarket support (including air-suspension struts and compressors) is broad. Labor and repair costs are still among the industry's highest, and a 2019 is well past its 4-year/50,000-mile warranty.

A fixed 8-inch high-resolution display that you control with the rotary knob and touchpad rather than by touch; small and dated next to 2019 rivals.

The older COMAND interface has layered menus and redundant knob/touchpad inputs that reviewers found confusing; it is responsive enough but clearly a generation behind MBUX in the 2019 A-Class/2020 GLE.

Wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto only, and on US cars it was an optional Smartphone Integration package rather than standard; no wireless projection.

COMAND navigation with Linguatronic command-style voice control works but is not natural-language; navigation was bundled in an option package.

Adequate base audio with optional harman/kardon Logic7 surround and a Bang & Olufsen system on upper configurations.

Analog dials flanking a small central color multifunction display; no full-digital cluster was offered on the W166, while rivals were adopting virtual cockpits.

No meaningful over-the-air vehicle updates; map updates were delivered via dealer/download under the package, not whole-vehicle OTA.

mbrace / Mercedes me Connect offered remote lock/unlock, vehicle locate and remote start on equipped cars; these were subscription-gated after the trial period and had no digital key.

USB-A ports and 12V outlets only, with no USB-C; wireless charging was limited and optional.

Push-button start and a power liftgate are standard; KEYLESS-GO proximity entry and the hands-free liftgate came in packages. Remote start comes via mbrace, and there is no phone-as-key.

A rear camera is standard. Parktronic with Active Parking Assist and the Surround View camera were optional.

The W166 GLE SUV did not offer a head-up display in the US, while the BMW X5 and others did; the HUD returned with the W167.

Wide rear doors, good second-row room and LATCH rated Good make daily child-seat duty easy; there is no third row for carpooling, and the high load floor is a minor penalty.

It is an IIHS Top Safety Pick+, but only with optional front crash prevention and specific headlights, and NHTSA never crash-rated it. Blind-spot and lane assists cost extra on the GLE 400.

A quiet, comfortable highway cruiser with an adult-size rear seat and 38 cu ft of cargo space with all seats in use; rear climate and charging are thin, and USB-C is absent.

Smooth, torquey V6 and a cushy ride make for low-fatigue commuting; the auto stop/start can feel abrupt and the column shifter takes adjustment.

Running costs per mile are high: 17 MPG city on premium fuel, and the EPA estimates about $4,050 a year.

A 38.7-ft turning circle and a broad body make tight garages work; the surround camera and parking assist that would help were optional.

A 7,200-lb tow rating is strong for a luxury crossover and suits boats or campers; otherwise it is a luxury SUV with a carpeted cargo hold.

A luxury-oriented build with optional air suspension and costly repairs; it is not a fleet or work vehicle.

There are cargo tie-downs, roof rails and an available hitch, but no onboard AC power or work-focused upfit ecosystem.

A quiet, composed highway ride and close to 500 miles of range make it a strong mile-eater. Its DISTRONIC PLUS steering assist is optional and older-generation.

Standard 4MATIC, a 7,200-lb tow rating and optional AIRMATIC ride height handle snow, gravel and trailers well; there is no low range and little off-road hardware in US spec.

An 80.3-cu-ft max hold, a 40/20/40 split rear seat, roof rails and an available hitch handle bulky gear well; five-seat capacity limits mixed people-plus-gear loads.

Secure and stable but tuned for comfort, with noticeable body roll; it trails the BMW X5 and Porsche Cayenne for agility. The AMG GLE 43 is the sharper variant.

The steering is accurate and well-weighted at speed but numb, with little road feel. This is typical Mercedes tuning for the era.

Stops are strong and consistent with a progressive pedal for a 4,800-lb SUV; instrumented distances are mid-pack for the class.

The twin-turbo V6 delivers smooth, strong torque, and the 9-speed shifts smoothly; downshifts can hesitate, and the stop/start restart is noticeable.

The V6 is well isolated and only lightly audible under load, without being especially characterful.

The turning circle is about average for a mid-size SUV.

A commanding, highly adjustable seating position with good sightlines; the column shifter, button-dense center stack and dual knob/touchpad controls take learning.

The GLE 400 is pleasant and quick but unengaging. The AMG GLE 43/63 add genuine character, but they are not the volume trim.

The 2019 GLE 400 4MATIC came with a 329-hp twin-turbo V6, 4MATIC, power liftgate and MB-Tex upholstery. Navigation, adaptive cruise, blind-spot and most driver aids cost extra in packages, so it is sparser than Genesis or Lincoln rivals.

Entry pricing was competitive, and the V6 gives strong performance for the money. But option-package pricing and the dated W166 interior and tech make content-per-dollar only fair against fresher rivals.

The range went from GLE 400 4MATIC through AMG GLE 43 to AMG GLE 63 and 63 S, plus GLE Coupé body variants, with wide option-package flexibility. The 2019 lineup had no economy trim and was two-row only.

The GLE has long been one of Mercedes' best-selling US models and a top-tier seller among mid-size luxury SUVs. Volume in 2019 was transitional as the W166 sold out ahead of the W167.

Mercedes-Benz is one of the most aspirational luxury brands in the US, and the three-pointed star carries a strong halo. This is tempered somewhat by below-average reliability perception.

As the outgoing generation, the 2019 W166 GLE drew substantial lease support and dealer discounts to clear stock before the 2020 redesign. Mercedes Financial lease programs were widely available.

2019 was the final model year of a generation dating to the 2012 W166 (facelifted and renamed GLE for 2016). The fully redesigned W167 was already unveiled at the 2018 Paris Motor Show for 2020, so 2019 buyers faced immediate obsolescence.

Reviewers praised the ride, V6 refinement and the AMG variants. By 2019, though, the aging GLE trailed newer rivals (Volvo XC90, Audi Q7, BMW X5) on interior tech and space, and it rarely won comparisons.