2017 Mercedes-Benz GLE

The Mercedes-Benz GLE is a midsize luxury SUV and the direct successor to the long-running M-Class, which Mercedes renamed GLE for the 2016 model year. It slots between the compact GLC and the full-size three-row GLS in the brand's SUV lineup and is assembled at Mercedes-Benz's plant in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Its most direct rivals are the BMW X5 and Porsche Cayenne, and it remains a core model in Mercedes' US range.

The GLE's reputation rests on ride comfort, a quiet and tech-rich cabin, and an unusually broad spread of powertrains, from an efficient turbocharged four-cylinder to a plug-in hybrid and V8-powered AMG variants. Typical buyers are families and luxury shoppers who want space and badge prestige without stepping up to a full-size SUV. The 2017-2026 span also gives used shoppers a wide price range, from earlier W166 models to the current W167 generation.

The 2017 model: The first GLE was a renamed and refreshed version of the third-generation M-Class rather than a ground-up redesign, adopting Mercedes' updated SUV naming scheme for 2016. It was a five-seat SUV offered in the US with V6 gasoline power in the GLE350 (rear- or all-wheel drive) and biturbo V6 GLE400, plus a GLE550e plug-in hybrid and AMG GLE43 and V8 GLE63 performance variants. Its styling and cabin carried over the boxier M-Class character, distinguishing it from the softer look of the generation that followed.