Rent a Mercedes Benz GLE

Our new model: Mercedes Benz GLE

Where the parking lot ends and the drive-thru begins, the 2017 Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class is there to pick up dry cleaning, kids from school, and do it all over again tomorrow.

The luxury family SUV from Mercedes-Benz combines a handsome look, quiet ride, with shocking performance (in some versions).

It’s offered in base form as a GLE350, but can be optioned up to a plug-in hybrid GLE550e, or Mercedes-AMG-branded GLE43, GLE63, or GLE63 S versions. The GLE43 and GLE63 S are also available in a “coupe” body style that sacrifices some interior head room and cargo capacity for a daring roof line. Who said beauty isn’t pain? This year, Mercedes dropped the turbodiesel version, although there are still a bevy of powertain options for the SUV.

The GLE-Class may be a new name for some, but it’s a relatively old model for Mercedes-Benz. Last year, Mercedes revamped the M-Class name with some new bodywork and an updated interior and slapped on a GLE name to better fit with their naming scheme. The new face for the GLE-Class even aligns closer to the rest of the Mercedes-Benz lineup.

Inside, a new revised instrument panel aligns more closely with luxury sedans such as the S-Class and C-Class, with a single floating 8.0-inch infotainment display.

The GLE-Class is luxurious and comfortable, first and foremost. The new GLE-Class takes cues from the outgoing M-Class and boasts comfortable seats up front, with plenty of room in the back for adults—although we’d hesitate to stuff three in the back for a long drive.

Standard power adjustable heated front seats are bolstered well enough for all-day drives without being too soft. Optional AMG sport seats increase the bolstering without overshooting the GLE’s mission of being a family-friendly hauler.

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