2021 Jeep Wrangler vs 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLE

The 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLE had a mixed reception regarding its exterior design. While it featured an aggressive nose and a sloping, low hood, the design seemed to lose its appeal past the A-pillar, making it almost indistinguishable from its predecessors. The flat taillights and contoured rear helped mitigate its minivan-like tendencies, but it still lacked the pitch-perfect proportions seen in competitors like BMW, Audi, and Jaguar. Even in AMG trim, the GLE struggled to match the visual impact of rivals such as the BMW X5 M or Porsche Cayenne Turbo. However, the interior was a different story. The 2021 GLE's cabin was a masterpiece of quality, layout, colors, and textures, featuring luxurious materials like wood, metal, leather, and suede. The red and black interior of the tested GLE Coupe was particularly striking, offering a sense of opulence that outshone even Porsche and Audi SUVs.

In contrast, the 2021 Jeep Wrangler maintained its iconic styling, which had remained largely unchanged over the years. Key design elements like circular headlights, a seven-slat grille, exposed bolts and hinges, and protruding bumpers and fenders made it instantly recognizable. Depending on the trim level, the Wrangler could take on different looks, with options for painted or exposed fenders, soft tops, or hardtops. Despite these variations, the core elements that defined the Wrangler's rugged appearance remained consistent. The interior, however, was more utilitarian, with a small center console bin, glovebox, and effective in-door cargo nets. The Wrangler Unlimited offered 31.7 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seats, expanding to 72.4 cubic feet with the seats folded, though the wheel-wells and roll-bars could make fitting larger items challenging.

The 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLE excelled in performance, offering a range of advanced suspension and engine setups. The base GLE 350 featured a 255-hp engine with 273 lb-ft of torque, while the GLE 450 upgraded to a 3.0-liter inline-six with 362 hp and 369 lb-ft. The AMG GLE 53 took it further with 429 hp and 384 lb-ft, thanks to an electric supercharger. The GLE 580 boasted a twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 with 483 hp and 516 lb-ft, and the AMG GLE 63 S topped the range with 603 hp and 627 lb-ft. The GLE's air suspension systems, including AIRMATIC and E-Active Body Control, provided exceptional ride quality and handling, making the vehicle feel agile despite its size. The GLE's hybrid system, available on all but the base model, added up to 21 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque, enhancing performance without significantly improving fuel efficiency. The GLE could tow up to 7,700 pounds, making it a versatile choice for various driving needs.

The 2021 Jeep Wrangler offered a diverse powertrain lineup, including gas, diesel, mild-hybrid, and a Hemi V8. The standard 3.6-liter V6 produced 285 hp and 260 lb-ft of torque, available with a six-speed manual or eight-speed automatic transmission. Other options included a mild-hybrid eTorque variant of the V6, a 270-hp turbocharged four-cylinder, and a 3.0-liter EcoDiesel V6 with 260 hp and 442 lb-ft. The Wrangler's 4WD systems, including Command-Trac, Select-Trac, and Rock-Trac, provided excellent off-road capabilities. The Rubicon 392, with its 6.4-liter V8 engine producing 470 hp and 470 lb-ft, turned the Wrangler into an off-road supercar. The 392 also featured beefed-up frame-rails, a 2-inch lift with Fox shock absorbers, and upgraded brakes, making it a formidable off-road vehicle.

The 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLE offered a spacious interior, with most models configured as roomy two-row SUVs. An optional third-row allowed seating for seven, with power controls for the second-row seats to facilitate access to the third row. The GLE Coupe, however, was limited to five seats, with a sloping roofline and slimmer windows that made the rear space feel smaller. Cargo capacity in the standard GLE was 34 cubic feet behind the second row, expanding to 75 cubic feet with all rows folded. The Coupe offered 23 and 61 cubic feet, respectively. The new MBUX infotainment system improved usability, featuring a single touchpad and a simplified interface. Seat controls on the doors, rocker switches for the suspension, and AMG-specific shortcuts on the steering wheel added to the convenience.

The 2021 Jeep Wrangler provided various top options, including the zipper-less Sunrider soft-top, a premium black cloth soft top, and a classic tan soft top. The Freedom top, a three-piece hardtop with removable panels, was available in black or body color, with optional insulated panels to reduce road noise. The Rubicon 392 featured the Sky one-touch power top, a power-retractable canvas panel that operated at speeds up to 60 mph. The Wrangler's cabin was functional, with a small center console bin, glovebox, and in-door cargo nets. The Wrangler Unlimited offered 31.7 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seats, expanding to 72.4 cubic feet with the seats folded, though the wheel-wells and roll-bars could make fitting larger items challenging.

The 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLE featured a 12-inch touchscreen with Interior Assistant, capable of reading hand gestures. The system included a touchpad and thumbpad controls, making it easier to use over time. The AMG models had a Track Pace app for GPS lap timing and a Seat Kinetics system that made small adjustments while driving. Additional features included perfume canisters, Energizing Comfort with spa music, heated armrests, and bolsters that inflated during steering. The head-up display and instrument panel were highly customizable, with sharp, crisp displays. Ambient lighting offered 64 colors, and the navigation system projected front camera feeds with overlay arrows and street names. Standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a natural voice assistant, and semi-automated functionality added to the GLE's tech-savvy appeal.

The 2021 Jeep Wrangler's base Sport trim came with a basic 5-inch screen, while higher trims offered a 7-inch or 8.4-inch Uconnect screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The larger screens featured crisp graphics and intuitive layouts, complemented by radio toggles on the back of the steering wheel. The Rubicon 392 included a color TFT screen in the instrument panel and an off-road camera nestled between the grille slats, providing a clear view of the trail ahead. The camera also had its own washer-sprayer, useful for off-roading in muddy or dusty conditions.

The 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLE, identical to the 2021 model, earned the Top Safety Pick+ rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, scoring top marks in six crash tests, for headlights, and for its standard forward emergency braking. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration had not rated the GLE. Standard safety features included blind-spot monitoring and a driver attention monitor. Optional features included adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, evasive steering assist, front cross-traffic braking, and semi-automated control. The GLE also featured Pre-Safe Sound, which played "pink noise" to reduce hearing damage in a crash, and Pre-Safe Impulse Side, which inflated the side bolsters of the front seats to better position occupants during a side impact.

The 2021 Jeep Wrangler offered optional modern driver-assistance features like forward-collision warning, adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, parking sensors, and blind-spot monitoring. However, lane-departure warning was not available. The Wrangler came standard with a backup camera with dynamic guidelines and a live tire-pressure monitoring system, useful for off-roading. The Wrangler's safety features were basic compared to more modern vehicles, but the live tire-pressure monitoring system was a valuable addition for off-road enthusiasts.