2021 Volkswagen ID.4 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 appearance, but it still lacked the pitch-perfect proportions seen in competitors like BMW, Audi, and Jaguar. The AMG trim added a sporty touch, but it still couldn't compete with the likes of 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 was particularly striking, and the twin arching grab handles on the center console, outlined with LED lighting, were a standout feature.

The 2021 Volkswagen ID.4, designed from the ground up as an electric vehicle, showcased a distinctive look that set it apart from Volkswagen's gasoline models. It replaced the straight lines and sharp angles of the Tiguan and Atlas with a streamlined profile and wheels pushed out to the corners. The ID.4's design was more in line with other EV crossovers, like the Chevy Bolt EUV and Hyundai Kona Electric, rather than traditional SUVs. The interior design blended Volkswagen's trademark minimalism with a smartphone aesthetic, featuring piano black and matte plastic elements. The base ID.4 Pro came with a leather-wrapped steering wheel and cloth seats, while the Pro S and 1st Edition models offered leatherette upholstery. Despite some design quirks, the ID.4's interior felt spacious and modern.

The 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLE excelled as a multi-purpose vehicle, offering a range of advanced suspension and engine setups. The base GLE 350 featured a coil-sprung setup, while the GLE 450 introduced the AIRMATIC system with self-leveling air springs and adaptive dampers. The AMG Ride Control+ and E-Active Body Control systems added even more complexity, allowing the GLE to lean into turns and adjust the suspension for each wheel independently. The AMG GLE 53 Coupe featured an electric supercharger for instant throttle response, while the GLE 580 and AMG GLE 63 S offered twin-turbo V8 engines with up to 603 horsepower. Despite its size, the GLE handled like a smaller sedan and could tow up to 7,700 pounds. Fuel efficiency varied, with the GLE 450 achieving 21/26/23 mpg and the GLE 350 4Matic returning 19/26/22 mpg.

The 2021 Volkswagen ID.4 launched with a single rear-mounted electric motor producing 201 horsepower and 229 pound-feet of torque, powered by an 82-kilowatt-hour battery pack. This made it the first rear-wheel-drive Volkswagen passenger car sold in the U.S. since the Beetle. An all-wheel-drive version with 295 horsepower and 339 pound-feet of torque arrived later in 2021. The ID.4's RWD setup provided balanced handling, while the AWD version offered more power and traction. However, the ID.4 was tuned for comfort rather than sportiness, with a smooth ride but noticeable body roll in corners. Unlike many EVs, the ID.4 did not offer aggressive regenerative braking for one-pedal driving, opting instead for a more traditional driving experience.

The 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLE offered a spacious interior, with most models featuring two rows of seats and an optional third row for seven-passenger seating. The second-row seats had power controls for recline, fore-aft adjustment, and headrest positioning. Cargo capacity was 34 cubic feet behind the second row and 75 cubic feet with all rows folded. The GLE Coupe, however, was limited to five passengers and had less cargo space, with 23 cubic feet behind the second row and 61 cubic feet with the seats folded. The new MBUX infotainment system improved usability, featuring a single touchpad and a simplified interface. The interior was luxurious, with easy-to-use seat controls, rocker switches for the suspension, and shortcuts for driving modes on the steering wheel.

The 2021 Volkswagen ID.4 felt spacious compared to other EVs, offering more front and rear headroom than competitors. However, legroom was average for the segment, and gasoline crossovers like the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4 offered more rear headroom and legroom. The ID.4 provided 30.3 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats in place and 64.2 cubic feet with the seats folded, more than many EV competitors but less than the CR-V and RAV4. The ID.4 did not have a front trunk, opting instead to maximize cabin space. The interior felt spacious from the driver's seat, with good forward visibility but subpar rearward visibility due to thick rear pillars and a small back window. The unique twist-grip gear selector freed up space on the center console, but the console itself was narrow and lacked storage for larger items.

The 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLE featured a 12-inch touchscreen with Interior Assistant, which could read certain hand gestures. The system included a touchpad and a right thumbpad for control, with a simplified interface and search bars for easy navigation. The AMG models had a Track Pace app for virtual pit crew functions and GPS lap timing. The Seat Kinetics system made small adjustments to the seat as you drove, and the head-up display and instrument panel could be reconfigured in dozens of layouts. The ambient lighting had 64 colors, and the navigation system projected the front camera feed with overlay arrows and street names. The GLE also featured a natural voice assistant that responded to the prompt "Mercedes" and could learn new commands. The semi-automated functionality included lane changes and curve slowing.

The 2021 Volkswagen ID.4 came with a standard 10-inch touchscreen (with an optional 12-inch screen) featuring wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. A 5.3-inch display screen served as the instrument cluster, and haptic touchpads replaced nearly all switchgear. While the setup looked modern, it was difficult to use due to the lack of tactile feedback. The ID.4 also included a natural-language voice-control system that responded to the prompt "Hello ID" and allowed for simple commands like adjusting the temperature or changing radio stations. The ID.Light feature, a light strip at the base of the windshield, communicated information to the driver and added a futuristic touch. Despite some gimmicky features, the touchscreen was well-positioned with smart graphics and easy-to-navigate menus.

The 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLE earned the Top Safety Pick+ rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for its performance in six crash tests, headlights, and standard forward emergency braking. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) 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 a "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 Volkswagen ID.4 received the highest-level Top Safety Pick+ designation from the IIHS and a five-star rating from the NHTSA for the RWD model. The AWD model had not been tested by the NHTSA. Standard safety features included forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, lane-keep assist, park distance control, automatic high beams, and adaptive cruise control. The ID.4 also introduced Travel Assist, which added automated lane centering to the adaptive cruise control for highway driving, and Emergency Assist, which brought the car to a stop if the driver was incapacitated. Travel Assist performed well, smoothly following curves and responding well to acceleration and deceleration.