2022 Mercedes-Benz GLS 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 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. The red and black interior was both loud and luxurious, surpassing even Porsche and Audi in opulence. The twin arching grab handles, LED lighting, and a mix of wood, metal, leather, and suede made the interior a delight to touch and operate, despite some flimsy gear selectors and turn signal stalks.

The 2022 Mercedes-Benz GLS, in its base GLS 450 form, offered a more subtle and less flashy look compared to rivals like the Cadillac Escalade and Lincoln Navigator. The AMG GLS 63 and Maybach versions added more visual drama with flared wheel arches, muscular grilles, and prominent exhaust tips. The Maybach model, in particular, was adorned with chrome and featured a traditional hood ornament and power running boards. The interior of the GLS 450, while basic by GLS standards, still exuded luxury with leather upholstery, a panoramic roof, and ambient lighting. The intricate speaker grilles and rectangular air vents added a rugged touch. The digital instrument cluster and infotainment touchscreen were well-integrated, framed nicely by the upright dashboard. Overall, the GLS 450's interior felt appropriate for a luxury SUV, offering high quality without being overly fragile.

The 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLE excelled as a multi-purpose vehicle, offering a range of suspension configurations and engine setups. The base GLE 350 featured a coil-sprung setup for reliability and comfort, while the GLE 450 came with AIRMATIC self-leveling air springs. The AMG Ride Control+ and E-Active Body Control systems provided advanced handling capabilities, including the ability to lean into turns and bounce the vehicle to free it from sand. 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 hp and 627 lb-ft of torque. All GLE models, except the base GLE 350, were hybrids with a 48-volt battery system, providing additional horsepower and torque. The GLE 450 returned 21/26/23 mpg, slightly better than the GLE 350 4Matic's 19/26/22 mpg. The GLE 350 had 255 hp and 273 lb-ft of torque, while the GLE 450 offered 362 hp and 369 lb-ft. The AMG GLE 53 had 429 hp and 384 lb-ft, and the GLE 580 featured 483 hp and 516 lb-ft. The GLE 63 S topped the range with 603 hp and 627 lb-ft. All models could tow up to 7,700 pounds, and the driving experience was exceptional, with perfect steering and amazing ride quality.

The 2022 Mercedes-Benz GLS 450 featured a 3.0-liter turbocharged inline six-cylinder engine with 362 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque, assisted by Mercedes' EQ Boost mild-hybrid system. The electric motor added 21 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque in short bursts, powering most accessories and allowing for a more aggressive start/stop system. The GLS 580 4Matic, AMG GLS 63, and Maybach GLS 600 4Matic used a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8, producing up to 603 hp in the AMG version. All GLS models came with standard 4Matic all-wheel drive. The six-cylinder engine provided ample power, and the electric assist was well-integrated. However, the air suspension exhibited poor body control, bouncing over bumps and leaning in corners. The GLS 450 had a towing capacity of 7,700 pounds, slightly less than some competitors like the Lexus LX and Lincoln Navigator.

The 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLE was primarily a two-row SUV, with an optional third row for seating up to seven. The second-row seats offered power controls for recline, fore-aft, and headrest adjustments, and could slide and fold for easier access to the third row. The Coupe version seated five and had limited cargo space, with 23 cubic feet behind the second row and 61 cubic feet with all rows folded. The standard GLE offered 34 cubic feet behind the second row and 75 cubic feet with all rows folded. The new MBUX infotainment system improved usability, eliminating the clunky rotary/touchpad combo for a single touchpad and a simplified interface. Seat controls, rocker switches, and shortcuts for driving modes were easy to use, though the thumbpads on the steering wheel were fussier.

The 2022 Mercedes-Benz GLS came standard with a seven-seat configuration, featuring a 60/40 split-folding second-row bench seat and two third-row seats. An optional six-seat version replaced the bench with individual captain's chairs. The second-row seats could slide forward and fold for third-row access, and the bench seat could slide fore and aft as one piece, increasing legroom by 3.4 inches. The GLS offered 17.4 cubic feet of cargo space with all seats in place, expanding to 42.7 cubic feet with the third row folded and 84.7 cubic feet with both rows folded. The air suspension could lower for easier loading and unloading. However, the touchscreen was too far to reach easily, and the center console grab handles had no obvious purpose. The two-piece sun visors were also too small to block the sun effectively.

The 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLE featured a 12-inch touchscreen with Interior Assistant, capable of reading hand gestures. The system included a touchpad, right thumbpad, and simplified interface with search bars and larger type. The AMG models had a Track Pace app for virtual pit crew and GPS lap timing. The Seat Kinetics system made small adjustments while driving, 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 front camera feed with overlay arrows. Standard features included Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and a natural voice assistant. The semi-automated functionality could change lanes and slow down for curves.

The 2022 Mercedes-Benz GLS came with the MBUX infotainment system, featuring a 12.3-inch touchscreen, 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, navigation, SiriusXM satellite radio, and natural-language voice recognition. A 13-speaker Burmester audio system was standard, with an optional head-up display. The voice recognition system responded to "Hey Mercedes" and understood normal speech well. The touchpad controller was cumbersome, and the touchscreen and instrument cluster had good graphics. However, the GLS lacked the augmented-reality navigation feature available in the S-Class sedan, and the navigation system suggested inefficient routes.

The 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLE earned the Top Safety Pick+ rating from the IIHS, scoring top ratings in six crash tests, for headlights, and for its standard forward emergency braking. The 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. Pre-Safe Sound and Pre-Safe Impulse Side were also available, along with 360-degree cameras and other advanced safety features.

The 2022 Mercedes-Benz GLS came with standard safety features like forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, a driver-attention monitor, automatic high beams, blind-spot monitoring, a surround-view camera system, Crosswind Assist, parking assist, and Pre Safe. Optional features included adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, second-row side airbags, and advanced driver-assistance features like Active Steering Assist, Evasive Steering Assist, Active Lane Change Assist, Trailer Stability Assist, Active Blind Spot Assist, and Active Emergency Stop Assist. Crash-test ratings from the IIHS and NHTSA were not available at the time of publication.