Mercedes-AMG GLE 53 4Matic+ review

A family car shouldn’t really be this much fun. But then this isn’t any family car. This is a Mercedes-AMG – the high-performance strand of the German car manufacturer. The Mercedes-AMG GLE 53 4-Matic+ isn’t like other luxury SUVs.

It all starts with the looks. Everything about the Mercedes-AMG GLE 53 4-Matic+ is big and bold. It’s got a huge basking shark-like grille. It runs on really massive sporty alloys. And it’s seriously long. Yup, the new GLE is far more of an extrovert than ever before. This is a necessary move for Mercedes as it makes it stand out from an oversaturated market of rival SUVs.

Twofer

On the road is where the GLE 53 really excels. Under the hood is a straight-six engine that’s amplified by the electronic EQ Boost. Although it can’t run entirely on electric power, the GLE 53 has hybrid capabilities, in this case, the EQ Boost that acts as a turbo to set you hurtling down the road.

It’s quite the rush when it kicks in. The front of the car visibly lifts as the engine enters beast mode, which has a genuine addictiveness to it. Although the GLE 53 is, as I explained above, is a big boy, any concerns about becoming unstable at high speeds or quick accelerations are quashed thanks to the AMG Ride Control+.

The system kicks in to make sure that the car doesn’t list or swing uncontrollably through corners. Of course, you can opt to switch the driving assists off and turn on the Sport+ mode, but outside of a track situation this feels unnecessary. Especially since you’re likely to have your loved ones in the back.

Fun time

There isn’t a great deal to dislike about the GLE 53. It offers sporty features in a practical, family SUV that’s actually fun to drive. If I was being extremely nit-picky it could have a little more responsiveness when accelerating. Still, when it comes to family car’s the GLE 53 is the complete package and actually fun to drive. And you can’t say this about most of its competitors.