[LoneRidder]

More than the car I liked your style of writing. Beautifully written .

Congratulations! The car does look majestic, happy and safe driving!

[GTO]

Originally Posted by earthian

The off road mode worked very well. One feels secure going down the gravelly incline with huge tractor ruts.

From your entire (very detailed) review, this is the part I enjoyed the most! Kudos man. Now that you've taken her offroad, you won't be hesitant to explore the unknown when touring or on driving holidays.

A very classy SUV, clean & understated as all the last generation Mercedes were. I think she'll be ageing very well. Am glad that Mercedes gave this SUV the new 9-speed automatic. It truly is a fantastic gearbox, and far better than the old lazy Benz ATs.

Didn't see a mention of warranty - please be sure to get the maximum coverage you can get your hands on. It's a zero-debate rule with the premium European cars.

Wish you many years of safe & enjoyable motoring with the GLE.

[JTK]

Congratulations for the new car. A well written review.

I am bit surprised about the interiors , kind of I feel they are not worth the price.. are they standard across the globe or is it India specific features ?!

[audioholic]

Fantastic write up! This should be the first ownership review of the ML/GLE on Team-bhp. Have a nice time with the car. Your observations are spot on and perfectly balanced. Sitting in the front of the GLE gives a unique feeling, which can be beaten only by the big brother GLS, with its sheer size. Though I dont own one, I drive this vehicle extensively in Germany as well as here and it really flies on the highway. It never feels like a big car and is quite agile. After driving the 350 for sometime, when I got my hands on the 250 I have to confess that I underestimated the power of the 250. However, I was proven wrong and it did not disappoint at all. Though the 350 is a different beast with more equipment, this one still impresses. However, I personally feel that the full potential of the 350 cant be realised here by the average buyer. Its when you take it on roads in Europe, when you realise how effortlessly the 350 can pickup and hold any speed and yet make the passengers feel calm and secure. The 250 can do it too, but it should be given some concession.

Talking about why windows are rolled up if a collision is sensed, it is to prevent foreign object ingress into the cabin/exit of items from inside the car in case there is a rollover. Apart from this, are there any other features? How is the intelligent light in Indian conditions?

Congrats again and happy road tripping .

[geotracks]

Congratulations on being a proud owner of a brand new MB SUV! Very detailed review & great pictures. Got a much better idea with write-up & associated pictures as compared to looking at regular dealer brochure booklets. Fantastic looking 'beauty' indeed!

[n.devdath]

Originally Posted by earthian

Disliked:
Out dated gizmos.
Poor design/anchoring of bumper elements and other elements under carriage.
No USB outlet in rear.
Tacky rear center armrest.
Tedious handling in city.
Lack of luxury in the rear.
Cost.

Congratulations on acquiring your second MB, and amongst the most practical MBs for India at that.

1. Agreed. The gizmos indeed are outdated and clearly show cost cutting at umpteen places without any justification for it.

2. This is bizarre. How can a premium OEM like MB not provide ample USB slots in a 70 lac rupee vehicle?

3. A small grouse I'd say, but for someone like you who is driven around, it matters. What I was disappointed at was the lack of a cooled storage space and the lack of bottle holders for all passengers.

4. I've driven in and around your city and agree with you here. Given the general driving style there (not that other cities are any better), I'm sure you have to be extremely defensive and on the edge in this elephant.

5. Again, appalling for this segment.

6. Well, one pays for that badge. The silent engine, advanced safety, cruising ability and the interiors are only a side kicks.

Finally, please do not pay 42K for that navigation upgrade, simply not worth it. Buy a good smartphone mount and use Google Maps as your primary navigation guide.

[earthian]

Originally Posted by LoneRidder

More than the car I liked your style of writing. Beautifully written .

Thank you. i hope have not given the impression that the car is not a worthy one. Far from it. While the interiors are standard and not what one expects from a high priced car, it is the engineering brilliance that takes the cake.

Originally Posted by GTO

Now that you've taken her offroad, you won't be hesitant to explore the unknown when touring or on driving holidays.

Well, both of us know, who i have to thank for that, don't we?

Didn't see a mention of warranty - please be sure to get the maximum coverage you can get your hands on. It's a zero-debate rule with the premium European cars.

2 years warranty and 12 months extended warranty under the 'star care' programme. Zero dep insurance with "Return to invoice" under the 'Star platinum" policy.

Source:

Originally Posted by JTK

I am bit surprised about the interiors , kind of I feel they are not worth the price.. are they standard across the globe or is it India specific features ?!

Yes, they do seem a bit 'ordinary' for a high priced car. My take is that the European and US models would have better appointed interiors, though i am not sure. Shall check this out when i am next there.

Originally Posted by audioholic

Fantastic write up! This should be the first ownership review of the ML/GLE on Team-bhp.

Thank you. But in due fairness, apart from having a template of sorts from the stalwarts of Team-BHP (reviewers); Aditya and GTO did point out issues that were left out.

How is the intelligent light in Indian conditions?

I have yet to understand the full potential of this system. The lights are powerful, and the high beam seems wicked. However, the beams dipping down when sensing a car coming has not been 'sensed' by me (yet). This could probably be due to the fact that the roads i drove have dividers shielded by shrubbery.

Originally Posted by geotracks

Very detailed review & great pictures. Got a much better idea with write-up & associated pictures as compared to looking at regular dealer brochure booklets.

Thank you. That is T-BHP for you.

[VellVector]

Congrats earthian on your new car. Believe it or not, the lack of the keyless go was one of the biggest selling points for me when I bought the GL. I just like inserting the key and cranking the car. Every other car I test drove with the button start just threw me off and left me a little irritated.

Originally Posted by JTK

I am bit surprised about the interiors , kind of I feel they are not worth the price.. are they standard across the globe or is it India specific features ?!

The interiors on the GLE series aren't that flashy. They feel luxurious when you sit in the car. Unfortunately on the 250 in India, MB has done a bit of a hack job on the car removing features and leaving empty spaces behind. The interiors on the 350 are superior (in line with the US and Europe variants) with better wood and leather trims and all the empty spaces are filled up with their appropriate gizmos.

[ntomer]

Nice car, congrats!!!

That's a Crested Serpent Eagle in your profile; are you a birder?

[earthian]

Originally Posted by n.devdath

Finally, please do not pay 42K for that navigation upgrade, simply not worth it. Buy a good smartphone mount and use Google Maps as your primary navigation guide.

That is sound advice. Just connected my wife's Pixel and it works well. However, imaps doesn't get loaded from my iphone. Wonder why? Can someone guide me as to how to load POIs from Google maps into the car?

Originally Posted by VellVector

Congrats earthian on your new car. Believe it or not, the lack of the keyless go was one of the biggest selling points for me when I bought the GL. I just like inserting the key and cranking the car. Every other car I test drove with the button start just threw me off and left me a little irritated.

i think i shall do away with that cosmetic (?) bauble and go the old fashioned way.

Originally Posted by ntomer

That's a Crested Serpent Eagle in your profile; are you a birder?

Yes, it is. Got that in Gir. I was lucky to get one with a kill too, however could not get a BIF with the kill, which would have made my day. I am a SAP. You can read about it here.

[Amit_Kapoor4750]

Congratulations sir for having this powerful horse in your stable. Your review is really informative with very beautiful pictures.
On cards, The mighty X5 really looks good, but there is no match to the class and popularity of new age mercs.

[V.Narayan]

Congratulations earthian. Happy & safe motoring. Thank you for taking the trouble to pen such a detailed review.

[FORTified]

CONGRATULATIONS on your new acquisition!!!

Originally Posted by earthian

The 'ATTENTION ASSIST' feature is interesting and should be useful, provided it works satisfactorily. It monitors the driving pattern and warns the driver when it feels that he is driving erratically.The website of MB has this to say about ATTENTION ASSIST:

"The drowsiness detection system ATTENTION ASSIST serves to enhance driving safety, in particular on long trips and during night-time driving. It monitors the driver’s steering behaviour to recognise typical signs of drowsiness and severe loss of attention, and gives a visual and audible warning of impending microsleep."

On the attention assist that my C class is equipped with [similar to what you have here] - Not sure if MB is too intelligent or too Dumb. It once flashed the message on the board saying take break and have a hot sip [with a steaming coffee cup icon] - But, I wasn't sleepy at that moment. In fact, I was actually arguing with my wife

So, I would like to think that MB has more intelligence than just sleep detecting gizmo here
[Are they also listening to what is being said in the cabin? MB only knows!!!]

[Arjun Reddy]

Congratulations on your new ride. Thank you for your very detailed ownership review. Must say very well written.

The car is solidly built and extremely stable and safe at highway speeds. Recently drove my friend's GLE and loved it. It's a shame that it does not get the new Mercedes interior.



The black bit on your door handle actually means that you can open and close your windows and sunroof with your key fob.

What is the Intelligent Light system on the GLE ? Is it like the ILS on the C250 or something else ?

Drive safe and all the best.

[earthian]

Originally Posted by Amit_Kapoor4750

... Your review is really informative ....
On cards, The mighty X5 really looks good, but there is no match to the class and popularity of new age mercs.

Thank you. Yes, the X5 is a good vehicle but has slipped up on its marketing.

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

Thank you for taking the trouble to pen such a detailed review.

Thank you.

Originally Posted by FORTified

In fact, I was actually arguing with my wife

Well, you have MB to thank for saving your skin.

Originally Posted by Arjun Reddy

The black bit on your door handle actually means that you can open and close your windows and sunroof with your key fob.

yes, this is available in my 8 year old C class too.

What is the Intelligent Light system on the GLE ? Is it like the ILS on the C250 or something else ?

I do not know about the ILS on the C class and hence cannot compare. However, as i mentioned earlier, i have not perceived it "dipping" when a vehicle comes from the opposite side. What is interesting is whereas there is a seperate fog light at the rear ( on the turning indicator- a piercing red light), the front does not have dedicated fog lamps - however the outside LEDs swivel outwards to cover a larger area. No change in colour though.