Performance or practicality? The Mercedes-AMG GLE 53 claims you don’t have to choose. We put it through a week of real family life.
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Performance or practicality? The Mercedes-AMG GLE 53 claims you don’t have to choose. We put it through a week of real family life.
If there’s a common goal petrolheads pursue, it’s getting their hands on something exhilarating with a good exhaust song. For a lucky few, they get to achieve that dream relatively quickly, while for others, a family begins before said goal is fulfilled. Regardless of where you fall on this spectrum, there comes a point in time when sacrificing that dream becomes a consideration, and fortunately, we live in a time when the lines of performance and practicality are more blurred than ever.
The Mercedes-AMG GLE 53 played the role of our chariot for the better part of a week. I have a five-month-old, but I also rate performance as a consideration, so what better way to test whether this behemoth AMG could straddle both worlds?
This is an AMG, and eventually you’ll twist the dial to Sport+. Let’s start with that since the otherwise soft and quiet demeanour of a GLE quickly disappears, and it becomes impatient. It feels raw, the tarmac becomes noticeable through your hands, and the rumble of a 3.0-litre turbocharged inline-6 reveals itself through the rear. It feels as if you’ve been transported from a large SUV to something a little lower to the ground and a little firmer under the seat. The whole car tightens up, the senses heighten, and a rigid handshake from the steering wheel leaves you ready to go.
With a heavy right foot, the GLE 53 becomes alive, with every gear shift sending a mechanical jolt through the body and a shockingly thunderous noise out the tailpipes forcing a childish giggle to the forefront. It’s not the full-fat GLE 63, but it’s balanced just so that when driven enthusiastically, it affords enough mechanical sensation and enjoyment without wracking any nerves. Then you dial it back to Comfort, load the family, and again there’s a transformation. The thumping gearshifts disappear and the exhaust note retreats. The AMG badge may as well have fallen off since it’s now a comfortable, luxurious, and easy-going Mercedes-Benz SUV.
And since this is a Mercedes, it has to tick some luxury boxes. It does that well in a classic Merc way with leather and touches of suede cloth, as well as a good amount of glossy carbon fibre inlays for the AMG component. The seats are heated and ventilated, and of course there’s a sizeable panoramic sunroof included in the long list of features.
There is an abundance of space. Personally, I tend to sit as low as possible, with the seat reclined a little more than the average Joe would normally prefer. For reference, Rayno Nel, the world’s strongest man and our guest in the season finale of **Star in a Reasonably Priced Car**, could very likely sit behind me and still stretch his legs out. The boot swallows 690 litres with the rear seats up, or 2,055 litres with them folded flat. Travelling with strollers, camera gear, and a decent load of groceries was a simple affair.
It’s not perfect, though. In the dead of night, the infotainment system and the driver’s display blacked out for about five seconds. It was a one-off occurrence but notable. Other than that, I didn’t find much to complain about besides the plastic-like sound when knocking on the lesser-touched areas of the cabin, but that’s a long-lived gripe in modern Mercs, and it’s an easily dismissible one.
At R2,455,737, the Mercedes-AMG GLE 53 4MATIC+ costs a serious amount of money for a car that spends most of its life as a school-run SUV. It’s a number that makes more sense if you value the second personality. When the dial is in Sport+, you get the 3.0-litre turbocharged inline-6 and the thunderous exhaust, and when you dial it back, it returns to being a quiet, luxurious family hauler. But, there are a considerable number of options available at this price point, so it is advisable to go and read some of our other reviews.
Does it live in both worlds? Emphatically, yes. It’s playful and characterful when poking it with a stick, while on the other end and locked into Comfort, it perfectly plays the part as a family car that can even lull a baby to sleep.
Is it expensive? The answer largely depends on who you ask. Those looking within this price band may find value, but there are other German competitors with more cylinders or bigger engines that are less expensive. It is on the higher end of the spectrum cost-wise when placed in a ring with those that box in the same space, so it will all boil down to preference. If you choose to ignore the price tag, the GLE 53 is a great machine that does most of what it promises on the label. Ultimately it’s all about that balance, and for an AMG enthusiast with a growing family, it deserves a top spot on the shortlist.
Words: Niki Louw
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