2023 Mercedes-AMG GLE 63 S Review: Old-School AMG

In an era when high-performance crossover often seem to be attempting to ape the design cues of their brands’ sports cars, the GLE 63 S is a refreshingly subtle machine. Apart from the AMG-specific Panamerica grille and the center-lock wheels, this two-box version looks just like any lesser GLE-Class waiting in line for the private school dropoff. Clad in a dark color like my tester’s Emerald Green, it’s easier to blend into traffic should the 5-0 take note of your, uh, excessive speed.

Even with all-wheel-drive to harness the power and 5,567 pounds of mass to blunt its effect, the GLE 63 S has the sort of accelerative fury that’s hard to truly take advantage of in the real world. Partly that’s because, with 603 horsepower to summon at your command and a smart nine-speed automatic that’s quick to downshift in the sportier driving modes, it still accelerates like a bat out of hell

But it’s also because you never quite lose awareness, no matter how deep you are in the drive, of those 2.9 tons with a driver aboard. Feeling weighty has long been a Mercedes strength, sure, but it also makes you beg caution when hurtling down back roads. As with most cars of this level of power and performance, it’s crucial to be judicious with when you drop the hammer.

Every automotive brand is seemingly obsessed with screens these days, but none more so than Mercedes-Benz. From Superscreens to Hyperscreens, the carmaker is constantly finding new ways to fill every possible inch of dashboard with crystal-clear displays, while even new models lacking the wall-to-wall displays now boast iPad Pro-sized tablets filling the space between driver and passenger.

Well, potential hot take incoming: it’s all too much. It only takes a few minutes of driving in the GLE to realize it has all the screen you need, both in size, clarity and capability. The dual displays — a touchscreen for the infotainment, a non-touch one for the instrument panel, with both mounted high enough to make it easier to keep your eyes on the road. There are still physical controls for the climate and volume (even if the latter is an awkwardly placed drum near the now-redundant track pad).

Yes, the dedicated touch buttons on the steering wheel are a little finicky, but they’re far better than the ones on the VW GTI, tucked well out of range of your shuffling hands with indents to help find key features like volume and cruise control speed. (Physical buttons would still be ideal, though.)

Given the usual German luxury car preference of all-black interiors accentuated with the barest hints of chrome, the warm open-pore Natural Grain Brown Walnut wood and rich brown leather of my tester was very much a welcome change.

There’s no shortage of speedy SUVs out there for buyers willing to fork over six figures for the privilege. The BMW X5 M is the closest competitor to this GLE, followed closely by the Porsche Cayenne S. The Audi RS Q8 is also a noteworthy foe, but its swoopy body style makes it more of a direct foe to the GLE 63 S Coupe rather than the two-box model seen here. (If you want a conventional SUV shape for your speedy Audi, you’ll have to settle for the slightly-less-sporty SQ 7.)

Expand your horizons a little, though, and there are a wealth of other potential options. The Lamborghini Urus and Aston Martin DBX offer ultra-luxury badges and exclusivity for twice the price or more; if you’re electric-curious, the Tesla Model X Plaid is a potentially compelling choice. And if you’re not wedded to that high-riding seating position … well, Mercedes may offer up a confusing position as to whether they have any new E 63 S wagons — it’s not listed on their website’s menu, but you can find it if you Google it directly — but Audi will happily sell you an RS 6 Avant.

Base Price: $120,000

Powertrain: 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8; nine-speed automatic; all-wheel-drive

Horsepower: 603

Torque: 627 lb-ft

EPA Fuel Economy: 15 mpg city, 20 mpg highway

Seats: 5

LEARN MORE