Used 2019 Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-AMG GLE Coupe

If you’re all about presentation and performance, the 2019 Mercedes-AMG GLE Coupe is all the SUV you’ll need. Based on the GLE SUV, the Coupe offers fastback styling that, while slick, also reduces the utility of the rear cargo area. Standard all-wheel drive and a choice of two potent turbocharged engines sweeten the deal, as does the bold and brawny AMG styling treatment. Built to take on other high-performance crossover SUVs like the BMW X6 M and Porsche Cayenne Turbo, the GLE Coupe delivers thrilling performance but also an elevated sense of luxury unique to the Mercedes brand. Pricing for the AMG GLE 43 starts just over $72,000, while the V8-powered AMG GLE 63 S Coupe pushes the price of entry to nearly $115,000.

In Comfort mode, the Mercedes-AMG GLE Coupe for 2019 isn’t as sedate as less-performance-tuned Mercedes SUVs, but it’s compliant and luxurious. You can feel the road rolling under the GLE’s huge wheels and tires, but the serenity of the GLE’s interior is more than satisfactory for any luxury SUV buyer. Dial the AMG Dynamic Select system to Sport or Sport+ and head to the hills, and the GLE Coupe’s personality changes dramatically. It’s now a snarling high-performance machine with a stiff ride. Toss the GLE Coupe into some corners and there’s plenty of grip from the SUV’s big tires; however, this is a heavy truck weighing over 5,000 pounds and its mass can be felt, especially over rougher roads. Power is never an issue. The AMG GLE 43 offers very good acceleration, and the 9-speed automatic transmission clicks off shifts without a thought. It also responds quickly when you use the GLE’s paddle shifters.

Sharing most of its interior bits and pieces with the larger GLE SUV, the view from the driver seat is comfortably familiar. Look in the rearview mirror, however, and the feeling is much different. The sweeping rear roof creates a cocoon-like environment, with limited space above the cargo bay as well as a reduction in rear-seat headroom. Cargo volume behind the rear seat is set at 23 cubic feet, which seems reasonable until you consider the 38 cubic feet offered by the standard GLE. In true AMG style, the 2019 AMG GLE Coupe includes a flat-bottom steering wheel, faux carbon-fiber gauge faces, aluminum pedals and upgraded seats that, while supportive, are also extremely firm. Storage space is plentiful throughout the cabin and fit and finish are above reproach.

There are four passenger doors on the AMG GLE Coupe, so it is not, strictly speaking, a “coupe.” But its coupe-like roofline is a sharp contrast to the upright GLE SUV, so we’ll give it a pass here. Still, the unique look of the 2019 Mercedes-AMG GLE Coupe is a study in love-it-or-leave-it. Some think the rear end can look bulbous from some angles, while others find the GLE’s carlike body style, massive wheels and tires and high-riding suspension to be the ultimate expression of muscularity. Few would call it beautiful, but it is a head-turner, it’s imposing, and it has presence.

AMG DYNAMIC SELECT
Both the AMG GLE 43 and GLE 63 S feature Dynamic Select as part of their standard-equipment roster. The system allows the driver to vary the vehicle’s suspension, acceleration and even the engine note, with settings for Comfort, Sport, Sport+, Slippery and Individual.

PARKING PILOT
The one thing every generation shares in common is the dread associated with having to parallel-park their own car. With the optional Parking Pilot, the AMG GLE Coupe does all the work for you, prompting you to work the gear selector while it works the steering and brakes.

Beyond the "AMG enhanced" everything — ranging from the transmission to the steering to the suspension and all-wheel drive — the base AMG GLE 43 Coupe offers heated and power-operated front seats covered in MB-Tex faux leather, a power liftgate, power-adjustable steering wheel, navigation, rearview camera, dual-zone climate control and 21-inch wheels. The standard audio system includes Bluetooth streaming, USB/SD inputs and HD Radio, all operated through a Mercedes’ COMAND touch-pad control system and 8-inch display. Opt for the more powerful AMG GLE 63 S and you get Nappa leather seating, active parking assist, blind-spot monitoring, and a Harman Kardon premium audio system, along with the powerful twin-turbo V8.

There’s the larger, more powerful engine, of course, in the new GLE 63 S Coupe, along with the aforementioned upgraded features. As for stand-alone options, there’s a cornucopia ranging from soft-close doors and heated/cooled cup holders, to massaging seats. Optional safety and driving aids include active lane-keeping assist, dynamic cruise control and automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection. Mercedes-Benz also offers Parking Pilot, which can practically parallel-park the SUV for you and a Surround View that helps you see all around the vehicle. In addition to the standard Harman Kardon premium audio system, there’s an ultra-premium Bang & Olufsen system available.

In the 2019 AMG GLE 43, power is sourced from an AMG-built 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V6. Output is pegged at 385 horsepower and 384 lb-ft of torque, all of which is routed through a 9-speed automatic transmission and sent to all four wheels featuring a 40:60 rear-drive bias split. Step up to the AMG GLE 63 S Coupe, and you’ll get another twin-turbocharged system, only this time bolted to a 5.5-liter V8. With 577 horsepower on tap, the GLE 63 S can dash to 60 mph in 4.1 seconds vs 5.6 for the V6 version. A 7-speed automatic is tasked with handling the V8’s power, but the same all-wheel-drive setup remains in place. The GLE Coupe touts a maximum tow rating of 7,200 pounds with a Class III hitch, which is quite good for this class.

3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V6 (AMG GLE 43)
385 horsepower @ 6,100 rpm
384 lb-ft of torque @ 1,800-4,000 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 17/22 mpg

5.5-liter twin-turbocharged V8 (AMG GLE 63 S)
577 horsepower @ 5,250-5,750 rpm
561 lb-ft of torque @ 1,750-5,250 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 14/18 mpg