WHEELS
Extraordinary Rides Mercedes-Benz GLE is a fantastic driving experience By C.A. Haire
T
he GLE series is an upper-level SUV that has generated plenty of sales at Mercedes dealers. For the base fee of $54,000, buyers get a 2.0-liter engine making 255 horsepower. Moving up to the 4.0-liter, 483 horsepower V-8 can set you back $77,000. But for those where money is no object, this soon-to-arrive 2021 GLE 63S AMG version is worth the wait. Under the hood is a handmade, 4.0-liter, biturbo V-8 motor cranking a whopping
603 horsepower and massive 627 lbs./feet of torque, hooked to a slick nine-speed automatic transmission. To assure the massive performance tires mounted on huge 22-inch wheels stick to the pavement, power is routed through an AMG 4MATIC all-wheel drive system. Air suspension provides extra stability and comfort. The end result is a performance SUV that can accelerate to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds and has a computer-limited top speed of 174 mph. While we did try out the former claim, at-
FREE Initial
Top Ten Highest Jury Verdicts in AZ Consultation
A-V Rated by Martindale-Hubbell Construction Real Estate
DUI Family
Business Nursing
WeberLawAZ.com ~ 602-920-9892 26
85085 | JULY 2020
The Mercedes 2021 GLE 63S AMG has 17 option packages, which comes to a tidy $133,600. (Photo by C.A. Haire)
tempting the latter didn’t seem like a good idea on Arizona highways. The AMG is very pleasant to drive, thanks to eight computer mode choices—comfort, sport, sport+, race, individual, and slippery for wet roads or snow. For going off-road, there are also sand or trail modes. Air suspension allows the vehicle to be raised for clearing desert rocks in the path. Passing power with this V8 is certainly not a problem. The GLE AMG comes very close to being a “does-everything” vehicle. The Mercedes has not been rated for fuel economy by the EPA yet, but the computer showed an average of 17 mpg in 2,000 miles of use. We took a 125-mile highway trip and observed 19 mpg. Most buyers who purchase a potent engine like this may not care about fuel consumption, but these are very good numbers for such a powerful machine. Many potential buyers might care about the cost of this beast, if not fuel economy, and it is not cheap. The starting fee is $114,000. But wait, there’s more! With 17 option packages too long to list here, the damage comes to a tidy $133,600. Let’s not forget to add various taxes and tags. But, while limited production German rides command heft y fees, they also provide a fantastic driving experience. And this AMG certainly does.
