SUV vs Estate Twin Test | 2021 GLE 350 d SUV vs E 300 de Estate head to head in 4K
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- čas přidán 4. 07. 2024
- In this twin test we compare two estate cars: the E-Class Estate and the GLE SUV. Yes, the GLE is officially categorized as an estate in the UK. We pitch these two titans of luxurious practicality against each other to see if the familiar estate format still reigns supreme or whether an SUV can now be seen as a true alternative to the traditional family hauler.
This was quite an eye-opening test to carry out! Whilst they may look rather different, appearances can be deceiving and these two models are very closely matched.
Which model would you choose? Which one do you think is more estatey? Let us know! Make sure to subscribe so you don't miss a thing.
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Disclaimer: due to me being forgetful, it turns out that the two door E-Class models do have illuminated turbine vents.
Models featured in this video:
Mercedes-Benz GLE 350 d 4MATIC AMG Line Premium Plus SUV
Mercedes-Benz E 300 de EQ Power plug-in hybrid AMG Line Night Edition Premium Plus Estate
Brochures:
GLE SUV: tools.mercedes-benz.co.uk/cur...
E-Class Saloon and Estate: tools.mercedes-benz.co.uk/cur...
Written and presented by Ken Pearson.
Filmed by Ken Pearson and the L&L Automotive Marketing Team.
Edited by Ken Pearson.
Things left on the cutting room floor:
Load space: Generally speaking, estates and SUVs of a similar size will have a very similar boot space even if their shapes are slightly different. The E-Class and GLE are separated by just 10 litres with their second rows of seats raised; the E-Class has more depth to its boot than the GLE but the roof is much higher in the GLE.
Price: Yes, there is quite a difference in price for the two models when new. However, I deliberately chose not to factor this in to the result and focus more on the drive and practicality aspects of both cars. On the used market, year old models come to within a few thousand GBP of each other.
0:00 - Intro
0:34 - Meet the E-Class Estate
1:44 - E-Class interior and boot space
5:05 - E-Class driving
7:57 - Meet the GLE SUV
9:29 - GLE interior, MBUX and boot space
13:48 - GLE driving
17:46 - Comparing and concluding
20:48 - Further watching
E 300 de estate additional information: WLTP combined electric driving range 32 - 34 miles. The indicated values were determined according to the prescribed measurement method - Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP). Figures shown may include options which are not available in the UK. For Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) figures determined with the battery fully charged, using a combination of both battery power and fuel. These models require mains electricity for charging.
Additional assets used:
Images from Mercedes-Benz UK Press: mercedes-benz-media.co.uk/
"Japan Airlines, Boeing 787-9 JA866J NRT" by Masakatsu Ukon - Remixed under Creative Commons Licence. Remixed version freely available upon request. Original image: commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... - Air Ken will be open for bookings soon.
"Blue sky with wisps of cloud on a clear summer morning" by Tom Axford 1 - Remixed under Creative Commons Licence. Remixed version freely available upon request. Original image: commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi... - Auta a dopravní prostředky
I think this E class vehicle would be very economical. The E class is one of my favorite vehicles.
Love the E-Class!
I took the E-classe 300de - fantastic car and I love every km in it
Thanks for video. I have driven C and E class estates for years and so good to review things before my next change.
I think I am not convinced to switch to an SUV.
Additional factors I also consider-
Fuel - The GLE will drink about 25% more fuel. Probably not a consideration if you are blowing £60k on it but I am rather more in the 5 year old price range and so this is a big consideration, plus the enviro and range sides.
Image - Everyone in a SUV just looks a tosser. Everyone in an E class is a content, nothing to prove type. Pick a side!
Ride - While I accept the GLE sticks to the road, look at you in it and you are jiggling about. Being higher there must be more movement whereas the E is much nearer the road and so smoother.
Hopefully the trend for SUV will continue and prices of E Classes will drop a bit!!
Those are some great points! For this test it was impossible to do a like-for-like fuel consumption comparison with one being a hybrid and the other not, but from experience the GLE 400 d will get around 35 mpg on a motorway run whilst an E 400 d will comfortably get 40+. The fuel tank on the GLE is larger at 85 litres as opposed to 66 in the diesel E-Class models so overall range isn't too dissimilar.
The ride is an interesting one too! It's something I noticed only when editing - not while driving, strangely. With the GLE it's like you move with the car rather than moving within it. I think it's down to the air springs in their comfort setting allowing for quite a bit of movement in all directions to soak up the bumps.
Personally, I think we'll see a resurgence in estates as manufacturers electrify their model ranges - just like with the SUV boom, nobody will want to be left behind.
@@LandLAutomotive Thanks for reply.
With the ride, I think the driver is OK in the GLE as they are involved in driving and holding the wheel. However there is a lot of feedback on the internet about passengers and especially kids in the back being more car sick in higher cars. I hate being a passenger in them.
As for the future, i think it will keep going to the SUV. I have never and will never buy a new car but buyers seem to revert to being 12 years old when choosing a car and opt for a 130mph Tonka toy.
I just wish the E class estate was less popular so that I could afford the 2017 model, they seem to be £20k + for a 5 year old car.
Interesting. I'm a worse passenger than a lit flare so it's always the driver's seat for me! Counter-intuitively, the ride for passengers may be better with the air suspension set to Sport - more surface feedback but less movement whilst heading down the road.
Audi recently revealed an A6 Avant e-tron concept and I'd put £1 on both Mercedes-Benz and BMW not wanting to allow our friends from Ingolstadt to have a 100% share of the premium electric estate market.
There should be a steady stream of E-Classes returning to the used market once their first PCPs are up - over the last few years in the industry I've seen quite a few E-Class Estates and CLS Shooting Brakes being traded in for GLC/GLEs and this trend should continue. Well-specced examples don't tend to stick around on the forecourts for very long though!
Great video Ken! Nice Boeing reference! 👍
Thank you! Air Ken opens for business very soon.
Just for reference, how tall are you please so I can guage rear interior space?
E class all the way, good video mate
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it. We've got a few more twin tests planned too.
e class
E class estate dont really appeal to young dudes , i rather go for bmw 5 series estate