An Entry-Level SUV for $95,000? Testing the 2025 Mercedes-Benz GLE450 Coupe

Clearly, entry-level can be relative—at least when it comes to SUVs like the Mercedes GLE Coupe. For 2025, Mercedes has added a new base model to the GLE Coupe lineup, sitting below its posh and potent AMG siblings. With its compromised interior space and our test vehicle optioned to an almost $96,000 price tag, this SUV has never been about practicality or affordability. Instead, it’s always been about power and personality. Does the 2025 Mercedes-Benz GLE450 continue to carry that tradition on its sloped roof?

Show and Go

Not everyone in the market for a vehicle like the GLE Coupe needs the 603-hp GLE63S or the 429-hp GLE53 and their larger prices. Hence the addition of the base GLE450, which delivers a more sensible 375 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque from its 3.0-liter turbocharged inline six-cylinder engine, integrated starter-generator, and 48-volt battery.

It can feel a little hesitant off the line at times; a problem addressed by activating its Sport mode. But once it’s moving in earnest, the GLE450 Coupe is eager to live up to the expectations set by the test car’s optional 22-inch wheels and dazzling exterior hue.The engine delivers thrilling acceleration merging onto the highway, even when the cabin is full of people.

At the test track, the entry-level GLE Coupe sprinted from 0 to 60 mph in 4.9 seconds, which outperformed a 2024 Porsche Cayenne V-6 by two ticks. A more powerful Genesis GV80 Coupe took 5.2 seconds to complete the run. It’s a time that wasn’t much slower than a 2024 GLE53 SUV we clocked at 4.6 seconds.

See All 20 Photos20

So the GLE450 Coupe proved delightfully quick in our testing, but perhaps more impressive was its braking performance. At just 106 feet to stop from 60 mph, the GLE’s number is on par with other superb stoppers including the Cayenne and GLE53 (not to mention the smaller GLC). We did note, however, that while the GLE450 Coupe stopped straight, it exhibited some dive under heavy braking. Out in the real world, the brakes can sometimes feel a tad soft with not as much bite as we’d like, although it’s not nearly as pronounced an issue as it is in the GLC350e we recently tested.

Coupe-operative Canyon Carver

For a midsize SUV on the large side, the GLE450's effortless steering, sharp reflexes, and a tight turning radius defy its size. On its optional 22-inch wheels, the ride is firm but not ridiculously so. Our test car felt composed on the pavement, perhaps thanks to the $1,710 optional air suspension, but we recommend trying out smaller wheels if you’re focused on comfort.

In our handling tests, we praised the SUV’s smooth upshifts and easy-to-modulate brake pedal after our figure-eight run of 25.8 seconds at an average of 0.74 g, a number that bested the GV80 Coupe (27.2 seconds at 0.66 g) but wasn't in the same realm as the Cayenne (24.1 seconds at 0.79 g). If you want a sharper-handling GLE Coupe, you’ll want to go for the Mercedes-AMG models, but as a whole, the GLE450 Coupe strikes a solid balance of comfort and agility.

See All 20 Photos20

Lights, Cameras, Luxury

As the cheapest GLE Coupe, the 450 starts at $77,550 (without the sloped roof, a similarly outfitted GLE SUV is around $5,000 less expensive). Prices rise quickly with options. The 22-inch wheels, driver assist package, air suspension, added sound insulation, and supple brown leather were some of the biggest add-ons on this example, but none was more expensive than its fabulous $6,500 Cote d’Azur paint. The Exclusive trim brought ventilated front seats and an upgraded sound system. Our model didn’t have everything: Upgrading to the Pinnacle trim would have netted massaging seats and a cabin fragrance system.

Regardless, this GLE was indulgent, as it should be for a vehicle approaching 100 grand as equipped. No inch of the cabin felt unconsidered. From the decadent leather and wood accents to the pulsing rays of ambient lights and a driver’s seat that can be adjusted to your exact height, the interior encourages relaxation and exudes elegance. Mercedes didn’t forget the little details, either, including the glitzy textured door lock pins. We particularly loved the door cubbies, front and rear, that are capable of carrying an Owala water bottle. Rear-seat passengers can enjoy individual climate controls(an $860 option) as well as hooks for grocery bags or purses.

Unfortunately, the opulence can’t distract from the GLE450’s compromised headroom. Taller passengers might feel cramped in the back, and the sloped roof proved a nuisance while installing two car seats, although we appreciated that the lower anchors were easy to see and access. Our two little ones had no problem fitting in the back, and there was even space for a petite and patient adult in the middle seat. We wished it offered more legroom all around, though. All that said, if you want or need more space, don’t get a GLE Coupe.

See All 20 Photos20

Of course, the Coupe has less cargo capacity than the traditional GLE SUV (31.6/64.1 cubic feet compared to 33.3/74.9 cubic feet with rear seats up/down). Still, we managed to cram all our gear in the trunk for a long weekend getaway: three clothing bags, two computer bags, a Costco foldable wagon, groceries, and a blow-up queen-sized bed. 

The most perplexing cabin feature is its unnecessary infotainment touchpad, as it’s much easier to touch the screen directly. As a whole, we appreciated the cockpit’s mix of digital and physical controls, and its crisp, 360-degree camera made it much easier to park this substantially sized SUV.

The Driver Assistance package is a worthwhile option, blending safety features such as steering assist, blind-spot assist, and emergency stop assist. Its adaptive cruise control reduces the fatigue of long highway drives, providing natural acceleration and braking to respond to surrounding traffic, and it adapts well to curves in the road. We preferred to forgo the setting that automatically adapts to posted speed limits while using the cruise control, as it would sometimes unexpectedly reduce the SUV’s speed to 55 mph in a 65-mph zone.

Rolling Excess

What you see on the outside is generally what you get with the 2025 Mercedes GLE450 Coupe: an unapologetic, sporty SUV that isn’t your typical family hauler. The coupe’s compromised space is counterbalanced by an interior as lovely as its Cote d’Azur sheen.Think of it not as an entry-level luxury SUV but rather as an entry-level performance SUV with some fantastic available luxury equipment.