Used Mercedes GLE (Mk2, 2019-date) review: impressive Range Rover rival is packed with quality

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Running costs

All GLEs need to be serviced every 12 months or 12,500 miles, depending on the engine. Maintenance alternates between minor and major, with the former priced at £450-£800, while the latter costs £630-£1,000, depending on which service it is and therefore which parts need to be replaced. A fresh air filter costs around £80 (fitted), for example, while a new fuel filter will set you back about twice as much.

 On top of these costs, you’ll also have to pay £100 or so every other year for fresh brake fluid, while the coolant needs to be renewed every 10 years; expect to pay about £150 for this to be done. All GLE engines are chain-driven, so there are no cambelts to replace.

Mercedes offers servicing plans through its ServiceCare programme, to help spread the cost of maintenance. All GLEs come with a three-year/unlimited-mileage warranty as standard.

Recalls

A total of 13 recalls so far is disappointing, although most affected only the GLE within Mercedes’ model range and many involved just a few cars. Three recalls were issued because of poor-quality welding; one for the fuel filler, one because of a stud not being properly attached to the floorpan, and the third because of sub-standard welds in the rear crossmember, necessitating wholesale replacement. 

Faulty air-con drain hoses (there were two recalls for this), trim coming adrift on the doors (there were also two for this), and chafed wiring inside the car were further reasons for campaigns to be launched. Also on the list were faulty eCall and engine ECU software, second-row seatbelt buckle glitches, and sub-standard wiring in the engine bay of plug-in hybrid models.

Driver Power owner satisfaction

The GLE sells in relatively small numbers, so it hasn’t made it into our new or used Driver Power surveys. There were just two Mercs in the 2023 New Car poll; the A-Class came 39th, while the E-Class made an appearance in 43rd. Mercedes came 25th out of 32 manufacturers in our 2023 Brands poll, having finished 23rd out of 29 in 2022. Buyers were unhappy with their cars’ quality, value for money and running costs.