2019 Mercedes-AMG GLE 43 SUV

The AMG GLE 43 SUV is a high-performance version of Mercedes' popular SUV, sitting below the even more potent GLE 63. In 43 guise, the GLE delivers 385 horsepower from a 3.0-liter biturbo V6 and is capable of reaching 60 mph in 5.6 seconds. Along with 20-inch AMG wheels, an AMG sport suspension, and 4Matic all-wheel-drive, this rapid SUV both looks the part and is a sharper driving tool than non-AMG GLEs - without the exorbitant price tag and uncompromising fury that is the V8-engined 63. You also get a premium and spacious cabin crammed with enough features to keep most happy. Competition is stiff, however, with the newer and much-improved BMW X5 now matching or surpassing the GLE in several aspects that matter to buyers in this segment, although the BMW doesn't have a direct power/price equivalent to the GLE 43. The same can also be said of the Audi Q7. As a performance SUV that is fun to drive and has a sky-high feel-good factor - but isn't as excessive as a 63 - the GLE 43 is a fine choice.

There's only one GLE 43 to choose from and it carries an MSRP of $68,150 - this is well over $30k below the asking price of the GLE 63 and you're still getting a fast, sporty, and capable AMG SUV. The price excludes tax, licensing, registration, and a destination fee of $995. If the AMG GLE 43 is a little too pricey for you, the 362-hp GLE 450 goes for $7,000 less.

The firmed-up GLE 43's sport suspension may make the AMG feel more involving than the GLE 400, but the price to pay for this is a harder ride. Sport+ mode is much too unyielding most of the time, and even in Comfort, the GLE 43 is happier at higher speeds and on smoother roads, with smaller bumps transmitting thumps through the otherwise well-insulated cabin. It's not intolerable, but it could prove tiresome. High-speed highway cruises are better, where the GLE 43 feels stable and solid, with comfy seats making covering longer distances quite a pleasure.

A reasonably responsive steering system and increased weighting in the sportier driving modes combine to make for a pretty entertaining SUV when you want it to be, but overall body control still falls some way short of a Porsche Cayenne. Some wind noise is noticeable, but tire roar is kept in check. All in all, it feels like Mercedes wasn't quite certain of how much sport to dial into this diluted AMG 43, with the SUV neither as sharp as the best of the competition nor as comfortable as its cheaper siblings. It's by no means a bad effort, though.

For Mercedes-Benz SUV fans, the AMG GLE 43 will be like being let loose in a candy store with all your favorite things within easy reach. Powerful engine and commanding driving position? Check. A litany of shiny AMG badges, blinged-up wheels, and enough space for the family? They're all there. A rather brittle ride aside, this thing rarely puts a foot wrong. But what if that candy store isn't quite enough and you actually wanted a candy-manufacturing island? What if you really wanted to sink your teeth into the ultimate: the AMG GLE 63? Well, our advice would be to absolutely avoid test-driving the 63 if its $100k+ price tag is out of reach because you're likely to hunger after that hypnotic V8 long after experiencing it for the first time. Plus, most of us are riddled with guilt following a giant sugar overload, anyway. The thing is, in all measurable aspects, the $34,900 cheaper GLE 43 simply makes more sense. You don't need more SUV than this as Mercedes has dialed just enough excitement into the 43 to let you have fun, but it's also docile enough for day to day activities. The Porsche Cayenne and BMW X5 are tasty adversaries, but they don't take away from the GLE 43 being one super sweet performance SUV.

As you're already scaling the heights of the Mercedes-Benz SUV range with the GLE 43, you may as well add on a few extras to turn a special ride into something even more desirable. We'd spec ours with the $5,180 Premium 3 Package as this adds some genuinely useful driver aids and added conveniences that simply make the SUV more enjoyable. No SUV at this level should be without power front seats, so we'd add a power front passenger seat with memory for $365. Metallic paint is an extra $720, and all in, you're looking at $74,415 - far from pocket change, but well below the GLE 63.

The differences between the GLE 43 and its bigger brother are clear: the 63 is not only significantly more powerful, but carries a much higher price tag, too. Where the 43 starts at $68,150, the 63 is a whopping $103,050 before options. Of course, the full-fat AMG has a mighty 5.5-liter biturbo V8 with 550 horsepower (a full 165 hp more than the 43) and gets to 60 mph in only 4.2 seconds. It also does so by making a sound that will thrill any gear head. The 63 also gets an active parking assistant, a surround-view system, active LED headlamps, and exclusive Nappa leather upholstery as standard. Smartly, Mercedes has positioned these two AMGs far enough from one another so that the 43 doesn't feel like it's stepping on the 63's toes. The downside, of course, is that the 43 always feels like something you had to settle for. It really shouldn't, though, because it is a hugely accomplished SUV in its own right.

Different body styles they may be, but both the X6 and the GLE are high-performance SUVs for the well-heeled. Both are also due to be replaced by all-new models for the 2020 model year, but they've aged well enough to merit further consideration. Price-wise, the X6 xDrive35i is the GLE 43's closest match, coming in at under $3,000 less than the Mercedes. Both have turbocharged six-pots, but the X6's unit is down on horsepower at 300 - it's still enough for a 5.8-second run to 60 mph, just two-tenths of a second off the GLE's pace. The X6 is also the more emotive machine, with its sloping roofline contrasting with the more traditional GLE's SUV form. The price to pay for this extra style is a compromised cabin - the GLE has much more space for rear passengers and 11.6 cubic feet of extra trunk space. Despite the X6 feeling like the sportier of the two, it's the more compromised SUV overall so we'd go for the Mercedes in this match-up.