Mercedes-AMG GLE 63 4Matic: big V8 and what to check before buying

Mercedes-AMG GLE: a big SUV with a V8 heart

The Mercedes-AMG GLE is the part of the GLE family where a comfortable family car gets an AMG engine and an AMG personality. The car on our forecourt is a 2018 GLE 63 AMG 4Matic: a 5.5-litre petrol V8, 410 kW, automatic gearbox, all-wheel drive, five seats and five doors, finished in white. The listing records the body style as an estate, but what you are looking at is a classic large SUV shape – that is a quirk of classification rather than a separate body variant.

This generation of the GLE was born out of a renaming and facelift of the earlier M-Class: the exterior gained a new front end with a larger grille, full-LED headlights and reworked tail lights, and the cabin was given a new look. The AMG versions differed from ordinary GLEs in both engine and set-up, and the gearboxes varied by engine variant – the six-cylinder and V8 models did not share the same automatic.

Who a car like this suits

This is not a car trying to be a track weapon. The strengths of this generation of GLE are space, access and finish: a high seating position, generous head and legroom front and rear, and materials that have drawn praise in the motoring press. For taller people it is one of the more comfortable SUVs in its class. At the same time, road tests of this generation have repeatedly noted that you should not come looking for sharp steering feel – AMG adds power and presence here, not lightness.

So the Mercedes-AMG GLE suits people who want plenty of room, a well-finished cabin and a serious engine all at once. If your priority is fuel economy or a soft city ride, it makes sense to look at the standard GLE versions instead – the AMG suspension is firmer, the V8's thirst is considerable, and the engine expects higher-octane petrol.

Equipment: what this particular car offers

The specification list on this car is long and covers much of what could be ordered at the time:

• Leather-trimmed sports seats, massage function for driver and front passenger, ventilated front seats, four heated seats and a heated steering wheel
• Alcantara headlining, carbon-fibre trim, three-zone climate control
• Panoramic glass roof and electric sunroof
• 360-degree parking camera front and rear, parking sensors, automatic parking function
• Blind spot warning, lane keeping and lane change assistance, collision prevention braking, adaptive cruise control, driver drowsiness detection
• Harman Kardon sound system with amplifier and subwoofer, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• Keyless entry and start, soft-close doors, electric tailgate, electric seats and steering column with memory function
• AMG alloy wheels, winter tyres with sipes, tyre pressure monitoring, LED lights and high beam assist

The AMG sports package includes front and rear spoilers, a spoiler lip and sports suspension.

In Estonian conditions, and what to check before buying

All-wheel drive and winter tyres are clear advantages in our climate, as are the seat heaters and the good visibility from a tall body. You do have to accept, though, that a large, heavy V8 SUV is expensive to run in town, and that road salt spares no car of this age.

With this generation of GLE, there are a few typical areas worth checking on a used example:

• Cold start: a brief chain rattle on start-up is a symptom that has been described repeatedly on this engine family, and it should not be ignored
• Gearbox behaviour: slow engagement or jerky shifts deserve a closer look
• Electrics: window lifters and parking sensors are among the more common complaints
• Seat bolsters: heavily worn upholstery gives away hard use regardless of what the instrument cluster says
• Suspension: if the car has air suspension, check for even ride height, sagging after standing and any hissing – the air suspension on this generation is known as one of the more expensive things to repair, cold makes the bellows more brittle and salt attacks the lines
• Service history: on an AMG V8, properly documented maintenance matters more than any other selling point

Owner feedback on this generation has been mixed, which makes the history and condition of the individual car even more important than usual.

Buying or renting a Mercedes-AMG GLE from Autosky Rent

This white Mercedes-AMG GLE 63 AMG 4Matic is located in Tallinn and is for sale with us. Autosky Rent sells cars outright, also takes cars on consignment, and our partner network gives customers better terms on servicing, tyre work, car washes and fuel – with a big V8 SUV, that is something you notice day to day.

If you prefer a fixed monthly payment and want the admin around the car taken care of, Autosky Rent also offers full-service car rental. Depending on the package, the monthly payment covers motor insurance and casco including superkasko, servicing and repairs from normal wear, summer and winter tyres with seasonal changes and storage, a replacement car when needed, 24h roadside assistance across Europe through our insurance partner, and the handling of insurance claims. Full-service rental customers are served by Autosky Rent's 24/7 customer support.

If you have questions, take a look at the details below the listing and get in touch – we will talk through the condition and history of this GLE honestly before you decide.