2023 Mercedes-AMG GLE 63 S Review: Old-School AMG

Big V8, room for five, two-box body — just think of it as an E 63 S with an extra thousand pounds or so.

Published October 3, 2023

Strange as it might seem to say for car enthusiasts of a certain age, the idea of Mercedes-AMG’s GLE 63 S is old news by now. After all, the GLE-Class — back when it was called the ML-Class and being eaten by T. rexes — was not only Mercedes-Benz’s first (non-Gelandewagen) SUV, it was the first such luxury-brand family sport-ute to hit the scene back in 1997. When the ML55 version appeared two years later, it was the first time AMG had crammed one of its handbuilt V8s under the hood of an SUV, as the G55 wouldn’t arrive until several months later.

In the years that followed, pretty much every carmaker under the sun has rolled out a powerful SUV of some sort or other — especially those German carmakers playing in Mercedes’s division. So here in 2023, the idea of a Mercedes-Benz sport-ute with an AMG V8 under the hood and a performance-tuned suspension is, well, ordinary, even common.

2023 Mercedes-AMG GLE 63 S: What We Think

Far less extroverted and attention-grabbing than many of its super-SUV competitors, the GLE 63 S blends brain-blending performance with a restrained design and a comfortable, almost decadent cabin that’s just-right sized for a family of four. It’s not as fun to drive as some performance SUVs, but it’s still remarkably quick and incredibly grippy — far more than most cars on the road. And as one of the few AMGs still rocking a V8 … it’s hard not to love its exhaust note.

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The GLE 63 S flies under the radar

In an era when high-performance crossover often seem to be attempting to ape the design cues of their brands’ sports cars, the GLE 63 S is a refreshingly subtle machine. Apart from the AMG-specific Panamerica grille and the center-lock wheels, this two-box version looks just like any lesser GLE-Class waiting in line for the private school dropoff. Clad in a dark color like my tester’s Emerald Green, it’s easier to blend into traffic should the 5-0 take note of your, uh, excessive speed.

But this AMG also, well, just plain flies

Even with all-wheel-drive to harness the power and 5,567 pounds of mass to blunt its effect, the GLE 63 S has the sort of accelerative fury that’s hard to truly take advantage of in the real world. Partly that’s because, with 603 horsepower to summon at your command and a smart nine-speed automatic that’s quick to downshift in the sportier driving modes, it still accelerates like a bat out of hell

But it’s also because you never quite lose awareness, no matter how deep you are in the drive, of those 2.9 tons with a driver aboard. Feeling weighty has long been a Mercedes strength, sure, but it also makes you beg caution when hurtling down back roads. As with most cars of this level of power and performance, it’s crucial to be judicious with when you drop the hammer.

The GLE’s interior hits the screen sweet spot

Every automotive brand is seemingly obsessed with screens these days, but none more so than Mercedes-Benz. From Superscreens to Hyperscreens, the carmaker is constantly finding new ways to fill every possible inch of dashboard with crystal-clear displays, while even new models lacking the wall-to-wall displays now boast iPad Pro-sized tablets filling the space between driver and passenger.

Well, potential hot take incoming: it’s all too much. It only takes a few minutes of driving in the GLE to realize it has all the screen you need, both in size, clarity and capability. The dual displays — a touchscreen for the infotainment, a non-touch one for the instrument panel, with both mounted high enough to make it easier to keep your eyes on the road. There are still physical controls for the climate and volume (even if the latter is an awkwardly placed drum near the now-redundant track pad).

Yes, the dedicated touch buttons on the steering wheel are a little finicky, but they’re far better than the ones on the VW GTI, tucked well out of range of your shuffling hands with indents to help find key features like volume and cruise control speed. (Physical buttons would still be ideal, though.)

Given the usual German luxury car preference of all-black interiors accentuated with the barest hints of chrome, the warm open-pore Natural Grain Brown Walnut wood and rich brown leather of my tester was very much a welcome change.

2023 Mercedes-AMG GLE 63 S: Alternatives

There’s no shortage of speedy SUVs out there for buyers willing to fork over six figures for the privilege. The BMW X5 M is the closest competitor to this GLE, followed closely by the Porsche Cayenne S. The Audi RS Q8 is also a noteworthy foe, but its swoopy body style makes it more of a direct foe to the GLE 63 S Coupe rather than the two-box model seen here. (If you want a conventional SUV shape for your speedy Audi, you’ll have to settle for the slightly-less-sporty SQ 7.)

Expand your horizons a little, though, and there are a wealth of other potential options. The Lamborghini Urus and Aston Martin DBX offer ultra-luxury badges and exclusivity for twice the price or more; if you’re electric-curious, the Tesla Model X Plaid is a potentially compelling choice. And if you’re not wedded to that high-riding seating position … well, Mercedes may offer up a confusing position as to whether they have any new E 63 S wagons — it’s not listed on their website’s menu, but you can find it if you Google it directly — but Audi will happily sell you an RS 6 Avant.