With the SUV boom in full swing, certain models are becoming stars of their own, a picture we couldn’t have imagined not long ago. The rising popularity of anything with a higher ground clearance than usual made the BMW X5 one of the best selling cars in the BMW’s range. For example, last month, the sales of the X5 went up by 70% compared to the same period last year.
The same can be said about the competition as well, even though it may not be to the same scale. The eternal rival of the X5, the Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class is going through what could be called its ‘golden age’ as it is more popular than ever. The car also got a revamp earlier this year and it now comes with more tech and new engines as well as a restyled exterior. The guys from Cars in South Africa decided to compare the two to see which is better.
The two cars are trading blows, each having its own pros and cons. According to the reviewer, it’s a matter of taste in many places, except where cold facts set them apart. For example, the rear seats offer considerably more space in the GLE, but the interior feels a bit more luxurious back there in the X5. The boot space is supposed to be larger in the X5 with the rear seats up and viceversa in the Mercedes with them folded.
On the road, the Mercedes-Benz GLE surprisingly felt a bit jumpy and unsettled in the GLE according to the review while the BMW X5 felt a bit more poised. It’s the age old difference between BMW and Mercedes-Benz in the end, as the latter feels like a more comfortable cruiser over long distances while the X5 is the sportier choice.
It will come down to personal choice in the end as these two are extremely close in all key areas.
