The 2025 Mercedes AMG GLE 63 S Coupe nails the Sport SUV

Rigid. That’s how I’d describe German car companies. They find what works and then apply it to every model. It’s why you’d rather have a 3 Series over a C Class, and why an S Class and 7 Series are never going to be equal. The car that sits before you on your screen, this 2025 Mercedes AMG GLE 63 S Coupe, is the best example yet.

How hard is it to balance comfort and sport perfectly? Very. But it’s not impossible…

The 2025 Mercedes AMG GLE 63 S Coupe Overview

Cars are amazing, aren’t they? You can point to a Nissan Versa, the cheapest car on sale today, or a Red Bull F1 car and say yea, they both have four wheels and make a vroom sound. Those are the extremes, leaving everything else on the road to decide how much of the triangle of sport, comfort and price to use.

Extremely sporty SUVs like BMW’s X6 M Competition or this Mercedes AMG GLE 63 S Coupe are perhaps the most confusing breed of car on sale today. Tall and heavy, with a sloping roof line that cuts into interior room, they don’t really excel at any one thing yet are good at everything.

BMW M’s approach is to usually take a tactical nuke and install it under the hood, then ask bridge architects to design a suspension that never yields in turns, or in comfort. That’s great for an M3, but it’s all a bit much for a car like this. Perhaps AMG’s approach is better?

The answer is yes as I high-five myself. Oh it’s still powerful, with a 4-liter twin turbo V-8 that churns out 603 horsepower. 22-inch wheels, AMG-tuned all-wheel drive and an AMG Active Ride suspension – really everything BMW M throws at its big SUVs.

Tick every box, as this example has, and you will reach a nearly atmospheric price of $159,600, nearly $20k more than a fully-loaded X5 M. Yet dare I say that this Merc might just be worth it.

Performance Score: 8. Waft your way

It’s what you do in this car. Waft. Ahhhh. But suddenly you’re wafting at 90 miles an hour. 

Engine

This 4-liter V-8 fascinates me. It’s so different in personality depending on the car its in, from an SL 63 to an Aston Martin. In our GLE, it makes 603 horsepower and 627 lb-ft of torque, but in a much quieter and refined manner. This, I believe, is to its determent.

Come on Mercedes – the 53 model is plenty quiet, so let that be the one to park by the library. Gimme some roar here.

Beyond that, it’s hard to fault this motor. It’s so sweet to rev, so smooth, and so immediate that you watch the digital speedometer rip off chunks of numbers with ease. BMW might make more exciting engines, but I wouldn’t want an S68 in this car, if that makes sense.

Just for giggles, this car can tow 7,700 pounds too.

It goes without saying (but Imma do it anyway), that this V-8 is miles beyond the turbo V-6 in terms of speed, refinement and thrills. With my whole car-loving heart, I implore you to save up enough pennies to add 10 to 53. It doesn’t make the Merc a Porsche Cayenne GT killer, but it adds what was missing from the base model in spades.

Transmission

Every GLE gets a nine-speed automatic, and it’s seamless in operation until you ask it to kick down. Seems to wait for a moment too long as it decides which of its nine gears it needs to propel you forward. Place the car in Sport mode to solve this, because otherwise the GLE will trip over itself a bit as it gives you more power than you make have asked for.

Oh, you’ll be hunting too – for the shifter. The wipers and the lights and the gears on the steering wheel column – too much. Merc has always done it this way, but I give up – just make buttons or give me a normal shifter. Doesn’t light up at night either, making it a high stakes game of engage.

Steering and Chassis

It’s easy to fall in love with an engine, but in the GLE’s case, this chassis is the star of the show.

First, huzzahs to the steering. It’s firm, direct, and offers feedback. Forget BMW – it’s nearly Porsche level, and the perfect sort of weight for a car of this size. Steering feedback gives you confidence.

So does a well-controlled chassis. This car rides like a Mercedes should in Comfort mode, without much drama or clomping over bumps. As soon as you put it in sport, the G hunkers down and offers no body roll whatsoever. None. Zilch. It’s a thing of magic – no other car I’ve driven offers this level of ride, comfort, and handling ability. Thank the air ride suspension, electronic shocks and a computer that makes it all work together. 

In Sport mode it can be a bit harsh, but it’s hardly worth mentioning. Makes the X5 M feel like a visit to the dentist for the removal of your entire jaw. Car & Driver says that this car will hold just .85 G of grip on a skid pad, but I use this to point out just how unimportant numbers are. You want your sport SUV to handle like the sophisticated piece of machinery it is, not some lunatic yelling Blitzkrieg! down the highway.

Brakes

 This car is optioned with carbon ceramic brakes, for just $5,450. That’s the cheapest I’ve seen them listed as an option for any auto maker, so go ahead and treat yo’self.

They work really well too, with no fade, a firm pedal, and minimal dusting showing up on the polished wheels. Gold calipers simply add to the look of elegance for this machine.

Lifestyle Score: 7. Style without compromise

If you think about this “coupe” shape as limiting, I suppose you might not be its target audience.

Let’s start in the front, where you pay only a minor penalty for selecting the sexy variant over a regular GLE – I hit my head on it getting in like I did the Discovery.

The same absolutely perfect Mercedes bucket seats greet you, there’s plenty of headroom once in (even with the nicely-sized sunroof), and you feel as if you could drive this car cross-country non-stop. Even the massaging function is wonderful – it actually feels like a massage, unlike some other makers’ attempts to kneed your muscles into submission.

Yes, the back seat does start to get tight, but anyone under 5 and a half feet will be fine. Anyone over that can take a complaint card and pass it to the nearest person that cares. Or just like, buy the regular GLE shape.

The trunk as well – easily fit weekly shopping trips to your favorite luxury store in the back. Jeez – even the carpet is nice back here. A benefit over something like the AMG GT is ride height; this is much easier to load things into.

Fuel Economy: 5. The V-8s phone home

The 2025 Mercedes AMG GLE 63 S Coupe gets a combined 16 MPG. That’s fine – the X6 M does one worse, at 15 MPG.

A car like this is subject to a gas guzzler tax, which nearly every maker lists on the Monroney label – except Mercedes. I’m sure you still pay for it, but Mercedes is kind enough to not list it as a separate item. Makes you feel a bit less like you’re getting screwed over for no reason.

Beyond that, what can I say? AMGs need V-8s, not turbo sixes or four-bangers, which is why Merc is bringing them back. Anyone that purchases a $160k SUV isn’t worried about paying for gas, but I know they want some muscle.

Features and Comfort: 10. Beauty and the Beast

The press cars come and go as if the MWS residence were an airport. My spousal unit disregards 99% of the chaos and simply asks I not turn the driveway into a dealership.

But that 1% is saved for her favorite brand. “Which Mercedes did you say they were sending?”. Mrs. Machines has taste, and it is expensive. 

GLE glee

Sigh – every Mercedes has this leather smell, I wish I could bottle and save it. This is MANUFAKTUR Signature Yacht Blue Nappa Leather, essentially a $10,000 option that doesn’t feel worth it until you…feel it. So soft, and the blue hue is classy while still being unique. Checking that box, thank you very much. Add the Piano Black trim while you’re at it.

Class is elsewhere too. AMG Nappa leather wheel, heated, cooled and massaging seats, Burmester stereo – even the 64-color ambient lighting. Beyond the leather, it’s mostly standard and makes for a pretty good deal.

Annoyances are limited to those multiple stalks that stick out from the steering wheel, and Mercedes infotainment (MBUX). It remains slow and clunky to use, though the GLE has yet to be upgraded to the larger screen and haptic buttons that some AMGs like the SL have. Just plug in Apple CarPlay and move on.

Jewel

While I do not know paint on the level of Larry Kosilla or the boys at J&B, I am no noob, and I have to tell you that Mercedes is simply the best in the game. The depth, clarity and shine aren’t matched by anyone else, regardless of price point.

Maybe that’s why we pay $6,500 for MANUFAKTUR Signature Cote d’Azur Light Blue Metallic. I hope my lens does it justice here, because it’s so stunning in person. Though most standard colors are free, you do pay a premium for this unique shade.

Bravo to whomever at the Mercedes mother ship optioned this car, because it’s exactly what I would do. The polished 22″ AMG Cross-Spoke Forged Wheels are a $1,500 option, or you can have black wheels that require black trim for $2,750, but I like the bright work with this blue.

The result is a car that blends in very well yet draws glances from those in the know.

Others SUVs to consider

• 2024 BMW X5 M Competition
• 2021 Porsche Cayenne Turbo
• 2022 Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT
• 2022 Mercedes AMG GLE 53
• 2021 Jaguar F-PACE SVR

The 2025 Mercedes AMG GLE 63 S Coupe is pretty much perfect, but misses one key element

I’ve just spent the last 1,800 words explaining how amazing this car is – so why not a ten? We can look at it in two ways.

The first way is through the eyes of the regular consumer. People buy an M or an AMG because it’s simply the best of that model, and they want it. Nothing wrong with that, and it’s where the Mercedes really excels. The X6 and Cayenne Turbo are sportier (the Cayenne in particular), but they don’t have the overall competence of this car. The luxury, the comfort – things you use every day.

But this isn’t just a luxury car. The GLE will never ask you to dance – you must always nudge it. At first it’s fun –“Yea baby, V-8!”. But after awhile, you’ll get tired of asking. Then it becomes a regular Mercedes, and an expensive one at that.

In a way, it doesn’t matter. This is a far superior machine to the GLE 53 – there’s no excitement there at all. The Porsche is some $60k more, and it ain’t $60k better. Maybe $30k. But this Mercedes excels at being the best Mercedes on sale today – a combination of lux and leader board times that is rare in today’s market. 

If you’re looking for the center of the automotive universe, I found it.