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Excellent suggestion by CFAI, which I sort of said myself above. Lease the GLE and in 3 years, see how the offerings then compare to the next gen GX. I never, ever would buy a Mercedes Benz today even if it were discounted. Most modern cars today sell for their gimmicky features like intercom to the 3rd row, mood lighting, nature sounds, touchscreen displays, etc. I'm not even talking about nice-to-have things like heated/vented seats or heated steering wheel, but the really gimmicky stuff. I'd trade all of that and even pay extra for 4WD, V8, and center-locking diff any day.
To make the wife happy, just lease it and, if possible, get it with the numbers in your favor. Just like any piece of tech that gets replaced the year after, you'll be excited until you get sick of it and find that you never even use them.
On the Mercedes vs. Lexus, the only way I would ever have a BMW, Range Rover, Mercedes, Jaguar or Alpha would be if it was under a lease and under warranty. The abysmal reliability is unreal. Their lack value retention is worse than their reliability once the warranty runs out. If you want to lease it, that is the way to go. The 10 year old GX is far more reliable and holds value better than any 10 year old Mercedes or BMW suv.
If you consider the cost of ownership, there is no beating the GX over any of the premium vehicles. Not that any of the folks who buy these are counting pennies, I just refuse to give it away. The below comparison is the GL vs GX, same year. The GL sold for a lot more new too.
I used to lease nice cars when I lived in FL but not here in SC as they charge annual ad-valorem taxes so that is a waste of coin that I refuse to pay any more than I have to. While the GX is not quite as pimp as some of the European offerings,
As someone who has (unfortunately and fortunately) owned a M5, SQ5, and leased a GLE43 AMG, X5M, and Q7 3.0 .. please only lease one!
The Euros are FUN to drive (esp the AMGs, and ///Ms ), and loaded with tech ( no surprise ).. but other than the reliability ( which..was a mixed bag for me.. the Audi had almost no issues ) it's the re-sale value ( and insurance for me ) that would deter me from owning one, especially with the super inflated prices right now!
That said, I would recommend leasing for sure! They're anything but boring
01-16-22, 10:06 PM
.. please only lease one!
