2025 Buick Enclave vs 2025 Mercedes-Benz GLE

The 2025 Buick Enclave presented a bold and modern design, reminiscent of the Envista with its sharp lines and angular grille. Its exterior featured slim DRLs and a high beltline, giving it a more refined look compared to its predecessor. The Enclave's side profile was slightly generic, but the overall design was bolder, with fewer creases and a more upright profile. Inside, the Enclave offered a premium feel with a floating center console and a large curved display, creating an airy, futuristic ambiance. The Sport Touring trim featured perforated leatherette seats with contrast piping, enhancing the interior's upscale vibe. However, the limited sunroof availability was a drawback, especially for a near-luxury SUV.

The 2025 Mercedes-Benz GLE, with its facelift for 2024, maintained a distinctive design that set it apart from other Mercedes SUVs. It had a rounded profile with squared-off wheel arches and a horizontal grille, giving it a wide stance. The GLE Coupe models exaggerated these proportions with a fastback-style roofline. The interior was luxurious, featuring Nappa leather upholstery and a Yacht Blue color option. The cabin included upscale elements like chunky air vents, mesh speaker grilles, and 64-color ambient lighting, creating a sophisticated atmosphere. Despite its stylish design, the GLE's proportions made it less visually appealing than some competitors.

The 2025 Buick Enclave was powered by a turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine, delivering 328 horsepower and 326 pound-feet of torque. It featured an eight-speed automatic transmission with options for front-wheel or all-wheel drive, the latter costing an additional $2,000. The Enclave's fuel economy was slightly reduced with AWD, achieving 21 mpg combined. It could tow up to 5,000 pounds when properly equipped. The Enclave offered Active Noise Cancellation, with the engine noise version standard only on the top trim. The turbo engine was loud and less refined, making the noise cancellation a worthwhile consideration. The Enclave drove like a full-size vehicle, with loose steering at slower speeds, which was typical for its class.

The 2025 Mercedes-Benz GLE offered six powertrain options, including a plug-in hybrid and AMG variants. The GLE 350 featured a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine with 255 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque, paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission. The GLE 450 4Matic had a 3.0-liter inline-six engine producing 375 hp, while the GLE 450e 4Matic combined a turbo-four with electric assist for 381 hp. The GLE 580 4Matic boasted a twin-turbo V8 with 510 hp. AMG models included the GLE 53 with 429 hp and the GLE 63 S with 603 hp, offering impressive acceleration. Despite its power, the GLE felt larger than it was, with limited nimbleness even in AMG spec.

The 2025 Buick Enclave featured eight-way power adjustability for the driver's seat and six-way for the front passenger. It accommodated seven passengers with captain's chairs in the second row. Heated front seats and a heated steering wheel were standard, with the Avenir trim adding heated second-row seats and ventilation for the front. Tri-zone climate control was standard, and the power-folding third-row seats were available on higher trims. The Enclave offered 22.9 cubic feet of cargo space with all seats up, expanding to 97.5 cubic feet with both rear rows folded.

The 2025 Mercedes-Benz GLE was available in two-row and three-row configurations, though third-row space specs were not published. The GLE offered competitive headroom and slightly more second-row space than rivals. It provided 33.3 cubic feet of cargo space behind the second row, expanding to 74.9 cubic feet with seats folded. The GLE's center console offered reasonable storage space, and it had a maximum towing capacity of 7,700 pounds, matching the Audi Q7.

The 2025 Buick Enclave featured a 30-inch ultrawide touchscreen integrating the infotainment display and digital gauge cluster. A 12-speaker Bose audio system was standard, with a 16-speaker system available on the Avenir trim. Wireless charging, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto were standard, along with Google Built-In and Wi-Fi hotspot capability. The Enclave offered wired charging with USB ports in each row.

The 2025 Mercedes-Benz GLE had dual 12.3-inch screens for the digital instrument cluster and infotainment. The MBUX system included wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and built-in navigation. Multiple access methods, including a touchpad and voice recognition, were available. AMG models featured additional drive modes and settings accessible via steering wheel dials. Some GLE models offered off-road displays and a "transparent hood" function for the 360-degree camera system.

The 2025 Buick Enclave came with advanced safety features, including blind-zone steering assist, intersection automatic emergency braking, and lane-keep assist. HD Surround Vision and adaptive cruise control were standard, while Super Cruise was available for hands-free driving. The 2024 Enclave received good IIHS ratings but had an "Acceptable" rating for the updated side crash-test and a four-star NHTSA rating.

The 2025 Mercedes-Benz GLE offered standard safety features like forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, and blind-spot monitoring. The optional Driver Assistance Package included adaptive cruise control and evasive steering assist. The GLE earned a 2025 Top Safety Pick+ from the IIHS, though its front-crash prevention tech received mixed ratings.