Compare the2023 Mercedes GLEVS 2023 Dodge Durango

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and second-row seat shoulder belts of the Mercedes GLE have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Dodge Durango doesn’t offer pretensioners for its second-row seat belts.

The GLE’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Durango doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the GLE’s standard Downhill Speed Regulation allows you to creep down safely. The Durango doesn’t offer Downhill Speed Regulation.

The GLE offers an optional Surround View System to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Durango only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

The GLE’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Durango doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the GLE and the Durango have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, daytime running lights, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available lane departure warning systems.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Mercedes GLE is safer than the Dodge Durango:

	GLE	Durango
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	24%	34%
Neck Stress	208 lbs.	236 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	301/184 lbs.	339/364 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	209	295
Chest Compression	.4 inches	.8 inches
Neck Stress	125 lbs.	156 lbs.
Neck Compression	31 lbs.	86 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

A significantly tougher test than their original offset frontal crash test, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety does 40 MPH small overlap frontal offset crash tests. In this test, where only 25% of the total width of the vehicle is struck, results indicate that the Mercedes GLE is safer than the Durango:

	GLE	Durango
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	MARGINAL
Restraints	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Head Neck Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Peak Head Forces	0 G’s	0 G’s
Steering Column Movement Rearward	0 cm	9 cm
Chest Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Hip & Thigh Evaluation	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Femur Force R/L	1.9/1.3 kN	5.3/2.5 kN
Hip & Thigh Injury Risk R/L	0%/0%	6%/0%
Lower Leg Evaluation	GOOD	POOR
Tibia index R/L	.42/.42	1.53/.59

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Mercedes GLE is safer than the Dodge Durango:

	GLE	Durango
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	40	46
Chest Movement	.7 inches	1.1 inches
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	12 inches	14 inches
Spine Acceleration	35 G’s	43 G’s
Hip Force	615 lbs.	714 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the GLE is 4.3% to 5.7% less likely to roll over than the Durango.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, with its optional vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, with its optional vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the GLE its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 114 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Durango is not even a standard “Top Safety Pick.”

Warranty

The GLE comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Durango’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

Reliability

For smoother operation, better efficiency and fewer moving parts, the engines in the GLE have an overhead cam design, rather than the old pushrod design of the 5.7 V8 in the Durango.

Engine

The GLE has more powerful engines than the Durango:

	Horsepower	Torque
GLE 350 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder	255 HP	273 lbs.-ft.
GLE 450 3.0 turbo 6-cylinder hybrid	362 HP	369 lbs.-ft.
GLE 580 4.0 turbo V8 hybrid	483 HP	516 lbs.-ft.
Durango 3.6 DOHC V6	293 HP	260 lbs.-ft.
Durango 3.6 DOHC V6	295 HP	260 lbs.-ft.
Durango 5.7 V8	360 HP	390 lbs.-ft.

As tested in Motor Trend the GLE 350 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder is faster than the Dodge Durango V6:

	GLE	Durango
Zero to 60 MPH	7.6 sec	8 sec
Quarter Mile	15.8 sec	16.1 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	87.5 MPH	86.9 MPH

As tested in Motor Trend the GLE 450 3.0 turbo 6-cylinder hybrid is faster than the Dodge Durango 5.7:

	GLE	Durango
Zero to 60 MPH	5.6 sec	6.6 sec
Quarter Mile	14.2 sec	15 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	97.4 MPH	93.2 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the GLE gets better mileage than the Durango:

			MPG
GLE
	RWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	20 city/25 hwy
	AWD	3.0 turbo 6-cyl. Hybrid	20 city/25 hwy
		2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	20 city/24 hwy
		4.0 turbo V8 Hybrid	16 city/21 hwy
Durango
	RWD	5.7 OHV V8	14 city/22 hwy
	AWD	3.6 DOHC V6	18 city/25 hwy
		5.7 OHV V8	14 city/22 hwy

Regenerative brakes improve the GLE 450/580’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Durango doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

Regardless of its engine, the GLE’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. Dodge only offers an automatic engine start/stop system on the Durango V6.

Transmission

A nine-speed automatic is standard on the Mercedes GLE, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only an eight-speed automatic is available for the Durango.

Brakes and Stopping

The GLE stops much shorter than the Durango:

	GLE	Durango
60 to 0 MPH	115 feet	127 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	138 feet	160 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

The GLE’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 50 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Durango SXT’s standard 60 series tires. The GLE 450’s optional tires have a lower 40 series profile than the Durango R/T’s optional 45 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the GLE has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the Durango SXT. The GLE 450’s optional 22-inch wheels are larger than the 20-inch wheels optional on the Durango.

Suspension and Handling

The GLE has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the GLE flat and controlled during cornering. The Durango’s suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

The GLE 450 offers an available adjustable active suspension system, which counteracts cornering forces actively, limiting body roll and improving handling and stability. Dodge doesn’t offer an active suspension on the Durango.

The GLE’s drift compensation steering can automatically compensate for road conditions which would cause the vehicle to drift from side to side, helping the driver to keep the vehicle straight more easily. The Durango doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the GLE is 1.7 inches wider in the front and 2.3 inches wider in the rear than on the Durango.

The GLE 450 handles at .84 G’s, while the Durango GT pulls only .75 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The GLE 450 executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.8 seconds quicker than the Durango GT 4x4 (27 seconds @ .69 average G’s vs. 28.8 seconds @ .58 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the GLE’s turning circle is 1.6 feet tighter than the Durango’s (39.4 feet vs. 41 feet).

For greater off-road capability the GLE Airmatic has a 1.1 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Durango (9.2 vs. 8.1 inches), allowing the GLE to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Chassis

The GLE is 6.5 inches shorter than the Durango, making the GLE easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The design of the Mercedes GLE amounts to more than styling. The GLE has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .29 Cd. That is significantly lower than the Durango (.36) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the GLE get better fuel mileage.

As tested by Car and Driver, the interior of the GLE 450 is quieter than the Durango GT 4x4:

	GLE	Durango
At idle	38 dB	38 dB
Full-Throttle	70 dB	76 dB
70 MPH Cruising	63 dB	67 dB

Passenger Space

The GLE has .6 inches more front headroom, .8 inches more front shoulder room, 2.3 inches more rear legroom and .6 inches more rear shoulder room than the Durango.

Cargo Capacity

The GLE has a much larger cargo volume than the Durango with its rear seat up (33.3 vs. 17.2 cubic feet).

A control in the cargo area automatically lowers the GLE’s second row seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Durango doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the GLE’s liftgate can be opened and closed just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Durango doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its liftgate, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

Ergonomics

Unlike the driver-only memory system optional at extra cost in the Durango (except SXT), the GLE offers an optional passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat, steering wheel position and outside mirror angle and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

The GLE’s standard easy entry system raises the steering wheel and glides the driver’s seat back, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. An easy entry system costs extra on the Durango, and is not available on all models.

The GLE offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed, tachometer, certain gauge, warning and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Durango doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The GLE’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The Durango’s parking brake has to be released manually.

The GLE’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Durango’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

The GLE’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Durango’s standard intermittent wipers change speed with vehicle speed, but can’t turn on and off or change speed based on changing rainfall.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The GLE’s headlights were rated “Good” to “Acceptable” by the IIHS, while the Durango’s headlights are rated “Marginal.”

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the GLE offers optional cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Durango doesn’t offer cornering lights. The GLE also offers optional adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle.

To better shield the driver and front passenger’s vision, the GLE has standard dual-element sun visors that can block glare from two directions simultaneously. The Durango doesn’t offer secondary sun visors.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the GLE to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Durango doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

The GLE offers optional massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the Durango.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Mercedes GLE has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The Durango doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

The GLE’s Active Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. The Durango doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the GLE owner. The Car Book by Jack Gillis rates the GLE with a number “8” insurance rate while the Durango is rated higher at a number “10” rate.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the GLE is less expensive to operate than the Durango because typical repairs cost much less on the GLE than the Durango, including $577 less for a timing belt/chain.

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