Compare the2025 Ford ExplorerVS 2024 Mercedes GLE

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Ergonomics
Model Availability
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Explorer are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The GLE doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Ford Explorer has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The GLE doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Explorer ST-Line/Platinum/ST has a standard Reverse Brake Assist that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The GLE doesn’t offer automatic braking for stationary objects directly to the rear.

The Explorer’s standard lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane and gently nudges the vehicle back towards its lane. A lane departure warning system costs extra on the GLE.

Both the Explorer and the GLE have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

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

	Explorer	GLE
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Neck Stress	167 lbs.	208 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	230/210 lbs.	301/184 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Compression	.4 inches	.4 inches
Neck Injury Risk	29.2%	31%
Leg Forces (l/r)	380/405 lbs.	401/438 lbs.

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

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 Ford Explorer is safer than the Mercedes GLE:

	Explorer	GLE
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	224 lbs.	287 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	86	103
Spine Acceleration	38 G’s	40 G’s
Hip Force	604 lbs.	677 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	573 lbs.	615 lbs.

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

Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Ford Explorer is safer than the GLE:

	Explorer	GLE
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Structure	GOOD	GOOD
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Torso	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Shoulder Force	134 lbs.	156 lbs.
Torso Max Deflection	1.06 in	1.34 in
Torso Deflection Rate	5 MPH	6 MPH
Pelvis	ACCEPTABLE	ACCEPTABLE
Pelvis Force	982 lbs.	1026 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD
	Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	168	232
Torso	GOOD	GOOD
Pelvis	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Pelvis Force	825 lbs.	1116 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD

Warranty

Ford’s powertrain warranty covers the Explorer 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Mercedes covers the GLE. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the GLE ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are almost 8 times as many Ford dealers as there are Mercedes dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Explorer’s warranty.

Reliability

The Explorer has a standard “limp home system” to keep drivers from being stranded if most or all of the engine’s coolant is lost. The engine will run on only half of its cylinders at a time, reduce its power and light a warning lamp on the dashboard so the driver can get to a service station for repairs. The GLE doesn’t offer a lost coolant limp home mode, so a coolant leak could strand you or seriously damage the truck’s engine.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Explorer second among midsize suvs in their 2024 Initial Quality Study. The GLE isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Ford vehicles are better in initial quality than Mercedes vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Ford above average in initial quality. With 27 more problems per 100 vehicles, Mercedes is rated below average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Ford vehicles are more reliable than Mercedes vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Ford 7 places higher in reliability than Mercedes.

Engine

As tested in Motor Trend the Ford Explorer turbo 4 cyl. is faster than the GLE 350 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder:

	Explorer	GLE
Zero to 60 MPH	6.2 sec	7.6 sec
Quarter Mile	14.8 sec	15.8 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	90 MPH	87.5 MPH

As tested in Motor Trend the Ford Explorer 3.0 is faster than the GLE 450 3.0 turbo 6-cylinder hybrid:

	Explorer	GLE
Zero to 60 MPH	5.3 sec	5.6 sec
Quarter Mile	13.9 sec	14.2 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	99.9 MPH	97.4 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Explorer gets better mileage than the GLE running its gasoline engine:

			MPG
Explorer
	RWD	2.3 turbo 4-cyl.	20 city/27 hwy
		3.0 turbo V6	18 city/25 hwy
	AWD	2.3 turbo 4-cyl.	20 city/27 hwy
		3.0 turbo V6	18 city/25 hwy
GLE
	AWD	3.0 turbo 6-cyl. Hybrid	19 city/26 hwy
		4.0 turbo V8 Hybrid	15 city/20 hwy

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Ford Explorer uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended for maximum performance). The GLE requires premium, which can cost on average about 84.9 cents more per gallon.

The Explorer has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The GLE doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

Transmission

A 10-speed automatic is standard on the Ford Explorer, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a nine-speed automatic is available for the GLE.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Explorer’s standard front brake rotors are larger than those on the GLE:

	Explorer	GLE
Front Rotors	13.6 inches	13 inches

The Explorer stops much shorter than the GLE:

	Explorer	GLE
70 to 0 MPH	161 feet	174 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	113 feet	130 feet	Motor Trend

Suspension and Handling

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Explorer’s wheelbase is 1.2 inches longer than on the GLE (119.1 inches vs. 117.9 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Explorer is 1.3 inches wider in the front and .5 inches wider in the rear than on the GLE.

The Explorer’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (50% to 50%) than the GLE’s (53.5% to 46.5%). This gives the Explorer more stable handling and braking.

The Explorer ST 4WD handles at .86 G’s, while the GLE 450 pulls only .84 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Explorer ST 4WD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.8 seconds quicker than the GLE 350 (26.4 seconds @ .72 average G’s vs. 28.2 seconds @ .62 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Explorer’s turning circle is 1 foot tighter than the GLE’s (38.4 feet vs. 39.4 feet).

Chassis

The Ford Explorer may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 350 to 550 pounds less than the Mercedes GLE.

The front grille of the Explorer uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The GLE doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

Passenger Space

The Explorer has .2 inches more front headroom, 2.7 inches more front legroom, 2.5 inches more front shoulder room, 3.6 inches more rear headroom and 3.6 inches more rear shoulder room than the GLE.

Cargo Capacity

The Explorer’s cargo area provides more volume than the GLE.

	Explorer	GLE
Third Seat Folded	46 cubic feet	n/a
Third Seat Removed	n/a	33.3 cubic feet
Second Seat Folded	85.8 cubic feet	74.9 cubic feet

The Explorer’s cargo area is larger than the GLE’s in almost every dimension:

	Explorer	GLE
Length to seat (3rd/2nd/1st)	20.8”/49.8”/84.1”	n.a./40”/76.5”
Min Width	48.1”	43.7”
Height	33.7”	35.5”

The Explorer has a standard third row seat which folds flat into the floor. This completely clears a very large cargo area quickly. The GLE doesn’t offer seats that fold into the floor.

Towing

Trailer Sway Control is standard on the Explorer, using the AdvanceTrac® sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. A trailer sway program costs extra on the GLE.

Ergonomics

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Explorer’s available exterior PIN entry system. The GLE doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system, and its Mercedes-Benz Emergency Call can’t unlock the doors if the vehicle doesn’t have cell phone reception or the driver can’t contact the service.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Explorer has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the GLE only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

Consumer Reports rated the Explorer’s headlight performance “Good,” a higher rating than the GLE’s headlights, which were rated “Poor.”

Model Availability

The Explorer is available in both rear-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The GLE doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the Explorer owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Explorer will cost $2730 less than the GLE over a five-year period.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Explorer is less expensive to operate than the GLE because it costs $146 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the Explorer than the GLE, including $387 less for a water pump, $40 less for a muffler, $184 less for front brake pads, $474 less for a starter, $384 less for fuel injection, $97 less for a fuel pump, $327 less for front struts and $170 less for a power steering pump.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Ford Explorer will be $23273 to $32220 less than for the Mercedes GLE.

Recommendations

The Ford Explorer outsold the Mercedes GLE by over three to one during 2023.