2019 Volkswagen Touareg Is Better than Mercedes GLE, But Reviewers Don't Love It

They took an objective look at both models, and even though the Touareg has to be declared the winner, it feels like they enjoyed the Mercedes GLE much more.

This model is old, launched in 2015 as a facelift on the ML from 2011. As such, Mercedes offers discounts, and the €72,000 GLE 250 d undercuts the Touareg by about €6,000. Yes, the VW is a lot more expensive. Isn't that amazing?

One obvious flaw of the Benz is its V6 diesel, which is much rougher and less responsive than the one VW has. The steering feels less direct, and the suspension is way softer, but after a 1,000km trip in the GLE, you feel like you can do another 1,000km, says one reviewer.

So what about the VW? Well, it immediately wows people with its dashboard design, which consists of a 12-inch instrument cluster and a 15-inch infotainment screen which controls everything. But the Germans didn't like that you had to know the menus to adjust heat seating or the music.

Also, the Touareg feels like it's made with cheaper plastics and lacks rear seat frills. The reviewers said Volkswagen need to think about making a "business package" for the SUV to spruce up the interior. Looking at the cream leather in the cheaper Mercedes, we kind of get where they're coming from.

But the available tech in the VW is still amazing. There's all-wheel-steering, which makes the SUV feel smaller, as well as air suspension and clever anti-roll bars.

Independent tests show that the Touareg uses an average of 8.5 liters of diesel fuel while the GLE 350 d needs 8.8 liters. Trunk space also seems to favor the newer model from VW, but this comparison is going to be reset once the all-new GLE debuts later this year.