Consumer Reports – September 2019

THE LUXURIOUS GLE holds

its own in many ways with its

impressive interior, supportive

seats, and strong engine. But

its distracting controls and

lackluster handling might

drive shoppers to consider

competitors, such as the

BMW X5.

We like the cabin’s solid

assembly and the wood and

chrome trim. The dashboard

buttons and knobs look and

feel impressive, and the

blissful silence refl ects the

GLE’s premium price.

Most of the time, the stately

ride absorbs bumps well. But

on rough pavement there’s

an unbecoming jiggle and a

fl oating feeling over slight rises

when traveling at highway

speeds. The GLE feels heavy

in corners, mostly because the

steering is slow to respond and

there’s noticeable body roll.

The six-cylinder engine

provides plenty of power.

But at times the transmission

hesitates, and we noticed

an occasional bump during

downshifts. The 48-volt mild-

hybrid system makes the stop/

start function work smoothly.

We got 20 mpg overall.

The controls present

a real roadblock. Many

functions are buried deep in

multi-level menus; it takes a

vexing six steps to adjust the

lumbar support. It’s easy to

accidentally brush against the

touchpad between the seats

or the tiny touch-sensitive

buttons on the steering wheel.

That can change the center

screen, the gauges, or both at

inopportune moments.

The GLE 450 comes

standard with FCW, AEB, and

BSW, but LKA is part of an

option package. The brand’s

below-average reliability hurt

the SUV’s Overall Score.

THE RAV4 IS MEDIOCRE at best,

but the RAV4 Hybrid’s fuel

economy is so impressive that

shoppers considering a small,

all-wheel-drive SUV should give

it a closer look.

The electric propulsion

makes the hybrid more

pleasant than the conventional

RAV4, and it’s faster,

propelling the SUV from

0 to 60 mph a half-second

quicker. The hybrid also gets

37 mpg overall, 10 mpg better

than the regular version.

Based on the overall fuel

economy, the hybrid would

pay back the extra $800 it

costs in less than 2½ years for a

driver who covers 12,000 miles

a year. And that would shorten

to about a year for urban

drivers, because they’d use the

electric drive more often in

stop-and-go city traffi c.

The powertrain is also

quieter than the noisy engine

in the regular RAV4.

Otherwise, the hybrid

mirrors what we experienced

in the regular RAV4: The

ride is a bit jumpy but

handling is agile. Unlike

the all-wheel-drive system

on the regular RAV4, the

hybrid system lets the

front wheels spin when

taking off on slippery

surfaces. In addition, the

AWD system doesn’t operate

at highway speeds.

The bland interior is

essentially the same,

with basic seats and hard

plastics. To its credit, visibility

is good, and the hybrid doesn’t

give up any cargo space to the

battery pack.

The RAV4 Hybrid comes

with standard FCW with

pedestrian detection, AEB,

LDW, and LKA. BSW and

rear cross traffi c warning are

standard on the XLE trim.

ROAD-TEST SCORE 80

HIGHS Acceleration, quietness, seat

comfort, fit and finish

LOWS Controls, optional running

boards that make access difficult

POWERTRAIN 362-hp, 3.0-liter

6-cylinder turbocharged engine;

9-speed automatic transmission;

all-wheel drive

FUEL 20 mpg on premium fuel

PRICE AS TESTED $75,090

ROAD-TEST SCORE 76

HIGHS Fuel economy, standard

advanced safety features

LOWS Ride, fit and finish, limited

AWD functionality

POWERTRAIN 219-hp, 2.5-

liter 4-cylinder hybrid engine;

continuously variable transmission;

all-wheel drive

FUEL 37 mpg on regular fuel

PRICE AS TESTED $34,193

LUXURY MIDSIZED SUVs

Mercedes-

Benz GLE

Confusing Controls

and Dull Handling

COMPACT SUVs

To y o t a R AV4

Hybrid

An SUV Finds Its

Hybrid Sweet Spot

OVERALL

SCORE

66

OVERALL

SCORE

80

Road Report

PH

OT

OS

:^ J

OH

N^

PO

W

ER

S/

CO

NS

UM

ER

RE

PO

RT

S

64 CR.ORG SEPTEMBER 2019