The W166 generation GLE was first introduced in 2011 and was badged as the ML-Class before the GLE nomenclature was introduced in 2015 as the German brand rebranded key models. There are both Mercedes-Benz and Mercedes-AMG variants of the GLE and we will be focussing on the latter in today’s comparison.
There are both coupe and SUV body styles available in the AMG GLE as well as three engine options, namely two six-cylinder turbocharged petrol motors and an 8-cylinder turbocharged petrol. We will be looking at both the SUV and the coupe variants in GLE 43 and GLE 63 S guise as the GLE 53 had not been introduced at during the years that we are analysing.
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Our mileage parameters will be under 100 000km and we will be looking at vehicles registered between 2016 and 2017 to ensure that some of their respective maintenance plans are intact. At the time of writing, just over 26 models listed on AutoTrader qualified for our comparison, providing us with a respectable number of models with which to create a definitive verdict.
Determining the actual depreciation on premium vehicles such as this is never an exact science as each vehicle will have various optional extras fitted, which will have affected its price when new and will have an effect on its current value too.
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2017 Mercedes-AMG GLE 43
New Price: R1 206 700
Average Current Price: R 862 950
Value Retained: 71.5%
The GLE 43 models appear to hold their respective values relatively well, however, we must consider the fact that all of the models found that fit our pre-determined criteria are from 2017, giving them a slight advantage over the other models which have 2016 or a combination of 2016 and 2017-year models.
2016/2017 Mercedes-AMG GLE 43 Coupe
New Price: R1 354 186
Average Current Price: R 948 133
Value Retained: 70.01%
The GLE 43 Coupe appears to hold its value nearly as well as its SUV-shaped sibling. In fact, the mixture of 2016 and 2017-year models within this specific sample group could be the only reason why the coupe does not appear to hold its value as well as the ‘regular’ GLE 43.
2016 Mercedes-AMG GLE 63 S
New Price: R1 829 700
Average Current Price: R1 149 933
Value Retained: 62.84%
The GLE 63 S appears to have retained its value the worst of the four competitors which could come down to a range of factors including the fact that all the products that fit our criteria were 2016 models with relatively high mileage versus the other three models used in this comparison.
2016 Mercedes-AMG GLE 63 S Coupe
New Price: R1 876 111
Average Current Price: R1 399 840
Value Retained: 74%
An important consideration when looking at the data for the GLE 63 S Coupe variants was that two of the eleven vehicles used for the comparison had exceptionally low mileage and were therefore listed at higher prices, which has positively affected the residual values for this particular sample group.
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Which one depreciates the fastest?
The GLE 63 S depreciates the fastest of the four models used in the comparison, showing between 7 and 11% more depreciation that the other three variants used to create this piece. As mentioned in the analysis of the data sets, there are multiple factors at play which have affected these particular figures.
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