2025 Audi Q5 vs 2026 Mercedes-Benz GLE

Summary: Arriving midway through the model year, the 2025 Audi Q5 compact SUV marks the first redesign of the German luxury brand’s bestselling model since the 2018 model year. That redesign brings Audi’s current design language and tech suite, helping the Q5 keep pace with more recently updated rivals such as the BMW X3, Lexus NX, and Mercedes-Benz GLC.

Verdict: There’s plenty to like about the new Q5, but it’s far from being the definitive small luxury SUV.

Mercedes introduced the ML-Class in the late 1990s, a blobby-looking luxury SUV focused on on-road comfort. Almost 30 years later, the GLE — the ML’s replacement — follows that model’s founding formula but with modern powertrains and technology. The 2026 GLE is available in standard and “coupe” body styles equipped with four-, six-, and eight-cylinder engines. For the 2026 model year, the six-cylinder GLE 450 features a standard AMG Line exterior design.

Verdict: The midsize Mercedes GLE is the second most popular model the company sells in North America (behind the smaller GLC crossover SUV). That’s easy to understand given consumer preferences for SUVs and the GLE’s overall appeal. Still, it is time for Mercedes to redesign this model.