2026 Buick Enclave vs 2026 Mercedes-Benz GLE

Heavily updated for the 2025 model year, the Enclave three-row crossover SUV enters 2026 unchanged. It shares a platform with the Chevrolet Traverse and GMC Acadia, carving out its own niche with a greater emphasis on luxury and comfort than ruggedness and active-lifestyle pretensions.

Verdict: The 2026 Buick Enclave finds a middle ground between standard three-row SUVs and their more expensive luxury-branded counterparts. While it's not particularly exciting to look at or drive, it gets the fundamentals right with a spacious cabin in all three rows, a large cargo capacity, high levels of comfort, and easy-to-use tech.

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.