2027 BMW X5 vs Mercedes GLE: Which Is Better? — A Newly Redesigned X5 With More Power Against a Refreshed GLE That Still Has the V8
The new fifth-generation X5 meets the refreshed 2027 GLE: prices, power, plug-in hybrids, space and safety compared.
Two of the best-known luxury three-row-optional SUVs in America are both mid-change at the same moment. BMW has just launched the fifth-generation X5, with the first 2027 deliveries starting in October 2026, while Mercedes-Benz has refreshed the GLE for 2027 with a new interior, new engines and a standard triple-screen dashboard. Because the two are at different points in their rollout, this comparison uses the official 2027 figures from each manufacturer wherever they exist and says plainly where a number is still missing.
The Short Answer
The X5 is the better pick if you want the stronger and more efficient powertrains and the newer technology platform: its base engine makes 394 horsepower, against 255 in the base GLE, and a plug-in X5 is on the way with 483 horsepower. The GLE is the better pick if you want the broadest engine menu, a V8 that is already on sale, and a cabin and ride tuned for comfort first. Neither is a bad choice, and the price gap between comparable versions is smaller than the gap in character.
Price: Where Each One Starts
BMW has published full U.S. pricing for the 2027 X5. The X5 40 xDrive, the first version to reach showrooms, starts at $72,100 before a $1,450 destination charge, which puts it at $73,550. A rear-wheel-drive X5 40 follows in the first quarter of 2027 from $69,800, the X5 50e xDrive plug-in hybrid starts at $77,500, and the all-electric iX5 60 xDrive at $79,800. A V8-powered M Performance version is scheduled for later in 2027, with no price yet.
The 2027 GLE is priced by trim. According to Jalopnik's first-drive report in October 2026, the GLE 350 starts at $69,850, the GLE 450 at $76,250, the GLE 450 Coupe at $82,750, the plug-in GLE 500e at $82,450 and the V8 GLE 580 at $97,750. The report does not say whether those figures include destination, so treat the gap between the two lineups as approximate, since a destination charge of around $1,500 could narrow or widen it.
Put the two lineups side by side and the picture is clear. The GLE has the cheaper entry point, but its cheapest version has a four-cylinder engine. The comparable six-cylinder versions are close: the X5 40 xDrive at $73,550 with destination against the GLE 450 at $76,250 before any destination charge. In other words, if you want an inline-six in both, the BMW is the less expensive of the two on paper.
Engines and Performance
The X5 40 and 40 xDrive use BMW's 3.0-liter inline-six with a new turbocharger. Output rises by 19 horsepower to 394, and torque climbs from 383 to 428 lb-ft. BMW quotes 0-60 mph in 5.1 seconds, or 4.8 seconds with a one-foot rollout, and an electronically limited top speed of up to 155 mph. A 48-volt mild-hybrid system is part of the package.
The GLE offers four engines in the U.S. The GLE 350 pairs a 2.0-liter four-cylinder with 255 horsepower and 295 lb-ft with a 48-volt starter-generator, and Mercedes estimates 6.8 seconds to 60 mph. The GLE 450 uses a 3.0-liter inline-six with 375 horsepower and 413 lb-ft, good for an estimated 5.0 seconds. The GLE 500e plug-in combines a 322-horsepower six-cylinder with a 181-horsepower electric motor for 429 horsepower and 502 lb-ft combined, and the GLE 580 has a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 with 530 horsepower and 553 lb-ft, estimated at 4.4 seconds.
Read across, the like-for-like six-cylinder comparison favors the BMW on paper by 19 horsepower and 15 lb-ft, though both reach 60 mph in about five seconds, so the difference will be hard to feel. The real gap is at the ends of the range. The GLE 350's four-cylinder is the weakest engine in this matchup by a wide margin, while the GLE 580 is the only V8 that you can actually buy today. BMW says a V8 X5 will arrive later in 2027, but has not given figures.
The Plug-In Hybrids
This is where the X5 pulls ahead. BMW rates the X5 50e xDrive at 483 horsepower and 516 lb-ft of system torque, with 4.6 seconds to 60 mph and up to 87 mph on electric power alone. Its 26.5 kWh usable battery gives an estimated electric range of up to 44 miles, based on BMW's own testing using EPA procedures, about 15 percent better than the previous generation.
The GLE 500e has a 25.3 kWh battery, according to Jalopnik, and Mercedes quotes 106 kilometers on the European WLTP cycle, which converts to roughly 66 miles. WLTP figures run more generous than EPA numbers, and Jalopnik says U.S. range is expected to be more than 40 miles. The GLE 500e DC fast-charges at up to 60 kW, about 30 minutes from 10 to 80 percent. Jalopnik measured 5.3 seconds to 60 mph, and called the 500e the most refined version it drove. In short, the two plug-ins have almost the same real-world electric range, but the BMW has about 54 more horsepower and is quicker by BMW's numbers.
The X5 line also has something the GLE does not: an all-electric version. The iX5 60 xDrive makes 570 horsepower, reaches 60 mph in an estimated 4.4 seconds and has an estimated range of up to 435 miles, a preliminary figure from BMW. Mercedes sells its electric SUVs under a different nameplate, so the GLE has no direct counterpart.
Interior and Technology
Both cars now put a screen across most of the dashboard. The X5 uses BMW's Neue Klasse interior with a 17.9-inch free-cut central display and a panoramic display strip across the base of the windshield. The GLE carries the MBUX Superscreen as standard equipment, with three displays, and runs the new Mercedes-Benz Operating System, MB.OS.
Which one is easier to live with is a matter of taste, but there is independent criticism of the Mercedes. Jalopnik called the Superscreen a weak point, saying the 12.3-inch center screen looks squat with wasted bezel space around it, and that the passenger display cannot reach the seat massage controls. It also found interior materials that lag the price, including thin sun visors and hard plastic door panels. It praised the chassis and engines. We have not seen a comparable independent first-drive report on the new X5's interior, so that is a gap in the evidence rather than a point in either car's favor.
Space and Practicality
BMW says the new X5's wheelbase has grown by 2.4 inches, which it uses to add rear knee room, and the rear seat now sits at a two-degree flatter torso angle. The rear bench splits 40:20:40. BMW's U.S. release does not give a cargo volume in cubic feet, so we cannot put a number on the X5's trunk here.
Mercedes does publish one: 22.25 cubic feet behind the rear seats, rising to 29 cubic feet with the power-adjustable rear seats, and 72.6 cubic feet with the second row folded flat. The GLE also offers a rear-lowering function that drops the back of the vehicle by more than two inches for easier loading. On the evidence available today, the GLE has the better documented practicality story, but the X5 has not been shown to be worse.
Safety
Neither the new X5 nor the refreshed GLE has been crash-tested by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety yet, so the best evidence is the outgoing 2026 models. The 2026 BMW X5 holds a Top Safety Pick+ award, with Good ratings in the small overlap, moderate overlap and side tests, Good in both vehicle-to-vehicle and pedestrian front crash prevention on its standard system, and Acceptable headlights.
The 2026 Mercedes GLE also scores Good in the three crash tests and Good headlights, but its pedestrian front crash prevention is rated Marginal on the standard system and Acceptable only with the optional system, and IIHS notes that the award applies only to vehicles with that option. If safety ratings drive your decision, the X5 had the cleaner result last year. Both models have been changed, so check the IIHS ratings again once the 2027 cars are tested.
Availability
The X5 40 xDrive is the first version in showrooms, with deliveries beginning in October 2026. The rear-wheel-drive X5 40, the X5 50e and the iX5 follow in the first quarter of 2027. All X5 versions are built in Spartanburg, South Carolina. The 2027 GLE is built in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and Mercedes said it would reach U.S. dealers in the second half of 2026.
Which Should You Buy?
**Buy the BMW X5 if** you want the most power for the money in a six-cylinder luxury SUV, a plug-in with more output and a quicker sprint, or you want the option of a full EV in the same body. It also had the stronger 2026 crash-prevention results. Expect to wait until early 2027 for the plug-in.
**Buy the Mercedes GLE if** you want a V8 now, prefer a softer and more comfort-oriented character, or need the documented cargo space. It is also the cheaper way into the segment, though only with the 255-horsepower four-cylinder, which is underpowered for a vehicle this size.
**Wait if** you are cross-shopping plug-ins. The X5 50e is not on sale until early 2027, and neither car's 2027 U.S. fuel economy figures were available at the time of writing. Prices and the specifications above come from the manufacturers' own announcements and one independent first drive, and they may change before deliveries reach your area.
| 2027 BMW X5 | 2027 Mercedes GLE | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price (first version) | $72,100 (40 xDrive) + $1,450 destination | $69,850 (GLE 350), destination not stated |
| Base engine | 3.0L I6 turbo, 394 hp / 428 lb-ft | 2.0L I4 turbo, 255 hp / 295 lb-ft |
| Six-cylinder version | X5 40 xDrive: 394 hp, 5.1 s to 60 | GLE 450: 375 hp / 413 lb-ft, 5.0 s est., from $76,250 |
| Plug-in hybrid | X5 50e: 483 hp, 4.6 s, 44 mi EV est., from $77,500 (Q1 2027) | GLE 500e: 429 hp, 5.5 s est., 106 km WLTP, from $82,450 |
| Top version | iX5 60 xDrive EV: 570 hp, up to 435 mi est., from $79,800; V8 later in 2027 | GLE 580 V8: 530 hp / 553 lb-ft, 4.4 s est., from $97,750 |
| Cargo space | Not published for the U.S. | 22.25 cu ft behind 2nd row (up to 29), 72.6 folded |
| Main screen | 17.9-inch central display + panoramic strip | Standard MBUX Superscreen, three 12.3-inch displays |
| IIHS (2026 model) | Top Safety Pick+ | Good crash tests; pedestrian prevention Marginal standard, Acceptable optional |
| Built in | Spartanburg, South Carolina | Tuscaloosa, Alabama |
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