Sponsored by Mercedes-Benz of Baton Rouge
Last month, Krystal Faircloth partnered with Mercedes-Benz of Baton Rouge and the GLE had her actually looking forward to driving around town and even getting stuck in crazy traffic. “I was tasked with reviewing the Mercedes-Benz GLE from a down-to-Earth, real-life mom perspective,” Faircloth says. “And I’ll be real honest here, I’m not sure how they expect me to hand this car back over in a month!”
5 MUST-HAVE FEATURES
1. Room for little ones: What you might not assume is how much room there is inside the GLE. As a mom, having a spacious backseat is the most important part of this car for Faircloth. She needs enough room for a toddler seat and infant seat in the back. It’s worth noting that her husband is 6’4 and Faircloth is 5’9, so the space they have between the two rows is KEY. She and her hubby can both sit comfortably in the second row of the GLE without feeling cramped, and the car seats do not create a problem with the amount of leg room they need in the front seat. As a bonus, there’s even a third row that makes this car a seven-seater, without feeling like you’re driving a school bus. Faircloth says the optional third row is really what makes this the ideal “mom car” without it feeling like a “mom car”.
2. Touch screen technology: The first thing that catches the eye when you get in the GLE is the impressive touch screen that can be controlled by dual touch pads. You get a fully digital dash that spans door to door along with a console that houses your main touch pad. You also have a mini touch pad directly on the steering wheel, so your hands never have to leave it.
Both touch pads allow you to navigate your dash screen without having to actually touch it. (Or you totally can touch it, because that part is pretty cool too.) The main home screen is organized and categorized so that you can find every feature of the car simply by swiping to your left or right on either touch pad.
3. Hands-free phone connectivity: While on the subject of technology, let’s talk about the wireless charging pad + Bluetooth connectivity for your phone. We are all so attached to our phones which can be a dangerous thing while driving, but the GLE gives you hands-free / phone-free capabilities. The charging pad means there’s no messing with tangled charging wires. You get in, put your phone down, and it automatically charges as you drive. And once it’s there, you never really need to pick it up again because the car syncs up to your phone and directs all incoming calls through the dash system. You can answer or hang up directly from the steering wheel – again your hands never need to leave the wheel.
You can also ask the car to call people in your contact list just by saying “Hey Mercedes…” In addition, with a few swipes across the home screen, you can access your phone media to play Spotify, Apple Play, and other music apps without ever having to pick up your phone!
4. Safety Extras: Next, a few of the convenient safety features. The first, automatic blind spot indicators on the side mirrors. “I know at all times when there is another vehicle on either side of me,” Faircloth says. “Just by glancing at the mirrors, a small little arrow will light up indicating if something is there.” The GLE takes rear backup cameras farther with another reassuring feature if you live in a busy neighborhood with kids on bikes—the GLE will automatically brake and stop on its own if it detects something behind you. There’s also a great number of camera views from above and outside of the car for parking lots and an option to have the car actually assist you in finding a parking spot!
One last safety feature is actually the Mercedes-Benz phone app that will ping your phone if you’ve left the car unlocked. Directly from the app, you can lock, unlock and even start or stop the car. “This is a feature that I never knew I needed until recently – especially getting out of the car with hands full of groceries, or getting a child out of the car. It’s easy to forget to lock a door, but the app will alert you in a matter of minutes!”
5. Cabin Atmosphere: She saved the most fun feature for last, custom mood settings in the cabin. There’s a 64-color LED ambient lighting system that lets you create your own atmosphere inside the GLE. For example, Faircloth set hers to flow from blue to violet to magenta as she drives, and loves how she can also pick how she wants the dash settings to appear. The in-cabin experience is fully customizable in the GLE. You could have the same car and it feel completely different depending on who is driving it and how they’ve set up their mood settings!
“I just now discovered this little option, but you can refresh the cabin with ionized-purified air that can be infused with a scent… this is so crazy right? The options range from Joy, Refresh and Wellbeing. I think a lot of us probably need this refresh and wellbeing option after a long 2020.”
Krystal Faircloth’s life and style blog, A Pinch of Lovely, is based in Baton Rouge. Her fun and informative posts are centered around attainable and accessible fashion while celebrating a creative lifestyle. Faircloth created the site with the intention that just “a pinch” of inspiration can help you feel lovely every day.
Mercedes-Benz of Baton Rouge has won the “Best of the Best” award from Mercedes-BenzUSA eight times, recognizing its superior customer service and management in the Mercedes-Benz community. The Winter Event is happening right now at Mercedes-Benz of Baton Rouge with some of the best offers of the year with up to $1000 off select models.Call 225.424.2241 or stop by the to see the GLE in person. Be sure to check the specials page and start your new year in style.