I was excited to have a Mercedes for the week. They are one of those brands where for the general populous, the model is inconsequential, it is the make and that shiny badge that has heads on a swivel. And the 2022 Mercedes Benz GLE450 is a great looking car. I wanted it to be seen and to be seen in it. So, what better way to showcase my whip of the week, than through a drive-by art cruise. Featuring the multiple murals in the South Main Street area, done across multiple years, as told through their vibrant to fading colours.
But first our mode of transportation. The Mercedes GLE450 was built with drivers in mind. There are so much fine-tuning capabilities, to have the driver or any of their passengers feeling at ease in luxurious comfort. Minute finagling on each of the front cabin seats, with the ability to save the memory settings of up to 3 preferences. A seat that hugs and a lumbar that shapes, this was designed with comfort at the forefront. Comfort, much like the raised handlebars on either sides of the central console for gripping or to rest your arm on. The padded rest had ample room for both the driver and passenger to lean on. Similar in design, there is a resting place for your wrist. A spot to have your hand stationary on, whilst you are navigating the touch pad that engages the infotainment system, which includes the drive shift.
This is a larger than usual infotainment touch screen. Easy to navigate with large clear icons. Simple in appearance for a less cluttery feel. It definitely stands out and is what sets the vehicle apart, visually. It is like having a 55 inch television in your cockpit, you don’t need it, but since it’s there you are going to fully use it, and having experienced it, it is the best thing ever and you don’t want to go back.
The cabin is compact and spacious at the same time. A more streamlined SUV. Roomy with large seats in an off-white leather, paired with a striking navy-blue grey stitching. They certainly put an emphasize into the colour scheme, as seen with the ability to edit the ambience within the vehicle by way of the colour-changing pipping/detailing, a signature feature in many Mercedes.
A feature that we didn’t explore enough of, much like the ability to program hand gestures as short cuts. With a flick of the wrist, you could open an app, or a twirl of a finger could switch radio channels. We never figured out how to activate it, but it was a surprise and delight each time it came on. And along the same intuitive vein, the Mercedes also recognized its name. Another hands-free setting that would potentially aid in the lengthy use of the GLE450, or an extended drive within it.
As for functions, all the modern conveniences were present and available with an on/off switch. Warm and cooling seats, the engine turning off to conserve fuel when stopped. A wide sunroof for maximum exposure, shame it wasn’t used on this rainy week. There was also plenty of charging ports to plug cables into, but none of it wireless. And even more deep storage pockets, perfect for holstering all those cables in.
In conclusion, not only stylish, but 2022 Mercedes Benz GLE450 is functional as well. A great mid-size SUV with all the modern conveniences and luxury add-ons a daily driver would want. This one was hard to return.
But before we returned it, we played tourist in our own city, cruising around the South Main Street area, known for some of its fantastic murals. And as I mentioned earlier, this was a collection that has spanned several years. They are available for leisure viewing anytime and all year round. However, around summer the Vancouver mural festival committee hosts a festival to celebrate the induction of the newest line of murals. A celebration that spans across multiple days.
This year the festivities are running from August 4th-14th featuring over 30 new murals, across 8 different neighbourhoods; with 11 days of live entertainment, mural tours, discussion panels and more. I won’t be going into the details here, but you can visit the link below for details on these free all-ages events. And in the meanwhile, here are some of my favourite installations, in one of my favourite areas to explore.