GLK Impressions (a tad long)

[Nazgul]

Just wanted to give my impression of the GLK after about 3.5 months of driving it. Feel free to comment and maybe give your own impressions.

As background, I commute on the 401 from Markham to Mississauga Monday to Friday (about 62km one way). I have the stock 19" all-season tires.

RIDE: Fantastic. This is my first Benz, and I have to say that it is like driving on a sofa. In Comfort mode, it will eat up all but the worst pavement the wonderful 401 has to offer.

PERFORMANCE: When passing or changing lanes...punch that accelerator and listen to that SWEET V6 exhaust note! Take THAT Infiniti! At speed, the GLK takes onramps and offramps quite well. I would imagine the 20" lower profile tires would be even better. Otherwise, good power for a SUV. Definitely a great deal considering how much the C350 4MATIC costs with the same engine.

GAS MILEAGE: On the highway, I am averaging between 10.7-11.2 L/100km (21 to 21.9mpg), if I am to believe the on-board information. Seems decent for this class of vehicle.

CONS: I only have petty complaints:

- I wish there was another cupholder in the front.
- I wish I didn't have to spring for the auto-liftgate to get an in-vehicle
trunk release.
- I wish there were more room to grab stuff from the side pockets. It's
kind of tight in there!

Very satisfied with the vehicle.

BTW, here are a couple of tips:

To keep Brake Dust off:

clean the rims, then use Turtle Wax on them (or any car wax). This will
keep the brake dust to a minimum. As an aside, at least now I know that
the GLK looks GREAT with gunmetal-coloured rims....:P

If you're always hauling stuff in the back:

get the rubberized cargo liner! It is FANTASTIC and has proven it's worth
time and time again.

[discoduck]

Nice write-up!

It is a great car for the value. What other options did you get?

[B4TM4N]

Thank you for posting your review! It's always a plus for those out there in the market. Maybe if you have any, it would help to include a picture or two. Thanks again!

[JW-Benz]

You mentioned C350 costs vs GLK, is it considerably less? I would have thought more for the GLK being an SUV.

[icecube]

Wonder why ? Or did they just decide to make the GLK a super good deal?

[Nazgul]

Nice write-up!

It is a great car for the value. What other options did you get?

No options, although in retrospect, I would have sprung for the auto-liftgate, sunroof and iPod integration.

I was VERY impatient, so I chose the most basic GLK there is. Oh well.

Now that I have a new addition to my family (a son), I am really LOVING the room and comfort.

I'll post some pics soon, but they aren't anything special...no option white GLK....:D

[Nazgul]

Wonder why ? Or did they just decide to make the GLK a super good deal?

I think Mercedes wanted to make a splash with their new SUV. They priced it aggresively, maybe TOO aggressively. Thing is, they had to, given the headstart and market share of the BMW X3 and Lexus RX.

[JW-Benz]

So what is the price anyways, I am far to lazy to go check.. haha

[Nazgul]

So what is the price anyways, I am far to lazy to go check.. haha

No problem...:)

The C350 4MATIC's base price is $50,400
C300 4MATIC - $44,900

GLK350 4MATIC - $41,800!!!

The choice was clear in my case.

[JW-Benz]

Wow.. As a comparison a Suzuki Grand Vitara AWD will cost you around $33k. Not that far off..

[eatbeme]

I had a GLK 350 4MATIC for a few couple of days as a loaner while my car was in for some work. It's definitely got a great ride -- you hardly feel any bumps and it handles really well (not as well as my SLK 55 though!). It's got a decent amount of power too. The only thing I can say is that you feel a bit detached from the driving experience since it's so smooth, but most MBs are like this so it's not really a knock, just an observation.

The one I had only had 700 kms on it, and was fully loaded save for COMAND and navigation. It had power everything, including the rear door, sunroof, and seats w/ lumbar support. You definitely get a lot of bang for your buck.

[Mike T]

I had a fully loaded (COMAND, navi, all electric everything etc) one as a loaner vehicle last week.

Positives:
- nicely built
- comfortable
- decent ride
- faster acceleration than a 1976 Porsche Turbo
- nice 1/10 km/h cruise control settings on dual detent lever

Negatives:
- dismal fuel economy (9.8 L/100 km on a VERY gentle 80-90 km/h all-highway drive of 150 km)
- far less room inside than our B 200
- guaranteed curb rash on the stupidly huge 19 inch wheels (ahem!)
- looks are all origami outside
- hard horizontal styling element on the front doors digs into my left knee

Summary:
With a 4 cylinder 220 CDI engine pounding out over 400 Nm of torque, plus smaller diameter wheels with 60 series tires (base wheels and tires on the GLK 350 in Europe are 235/60-17, a reasonable setup for a 4WD), this would be the best little SUV there is.

[Duke_ON]

I have had my GLK 350 for about 3 months now. I love it!!!!

It is sporty, yet roomy. Awesome ride quality and looks.

I got the:
Premium Packet
Sport Packet (20" rims)
Bi-Xenon Packet
Navigation
Media Interface
Herman system
Black leather seats
Iridium Silver (Benz Silver)

Only thing that is pissing me off right now is that sometimes breaks squeak. I the car back to dealership but they assured me that it was a break in thing.

[icecube]

I have had my GLK 350 for about 3 months now. I love it!!!!

It is sporty, yet roomy. Awesome ride quality and looks.

I got the:
Premium Packet
Sport Packet (20" rims)
Bi-Xenon Packet
Navigation
Media Interface
Herman system
Black leather seats
Iridium Silver (Benz Silver)

Only thing that is pissing me off right now is that sometimes breaks squeak. I the car back to dealership but they assured me that it was a break in thing.


Nice!! Don't worry too much about brake squeaks, usually it is just dirt between the pads even if you have it fixed it might come back, it is the same for all makes of cars.