Topic: First Drive: 2016 Mercedes-Benz GLC 300 4MATIC

[Ace]

Aren't the matte paint jobs a pain in the ass to keep clean ?

[tpl]

FWIW in Kitchener the MB,BMW,Audi and Acura dealers will all be within a 200 metre radius circle which will make comparison shopping easy.

The Q5 and the RDX are almost identical to my eye...a friend has one the same colour as my Q.


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[GTABeancounter]

Like the colour.

I never believe posted fuel economy rates especially gasoline turbo vs diesel turbo. The diesel tend to do better in real world driving while the gas turbo variants are the opposite.

The lack of diesel options considering it's higher uptake is concerning. Is this a fallout of VW dieselgate ? The demise of diesel in North America seems to be happening even before it really took off.
Electric or hybrid vehicles may also be part of this demise.

We have a TDi in the family and have experienced better than published mileage. But upon hearing all the dieselgate details unfold in the days following the initial news I came to the conclusion that the reason was due to the software cheating that was going on... i.e. the test mode = lower pollutants + lower mileage and/or power. Isn't this the real reason behind diesel's anecdotally doing better in the real world compared to the reported mileage?

Agree 100% regarding the small displacement gas turbos though...


 

[EV-Light]

The GLC looks pretty decent - darker colors fit it better though.

I did want to test drive one before deciding for the Explorer...I test drove the Acura RDX, Acura MDX, Cadillac SRX, Audi Q5 before landing with the Explorer. The GLK was just too outdated for my taste, same with the SRX and Q5 - all products at the end of their life. I came really close to  buying an MDX, but the ride was too harsh for my taste.

Price was about the same as my Explorer, but the Explorer had a better leasing deal....and I have to say, that Honda V6 is fast! It felt almost as powerful as the Ecoboost - not sure if gearing ratio played a role.

[johngenx]

I really liked the look of the old model.  Boxy and distinctive in a sea of near-jelly-beans.

[2JDM]

I didn't even realize these replaced the GLK... I haven't seen one on the roads.

[ChaosphereIX]

yep they all look the same...Q5, this, X3, who cares...so boring cookie-cutter vehicles - nothing to get excited about, honestly, but the badge

[OliverD]

I didn't even realize these replaced the GLK... I haven't seen one on the roads.

That's because they're not on sale yet. 

[Weels]

Volvo wants their waterfall back

[tooscoops]

i think those who want something different are a dwindling segment of the population... unfortunate. I'll always be in that group.

That matte one looks pretty badass... will that colour actually be available on orders? that seems to be the only standout thing to me... other than that, maybe the speakers (covers)... other than that, just some extra flash.

price wise... as long as it rides well, i think it's right where it should be. no matter the powerplant or size of the car, a mercedes should NOT be accessible to all... that negates the whole niche they have. this i'd say is almost too cheap. if they really spared no expense in the design and materials, it would not be competitive in price, yet everyone who is trying to shop dollar for dollar insists on an "only the best" mentality while they price shop a lease deal.

as nice as they might be, the brand has lost all it's value to me until you get into the ridiculous models. but i guess most are going that way now. appeal to the masses... luckily the bank will take the deal even if you should still be driving a pontiac.

[wing]

Apparently the flat brown will be available yes.

The speaker grills are interesting, they are VERY sharp, do not touch

[OliverD]

The flat brown is $4k+ on the US configurator IIRC.

[Sir Osis of Liver]

Volvo wants their waterfall back

And Apple wants their iPad back.



 

[sailor723]

Artico leather isn't leather.   It's plastic.  Please don't refer to it as leather as if it's actually real.

^This!

They are not "Artico leather" seats. they are Artico plastic seats.

Other than that pet peeve I quite like this car. I don't mind the styling and the increase in interior space might well put it in contention to replace the ML next year. I'm still not sure I can get around the whole "Ipad glued to the dash" thing though

[johngenx]

Actually, the iPad thingy seems less "glued to the dash" and more "teetering on top of the vents."

[ChaosphereIX]

Artico leather isn't leather.   It's plastic.  Please don't refer to it as leather as if it's actually real.

^This!

They are not "Artico leather" seats. they are Artico plastic seats.

Other than that pet peeve I quite like this car. I don't mind the styling and the increase in interior space might well put it in contention to replace the ML next year. I'm still not sure I can get around the whole "Ipad glued to the dash" thing though

I rather like the fact that they are using fake leather seats. A buying point for us animal-loving car buyers...hard to find a non-economy car these days that doesnt have leather seating.

[aquadorhj]

out of all the plastic/vinyl seat materials, Benz's artico is the best/closest thing to fair quality leather i've seen.

they look and feel much better than cheap leathers used on most compacts.

[mixmanmash]

out of all the plastic/vinyl seat materials, Benz's artico is the best/closest thing to fair quality leather i've seen.

they look and feel much better than cheap leathers used on most compacts.

This.

[johngenx]

I loved the old MB Tex.  Twenty year old cars with seats that looked brand new.  My 1990 190E had over 500K on the odo and the interior looked like the day it hit the showroom floor.  The quality of the materials was amazing - including the Tex.

[ChaosphereIX]

Artico leather isn't leather.   It's plastic.  Please don't refer to it as leather as if it's actually real.

^This!

They are not "Artico leather" seats. they are Artico plastic seats.

Other than that pet peeve I quite like this car. I don't mind the styling and the increase in interior space might well put it in contention to replace the ML next year. I'm still not sure I can get around the whole "Ipad glued to the dash" thing though

I rather like the fact that they are using fake leather seats. A buying point for us animal-loving car buyers...hard to find a non-economy car these days that doesnt have leather seating.

I agree.  If the manufacturers offered a high quality alternative to leather I'd buy it.  It just grates on my nerves that they call it leather.  This article calls it leather too. Just call it Artico.  Most leather seats feel like plastic anyways nowadays so I'd rather save some cash.  More importantly, with all of the great materials available why are we still killing animals for chairs ?

well put sir, I am at a loss as well

same goes for many industries that use animal products - it just isn't necessary [like beer or wine processing, or candy]

here is hoping that in the future leather sees a decline as an upholstery of choice...just doesn't seem right in a modern age