pjmsj21

Hi


I would appreciate your input on two cars that I am considering. The first is a lightly used 2015 GLK250 BT but also considering a new GLC.


I am familiar with the basic difference relating to the engine but would appreciate your input on the newer model vs the older discontinued model.


Thanks in advance.


Pat

autoworrks320

Really?

Bmw1M

New one is better in every way except looks...it's now a jelly bean. Also they don't offer a Diesel option yet...or might not ever.

formerjeepguy

I would stay away from both of them.

The GLC is a new model and needs a few years of production to get the bugs worked out.

The GLK 250 is a diesel and as a former owner I can say that they are great when everything works, but the emissions system is not ready for prime time. It has too many ways to go wrong and all too often it does.

Look at the 2014-2015 GLK 350 with the gas engine instead.

Bob338

Not true. The diesel is already running in other markets and will be 'introduced' to the North American market for the next model year. They can be ordered for factory deliver starting in September and will be introduced here a couple of months later. There are 'tests' already posted on the GLC diesel, and have been for several months.

koalatm

The GLC has some nice changes, but both vehicles have some significant drawbacks.

If I were in the market for this type of vehicle today, I'd go Porsche Macan.

Tameling

We own a GLK250 with 30k miles. While this vehicle has many virtues, they are offset by the extremely poor rear seat leg room and cargo space, especially for a car of this length. We cannot transport 4 adults comfortably in this vehicle. And the cargo area does not easily accommodate 4 pieces of carry on luggage plus 4 small underseat purses or backpacks. This is fine for 2 adults running around a city or suburbs. But for road trips of 3 or 4 persons plus luggage or camping gear, this is not the vehicle for you.

koalatm

Same issue with two young kids. If you have a rear facing car seat, it has to go on the passenger side as I'd never be able to drive this vehicle comfortably with the driver seat in such a position... I'm not even a big guy (5'7" 150).

We're buying a beater minivan for this very purpose!

LesF

A very good observation.

I bought my GLK 250 not to haul people or a family around town or on trips but rather as a comfortable smaller SUV for two people and a dog that returns excellent fuel mileage and had the latest technology to improve safety and my personal comfort.

Bob338

We traveled Europe for several weeks with 5 adults and luggage. Not particularly comfortable but certainly doable. It's frustrating to hear complaints of any vehicle's 'deficiencies', all apparent at time of purchase.Then to hear the complaints about their own shortsightedness, and passing it off on the vehicle. It was all there when you bought it! The only thing not there is later mechanical failures!

I'm extremely happy with mine, but then I'm single, no young kids, and no pets. The one deficiency I had was lack of storage space. Found Mercedes Benz has an option to make use of space under the front seats, which I bought and installed. Minor item easily rectified.

bird67

+1. I don't get that either.
KoalaTM: Did you try your car seat in it before buying it?
Tameling: Did you sit in the back seat of the car before buying it?

whiskywizard

Your single experience is atypical.

Look at the REAL data... Thousands of owners have found the GLK250 to be completely trouble-free. My wife's 250 (another single case) has had no problems, not a single one. Even those 2013/2014 owners who suffered through the Bluetec ECU programming debacle, almost all came out the other side with essentially perfect vehicles.

koalatm

I tried a borrowed car seat, but it was forward facing. As a first time parent I hadn't even considered the thought that a rear-facing seat would take up so much more space.

Had I done that, we would have ended up going with a totally different vehicle... 3 series wagon in diesel would have been perfect, IMO.

koalatm

No one is perfect. I tried to do my due diligence but ended up not considering every possible scenario. I took a car seat to test fit, just didn't consider that a rear facing seat takes up so much more space than a forward facing seat.

At the time my wife had just learned that she was expecting. We were completely new to the whole thing.

I myself have only ever owned sports cars or sporty cars. This is the first SUV I've ever purchased. I didn't think about "space" as closely as I should have... but for me, in normal circumstances, "space" isn't an issue. I've had mostly 2 seater cars in my own life (S2000, another S2000, Z4 M Coupe, Cayman S, Cayman GTS, Cayman GT4, etc).

Obviously Merc. had enough complaints about rear seat room that they made an attempt to address this in the GLC. They even made a big deal about noting how the rear doors now have 2 more inches!! of length, to help getting in and out of the rear.

Bob338

Another inaccuracy. The technology is in many domestic vehicles and has been for quite a few years. It is also in MB vehicles, including Sprinters at least as far back as 2008 of which I am aware, maybe further back. It's not the technology, it was the application of it which in some cases in the 2013's was due to a bad batch of sensors. The E350 BlueTec I owned and gave to my daughter on purchase of the GLK now has over 70K miles and never any emission system problems. Too many BlueTec's on the road without problems to blame on the technology.

GotDzl

Any more info on this? I'd be interested in doing it, as well.

Bob338

It's called a "Storage" compartment. I believe this the part number for the left side: 204-810-00-04-9051
Ran about $160 for the driver's seat. They have them for the right side but I needed place to put loose items for constant or immediate use without trying to get to glove box. I never saw it as an option when I 'built' and ordered mine. The parts have to come from Germany. I don't believe dealers stock them. Not sure if picture will post here but I'll try. Neat and very unobtrusive. Ideal place for Chapstick, embergency flashlight, credit cards, etc. And most people looking in the car wouldn't even know it's there. Only flaw is that a firearm doesn't fit in there.

Never tried resizing pictures and these are huge so none to post.

formerjeepguy

I'm glad you have not experienced problems and I'm sure that most people don't. But too many do.

Check the sprinter forums and you will see they have issues. And the other makes from cars and trucks to big rigs using urea injection and DPFs - none of them are as trouble free as gasoline emissions systems.

And VW found the tech so difficult and expensive that they put in software cheats to disable full emissions function when not being tested.

For every person reporting a problem on a forum, you can only guess at the number of others that go without posting.

Bob338

No argument to your points, from a devoted diesel lover. The operating simplicity of the diesel technology over the gasoline engines is an offset. I was merely pointing out the fallacy of the statement that it was "not ready for prime time". It's been operating in that arena for quite a while and those of us who know, like and prefer diesels were aware of the difficulties created by environmental requirements of governments. That's why MB didn't sell diesel cars in the US for a short period of time. Get rid of the government and we'd all be better off!!!

formerjeepguy

I also prefer the driving experience and torque provided by a diesel. But my bad experience with the GLK250 and the wife's diesel passat have ruined them for me.

Alex Bel

Glad I read this, that was my question...