RIP GLK
#3
Junior Member
I've thought the same thing. I picked up mine just a hair over a month ago. It felt really weird buying a model that was already discontinued, but the distinctive looks were a major factor in my decision.
About a year ago I pulled into a rest stop and thought "oh, that's neat. 3 of the same Lexus in a row. I wonder if it's a meetup?" Then I realized one was a Ford, and one was a Hyundai. All 3 had the same body shape, same windows, etc.
About a year ago I pulled into a rest stop and thought "oh, that's neat. 3 of the same Lexus in a row. I wonder if it's a meetup?" Then I realized one was a Ford, and one was a Hyundai. All 3 had the same body shape, same windows, etc.
#4
Senior Member
I would have loved for them to have re-styled it into a mini "G-wagon". The GLK had the boxy look, but it didn't quite pull it off. Joe public much prefers the curved look, but everything is now looking the same
#6
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2014 GLK250, 1983 Caterham super 7
The modern trend is towards everything being androgynous. So unfortunately the retailers have to adapt to this rather unpleasant fad.
Sad that the representation of said androgyny in the automotive design studios is the jelly bean with a few slices to house the wheels. Very, Very uninspiring. I can hardly tell a MB GLC, from an Audi.
MB I hope you realize that the GLC name has already been used. (Mazda used it for their cheapest econbox cars from the mid 1970's till the late 1980's when it became the 323. GLC stood for Great Little Car
That was the my first thought when I learned the GLK was morphed into the blandness that is the GLC. So given how uninspiring the MB GLC version is compared with the also uninspiring Mazda GLC. I guess the name makes since.
Sad that the representation of said androgyny in the automotive design studios is the jelly bean with a few slices to house the wheels. Very, Very uninspiring. I can hardly tell a MB GLC, from an Audi.
MB I hope you realize that the GLC name has already been used. (Mazda used it for their cheapest econbox cars from the mid 1970's till the late 1980's when it became the 323. GLC stood for Great Little Car
That was the my first thought when I learned the GLK was morphed into the blandness that is the GLC. So given how uninspiring the MB GLC version is compared with the also uninspiring Mazda GLC. I guess the name makes since.
Last edited by super7pilot; 08-07-2016 at 11:12 PM.
#7
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350 GLK, C280
California is the auto design center of the world. Right now, and for the past 5 years, California likes curves! So from Korea to the German-Italian eastern borders everything is curved. I like it sports cars, maybe not so much in utility vehicles. Even Range Rovers are going curves. Cant wait to see the curvaceous next Gelandewagen!
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#8
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2014 GLK250, 1983 Caterham super 7
California is the auto design center of the world. Right now, and for the past 5 years, California likes curves! So from Korea to the German-Italian eastern borders everything is curved. I like it sports cars, maybe not so much in utility vehicles. Even Range Rovers are going curves. Cant wait to see the curvaceous next Gelandewagen!
#9
A jelly bean is a jelly bean is a jelly bean. Looking at cars any more is like buying a big bag of them. If it weren't for the corporate logos on them I doubt the average person could tell them apart if they only had 5 seconds to ID them from one another. It was like that in the 1930's and 40's with the major brands.
It used to be the back logo on MB was larger than most, if they even had a logo, and showed off something. Now, the back logo on MBs are among the smallest. Crooked Hs (for Hyundai), Saturn-looking Nissan symbols, and everything else learned to mimic pronouncement in the logo.
#10
Member
The GLE coupe looks fantastic and so does the new GLC coupe. I think the GLK will be back when style swings back in ten years and the boxy look comes back. Perfect timing to add another to the family.
#11
Super Member
I would have considered the GLC if it had a 3.5 liter V6. I'm not a big fan of 4 cylinders.
#15
Junior Member
#18
Super Member
#20
Hi All,
I am new to this forum. We are planning to get a used 2013 Benz GLK with the M276 DI Engine. I have learned about the carbon buildup issue with DI engines but have not been able to find anything related to this particular engine. For those of you who have this engine, have you experienced any carbon buildup by now? This engine has been in production for quite a few years now and I'm assuming that by now there should be enough sample size and mileage in relation to this issue. We really like the interior upgrades of the 2013 GLK compared to the 2012. However, the DI engine is a concern to us, and if the carbon buildup is an issue with this M276 engine, we are going to look into the 2012s withe M272 engine. Thank you!!!
I am new to this forum. We are planning to get a used 2013 Benz GLK with the M276 DI Engine. I have learned about the carbon buildup issue with DI engines but have not been able to find anything related to this particular engine. For those of you who have this engine, have you experienced any carbon buildup by now? This engine has been in production for quite a few years now and I'm assuming that by now there should be enough sample size and mileage in relation to this issue. We really like the interior upgrades of the 2013 GLK compared to the 2012. However, the DI engine is a concern to us, and if the carbon buildup is an issue with this M276 engine, we are going to look into the 2012s withe M272 engine. Thank you!!!
#21
Junior Member
I bought the 2015 GLK because the 2016's looked like all other SUV's. I would have never bought a 2016. Love the look with the oversized wheels and dark rims.
#22
Member
Not that one more person's opinion makes a difference but here we go. Two years ago I stumbled across this GLK forum and started some serious deep reading (is that possible on a forum on the interweb?) to search for major flaws hat would point me elsewhere to another model or make to replace my trusty Kia Sportage which as a "jellybean" was a fine suv that did it's daily job without much fuss. I kept seeing GLK's around my tiny village as there was a nearby dealer with a good reputation. The looks grew on me with it's aggressive side profile, compact shape and very practical interior. My next vehicle would need to hold 2 large dogs easily on the back seat, get decent mileage and drive with a sporty feel and not jar my spine out of shape at the same time. I picked up a white used 2011 GLK350 and day after day grew to appreciate it more and more.
Now 2 years later the GLC has arrived and it's a fine MB with more space, more creature comforts and more safety features but it ends up looking like a last model Q5. It was designed to be non-offensive to men and women equally. The GLK is/was polarizing...you loved it or you hated it.
In my 2 years of daily driving, I have loved these things more than I thought I would:
1- the mileage. I get 550km to a tank where my 4 cyl Kia only reached those numbers on a highway run. It was usually empty at the 440km mark. I get this up and down hills in mixed back road/highway driving.
2- the engine is really sweet. Less jumpy than a previous owned X3, slightly more relaxed feeling that kicks down in sport mode like nobody's business. It's a Jekyll/Hyde thing with 2 distinct personalities. Climbing my highway route up the mountains, I so appreciate the extra oomph my 269 hp 6 cyl engine has with power in reserve.
3- MBTex. When Mercedes decided to create a leather look and feel fabric that wipes clean, seems to be pierce and cut resistant yet never seems to get leather hot or vinyl cold...one appreciated the comfort. With two messy dogs, cleaning up takes minutes with pretty much whatever cleaner is close by.
4- the build quality certainly makes for a heavy car, but knobs, switches, seat frames and little things like the back storage area design and strength pay off over the long run.
5- long wheelbase for a small car, much like my old Civic from 1995, this length creates a super smooth ride that rarely gets choppy. Most compact SUVs from Japan and Korea, not to mention US brands are based on car platforms but don't adjust the suspension and ride properly leaving the front and back ends of the vehicles heaving somewhat. Tried RAV's, CRV's and most of the popular models out there and they all felt like small rollercoasters whenever you braked firmly or hit the gas. The GLK has poise and balance that was really unexpected.
6- 4Matic fulltime is a blessing on so many accounts. We all cannot be pro drivers of RWD cars. I make errors by applying too much gas on take off but 4Matic seems to find a way to reign my errors in. I forget that ½" of wet fallen leaved on the driveway can put me into skid but 4Matic takes care of this (with reason and laws of nature). But most of all, 4Matic gets me up icy and snow covered roads that have yet to be plowed when lesser vehicles fishtail and would be in the ditch.
So as I enter into my third year with the GLK, I am thinking that my usual 3-4 year ownerships of cars may get extended. Maybe I'll look for another GLK but newer, say 2014/2015 as I head into late 2017. Find another great used one with a few more bells and whistles on it. I am not sure that between all the cars we have owned in the last 20 years, that the GLK has been the biggest surprise and the best balanced vehicle for me/us.
Now 2 years later the GLC has arrived and it's a fine MB with more space, more creature comforts and more safety features but it ends up looking like a last model Q5. It was designed to be non-offensive to men and women equally. The GLK is/was polarizing...you loved it or you hated it.
In my 2 years of daily driving, I have loved these things more than I thought I would:
1- the mileage. I get 550km to a tank where my 4 cyl Kia only reached those numbers on a highway run. It was usually empty at the 440km mark. I get this up and down hills in mixed back road/highway driving.
2- the engine is really sweet. Less jumpy than a previous owned X3, slightly more relaxed feeling that kicks down in sport mode like nobody's business. It's a Jekyll/Hyde thing with 2 distinct personalities. Climbing my highway route up the mountains, I so appreciate the extra oomph my 269 hp 6 cyl engine has with power in reserve.
3- MBTex. When Mercedes decided to create a leather look and feel fabric that wipes clean, seems to be pierce and cut resistant yet never seems to get leather hot or vinyl cold...one appreciated the comfort. With two messy dogs, cleaning up takes minutes with pretty much whatever cleaner is close by.
4- the build quality certainly makes for a heavy car, but knobs, switches, seat frames and little things like the back storage area design and strength pay off over the long run.
5- long wheelbase for a small car, much like my old Civic from 1995, this length creates a super smooth ride that rarely gets choppy. Most compact SUVs from Japan and Korea, not to mention US brands are based on car platforms but don't adjust the suspension and ride properly leaving the front and back ends of the vehicles heaving somewhat. Tried RAV's, CRV's and most of the popular models out there and they all felt like small rollercoasters whenever you braked firmly or hit the gas. The GLK has poise and balance that was really unexpected.
6- 4Matic fulltime is a blessing on so many accounts. We all cannot be pro drivers of RWD cars. I make errors by applying too much gas on take off but 4Matic seems to find a way to reign my errors in. I forget that ½" of wet fallen leaved on the driveway can put me into skid but 4Matic takes care of this (with reason and laws of nature). But most of all, 4Matic gets me up icy and snow covered roads that have yet to be plowed when lesser vehicles fishtail and would be in the ditch.
So as I enter into my third year with the GLK, I am thinking that my usual 3-4 year ownerships of cars may get extended. Maybe I'll look for another GLK but newer, say 2014/2015 as I head into late 2017. Find another great used one with a few more bells and whistles on it. I am not sure that between all the cars we have owned in the last 20 years, that the GLK has been the biggest surprise and the best balanced vehicle for me/us.
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Wheatridger (11-06-2023)
#23
I just picked up a GLK and my decision was largely based on the boxy look. But then again, I have a 2000 Land Cruiser, so I have a thing for boxy looking SUVs. I think that in 15 years, this vehicle will have a timeless classic style, just like my Land Cruiser.
#24
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350 GLK, C280
dartmouthemcee, your 4th sentence tells you why the GLC looks like it does.
"They were not very prevalent like the X3 or Lexus competitor..."
Lets face it, MB is in business to sell vehicles, and if the "Jelly Bean" make a vehicle 'prevalent', that is what they will make.
"They were not very prevalent like the X3 or Lexus competitor..."
Lets face it, MB is in business to sell vehicles, and if the "Jelly Bean" make a vehicle 'prevalent', that is what they will make.
#25
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1998 SL500, 2014 GLK350
If you are looking for fun and sport, you'll want the GLK, but if you are looking for comfort, efficiency, and technology, the GLC is most likely for you.
This being said, neither lacks much in any of the criteria listed above.
This being said, neither lacks much in any of the criteria listed above.