Wondering if any of you have gone from the GLK to the GLC and if the ride/handling/road noise etc is significantly different.

I'm considering ordering the diesel GLC once release in a close to loaded package that prices out at $61k (based on pricing current gas model).

In the meantime I have considered picking up a used 2013-2014 glk250 until the diesel GLC is ready but undecided amongst just keeping the GLK if I pick it up since it will be nearly half the cost.... Making it our second vehicle next to getting a diesel GLC...

Problem is we need another vehicle now....

 

We have two 2015 Glk 250 and my wife has a 2014 GLK 350. My mother in law and sister have the diesels and they are amazing. My wife's 350 is great too but the Mars red paint is falling off and as of right now mb is not being fair. We test drove the new GLC yesterday. (I test new model sports cars on racetracks professionally.) the GLC was quieter but the 4 cyl was no contender for the smooth linear acceleration of the previous six. The GLC was gas as well with 9 gears vs 7 and felt snappy. I felt a little more claustrophobic in front compared to the boxy openness of the glk but there was more room behind me for the passengers. The ride was definitely more quiet with lots of technological features compared to the more simplistic GLK where screen is integrated into dash vs looking like iPad sticking up. It's fancy but hard choice between that and the glk 250 which feels amazing and I squeeze 40 mpg of diesel. Tough choice. Older with better drivetrain but a little louder-barely- but definitely less busy inside and 2 less gears to snap through. Hope this helps. Handling was similar.

 

Have you considered renting a car for a few months? A decent car costs only about $500 a month and you can keep changing cars every month depending on availability (many of them will be brand new as well). This would be approximately the same monthly cost as buying your interim car and you are not locked into any agreements. I did this when I needed an extra car for a few months and found the arrangement to be neat. Who knows you may get lucky and actually get a GLK ... Just kidding. But this would be one option I would seriously consider in your situation, since the car you want is not yet available. Good luck.

 

How's the acceleration/snappiness on the GLC versus the GLK? I've rented the new C class a few times, and found that unless I kept in sport mode, it was a bit sluggish.

Very bummed, too, how they're handling radio preset changes from the steering wheel. You can't just press a button to go to the next station, but rather have to go to the next station, and the press OK/select. Which is dumb.

 

slyc300 I will be going from a '13 GLK 350 to the GLC when the new car arrives sometime in the next few months, so can give you a more detailed report at that time. That may not help you since you mentioned you're looking for answers now, but based on my limited time behind the wheel of a GLC on several test drives, I'd say the biggest differences are in the overall size (it may read like just a few inches on paper but it's quite significant in person and on the road) and quality of interior finish- that's not a knock on the GLK, that's all about the GLC really stepping up into another league.

Note that neither my current GLK nor the test GLCs are diesels, which I believe is relevant to you, so I won't comment on the performance aspects since yours will vary- although I'll add that the various drive preferences on the new car are great: while the GLK has a couple of preferences to choose from (sport vs economy), the GLC has twice that plus the option to dial in your own customized preference, which I've no doubt I'll do once I'm familiar with the car's characteristics. I really liked the Sport mode in the GLC and can see where using the Sport+ setting at times could be super-fun (that's right, I said 'fun' when talking about a little SUV).

I'll mention that I love the GLK and am only moving out of a three-year old MB due to some unique circumstances: (1) looking for more size with another child on the way and the GLC has noticeably more backseat room and hatch space available, and (2) moved to Canada, where I'd get hit with import fees and modification costs on the GLK, plus with the C$ so weak right now I can get into a new GLC for nearly US$12k less than a comparable US market car would cost.

I hope that helps, if you have any specific Qs fire away.

 

Test drove the GLC last weekend.
These are the things I dislike about the GLC:
1. Center display, seems like an after thought but it seems like a norm now because so many car manufactures is going with this route.
2. The engine is not as smooth as the V6 in the GLK, but still very good for a 4 cylinder.
3. Runflat tires and no spares, even a collapsible one.

Beside these, I think the GLC is better than GLK in almost every aspect.
Over all I like it a lot