Teckno

New Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 S 2017 review

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/mercede...rce=newsletter

Extract =
Turn the key and there’s no mistaking this GLC for one of the humble diesels, however. Our car had the optional (£1,000) sports exhaust fitted, bursting into life with a bellowing V8 roar characteristic of every current 63 model in the Mercedes range. Even the smallest blip of the throttle is enough to bounce echoes off nearby buildings, while placing your right foot flat on the floor produces a noise more akin to a hurricane at full chat.

Past AMGs had a more than a little in common with old-school American muscle cars, possessing a brutish nature that meant they were more accomplished in a straight line than they were through a series of tight bends. And while modern models are much improved, their ability to rip rubber remains intact. Leave the traction and stability systems off and the GLC will slip and slide out of low speed corners, spinning its tyres away from rolling T-junctions.

However, with the latest 4MATIC+ system, the GLC offers incredible traction over smooth tarmac. Our German test route offered little in the way of broken or potholed roads, but the huge 20-inch wheels followed ruts and tramlined over poorer surfaces. The big rims are standard on S models, and, along with the firm suspension, are likely to make for a slightly fidgety ride back in the UK.

The steering is super sharp, though, offering almost twitchy feedback around the straight-ahead. The Macan feels more malleable, more agile, though the Merc’s tight body control suitably belies its size. The nine-speed dual-clutch gearbox rattles through the first few (admittedly short) ratios, but allows the GLC to settle into an impressively sedate cruise. Try to change down through multiple cogs too quickly and it’ll simply refuse, however.

Of course, in transition from four-cylinder diesel to AMG V8, the GLC has lost none of its practicality. The cabin still offers plenty of room for adults, while the 550-litre boot shames the Macan’s 500-litre load bay.

In just a few weeks we’ll be driving the flagship Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio in the Middle East. It should prove a more comparable match for the GLC – with an identical power output and similarly spacious cabin. Jaguar’s hotly-rumoured F-Pace SVR should arrive next year, too, with up to 575bhp from a supercharged 5.0-litre V8.

Key specs
Price: £75,670
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbo petrol
Power/torque: 503bhp/700Nm
Transmission: Nine-speed auto, four-wheel drive
0-62mph: 3.8 seconds
Top speed: 174mph
Fuel economy/CO2: 26.4mpg, 244g/km

I wonder when it will reach Oz........

Teckno

Back to servicing costs from earlier post.
Advice given to me has been:
1st service, 12mth/25,000km is $495 (not $895 as I listed), fixed price - my error in typing - Thanks bips for alerting me.
2nd svc, 24 mth/50,000km is $895, fixed price
3rd svc, 36 mth/75,000km is $895, fixed price
4th svc, 48mth/100,00km is $1952 – not sure what's done yet.
5th svs, 60thmth/125,000km is $3165 – again, not sure what's done.
This is for 250d model.
I will try and see if I can obtain more detailed data, difficult due to not having a paper based servicing booklet – all internal to MB data fields.

bips

If that's right, that's an an insane amount of money for the 4th and fifth services!! Not sure I can afford to keep the vehicle. That's the sort of thing that makes you consider alternative servicing options.

My first service was only $496 under the capped price regime, so unless things have changed that data is not fully accurate.

ajmtbm

at those prices maybe its time to just change the oil and leave it at that.

bips

For US readers, of course those prices are in Aussie dollars. Multiply by roughly 0.75 for USD at current exchange rates.

swatty

My GLC came with a service book that details what is done and at what Km/time interval. Doesn't have pages to stamp so I purchased a W166 ML book to stamp

guhvies

These days it's all online. Just ask for a printout of what was done and staple it to the service book.

bips

I've only had one service so far with the second one not far off, and for the first one I got some kind of printout. Those should suffice in the event of a private sale. I always keep service receipts and receipts for tyres, batteries etc.

swatty

I do in all myself, hence buying the service book

bips

I have to say that those prices for the 4th and 5th services made me nauseous, and had me considering getting out or MB if they were true. We've got 2 x 2015 MB and 2 x 5th services would be $6,330, which is doubly insane.

So we had a chat with the service manager when dropping the B200 in for its first B service this morning. He said what the salesman said when we bought the car - that there are A and B services that alternate, and he mentioned around $600 for the A and $800 for the B. Once the cap price servicing regime ends then that's the basic service price and then there are additional things that come up every x,000 kms, like transmission fluid and brake fluid. But this chap was also fairly relaxed about when they might be done, and for low km vehicles they'd recommend going on distance rather than time for some things. The prices he quoted for these add-ons were not so much that they'd get you anywhere near $1,952 or $3,165. So I'm a bit puzzled about where those figures come from.

I also discussed AdBlue with him. I read somewhere, perhaps on MBWorld, that MB wanted to flush the tank every two years, which would mean them filling the tank up at MB high prices for AdBlue. But he said no - they did what MB told them to do and there was no directive to flush the tank, and so if I topped up with AdBlue at a service station then they wouldn't empty and flush and refill the tank. I therefore don't understand where this suggestion comes from. Perhaps it's different in northern hemisphere countries with freezing temperatures.

It would be helpful to me if other Australian owners could ask their dealers about servicing costs post once the capped price regime ends. Thanks.

Teckno

Re servicing.
prices from my dealer. I will be rinning around the other 5 dealer network to get quotes and what they include, some time yet before 4th and5th will be due. Maybe costs will come down, maybe it reflects corporate clients who get free servicing for first few years and trade before they gave to pay, tax advantages ?
with AdBlue I think I read it in the fine details or the manual. That said if you research Shell and BP, on their tech bulletin they are very helpful re when it needs to be changed, shelf life and temp storage limitations. In a perfect word it’s changed every 2 Year’s, in a real word, you top up a half empty tank and mix the ratios.

bips

What's puzzling here is that two MB dealers in different cities are saying different things and quoting different prices, so it would be interesting to hear what other dealers are saying. I only have one dealer here. I think the chap I spoke with was the service manager, and he seemed to know what he was talking about and seemed credible, unlike some of the younger flunkies who just take your keys and then hand them back in exchange for your credit card. What he described seemed consistent with other brands - a base price and add-ons as appropriate. If you had a number of the more expensive add-ons in conjunction a B service then the price goes up, and for that reason he said that they tend to be scheduled for an A service, but even with a B service the numbers didn't get anywhere near what you were quoted.

In relation to flushing AdBlue, he said don't believe what you read on the internet (always good advice). They do what MB tells them to do and he said that there is no such directive. I said that the internet claims MB say to do this, but he said no.

Teckno

Well back to brakes on GLC.
Yes my brake pad warning light has activated, but only sometimes.
I had the car briefly looked at by an independent mechanic who said front pads worn, as too rears. Front discs might have 5000km left and rears need replacing.
GLC wagon on 20” rims, travelled 42,000 km.
Mostly driven with adaptive cruise control, told this will wear out brakes much faster, so trade off re safety versus extra costs.
Someone reported only 12,000km from brakes using ACC, seems odd.
Independent quoted MB parts at $1765, plus 2 hours labour @ $120 p/h.
Two MB dealers quoted $250 and $280 p/h labour and 3 hours.
MB parts quoted as $1403 trade or $1559 ‘retail’.
Interesting that independent mechanic, using MB parts quoted $1765 for parts.
So cheaper labour and 1/3 quicker, but dearer parts.
Also learned that computer needs to be connected to car first to unlock and re set electronic hand brake settings when job done !
I wonder I’d dealer will charger me trade prices ?
Is anyone a member of the MB ar club, if so do dealers give you a discount for parts or servicing ? Like some othe brands ?

bips

Thinking about it, I guess it makes sense that ACC will make more use of the brakes, but it comes at quite a cost. I wasn't under any illusion that replacing brake pads would anything other than expensive on a MB, but I had no idea that it would be so soon. Perhaps less so for me. I had my two-year B1 service a couple of days ago at 35,000kms and the service report says that there's 60% left on the front and 50% left on the rear, so on that basis I should get to 70,000. But my inclination is to use ACC less, as it's looking like an expensive luxury.

On the subject of servicing. My B1 service cost $892 (AUD). I was under the impression that under this capped price servicing regime, A services were around $500 and B services around $800. So I queried the price and was told that the price charged was the capped price service cost. What are others paying (In Australia)?

I also tried to take the opportunity to get some firmer figures on servicing costs. Gosh it's hard to pin them down. Unfortunately I had one of the younger staff that day rather than the older, more experience chap I spoke with on this topic previously, and the young chap made out that it would be a lot of trouble to get firm figures and instead quoted figures off the top if his head. He said that outside of the capped price regime, the bare A services were around $500 and the B services around $700, plus add-ones. If you read a couple of posts above, that's not as much as I was told by the experienced chap last time I asked.

For the relevant add-ons listed in the service booklet, the rough figures I was quoted were:
. Brake fluid - two yearly (so add to a B service) - $215
. Air Filter replacement - three yearly (so A then B then A) - $150
. Fuel Filter replacement (diesel) - three yearly (so A then B then A) - $150
. Automatic transmission old and filter - five yearly (so A then B (at ten years)) - $650
. Transmission case oil - five yearly (so A then B (at ten years)) - $150

On this basis and forgetting brake pads for the moment, a four year B2 service would be $700 or $800 (depending on whom you believed), plus $215 for brake fluid flush. A five year A3 service would be $500 or $600 plus $650 + $150. Six year B3 would be either $700 or $800 plus $215 + $150 + $150. I can't get anywhere near the figures that Teckno was quoted unless you add in brake pads perhaps.

Finally, I was annoyed that I didn't get a Command system and map upgrade last year, when clearly there were GLCs in the yard with later maps than mine. So I made a fuss about it this year and now have a 2017 V6 Map. The map looks different, as in seems to have a different style, and the roads have been updated. I haven't noticed any other changes in the Command system so far.

Citizen613

Hi Folks,

Will be taking my GLC250 Petrol in for the first service soon. First 12 months of ownership. First MB service experience. Warranty servicing was included at time of Purchase.

My expectation is that I will pay Zero $$$, unless there is something unexpected found.

Any insight on what I should watch out for, ask for????

I will specifically ask for a map upgrade (that is a given).
I expect they will provide some sort of report on the wearable items ...brake pads, brake rotor, tyres.
I expect that normal fluids required will be included in the service and not an 'add-on'.
I don't want them to wash vehicle.

Am I being unreasonable? Did I miss anything??

decorily

Let them wash it...relax and enjoy!

decorily

Let them wash it...relax and enjoy!
Life is too short!!!

Citizen613

Lol ...I know where you are coming from..

Would not normally worry me .... I blame @Teckno ......he has me thinking about more and more .... now!!!!

I wonder ....if I dropped the wife's car in ..would they wash that instead???

bips

I think I got a wash, but it would have been a fairly cursory one. It was a fair way short of detailing. The car was fairly clean when it went in, and I suspect the wash was to conceal the evidence of workshop activity. The tyre-walls were painted black this time. One thing I really hate is that they inflate the tyres way over where I had them (33F 34R) up to around 40. I know some people think this is good, but not this little black duck, and I really dislike the local MB doing this.

The answer to Citizen613's other questions is yes.

larrypmyers

Ah bips, your not the only one with the tire pressure problem.

When I turn my vehicle in for service I advise the service advisor in no uncertain terms not to adjust tire pressure.

So far this strategy seems to be working. Pressure out is same as pressure in.

James Taylor

I have had mine for a bit over two years. Tyres were replaced at 28,000 kms. I went with Bridgestone this time. The only problem I have had is low battery indicator was coming on. I find the manual useless most of the time and the onboard manual painfully slow. The problem was me doing too many short trips. After one long trip all is now good.
I find the menu system in the Command to be janky and not very intuitive. Trying to manage music on the hard disk is frustratingly slow clumsy. Also, I haven't been able to get the Command Touch app on Android to connect
I have a query about map upgrades. Has anyone done it and if so is it included in the servicing or does it cost extra?

Teckno

bips

As per my posts above, I didn't get one at my first service, which annoyed me as there were cars in the yard that had a later map. So at the second service last week I made sure to ask and got an update. Teckno may be right that the first service was just a bit early, but if there are cars around with a later map then something is not right. Either the dealer was slack in installing or MB was slack in distributing. Three years free updates are worth less if you have to wait two years for the first one. I wonder what paid updates will cost?

Penn

I enquired about this at the stealership when in for the second service.

Map upgrades are an extra cost item, the service advisor said approx $295.
It was not an included item under the corporate plan.

bips

Thx. Don't know about the corporate plan, but for us private buyers, we were offered three years of free upgrades. Once that expires I can't see me buying one all that often at that price.