2017 GLC 300 from order thru delivery, long read :(
04-17-2017, 05:20 PM
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2012 Audi A6, GLC 300 4Matic
2017 GLC 300 from order thru delivery, long read :(
Wife and I spent most of last fall trying to find mid-size SUV to replace her Audi TT roadster. Test drove lots, looked up close and personal at many more. We finally decided to purchase a 2017 GLC300 4Matic as they say “fully loaded”. Our selected dealer could not find the exact configuration we wanted so we ordered a custom build mid December 2016. We were told a few items we wanted were backordered and the car would not be delivered until late March or early April. We went ahead knowing the delay, and finally received the car on 12 April 2017. I’ve put together some early thoughts on the technology in the car (2012 Audi A6 Prestige is the point of reference), the condition of the car when delivered and some first impressions on driving the car in a suburban environment (meaning surface streets and freeways but no long trips yet).
1. The factory paint is less than optimum. Our car is Designo Cardinal Red Metallic. The hood (bonnet) has waves and craters in the finish (see attached photo) that my detailer and I think were caused by heavy application of paint at the factory and/or the wrong reducer/catalyst proportion for the conditions present when it was painted and yes, I realize that other things can cause this defect. My detailer does very expensive custom paint work also and that is his opinion. I saw the defect at delivery but it did not look at all bad during that inspection. Unfortunately, this defect is going to require wet sanding to at least partly flatten the paint and make it appear smoother. In natural light it appears much worse. The rest of the body will require polishing to eliminate a haze layer or blush in the finish most noticeable in sunlight, this defect is not unusual, I’ve seen it on many new cars. A light polish usually gets rid of it.
2. We ordered the Sport Package which includes 19 inch wheels. The tires installed are Pirelli Scorpion Verde All Season MOE (235/55 R19 101H). Dealer delivered with 42lbs all around, ride was a bit harsh with that much pressure. No big deal, I always check tire pressure on all our vehicles once a month. I reset to 32 all around as recommended on the gas door placard. I may increase that a couple of pounds after we have some miles on the vehicle.
3. The shift lever on the right side of the steering column does take a bit to get used to. My last four or five automobiles have had the windshield wiper controls in that spot. Not bad, just different. Also, I like the idea of having the car engage the parking brake automatically when in park and the engine is shut off. An interesting note: when opening the drivers door after shutdown, the car bongs and a message “don’t forget your key” appears” and the same message appears then you open the door to get in.
4. We have the HUD. I can adjust the vertical position of the HUD in my A6 with a knob on the dash, in the MB I have to go a few layers deep in the control system to adjust. I can see their point of view, most people won’t adjust this more than once or twice and since you can have this adjustment locked to your seat and steering wheel memory it is logical.
5. Changing radio stations not stored as presets is OK unless you want to change source from radio to satellite. Not at all intuitive, and way to many button pushes, at least on the center command system.
6. Getting to radio stations that were stored as presets was not at all intuitive. I think it’s way to difficult unless I haven’t found the shortcut yet. From the steering wheel it takes at least 4 button pushes to change stations. From the center display it’s even worse.
7. The NAVI system is interesting at least factory default is. Voice control worked first time we tried, nice. On the way home from the dealer I entered our home address, the system routed quickly and we started following guidance. NAVI guided us to a street that had an entrance to a freeway less than ¼ mile ahead but had us turn, go 1 mile then get on the freeway at the next entrance. We stayed on the freeway for 3 miles then guidance said exit. We stayed on surface streets the rest of the way home (7 miles) rather than stay on the freeway which parallels the surface street. Destination was reached without any issues guidance and display were easy to follow but routing was a little weird, we’ll have to see how changing settings affects routing.
8. Driving impressions: Acceleration with the system in Comfort or Eco is OK. I don’t expect neck snapping accel from a 4 cylinder. I haven’t tried sport yet, want to get more miles on. Handling is what I expected for steel spring system with top heavy car. Not going to rally the car anyway. It is a comfortable ride.
9. Distronic is kind of interesting. When you first set it, the display for following distance appears, but unless you change the distance like in a second or 2 the display goes away. Not something you would change every day, but I would change based on amount of traffic, so having it remain available a little longer might be a good thing.
10. I haven’t been able to get an internet connection yet. The display shows a decent signal level from Verizon (2/3 bars) but when trying to download meta-data for a CD playing, the connection fails every time with a message similar to “Internet connection not available at this time. Try again later”.
11. Mercedes Me won’t let me add the vehicle yet, their database doesn’t show us as the owner. Dealer issue I think and I’ve notified them.
Overall we both like the car a lot so far. We realize it will take a bit longer to learn all the ins and outs but early first impression is positive.
1. The factory paint is less than optimum. Our car is Designo Cardinal Red Metallic. The hood (bonnet) has waves and craters in the finish (see attached photo) that my detailer and I think were caused by heavy application of paint at the factory and/or the wrong reducer/catalyst proportion for the conditions present when it was painted and yes, I realize that other things can cause this defect. My detailer does very expensive custom paint work also and that is his opinion. I saw the defect at delivery but it did not look at all bad during that inspection. Unfortunately, this defect is going to require wet sanding to at least partly flatten the paint and make it appear smoother. In natural light it appears much worse. The rest of the body will require polishing to eliminate a haze layer or blush in the finish most noticeable in sunlight, this defect is not unusual, I’ve seen it on many new cars. A light polish usually gets rid of it.
2. We ordered the Sport Package which includes 19 inch wheels. The tires installed are Pirelli Scorpion Verde All Season MOE (235/55 R19 101H). Dealer delivered with 42lbs all around, ride was a bit harsh with that much pressure. No big deal, I always check tire pressure on all our vehicles once a month. I reset to 32 all around as recommended on the gas door placard. I may increase that a couple of pounds after we have some miles on the vehicle.
3. The shift lever on the right side of the steering column does take a bit to get used to. My last four or five automobiles have had the windshield wiper controls in that spot. Not bad, just different. Also, I like the idea of having the car engage the parking brake automatically when in park and the engine is shut off. An interesting note: when opening the drivers door after shutdown, the car bongs and a message “don’t forget your key” appears” and the same message appears then you open the door to get in.
4. We have the HUD. I can adjust the vertical position of the HUD in my A6 with a knob on the dash, in the MB I have to go a few layers deep in the control system to adjust. I can see their point of view, most people won’t adjust this more than once or twice and since you can have this adjustment locked to your seat and steering wheel memory it is logical.
5. Changing radio stations not stored as presets is OK unless you want to change source from radio to satellite. Not at all intuitive, and way to many button pushes, at least on the center command system.
6. Getting to radio stations that were stored as presets was not at all intuitive. I think it’s way to difficult unless I haven’t found the shortcut yet. From the steering wheel it takes at least 4 button pushes to change stations. From the center display it’s even worse.
7. The NAVI system is interesting at least factory default is. Voice control worked first time we tried, nice. On the way home from the dealer I entered our home address, the system routed quickly and we started following guidance. NAVI guided us to a street that had an entrance to a freeway less than ¼ mile ahead but had us turn, go 1 mile then get on the freeway at the next entrance. We stayed on the freeway for 3 miles then guidance said exit. We stayed on surface streets the rest of the way home (7 miles) rather than stay on the freeway which parallels the surface street. Destination was reached without any issues guidance and display were easy to follow but routing was a little weird, we’ll have to see how changing settings affects routing.
8. Driving impressions: Acceleration with the system in Comfort or Eco is OK. I don’t expect neck snapping accel from a 4 cylinder. I haven’t tried sport yet, want to get more miles on. Handling is what I expected for steel spring system with top heavy car. Not going to rally the car anyway. It is a comfortable ride.
9. Distronic is kind of interesting. When you first set it, the display for following distance appears, but unless you change the distance like in a second or 2 the display goes away. Not something you would change every day, but I would change based on amount of traffic, so having it remain available a little longer might be a good thing.
10. I haven’t been able to get an internet connection yet. The display shows a decent signal level from Verizon (2/3 bars) but when trying to download meta-data for a CD playing, the connection fails every time with a message similar to “Internet connection not available at this time. Try again later”.
11. Mercedes Me won’t let me add the vehicle yet, their database doesn’t show us as the owner. Dealer issue I think and I’ve notified them.
Overall we both like the car a lot so far. We realize it will take a bit longer to learn all the ins and outs but early first impression is positive.
Last edited by Robert Sullivan; 04-18-2017 at 12:07 AM.
04-18-2017, 12:49 AM
#4
Member
Wife and I spent most of last fall trying to find mid-size SUV to replace her Audi TT roadster. Test drove lots, looked up close and personal at many more. We finally decided to purchase a 2017 GLC300 4Matic as they say “fully loaded”. Our selected dealer could not find the exact configuration we wanted so we ordered a custom build mid December 2016. We were told a few items we wanted were backordered and the car would not be delivered until late March or early April. We went ahead knowing the delay, and finally received the car on 12 April 2017. I’ve put together some early thoughts on the technology in the car (2012 Audi A6 Prestige is the point of reference), the condition of the car when delivered and some first impressions on driving the car in a suburban environment (meaning surface streets and freeways but no long trips yet).
1. The factory paint is less than optimum. Our car is Designo Cardinal Red Metallic. The hood (bonnet) has waves and craters in the finish (see attached photo) that my detailer and I think were caused by heavy application of paint at the factory and/or the wrong reducer/catalyst proportion for the conditions present when it was painted and yes, I realize that other things can cause this defect. My detailer does very expensive custom paint work also and that is his opinion. I saw the defect at delivery but it did not look at all bad during that inspection. Unfortunately, this defect is going to require wet sanding to at least partly flatten the paint and make it appear smoother. In natural light it appears much worse. The rest of the body will require polishing to eliminate a haze layer or blush in the finish most noticeable in sunlight, this defect is not unusual, I’ve seen it on many new cars. A light polish usually gets rid of it.
2. We ordered the Sport Package which includes 19 inch wheels. The tires installed are Pirelli Scorpion Verde All Season MOE (235/55 R19 101H). Dealer delivered with 42lbs all around, ride was a bit harsh with that much pressure. No big deal, I always check tire pressure on all our vehicles once a month. I reset to 32 all around as recommended on the gas door placard. I may increase that a couple of pounds after we have some miles on the vehicle.
3. The shift lever on the right side of the steering column does take a bit to get used to. My last four or five automobiles have had the windshield wiper controls in that spot. Not bad, just different. Also, I like the idea of having the car engage the parking brake automatically when in park and the engine is shut off. An interesting note: when opening the drivers door after shutdown, the car bongs and a message “don’t forget your key” appears” and the same message appears then you open the door to get in.
4. We have the HUD. I can adjust the vertical position of the HUD in my A6 with a knob on the dash, in the MB I have to go a few layers deep in the control system to adjust. I can see their point of view, most people won’t adjust this more than once or twice and since you can have this adjustment locked to your seat and steering wheel memory it is logical.
5. Changing radio stations not stored as presets is OK unless you want to change source from radio to satellite. Not at all intuitive, and way to many button pushes, at least on the center command system.
6. Getting to radio stations that were stored as presets was not at all intuitive. I think it’s way to difficult unless I haven’t found the shortcut yet. From the steering wheel it takes at least 4 button pushes to change stations. From the center display it’s even worse.
7. The NAVI system is interesting at least factory default is. Voice control worked first time we tried, nice. On the way home from the dealer I entered our home address, the system routed quickly and we started following guidance. NAVI guided us to a street that had an entrance to a freeway less than ¼ mile ahead but had us turn, go 1 mile then get on the freeway at the next entrance. We stayed on the freeway for 3 miles then guidance said exit. We stayed on surface streets the rest of the way home (7 miles) rather than stay on the freeway which parallels the surface street. Destination was reached without any issues guidance and display were easy to follow but routing was a little weird, we’ll have to see how changing settings affects routing.
8. Driving impressions: Acceleration with the system in Comfort or Eco is OK. I don’t expect neck snapping accel from a 4 cylinder. I haven’t tried sport yet, want to get more miles on. Handling is what I expected for steel spring system with top heavy car. Not going to rally the car anyway. It is a comfortable ride.
9. Distronic is kind of interesting. When you first set it, the display for following distance appears, but unless you change the distance like in a second or 2 the display goes away. Not something you would change every day, but I would change based on amount of traffic, so having it remain available a little longer might be a good thing.
10. I haven’t been able to get an internet connection yet. The display shows a decent signal level from Verizon (2/3 bars) but when trying to download meta-data for a CD playing, the connection fails every time with a message similar to “Internet connection not available at this time. Try again later”.
11. Mercedes Me won’t let me add the vehicle yet, their database doesn’t show us as the owner. Dealer issue I think and I’ve notified them.
Overall we both like the car a lot so far. We realize it will take a bit longer to learn all the ins and outs but early first impression is positive.
1. The factory paint is less than optimum. Our car is Designo Cardinal Red Metallic. The hood (bonnet) has waves and craters in the finish (see attached photo) that my detailer and I think were caused by heavy application of paint at the factory and/or the wrong reducer/catalyst proportion for the conditions present when it was painted and yes, I realize that other things can cause this defect. My detailer does very expensive custom paint work also and that is his opinion. I saw the defect at delivery but it did not look at all bad during that inspection. Unfortunately, this defect is going to require wet sanding to at least partly flatten the paint and make it appear smoother. In natural light it appears much worse. The rest of the body will require polishing to eliminate a haze layer or blush in the finish most noticeable in sunlight, this defect is not unusual, I’ve seen it on many new cars. A light polish usually gets rid of it.
2. We ordered the Sport Package which includes 19 inch wheels. The tires installed are Pirelli Scorpion Verde All Season MOE (235/55 R19 101H). Dealer delivered with 42lbs all around, ride was a bit harsh with that much pressure. No big deal, I always check tire pressure on all our vehicles once a month. I reset to 32 all around as recommended on the gas door placard. I may increase that a couple of pounds after we have some miles on the vehicle.
3. The shift lever on the right side of the steering column does take a bit to get used to. My last four or five automobiles have had the windshield wiper controls in that spot. Not bad, just different. Also, I like the idea of having the car engage the parking brake automatically when in park and the engine is shut off. An interesting note: when opening the drivers door after shutdown, the car bongs and a message “don’t forget your key” appears” and the same message appears then you open the door to get in.
4. We have the HUD. I can adjust the vertical position of the HUD in my A6 with a knob on the dash, in the MB I have to go a few layers deep in the control system to adjust. I can see their point of view, most people won’t adjust this more than once or twice and since you can have this adjustment locked to your seat and steering wheel memory it is logical.
5. Changing radio stations not stored as presets is OK unless you want to change source from radio to satellite. Not at all intuitive, and way to many button pushes, at least on the center command system.
6. Getting to radio stations that were stored as presets was not at all intuitive. I think it’s way to difficult unless I haven’t found the shortcut yet. From the steering wheel it takes at least 4 button pushes to change stations. From the center display it’s even worse.
7. The NAVI system is interesting at least factory default is. Voice control worked first time we tried, nice. On the way home from the dealer I entered our home address, the system routed quickly and we started following guidance. NAVI guided us to a street that had an entrance to a freeway less than ¼ mile ahead but had us turn, go 1 mile then get on the freeway at the next entrance. We stayed on the freeway for 3 miles then guidance said exit. We stayed on surface streets the rest of the way home (7 miles) rather than stay on the freeway which parallels the surface street. Destination was reached without any issues guidance and display were easy to follow but routing was a little weird, we’ll have to see how changing settings affects routing.
8. Driving impressions: Acceleration with the system in Comfort or Eco is OK. I don’t expect neck snapping accel from a 4 cylinder. I haven’t tried sport yet, want to get more miles on. Handling is what I expected for steel spring system with top heavy car. Not going to rally the car anyway. It is a comfortable ride.
9. Distronic is kind of interesting. When you first set it, the display for following distance appears, but unless you change the distance like in a second or 2 the display goes away. Not something you would change every day, but I would change based on amount of traffic, so having it remain available a little longer might be a good thing.
10. I haven’t been able to get an internet connection yet. The display shows a decent signal level from Verizon (2/3 bars) but when trying to download meta-data for a CD playing, the connection fails every time with a message similar to “Internet connection not available at this time. Try again later”.
11. Mercedes Me won’t let me add the vehicle yet, their database doesn’t show us as the owner. Dealer issue I think and I’ve notified them.
Overall we both like the car a lot so far. We realize it will take a bit longer to learn all the ins and outs but early first impression is positive.
but you can also do
for #9, you can leave the driving assist graphic up by selecting it in the dash. though with the HUD it shows what speed you are set to.
04-18-2017, 01:34 PM
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04-19-2017, 01:31 PM
#8
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2012 Audi A6, GLC 300 4Matic
Thanks all. I've had a wet sand/detail done, the paint is 100% better. Slight imperfection still can be found on hood if you look hard enough, but detailer told me that up front. I did tell him before the job was done that I will accept slight imperfection in order to absolutely prevent sanding through the clear. After all, it is an OEM paint job, not meant to be show quality.
Wife absolutely loves the car, she smiles every time she gets in. Now that we have good paint protection it's ready for the summer drive cross country.
I have a question for the people in the forum. Does anyone know of a good quality leather product designed to minimize dirt/stains on the leather? Our interior is quite light (silk beige). I'm familiar with the normal leather protectants/conditioners like Lexol, but they don't provide stain protection.
Wife absolutely loves the car, she smiles every time she gets in. Now that we have good paint protection it's ready for the summer drive cross country.
I have a question for the people in the forum. Does anyone know of a good quality leather product designed to minimize dirt/stains on the leather? Our interior is quite light (silk beige). I'm familiar with the normal leather protectants/conditioners like Lexol, but they don't provide stain protection.
04-19-2017, 07:46 PM
#10
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