gbenrus25

Hey guys,

I'm close to finalizing on a 2019 GLC 300 (finalizing tomorrow) but wanted to get feedback on if I should be waiting for the MY2020 facelift. I'm not too familiar with what's changing but I know there'll be a bigger screen. Also, pictures I've seen make the MY2020 look very similar to the current model so I'm not sure external changes would be significant. What do you all think? Anyone have more insight into the MY2020 model?

Also, the deal I'm getting is for a new 2019 GLC 300 with MSRP of about $47500. 2 dealers are giving me close to 19% off MSRP (including the $1000 PenFed certficate offer) before taxes and fees. Seems like a decent deal so not sure if I should be passing. Looking forward to hearing from others.

Thanks

openwheelracing

2020 model new headlights look worse imo. I don't see anything worth waiting for from the W205 refresh. Perhaps the 1.5liter mild hybrid 48V system, but I doubt US gets that power train. Get it now and enjoy it. That's a great discount. Make sure you get at least static LED and don't pay for Comand which sucks anyway and you lose CarPlay/AA.

protseng

19% discount.. take it now. 2020 is only a minor facelift, worse headlight design

gbenrus25

Thanks guys. Unfortunately, it doesn't have the LEDs headlamps but it also doesn't have COMAND so it's the 7" screen. I was looking at the leaked picture of the MY2020 GLC and also at the 2019 C-Class and that 10.25" center display looks so much nicer than the current 7" display (I like big center displays). It also appears that on the new C-Class, you can get the bigger screen without COMAND (the larger screen w/o COMAND is a $300 upgrade as AA/CarPlay is now a standard feature). I think that's the one feature I'd have loved to wait for. The new digital instrument cluster is also nice on the C-Class. Anyways, don't think waiting a year for the screen is worth it so would likely go ahead. Hopefully, there are no other big features I'm not aware of that'd make me wish I waited

openwheelracing

Think really hard about getting one without static LED headlights. I wouldn't buy it even with 19% off. Just my 0.02. This is usually the number 1 regret.

gbenrus25

Hmmm thanks. I hear you but I'm wondering if it might be one of those "what you don't know won't hurt you" situations. I haven't used a car with led headlights so not sure I'll regret the upgrade. Most dealerships here don't have LED lights on their existing stock.

Also, just to be clear, are the differences between the halogen and LED the brightness levels and the look? Since the adaptive/intelligent isn't an option, I'm wondering of an improvement I'll be missing out on by not getting the static LED.

openwheelracing

I think you pretty much answered your own question. Those GLC with halogen headlight are much harder to move than any GLC with upgraded headlight.

Static LED headlight is significantly brighter than halogen. This is a safety issue, not just aesthetics. Check IIHS page for GLC (and most cars). The current one has a very well designed single large fish eye led projector housing. The 2020 model will use four small reflectors. Reflector LEDs suck in my coerience (BMWs). Intelligent LEDs are even better but totally unnecessary imo, just another motorized moving part to breakdown. The 2020 intelligent LEDs will be an upgrade over the current gen. So imo the current static LED is the one to get.

Astheticslly, the gullwing daytime running light makes the car Twice as sharpe.

protseng

huge huge difference. i used to own a 2017 glc300 with halogen lights and you have no idea how ugly it looks at night, you would never guess its a mercedes from a distance.
Now that I own a 2019 with LED, it seems like the car just got a $10,000 increase in value just from the lights.
Doesn't matter if you have all the top options added, but if you had halogen lights, the car immediately looks cheap and embarassing.

I used to be the one that was so embarassed when I see another glc with LEDs next to me or across from me.
There was this guy with glc halogen lights across from me and we came together at a stop sign,
he was checking out my car the entire time even while turning corners.
You bet he was noticing the LEDs and realizing hes made the biggest mistake ever with his halogens.

heres a vid of the comparisons, not too clear in vid, but in real life its a shocking difference

openwheelracing

Philamg

Different in Europe, certainly in UK LED headlights are standard, the upgrade is to Intelligent LED'S.

peet

Also as I mentioned in another thread, 2020 onward are being built in India. So this will be the first year out of a new factory and all the growing pains of training people, QA etc. I suspect lots of bugs will be found while they tool up.

Chrisk03

19% off is a damn good deal, but I personally would wait for the 2020 and updated interior. My 18 interior (and 19) is nice, but the whole Apple CP/Android A and COMAND thing bugs the crap out of me...MB should have both NOW and prior, as they do with other model cars. Major fail, IMO, BUT that may not be important to you and a 19 could be more than fine.

openwheelracing

You can get Carplay/AA right now, and you don't have to pay $2400 for COMAND. 2019 is a win-win. Comand is a terrible software suite anyway, in the case of GLC, less is more. Why​​​​Why pay $2400 for an extra inch display when the 7 inch is just as sharp?

Those who wait for 2020 model will be paying for a system that is already outdated in 2018. Why? The only thing that matters here is Carplay/AA.

gbenrus25

Thanks everyone. I ended up choosing a different 2019 GLC 300 that has both static LED and Burmester audio. The dealer kept the $ discount so the percentage off fell to just over 18%. However, he gave good trade in rates for my cars so still fine.

gbenrus25

This is where I'd disagree with you though. The 7" screen has such huge bezels which is pretty annoying. The 8" seems decently nicer. And the $300 upgrade to 10.25" in the 2020 C-class has AA/Carplay which would have been pretty awesome to have.

CasemLuke

I agree with most here. Great discount, but unless it's 100% your preferred color options and equipment, don't do it! The LEDs are not only safer, but they also look cooler -- both front and rear tail lamps. And from the front, the LEDs share "Mercedes Benz DNA" with their high-end models: the day-time running LED arch. Even tho I have the keyless-go-entry, at night I still press the unlock button to see the arches light up.

Also, regarding the European models -- in many countries in the EU (if not all of the EU?), if a manufacturer makes LEDs, those are required to be standard (by law) for safety (and perhaps for limiting future consumer maintenance costs - bulbs last longer). They also have additional rear-fog light requirements (and I'm very happy they decided to leave this engaged for the USA market). Friends, don't forget you have this! -- during a crazy rainy downpour (or of course fog), make sure you press that little rear-fog light button to increase your visibility to those behind you (your headlights will automatically come on as well, if not on already).

CasemLuke

Nicely done! Share with us a pic and make sure those LEDs are on. :-)

peet

Flip side of the argument... I came from a GLA250 and there, you had a 6" ish base display, but at a resolution worse than an old Nokia phone. Fuzzy and nasty as all can be. My wife, got a similar GLA at the same time with the 8" COMAND screen. It was crystal clear and sharp - ignoring the scale difference for the moment - it was night and day.

When I went to get a GLC, I looked at both screens. I was totally surprised that they are both high resolution - sure, the bezels are smaller on COMAND, but it's the same fantastic image. With CarPlay on - the entire screen seems to get bigger! So not having COMAND and having CarPlay is indeed a win-win. There is nothing else in COMAND I would use. I hope that the aftermarket community creates some replacement screens like that did for GLA/CLA. For around $300-600 depending on features, you can have a new-style 10" screen with touch, with its own apps and it looks amazing. But GLA only for now. That 10" wide screen is also great because you can split screen - so you can run car stuff on one part and Waze on the other. Installation was pretty simple for screen only and not too bad for one with apps and other features.

I see OP got another car anyhow - but posting this in case others are on the fence.

openwheelracing

they all have big bezels, including the 8 incher. Try the new BMWs, they have even bigger bezels. I would never make a purchase based on size of bezels. I enjoy my bezels with Carplay and Android Auto, everyone else can have slightly smaller bezel and Mercedes UX.

The 10 incher is wide screen which is nice to have if you need two zones of information. That's about the only upside, it also has big bezels and sorry during navigation the map isn't any bigger with more useful info.

My iPad has big bezels, I am not swapping it with some thin bezel tablet. Bezels..,...I don't understand the obsession with bezels these days, same argument on cellphone forums.

BlueRidge

peet

Will all GLCs imported into US be made in India starting in 2020, or will some still be imported from Germany in 2020?

Thanks

dieseldoc

[quote=BlueRidge]peet

Will all GLCs imported into US be made in India starting in 2020, or will some still be imported from Germany in 2020?

US specific GLCs will be coming in small numbers. We will also continue to get GLCs from Bremen and Finland.

peet

And to add to diseldoc - it starts with 2019s, not 2020 model year. They are starting production this/next month.

I suspect the 300 will be India, the 43 and 63 Germany. That's what we've seen in other marques too - the baseline car comes from some lower-labor-cost market, the premium versions (AMG, M, F and other alphabet soup) of cars come from the homeland. Probably due to two points... AMG has a specific build process for the motors especially and two, origin perception by the buyer. My dad refuses to buy a Merc from anywhere but Germany. He did the same when getting VWs in years' past when VW started to do a lot of building in Mexico.

The irony with that attitude is that in many cases, these foreign market factories have a chip on their shoulders and something to prove. For example, the BMW factory in South Caroline produces higher quality vehicles, year over year, than their counterparts in Germany. (based on actual repots - though I don't have one, but I remember when this news broke.)

BlueRidge

dieseldoc and peet,

Thanks for your helpful responses. My 3 year lease is up in June 2020. I will be able to learn about any quality issues for GLCs coming from India by then.

Kris@ATL

An interesting discussion. I work for German company and frequently travel to this country. I have many friends out there. The MB GLC300 is the first German car I have ever owned! I would have bought MB long time ago, but after acquisition of Chrysler they quality went downhill in a big way. Hence my reluctance. As to the stigma of “Made in Germany”, it is just a myth right now. Factories in other countries are equally capable of manufacturing quality products. Corporations cannot afford subpar quality of the product. I have now issues buying MB or BMW manufactured in USA………even in the South… J

MBCA

Do not get the 2019 without LED headlights. I got stuck with halogen and hate them. I ordered mine with LED static but the dealer forgot. I would never order another Mercedes again without getting the Adaptive Lighting Package as I don't live in a city. I wish I waited for the 2020 but returned my GLK which I actually found drove better with the V6.

Additionally, take a look at the facelift the new C class got. Those would be similar to the GLC facelift. LED standard, larger screen and the ability to have both COMMAND and Apple CarPlay. I'd rather have CarPlay but in order to have Driver's assistance you need COMMAND. When they integrate both in 2020, might make more sense to get an Apple CarPlay enabled COMMAND system although you really won't ever use the COMMAND navi.