hikenbike

Hi All,

My wife is due to be moving on to her next vehicle and I'm liking what I see in a CPO GLC 300. More specifically, something like this...... https://www.mbflemington.com/certifi...8305a2c06d.htm

We are typically Honda and Toyota diehards. What are the pros and cons of getting into a Mercedes like this? Reliability is our top priority and traditionally Mercedes has not been stellar in this area where Toyota and Honda have excelled but this specific model seems to have only some brake squealing issues, windshield wiper, and a couple of minor issues from what I've read. We usually keep vehicles long term.

I'd love to get some good, honest advise.

Thanks in advance.

John

kombifan

best bet is to get the cpo extension which will cover you for up to 7 yrs from in service date. So probably coverage till 2023.

If if that’s too short, I can also highly recommend Carmax max care for a used glc from them. Have used it often and a lot on our gl, and it has a 6 yr service date from purchase.

I would look look for these options in your Glc at a minimum
Lighting package
Burmester surround
command navigation or apple carplay
premium package

ask any any and all questions!

kombifan

Here are some other options to compare that are not too far away.

https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/d...7179/overview/
https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/d...7951/overview/

https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/d...9011/overview/

https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/d...6916/overview/

https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/d...8500/overview/

remember the the cpo warranty and extension is unlimited mileage, so you’re really on hindered by the in service date.

If if you can find a glc with the parking package, it’s worth it to get the parking sensors but they are really difficult to find.

hikenbike

Thanks for this. My wife typically put less than 10k/year on a car so even if normal maintenance is clearly higher, I won't be too concerned as its not needed often and I may use a good local independent Mercedes shop. It's more about larger significant repairs/issues that would concern me over a 5-10 year period. Not many people keep cars that long any more but we do. Getting good feedback from the longevity perspective is rare as many don't keep them beyond 3-4 years. I would normally never consider a Mercedes but after driving this model, its hard to ignore how superb it rode and the quality of the interior that you only find in a luxury brand.

chassis

First thing to know, is that Mercedes’ reliability is not the same as Honda’s.

If if you are OK with that, the GLC is a fun, practical and nice looking vehicle. You have listed some of the common complaints.

Some here recommend CPO and ELW. I am not in that camp because it’s like Vegas, the house wins. No ELW means you pay for any repairs. In the end the actuaries price the warranty policies so they work out in their, not your, favor. There is less than 100% certainty that you will incur repair costs equal to, or more than, the ELW premium. I am OK with taking the odds of paying repairs, I have seen that movie before and it ends just fine.

I am a fan of prepaid maintenance, because I will with 100% certainty consume the maintenance services, and the prepaid program mitigates against price increases. There are those on this site that recommend DIY for the first A service and prepay the next three services. This works if your vehicle has not yet had the first A service, typically at 10k miles. If the preowned vehicle has more than 10k miles I would prepay the next three service visits.

hikenbike

Thanks for your input. Do you use a Mercedes dealership exclusively for your maintenance? I know of quality independent shops that work Mercedes but don't know if its much different $$ wise or how they may differ in mechanical competence. I should certainly give one a call and get to know some customers to get a sense of the financial expectations to do simple things like replace brakes, replace batteries, perform tune-ups, etc.

My brother in law has an ML 350 for the past year and also highly recommends the prepaid maintenance. I will certainly look into it (as well as the ELW) when I visit Mercedes tomorrow so I understand the numbers.

kombifan

i exclusively service the car at the mb dealership, not out of blind loyalty but because my sa often price matches or even beats local Indy’s or other mb dealerships out of courtesy.

The DMV is a pretty competitive market if you price shop, but my sa certainly can appreciate my price shipping. It also helps I’ve been to him exclusively for every warranty repair for the last 7+ years.

Youll also have have this opportunity with you glc. Do some research on the sa st your dealership and choose the one that has been there the longest and has the most satisfied clients I.e. trinkets on his desk.
My sa has gotten trinkets from every country around the world. From me included !

The thing i diy is oil. I hate Mobil 1 oil. It sucks 🦆. So I do my own liqui molly changes. The rest my sa does when it comes to tranny flushes etc. he even lets me bring parts for pads and rotors and charges a rack rate. (250 per axle. ) it gets quite affordable.

Just maintain an honest but good relationship with your sa and they can help you with the parts you end up paying out of pocket.

Did youlike any of the options I sent you?

kombifan

lol. 17k + covered repairs on a 3k warranty.

Comimg far far far ahead 🤣 I'm a gl though
I expect the glc to be a little less repair intensive though

Oh yeah. If it wasnt clear I piecemeal my services based on what I can do and what I don't find necessary. Ie checks and some things like wiper blades.

So far it's worked in my favor. Ymmv

hikenbike

Yes, thank you. I liked the second one. White. I’ll never have a black vehicle ever again. I’m a detailing hobbyist and black is impossible.

The fact that you’ve had $17k worth of repairs (covered or not) raises a flag for me. I have an ‘07 Toyota 4Runner and have repaired absolutely nothing. Literally nothing. Only wear and tear items......oil, tires, brakes, plugs. Luxury brand = luxury $$ and I get it. You’ve been smart in how you’ve kept the $$ in check as best as possible. Thanks for the advise and input. I’m going to see the car in my original post tomorrow morning.

chassis

I plan to use the dealer for maintenance and repairs until the vehicle (GLE350W4) is out of warranty. Then I will decide how much DIY to do vs dealer vs Indy shop.

kombifan

So the white one I sent has the parking package that's kind of rare. It gives you the parking sensors which I think is a must.

Don't think to much of my repairs. My car was originally designed in 04-06 when all of the features I've gotten issues with were in its infancy. Everything has progressed over the years and even parts that were replaced were replaced with updated parts.

The glc, beyond the issues yiuve mentioned won't give you so many issues. Do ask to have the front windows replaced with acoustic glass for the wind noise though.

hikenbike

Understanding maintenance on a GLC 300 is typically done every 10K, If I may ask, what does it "generally" cost to perform a minor and a major maintenance on the GLC 300 (without the prepaid program) at a dealership? I'm thinking $250 and $400 respectively. Am I far off?

I forgot to ask this at the dealership today.

I understand the ELW for 2 years is "generally" $3k or so.

Thanks.

kombifan

yes. That’s about right.

Less if you piecemeal it and skip the checks.

Ex. 120 for oil. 130 brake flush. 300 tranny flush.

hikenbike

Thanks. I don’t think that’s so ridiculous given we are sub 10k miles annually. The test drive today went very well and the wife really liked the car.....especially compared to the Volvo XC60, Passport, and Highlander.