aat928

Whose got them ? Mine is a Canadian version, they don't have paddle shifter.

Baby G

I don't believe anyone in NA has them yet, but these should be addition available maybe next year or so.

MtnMachine

I touched them in a GLK in Barcelona Spain and it was an off-road, smaller engine GLK. My wife thought I was crazy for going into a MB dealer in Spain and checking all GLK details. She is right sometimes. I did wife damage control by spending two hours in the Picaso Museum down the street. It was better than a GLK sighting.

We do not get many things that are available in Europe.

I am quite pleased with the optioned car we are getting in USA.

webada

When is MBUSA going to realized that we want tailored options??
not P1 or P2 or MM.... we want all these options that can be order individualy and available.

They are smart to remove pano from P1 and Navi from MM to make them separately.

MBUSA neeeds to know the only reason people are buying Mercedes because they are Mercedes, not because all these "smart" packagings they are putting together for USA.... stop trying to be like the Japanese dealers.

NYCGLK

^^^that's an endless debate options vs. packages. Packages make it easier in manufacturing process so cost can be also kept down.

Also most of the people will try to find a car already built with options that they want and packages make it easier to find one as you need to decide between 4 packages vs. 25 options.

I agree on making sun-roof and navi stand alone options. But I think many options should be standard on a luxury SUV to begin with (aka sunroof, memory seats, power tailgate, xenons). That's what makes it "luxury" SUV. Maybe it's just me but when I decide to buy a MB I'm expecting most of the options to be laready there. I would not care that it's base price would be 45k. It is MB, it's supposed to expensive. I do care that I see price of 33,900 and then have to add 12k worth of options to get what MB should be. This make me feel like I'm buying a Toyota and being ripped off for every little thing, including wheel locks, cargo cover etc.

Baby G

^^^ Folks keep in mind they won't have all features or updates in first year launch. Best example is when I got my G35 coupe. Its fully loaded, but guess what I don't have bluetooth, I don't have the simple thing as memory seats. Both of these options are available in the 06.

I am sure the perks like paddle shifter, and other things will come as the year goes by. Its minor improvement, and something for them to add in new feature section.

webada

I agree with BabyG's observation but just don't understand why that is when Europe version already have them. I can understand that if they don't manufacture it at all but that is not the case. So what is the decision for not offering them in the US?

Keep in mind that MBUSA is not MB. It operate as a separate company servicing US only. Likewise for MB Canada.

When the c-class came out with P1 P2 pkg, few of the dealers I talked to actually complaint about it, reflecting their frustratoin coming off w203 where options are broken out and gave customer alot more flexibility.

I honestly think there is some whacky marketing guy up there in MBUSA that thinks the "Acura" packaging is the way to go, either that or he has been eating way too much McDonalds...

peter m

yes i live in ontario canada and i have the paddle shifting on the steering wheel i order my glk with the amg package it cost 2500.00 while worth it

KenNinBC

Paddle shift is part of the AMG package for Canadian models. AFAIK, that's the only way to get it on the GLK in NA.

Kn.

rmfnla

I don't even drive my GLK in Sport mode; I don't think I would bother with paddle shifters.

FWIW, I have them on my G37 and I think I've used them maybe twice in the past year and only for a few moments before shifting back to regular automatic.

slk55er

Hmm. I had them on my SLK55 AMG and really miss them, particularly for downshifts into and out of a turn. They preclude removing a hand from the steering wheel to shift via the console shifter. And they make downshifting prior to entering a turn much more convenient, thus eliminating a more abrupt downshift caused by pressing the throttle upon exiting the turn.

I hope to have them on my next GLK.

Peter_02AMG

Not available in NA, Wife's GLK have AMG package and no paddle shifter.

KenNinBC

Canada is part of NA.

Kn.

Peter_02AMG

Let me correct my comment.. I mean it not available in the USA.

MBRedux

Paddles are for ping-pong!

MKenM

I know that there are people who like the paddle shifters but IMO your hands have to be in the right place at the right time to use them. Two hands on the wheel may be better. I'm not a race car driver but it seems very intuitive for the shifter to be on the console. Then again if you are always on the straight aways then the paddles might work.

slk55er

Yep, with spirited driving, the trick is to get any down shifting completed on the straights before entering a turn rather than shifting in the turn so that the driver has full control of the vehicle with both hands on the wheel in the turn.

In this regard, paddles/buttons on the wheel or a console shifter work, but the wheel-mounted controls eliminate the distraction and distubance of extra hand/arm movements. For routine driving it doesn't make much difference 'cause automatic transmissions these days are so responsive and well designed.

MBRedux

.... and my GT-R!



Can't understand why they're on a GLK though because the transmission is not a DCT?

n5160u

The older 5 speed slush boxes on the AMG models had a "G" sensing switch that would hold the gearbox in its current gear until the cornering loads indicated it could shift gears without upsetting the cars balance while turning or changing directions. I do not know if that feature carried over to the 7 speed trannies.
The AMG versions also had the torque converter lock-up in all of the forward gears and you could tell this immediately when applying power coming out of a turn because you could hear and feel the engine loading down with the added throttle which is something I never experienced in my non AMG Benz loaners under the same conditions.

BestorNicht

I actually haven't tried the paddleshifters on my GLK yet. Can I use them while still in "Comfort" mode, or do I have to switch to "Sport" mode to utilize them?

GLKKa2H

Either way. They are as well convenient for downshifting prior to entering loong downhills - providing enginebraking and "smoothing" the ride vs. braking periodically.

Peaceful Holidays!

KenNinBC

All you have to do is trigger the paddle (up or down) and it'll jump out of whatever mode you're driving in and change to "manual" mode. The dash display changes - instead of showing "D" for drive, it displays "M1, M2, M3, etc." to indicate what gear you're in.

Once in manual mode, the only way that I've found to get back to auto is to move the main shifter to a different gear (N, R, whatever) and back to D. There may be another way but I haven't read that bit in the owner's manual yet.

Kn.

W210

Probably not that easy to add to cars without the paddles from the factory, unfortunately. I miss this feature from the E63.

MKenM

I'll bet the same way that when you hold the shifter to the right for a couple of seconds the trans comes out of manual and into automatic or that when you depress and hold the + on the paddle the trans will revert to automatic. Thats the way it works on the console shifter. Does it work the same way with the paddles?

GLKKa2H

Press the + paddle for a couple of seconds and the transmission goes to D, as assumed by MKenM, (dash display shows finally D).