MBRedux

The Mercedes GLK is an animated little vehicle, and by that, I mean one that looks like a cartoon character—Tigger the hyperactive tiger from "Winnie the Pooh," or the sadistic Tom from "Tom and Jerry:" all sinister grin, oversized grimalkin head, and sly widely spaced eyes. This serves the vehicle well, as Cute Utes, the category into which the GLK fits, are supposed to be, as their name implies, adorable. They're also supposed to hold the promise of utility, though few consumers ever call upon them to deliver on this in ways greater than the capacity to hold a Costco run's worth of toilet paper and frozen quiche. As Bugs Bunny says in a classic Looney Tunes short, "You can get away with nearly anything, in an animated cartoon."

I've never been much of a fan of small crossovers, and not because I'm possessed by the veiled (or overt) misogyny that pollutes many car writers' critiques of these vehicles. What I object to about small crossovers is the way they've come to act as replacements for my beloved and practical small wagons. The roll-out of these vehicles by luxe firms like Mercedes, as well as basic brands like Honda and Ford, has meant the death—at least here in America—of dynamic, attractive, car-like vehicles like the C-Class Estate, and the Honda Civic and Ford Focus wagons.

So it was not with the highest expectations of self-pleasure that I attended the recent launch of the heavily freshened, 2013 GLK, even though it was being held in picturesque Meadows of Dan, Va., which is apparently a place one can fly to, but only if one flies to Greensboro, N.C., and then drives for two hours. True to form, while the revitalized GLK includes—among its oft-heralded collection of 1,000 new parts—a softer nose, a Decepticon-like mouth, some Aladdin Sane LED eyeliner highlighting the upper lid of its headlights, and a motivating member that is at once more powerful and more efficient, I wasn't really won over.

Yes, its newly revised, 302 hp, direct-injection V-6 makes more than adequate power for zipping to Whole Foods and grinding up steep suburban driveways. Indeed, its updated interior is tastefully adorned with bowing expanses of dark polished wood that wouldn't look out of place on the lid of a successful insurance agent's coffin. Obviously, it is available with a comically diverse range of TRONIC-suffixed safety and service features that do everything from turn the steering wheel into a millstone when you accidentally cross the yellow line, to help you park with confidence at the outlet mall. Certainly, it offers an infotainment system, COMAND, that features the same glorious interface that delighted you in 2004 (although I continue to find it a profoundly uninspired platform that has been constantly expanded to distract from its shortcomings, like a modular home with a wine cellar and a sky-lit bonus room.) And speaking of COMAND, it definitively offers command seating—the upright driving position that offers insecure people a false sense of safety while upending the lower center of gravity and concomitant maneuverability that would actually make them safer.

But the biggest letdown about the GLK is that it doesn't dazzle in the way a Mercedes is supposed to. It doesn't demand subservience like a CL, SLS, or even the newly homelified SL. It doesn't exude stolidity like an E-Class or even the once-pedestrian C. It fails to be audacious like the long, and long in the tooth, S-Class. It's not a thrilling upending of the bland entry-level like the upcoming B-Class. And it certainly doesn't evince timeless and effortless class like the elegant and capable E350 4-Matic Wagon, a vehicle that has the exact same cargo capacity as the GLK, seats two more people than the GLK in its adorable rear-facing jump seats and smells forever like summer in Martha's Vineyard. Even the GLK's most spectacular and unique feature is one that won't be available until well after its fall 2012 launch: a turbocharged, diesel, four-cylinder engine which garners amazing fuel economy, and makes more torque than a Ferrari F430, and which I expect will find its way into other, classier American Benzes around the same time.

For the $57,000 my fully optioned GLK tester cost, I could buy a base E350 4MATIC Wagon. And I would. For the $39,090 price of a base GLK 4MATIC, I could buy a base C300 4MATIC wagon. And I would, if Mercedes sold it here.

But if you're cross-shopping a Q5, X3, or animated feline, you would be unwise to skip taking a test drive in this creasy-flanked cute ute. In that field, it's grrrrreat!


Link To Article: http://autos.yahoo.com/blogs/motoram...205242694.html
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Sadly, I must agree with some of the review. Yes I would, if I had to do it all over again, buy a E350 or C350 4-Matic Wagon. They are so much more enjoyable to drive, with stiffer suspension, better steering turn-in and handling characteristics, and even a better rear storage capacity! Yes I'm a little distraught, our GLK is in the shop waiting for it's third replacement transmission.

JohnMichael

Wow that front end sure is weird looking.

MBRedux

Agreed! Too bulbous.. It just doesn't fit with the rest of the car IMO... almost Hyundai-ish in ways The lighting guys are doing some nice things though. If this is a fully loaded GLK as stated in the article, did they eliminate the aluminum roof racks?

JohnMichael

Bulbous is a good word for it. When I saw the first pictures of it in May I rushed out and did a national search to find a loaded up new 2012 to buy and now am glad I did.

MBNA109

Luckily - personal style opinion are like a holes - every1 has got one.

MBRedux

MKenM

The nose, the AC vents and no stick on the console. Bad ideas. Other than that it looks like my 2010.

DCubed

No appearance pkg on the car, the wheels pictured are the base 19" wheels.

MBRedux

This is one time where they should have taken their design cues from one of their tuners.... IMO



vs



It has like a Tasmanian Devil smile...lol (Just joking around)

MBNA109

Almost as bad as sticking dubs on a nissan sentra.

Sure thing...if you want to go gangsta there yo! - Biggie M Smallz Ballaz.

Glyn M Ruck

Watch it. You are skating on thin ice!

https://mbworld.org/forums/glk-class...ity-forum.html

MBNA109

skating

Glyn M Ruck

Oops! indeed skating - typo But you understand!

mr.mbenz

MBRedux,
3rd transmission?
Are you racing these engines?
This not good,especially it is supposed to be the engine/tranny of C klasse series?

grane

Note they have raised the base price over $3000.00 over the '12.

Has anyone driven the Infiniti EX/FX? Thoughts?

Re: the quoted review, we are in that 1% that need the Offroad capability so the estate option is not for us.

We saw the car in a static display yesterday. We understand the Eco mode but are glad we can disable it esp. During offroading. We asked a bunch of questions about the transmission and electronics he did not have data on. Is it the same transaxle setup as the previous models? He thought it had a separate tranny AWD system but was a bit unsure. Mb NA seems to keep their tech details hidden from the consumer.

Sat in it. Better seats, seating and driving position. Column shift and smaller steering wheel. The rep stated that you could plug a USB powered portable xTB capacity Hd into it (seagate, WD make them, slick) or a 32 GB stick and it would play music files of "any format". So I asked if I could play hi Rez .flac file (96k, 24bit) and he said yes since the upgraded system plays DVDs. That would sound very good through the Harmon system.

It also has a standard skid plate in the front. Since we would do some light off-roading, horses, farms, dog shows, fishing, bird shooting, this CarUV seems to fit the bill.

Or a CPO 06-10 G5x0.

ble2716

How about this 2013 White GLK?
I think it looks good.


What do you guys think?