Tweety Bird

I have just ordered a2014 GLK. I was driving aJaguar XF - loved that car! But the trunk space was smaller. My husband has a 2013 S550. Recently we needed to transport something bulky, and it would not fit in either trunk! And it was too big for my Smart Car! We realized we had two luxury sedans, and we needed something more practical. I did not want a large SUV (drove one once, felt like I was driving a shopping cart!). The GLK fit both of us (me 5'; husband 6' ), AND it had all the features of my Jag and more. Have just ordered a blue GLK; I get it in October :-)

bugelrex

Main reasons were safety, I believe this is one of the safest 'small' SUVs
- very heavy, should be at an advantage when hit by a lighter car
- long hood, larger crumple zone
- diesel, less chance of catching fire in accident. Although gas cars VERY rarely catch fire also
- not too high, so reduced rollover chance

bud.jones

Thanks everyone, for all the replies. I'm still torn between the GLK-class and the M-class. I'm coming from 12 years in two different Lexus RX 350s, so I'm very used to the size of a "large" SUV. I was planning on getting another RX, but I just can't look at the center of the dash without felling a little woozy. Maybe I'm OCD, but I knew that I had to go another direction - I like symmetry in my dash, not the Salvador Dali-esque dash of the new RX

While I can load up a GLK-class, I can still get a lot for my money with an M-class, albeit for around $10,000 more. I will get the size to which I've become accustomed, and the cargo capacity that my wife enjoys. Still, the GLK-class is a really impressive vehicle. i remarked to my wife that if you look at it from the front, the headlights are like the eyes, the Mercedes logo is like the nose, and the air dam beneath the grill is like the mouth. Looking at it that way, the GLK-class looks as if it is smiling at you, unless you choose the Sport Package - then, it just looks mean

I have a coworker with a 2011 GLK350 and while the seating area in the back is not quite as much as in an M-class, I was able to comfortably sit behind the driver's seat (both my coworker and I are 6'00" tall). My one complaint about my RX is that the leather upholstery is a bit hard - my coworkers MB-Tex is actually softer than my leather. Sitting in the driver's seat was quite nice as well. I was surrounded by tech! I work in the IT field, so I can't have enough tech

There are both good and bad points about each vehicle. I'm not quite sure which one my wife and I will purchase, but I wish to thank all of you for your responses thus far. You have gone a long way in helping me to understand your mindset with respect to purchasing the GLK-class. No matter what I buy, I'll be sure to post pictures and invite the people from the other forum to take a look.

balticgreen

I placed my GLK order yesterday. I had the same decision point you did: fully loaded GLK or nicely equipped M? Comparing the 350 gas version of each, the difference was only about four thousand dollars. However I was more interested in the Bluetecs, which lowered the price of the GLK while raising the price of the M. That pushed the prices farther apart. Additionally, ongoing costs are lower on the GLK, including maintenance, insurance, and fuel costs. Given that I don't need the extra space of the M, the value of the GLK won.

Of course money and legitimate needs are the objective side. There is also the subjective side. I simply enjoyed driving the GLK a bit more. The M is very nice but the GLK is more fun to me. I also appreciate the styling that doesn't blend in with its jelly-bean competitors, whereas the M looks like everything else. Like I said, these are subjective points so your feelings may differ.

In the end, neither one is a bad choice. Facing the terribly difficult decision of which Mercedes to buy isn't a bad problem to have.

bud.jones

Aloha again everyone,

I have another few questions about how you equipped your GLKs. I am interested in the safety tech introduced by Mercedes, none of which I have on my 2008 Lexus RX 350. In particular, 4MATIC, the Driver Assist Package, the Parking Assist Package, and the Lighting Package. Of these, which do y'all consider a "must have"? What about the Appearance and Sport Packages, the pano roof and aluminum running boards?

I like the Driver Assist Package for Distronic Plus, if nothing else. Actually, I'm not sure if I want the active version of Lane Tracking Assist and Blind Spot Assist, but I would like to try out Distronic. I don't do any off-roading, but 4MATIC is useful for other conditions as well. I just don't like their prices. As for the Lighting Package, I've only ever had halogen, or "regular" headlights, but have seen a YouTube video of a car driving the same road, once with halogens and the next time with HIDs. The difference was amazing.

As for the Appearance and Sport packages and pano roof, I would really only go for the Appearance package, but I do like the pano roof. I don't have any opinion on the running boards, but I have heard that they aren't quite wide enough - they stick out just enough to "get in the way" of everything. For those of you with the running boards, how do you like them, and do you have any regrets about adding them to your order?

Also, which interior seating material did you pick? I can deal with MB-Tex, as it is pretty supple. One thing I don't like is that Mercedes did not include the active ventilated seating for the GLK. I still don't which one I would prefer. It seems as if MB-Tex would be easier to maintain.

I noticed that the cup holders seem to be a little different. The one in the front has four "levers", for lack of a better word, that appears to allow for a smaller diameter cup/can/bottle than the opening, but the one just behind appears not to have the "levers". If one were to put a standard water bottle, or soft drink can, in the rear cup holder, would it slide around during a drive?

Finally, I have an iPhone 5 and I have read conflicting accounts of success or failure with respect to using the media interface with the iPhone 5. I have a Lifeproof case on my iPhone, so I would opt to use the Thunderbolt to 30-pin adapter cable with the media interface. That should work, but I have read that while the GLK can power the iPhone, it doesn't recognize the iPhone for access to music stored on the device. Is that correct? I would assume the same behavior would be exhibited on the ML350. I don't know if Mercedes vehicles support "iPod Out". The adapter cable has the DAC (Digital (Thunderbolt) to Analog (30-pin) Converter), so the iPod Out should be the last hurdle to expected operation. Any information along these lines will be greatly appreciated.

Ex-Military

I couldn't agree more and even if the cost of diesel is 50 cents more you still come out well ahead because of the fuel economy.

When I test drove the GLK350 I averaged around 22 mpg and that is the best I could get while taking it easy and trying to get good fuel economy.

I also chose the GLK 250 because of the fuel economy I'm an ex-pat living in Germany and when I got on trips to England it cost $130 just to fill up a 12 gallon tank. If I can make a trip to England and make it back to Europe before I have to fill up again I'll save at least $40 with a range over 500 miles per tank it shouldn't be too difficult.

balticgreen

I consider 4Matic and Lighting pkg to be must haves. I ordered the Parking Assist pkg as an "I want" rather than an "I need." I did not order the Driver Assist pkg but I did order the Lane Tracking pkg. I consider at least the Lane Tracking to be a must have, especially for the reasonable price they want for it. I didn't want the active versions of blind spot and lane keeping and I never use cruise control so radar cruise is pointless for me.

I ordered the Appearance package because the base wheels look like they would be extremely difficult to clean and keep clean. I like the wheels in the Appearance pkg better than those in the Sport pkg. Also, my state requires front license plates and I think the AMG grill looks a little weird with a front plate. So I saved the thousand dollars and got the Appearance pkg instead of the Sport pkg.

A sunroof of some kind is a must for me. The Premium pkg, which I wanted anyway, includes the panorama roof so I got a panorama roof.

I loathe running boards. All they do is collect dirt, grime, and winter nastiness. The GLK is not a monster truck and running boards aren't necessary. Even my 90-year-old grandmother who has problems with steps usually finds running boards to be more in the way than useful. As long as I don't try to pick her up in a G class... "Ok, Grandma, up you go!!"

I very much prefer HIDs but that's not even the only reason to get the Lighting pkg. Lighting pkg includes the adaptive high beams and the headlight assembly just looks better on the car, in my opinion, than the standard lights. You also get the swiveling lights but the value of that is debatable. I had the cornering fogs on a previous Mercedes and found those to be more useful than the swiveling lights on my current car.

Agree on the ventilated seats. I wish they were an option.

I ordered the real leather in black. I have MB-Tex in my current car and I have no issues at all with the seats. They are extremely easy to clean and don't require conditioning or any other regular care. Unless people are "in the know" they don't even know it's not leather.

However, in the GLK, I find the interior door panels on the base car to look rather cheap with those slabs of plastic. When you get leather seats, you also get MB-Tex inserts on the door panels* that class up the interior. The leather package also puts the power seat controls for the passenger seat on the door panel where they belong in a Mercedes and adds memory for the passenger seat.

*Note: this is true for US-spec cars. In other markets, I believe the door panels have the MB-Tex inserts even with the standard MB-Tex seats.

I'm responding to this based on my C class since my GLK hasn't arrived yet. The cupholders are the same where one has the "levers" and the other doesn't. I don't have any problems with the cupholders regarding water bottles sliding or wobbling around in either spot.

I can't really address this. I have an iPhone 4S and never plug it in to the media interface. I have an iPod nano that lives in the car and just stays plugged in at all times (unless I take it out to update the music on it). I use my iPhone with the Bluetooth and it works well.

Ex-Military

I've not been able to pick my new vehicle up from the factory yet, though I've test driven various GLK models for around 10 hours and have done a year of research before finally choosing the GLK to buy.

For whatever reason the Iphone 5 just will not function as a media source bluetooth works just fine, but not the cable. The adapter fixes the physical issue, but still won't work as an iPod.

Running boards are unnecessary on the GLK the vehicle is low enough to get into without them. They are just an unneeded extra cost like the sport or appearance package, they don't improve the vehicle's performance and only slightly change it's appearance while costing thousands of dollars. Of course that's just my opinion nothing against anyone who chooses to get the appearance packages they do look nicer, but I can't justify the price unless there is an extra button to push, haha.

The panorama roof isn't a removable option in the premium package anymore. I would rather save the money and extra weight, too, but not can't with the 2014 model.

MB-Tex will look mostly the same for many years, though the texture will eventually wear down until it's smooth. I'm hoping the leather seats breath better than the vinyl (MB-Tex) seats.

I selected every option, but the appearance packages I wanted to make sure I wasn't ever left wanting. I don't like seeing those blank "buttons" where a button would be for an option if only I had purchased it. I believe the assisted blind spot and lane tracking are well worth the money it would help you avoid hitting anyone if you ignored the light and or alarms.

The 360 camera is very nice for parking in parking garages or in tight parking spots. It also lets you see traffic on the road behind you when backing up.

I picked up the Lighting Package as I like the way it looks from the outside and like the Active Curve illumination and Adaptive Highbeam Assist. It will be nice to be able to see around a sharp corner rather than not knowing if i'm about to hit anything and having the ability to have the high beams on all the time without blinding people or being annoying is nice, too.

The GLK 250 4Matic is cheaper than the GLK 350 4MAtic and it gets much better fuel economy.

bud.jones

Ex-Military and balticgreen, thank you for your expansive responses. You've both given me a lot to consider. I'm still considering 4MATIC, but I don't do any off-roading at all, even though I know that the 4MATIC system is not only design for off-road travel.

Ex-Miitary, thank you for your response with respect to the iPhone 5. I was afraid that you might confirm the negative responses I had seen on other websites. OK, as for Bluetooth audio streaming, can you still control the audio via the steering wheel controls and/or the COMAND system, or do you have to physically manipulate the iPhone? Also, I would be interested in charging my iPhone while using Bluetooth streaming. I know there are four 12v outlets in the car, but I only know the location of two of them. There is one just forward of the COMAND control knob and one in the rear cargo compartment. Where are the other two? I can pick up a cheap 12v USB charger, with the Mercedes-Benz logo on it as well!

I also agree with you, Ex-Military, on the desire to not be left wanting. I'll just have to convince my wife that we really need to place a special order. She still wants to pick one off the lot, but I will not be satisfied with the packages and options my local (Honolulu) dealer picks. The only bad thing is that, being built in Germany, it will take a dog's age to get here. I would expect to have to wait around three months, at least. Still, that is the one sure way to ensure I have everything I want on a vehicle I expect to keep around for at least 10 years.

balticgreen, it's nice to hear that standard water bottles should not slide around in the cup holders. You know us American drivers - we just HAVE to have our coffee/coke/water in our cup holders Thanks for your comments with respect to the aluminum running boards. I was a bit ambivalent on them, but your comments, along with others I've seen around the interwebs, have convinced me that they're just a "bling" option i don't need.

I have noticed, as well, what you mentioned on the door panels when MB-Tex is selected as the seating material. I also like the aesthetics of the leather door panels, and agree with Ex-Military on the headlights as well. The Bi-Xenon headlights look very nice, and that's before you turn them on

Do any of y'all have the Harman/Kardon audio system? I am curious as to how much better it is, while driving, than the stock system. There are, as you can imagine, a myriad of opinions on audio, but one comment that makes the most sense is that, while driving, the advantages of a high-end audio system would seem to be somewhat of a moot point. I mean, you have ambient noise both inside and outside the cabin, which combined with the audio being played, all compete with your attention while driving. The end point being that you may not notice an actual difference until you stop the vehicle in a studio-like environment, such as your garage. While that seems to make sense, I have never had a high-end audio system in any of my cars and would like to submit opinions from those of you on this board.

I apologize for my last couple of missives, but I am fully in research mode, and one of the best resources, for gathering data on the pros and cons of the GLK, is the people who have actually bought/leased and used this particular vehicle. I want to be sure that when i walk into the dealership here, I have all the knowledge I will need to get everything I want in my next vehicle, including a good price.

Oh, before I neglect this yet once again, how many of you purchased extended limited warranties when you bought your GLK? Additionally, did any of you purchase any of the pre-paid maintenance packages? I am looking to keep my next vehicle for at least 10 years, and would like to know how much any of y'all were quoted for what you purchased. Also, is there any way to determine a "fair price" for the extended life warranty? I have heard that there is quite a bit of wiggle room from the Finance officer on those, but don't know of any such "dealer invoice" type of price for the warranties.

balticgreen

You're welcome.

The GLK will be my third Mercedes with 4Matic. I won't buy one without it unless I ever buy an SLK or something as a secondary car. A packed dirt road or parking on a grassy field is as "off road" as I go but that's not really the point. In central Maryland, a normal snow storm is not enough to be "snowed in" but rather just enough to make a complete mess on the roads.

On the back of the console for the rear seat and inside the front armrest. Or is it inside the glovebox? I think it's the armrest because that's where the media connector is.

I would say order what you want, endure the wait, and be happy with the car. You don't want to buy a car expecting to keep it for a long time and then start thinking, "I wish I had gotten this. I wish I had gotten that." Those regrets will lead to not keeping the car as long as you think.

Haha, yes. I actually don't drink coffee or coke, so I can't speak about Starbucks cups or soda cans, but water bottles are not a problem. Both my reusable bottles and the single-use bottles you buy in large packs at the market fit and stay secure.

I ordered the harman/kardon on the GLK, but I don't have it on my current C. I cranked it up on a GLK that I test drove and it sounded good. A service guy who was standing outside started dancing on the sidewalk. Is it better than my h/k-less C and worth the $850? I don't know. It was one of the last options I added to my config and at that point, the car was already over $55k. I wasn't going to agonize over another $850. Then I did the same thing with the interior ambient lighting. What's another $300?

Don't apologize. You should be in full research mode for a large purchase and we're all here to talk about the cars we like.

Extended warranty gets a thumbs down from me. Those warranties are a gold mine for the people and companies that sell them. If the companies that offered them weren't making money on them, they wouldn't sell them anymore. The way they make money on them is to have a greater number of people paying more for the warranty than what they receive in claims. Every now and then you'll hear someone say, "I paid $2,500 for an extended warranty and it was a good thing because it would have cost me $10,000 to fix...<fill in the blank>!" But for every story like that there are plenty of stories that go something like, "I paid $2,500 for an extended warranty and all they had to cover was a plastic latch that broke." My philosophy is to buy quality products, skip the extended warranties, and all the money I save by NOT buying the warranties will more than cover a catastrophic repair that, by the way, has yet to happen.

Pre-paid maintenance is worth it if you lease. On a lease, the maintenance plan is residualized so you actually only pay a fraction of the cost. If the plan is $1,000 and your residual is 60%, you only pay $400 for the maintenance plan. Three services over the three year lease would certainly cost more than $400 out of pocket. I'm not sure how much MB pays the dealer for the covered services or who is actually losing money, but they end up making that money back when you turn in a well-maintained car that doesn't need any work to certify and resell it.

I don't think it's as worth it if you purchase the car. If you have competing dealerships in your area, the service prices are typically kept in check and they usually accept each other's service coupons. Also since the plan is bound to the vehicle and is not refundable, if you total the car a month after you buy it, you paid $1,000 or whatever for the maintenance but never actually received any maintenance service for it. That money is down the drain.

bud.jones

Ex-Military, I meant to ask you before, but where are you located in Germany? I have an uncle that lives in Idar-Oberstein, just about an hour or so southeast of Frankfurt, IIRC. He had a couple of E Class vehicles, one of which he let me drive when my wife and I visited him back in 2002. They were very nice indeed!

balticgreen, thank you for the info on the 12v outlets. I thought there was one on the after side of the center console (oops - I'm retired Navy and my "NavySpeak" is coming out . The "after" side is the back side - forward is towards the front). I was not sure of the 4th location, and re-watching some of the GLK reviews did not show those two. I was looking for an easy way to provide power to charge my iPhone while concurrently streaming audio via Bluetooth.

I'm really leaning towards 4MATIC, although the only "snow" we get here, on Oahu at least, is the illegal kind On the Big Island, however, you can go snowboarding on Mauna Kea, up near the observatory. My Lexus is only 2WD, and it has had no problems driving anywhere I've gone for the past six years, but I'll probably still end up going with 4MATIC.

balticgreen, thank you also for your information on extended warranties. My wife will probably want to go with one anyway, as it gives her peace of mind. As for the pre-planned maintenance, aren't the Service As and Bs covered by this? That is the only reason I would want to purchase it. Considering the possibility that, somewhere down the line, I will experience some sort of major failure, I would like to prove that all of the maintenance was done by Mercedes. If I can pay for that at the time of purchase, that would give ME piece of mind. Should my information, with respect to Service As and Bs be incorrect, please correct me toot sweet. My wife and I bought an extended warranty with our Lexus, but if we don't use it upon its expiration, or when we sell the car, we get our money back. That is not too bad of a deal.

I may also be in the same position, with respect to Harman/Kardon and the ambient lighting, as you were, balticgreen. I wll have to convince my wife, who does the books for us, that it is reasonable, but since we'll have to wait for the car anyway, what's another $10-$20 per month on a 5-6 year loan anyway, right? If approved, I can get a 5-year loan with 1.79% interest from Navy Federal. I'm not sure how much they'll be willing to loan me, however I do have excellent credit so that should not be an issue. I just wonder how much I will get for my trade in, at the only Mercedes dealership on my island.

balticgreen

There's definitely one in the console for a cigarette lighter (really?? We still have cigarette lighters in cars? haha) so that would work, but I think the fourth one is in the center armrest. You could put the phone in the armrest and then it's completely out of the way.

Yes, those are covered for however many you need within the limits of the plan you purchase. If it's 3yr/30,000 miles, that would be three services: an A, a B, and another A.

You can still have them service the car without having the plan. You'd just pay for the service when it's performed. It's still in their computer that the service was performed.

There are also laws regarding warranty coverage. They have to prove that something you did or didn't do directly caused the failure for them to not cover it. If you have receipts for the work being performed elsewhere or you bought oil and did it yourself, it's hard for them to prove that you caused the failure.

If you finance the car and roll the maintenance plan into the loan, remember that you're paying interest on it, albeit not much interest if you're financing at 1.79%. Just keep that in mind if you're running calculations of whether the plan is worth it. I'd suggest calling your dealership's service department and asking how much they charge for the services normally. Then look on their website and see if they run specials or have printable coupons to save 10% or something. Use that info to help figure out if buying the plan upfront pays off or not.

bud.jones

Yeah, I thought that was pretty funny as well. With all the bad juju being put on smokers, you would think that ashtrays in cars would be a thing of the past, or at least an option that would have to be selected by the buyer.

I think your suggestion there is the winner. We have hands-free laws here, and on a military base (where I work), the MPs don't generally give warnings That way, they would not even see the phone.

I just need to know the maximum length of these plans and what they cost, then. Thank you for confirming what I had read on a different website.

Yeah, but if it's already paid up, you don't have to worry about "paying the man" when you pick up your car Of course, if it's better to pay by the service visit, you'll still have to "pay the man."

Well, to cover all the bases, I would still rather have the Mercedes service personnel perform any and all maintenance on my GLK. I can trust them to do the job correctly. This is not to say that I can't trust the guys out in town, but I'd feel better about having qualified technicians doing the work.

Of course, this is assuming that I can get Navy Federal to give me the money I had not considered the interest angle - I'll have to consider that as well as any deals that my Mercedes dealership runs. I do have a couple of coworkers that also have Mercedes vehicles (GLK and C), so I'll be sure to bend their ears as well.

Thank you, balticgreen. You have been very informative today. Now, I just have to decide on the exterior color. That will NOT be an easy decision Mercedes has some very nice colors from which to pick.

balticgreen

On the printed config sheet the dealer gave me for my order, it lists in the Standard Accessories, "Smoker Package" (code 301). They should make that a dealer accessory at this point. Volkswagen did that years ago.

Haha, we always pay the man one way or another.

I did mention interest if you finance the maintenance plan but I forgot to mention credit card rewards if you pay at the time of service. If you charge the service and get cash back or airline points or whatever you get, add that into your calculation too.

Paying interest on the plan vs getting cash back on your credit card could be just enough to tip the scale if the costs are otherwise very similar.

Oh, trust me, I know. Life is so hard sometimes, like deciding which color Mercedes to buy! Haha

I narrowed it down to Lunar Blue or Pebble Grey. Having a black car now and a grey car before that, I decided I want an actual color this time, so I ordered the blue.

After a decade of being all the rage, silver cars have dropped a bit in popularity. Look for colors to come back. Personally, I'm kind of excited to see a CLA in Northern Lights Violet.

Tweety Bird

I haven't got my GLK yet, but did order the Harmon-Kardon sound system. I have been driving an '09 Jaguar XF with an awesome Bowers & Wilkins sound system. I don't listen to it a lot, but when I do, I LOVE it! I have turned it to full volume, and there is absolutely no distortion. If you closed your eyes (when you're not driving, he,he!), you would think you were in a concert hall. One day I was listening to music on the radio, and it sounded as good as a CD. It was one of those options that at first you don't think you need, but then you are so glad you got it. From my research, I concluded that the HK system would be comparable to the Jag's B&W system - and I would miss it if I didn't have it! I would say "go for it!"

icool007

I love my GLK because I love the boxy and classic look of the GLK and the price of the GLK with the V6 at 265 or the new 301 HP is cheaper than Q5 and X3 with the same V6 engine.
4Matic might not be as good as the quattro I guess. But I don't do lab test on those two cars. I like the ride as well as the turning radius. It is so easy to turn! I don't want a big SUV, GLK size fits right where I want to be.

Swalroth

Hello everyone.
This is my first post on the forum and I want to thank everyone for their previous posts that helped in our decision making. My wife wanted an SUV to replace a 13 yr old jeep grand cherokee that she loved. She needs to transport instruments for her work, so needs space in the cargo area. We drove a cadillac srx, a bmwx3, a Lexus rx350, an rdx, an mdx and she decided she wanted the rx350. We currently have a 2010 Lexus is250 awd and love its ride and amenities. After getting Internet pricing for the Lexus and the mercedes glk bluetec we started to negotiate with our two local dealers. The prices I had from both Internet places were around 10% below MSRP. The quote from our local Lexus ( I've purchased two cars from them over the past 7 years was 48k for a 51k MSRP. I sent them the quote from the Internet and he responded with a vague..."they probably don't have similar options". We went and test drove the glk for the second time ( wife never wanted to drive it all originally) and she said she really loved its ride and visibility. So we asked for a price on a p1, multimedia, nav, heated seats, keyless go and lane assist pkg at msrp of 48k and he came back with one that they would try to get from another dealer for 44k. I handed him the Internet quote I had and he dropped it to 42K. So we bought it and love it. Gas mileage on our first rode trip was 38.5. The best part is my wife is now in love with it and has stopped saying " oh, there goes my RX350". Thanks again to everyone on this forum whose posts helped us make what seems to be a great buying decision!

bud.jones

Aloha balticgreen,

Work got into the way of an earlier response, but I wanted to say that I also really like Lunar Blue Metallic, but have also considered Mars Red, even though I know that police officers seem to notice red cars first - they king of stand out. I saw a couple of YouTube videos that showed the red and it looks fantastic! The Diamond White Metallic also looks stellar, albeit at more of a cost than the other metallic paints

Tweety Bird, thanks for your comments on a high-end car audio system. Like I posted before, I've also just taken the stock radio. I'll have to ponder this a bit more, but as we're not ordering/buying until the end of the year, I have plenty of time for that

Swalroth, how did you wife take to the vast difference in cargo room from the retiring Jeep Grand Cherokee to the GLK? That is the one reason my wife and I are still considering the ML350. I have driven tow Lexus RX350s for the past 12 years, and it is a bit of a step down to the GLK. It's not that we always used the full 80 cu. ft. of cargo space that we have, but my wife especially has gotten very used to having that much space to utilize. While I now that she will become accustomed to the smaller size of a GLK, there most likely still a bit of convincing in store for me. I just have to get her on the lot to actually see, and get into, a GLK.

As long as I can fit my bike in the back, I'm good to go. I did see a YouTube video where a cyclist did just that, although he took off his front wheel to do so. I'm not interested in doing that, but it also looked like he had the room to simply put the bike in without removing the front wheel. There is more room in the back, with the rear seats folded, than it appears, although it probably is a little smaller than its competitors. I wouldn't know, as I haven't considered them. After all, they are not named Mercedes

I'm still torn between the Ml350 and the GLK350. While I can afford either, I really like the external styling of the GLK over that of the ML. Of course, there are things I prefer about the ML as well. Then again, I've never had a car where I was completely satisfied - there has always been this or that that I would want to discard from the current car or take from another car. If only I could mix and match from the GLK and the ML to create a perfect car

For example, even though the GLK has 4MATIC, it doesn't get the Active Curve system, Airmatic, and the On/Off Road package of the ML. Why is that? Is it because, as some reviewers have posited, Mercedes has yet to "fully bring into the family" the GLK? I don't know, but it may actually be that most GLK owners don't allow their vehicle t "get dirty." These systems are not just for off road use, but also have "asphalt" benefits as well. Of course, they come at quite an extra cost, but if the current pricing structure were to hold, they would still be cheaper on a GLK than on an ML.

I have mentioned one other option for the ML not on the GLK, that of active ventilated seats. It can't cost Mercedes that much more to give potential GLK owners that option, especially consider that the cost, to the buyers, would more than pay back Mercedes for the added cost of its inclusion. I guess that's what called an "incentive to purchase."

On the other hand, I would love to see the air vents of the GLK in the ML. I really like their round shape and the ease of positioning them as a result. As for the cup holders, do they get in the way of anyone's driving? I don't know whether I would prefer them in the front, as is the case with the ML, or on the side, like in the GLK. The COMAND control know is just to the left of the front cup holder, and it's not that I have huge hands, but I would like to see how cramped it would get using the COMAND control knob with something in the front cup holder.

There I go again - another lengthy missive Anyway, thank you again for all the responses! It is very helpful to get all this input while I am making the decision. I prefer the GLK, but would not refuse the ML Your responses have gone a long way towards showing that my interest in the GLK is not ill-founded.

bud.jones

Well, I spoke with my wife today and she basically told me that the decision is up to me. She likes to look at the bottom line, and for her, it's the final price. Knowing that the GLK is around $10,000 less than the ML, she said that whatever I like best is what we'll buy.

I'll have to test drive both the GLK and the ML to see just how differently they drive. I've read that the GLK drives better than the ML. The other thing is that she doesn't want to special order a car, but that isn't firm What I don't like is that the dealer here, in Hawaii, orders lots of cars with both a black interior and heated front seats. I really don't need either. Were I to special order, I can make sure that I only have what I want in my car. At least she didn't flat out say that the GLK was too small I can also add that Harman/Kardon audio system as well

I still don't know what exterior color to pick. Any suggestions?

balticgreen

If you're getting the Sport Package, I think the Mars Red would look great with that grill. Not that Mars Red would look bad with the other grill, but that bright red with the big chrome grill... yes!

Diamond White is pretty but expensive. When it's side by side with Polar White on the lot, it's easy to see the difference but I question how much different it would look if you don't see them side by side. Especially if you're at a distance. I don't know. It's a personal decision whether it's worth the cost. Some will say yes, some will say no.

By the way, the idea that police officers notice red cars more is mostly a myth. They notice cars that are speeding. Red is a popular color on sports cars or sporty cars and it might be more likely to get pulled over statistically speaking, but that's not because the car is red. It's because the type of person who drives a red sports car is more likely to be speeding than the type of person who drives a beige Camry.

I'd recommend taking your bike to the dealership and asking them to open a GLK and a ML so you can test the fit in each one. Take a clean tarp or something similar with you to put down inside the cars just in case they complain about dirt or the bike possibly scratching something. They let you test drive cars; I don't think a test bike fit would be an unreasonable request.

If you find that the bike doesn't fit or doesn't fit easily in the GLK, but you otherwise prefer the GLK over the ML, get the trailer hitch and then buy one of those bike racks that mounts in the hitch. Google "hitch bike rack" and there are plenty of options. I'm not sure what kind of bike you have or where you go biking, but if you're talking about mountain biking or anything else involving dirt, hauling the bike outside the vehicle also keeps that dirt from dirtying the interior.

They have to differentiate the models in ways other than simply size. First, they want to encourage you to buy something that exceeds your needs. Second, every available option increases the complexity, and thus also the cost, of manufacturing. Options that are themselves quite complex, such as the ones you mentioned are, add a much greater cost to manufacturing than something relatively simple like heated seats.

Regardless of what I just said one paragraph earlier, I completely agree with the ventilated seats. They're not that complex compared to things like Airmatic and even in the ML they require leather seats, which means very few MLs will have them. Even fewer GLKs have leather so the take rate on the ventilated seats would be very low and that's probably why they're not available. However, because I personally want them, I still think it should have been an option, haha.

The layout in the GLK is similar to my C. I don't find the cupholders to be in the way. Actually, quite the opposite. I frequently have non-cup things in the cupholders, like my phone or sunglasses, so I like that they're closer rather than farther away. I also don't have problems using the control knob when something is in the cupholders, but my hands aren't huge. Maybe any men among us who are burlier than I am will chime in with different reports.

The GLK is more car-like (it's built on the C platform) but even for the ML's "less car-ness" it doesn't drive like a big vehicle. It's very maneuverable. I was a little surprised even in a tight parking lot. On the other hand, I test drove an Infiniti. It was big and drove even bigger. Strangely, it was much easier to back that thing up than it was to drive it in a straight line forwards. The ML is not at all like that Infiniti.

What color interior do you want? That might help narrow the exterior choices. You said not black. Also, are you getting leather or MB-Tex? That would narrow interior choices since Mocha is only available in leather and Grey is only available in MB-Tex.

bud.jones

balticgreen, thanks for the quick response. I created another thread with my configuration choices. I wanted to stay at or below $50,000 with the best configuration for my needs/wants/desires. That was really difficult, but you've already seen that one. For anyone else that would like, check it out here.

107123210

Why did we buy it?

We needed a vehicle for long distance trips South (we are in Canada) and it needed to have more usable room than our 98 E-class, which didn't have much.

After looking at a lot of choices, I narrowed it down to an Outback or the GLK250. Outback had more space and our golf clubs would fit in the back. The GLK is not good for golfers!

But we already had 4 Mercedes (one a smart CDI, has now been sold). the others are long in tooth, but we have grown to trust them, especially the old 300D turbo.

So two things clinched it Mercedes and Diesel.

But besides, I drove a demo and it has great build quality and very peppy for a 4 cyl diesel. More peppy than our 6-cyl e-class.

PHML

I bought the GLK for the wifey because I sold her 2002 M-class....was giving me too much trouble. Plus, I bought a 2010 E-class for myself...lol.