Aloha everyone,

I finally talked my wife into getting a MY2014 GLK 350, and, as an intellectual exercise, was trying to get as close to an arbitrary $50,000 USD limit as possible. There are quite a bit of wants, with respect to the available packages and options, but I've come up with two that slide in just under the mark, at least according to NADAguides.com.

2014 GLK 350
Lunar Blue Metallic paint
Lighting Package
Almond Beige/Mocha MB-Tex
Premium 1 Package
Multimedia Package
Keyless-Go
Lane Tracking Package
Parking Assist Package (or simply the Parktronic option)

These are the packages I really want the most, although it was kind of hard to take Distronic Pluc out of the mix. I'm not sure that it's worth quite the $2,000 price tag. I also hemmed and hawed about 4MATIC, but my typical driving would not require it; after all, I'm in Hawaii, and it doesn't even really rain that hard here. This particular configuration comes in at $49,890, including the $250 Special Order Option Charge for the Parking Assist Package.

I can save $670, making this configuration then only $49,320, by selecting only the Parktronic with Active Parking Assist option, but that leaves me with a question. I'm making the assumption, perhaps incorrectly, that with the addition of the Multimedia package's rear-view camera and the Parktronic option, I will still have a rear-view camera when I back up, but without the guidelines I would get with the Parking Assist Package. Is that a correct assumption?

For those of you with either the Parking Assist Package or the Parktronic option, what are your thoughts on them? How much do you actually use them and/or how useful are they in your personal driving habits?

I also considered the Harman/Kardon audio system, but that puts me over the arbitrary limit by $740, at $50.740 with the Parking Assist Package, and by $170, at $50,170 with the Parktronic option. Until i present this to my wife, this is only an intellectual exercise, but were I to order it today, I would most likely chose the configuration with the Parking Assist Package and Harman/Kardon.

Finally, what do y'all think of my configurations. Personally, I think even with a bare bones GLK, I'll probably be very happy, but if I add a couple of nice packages and options, .....

Frankly - in Hawaii the GLK250 would be the "smart money"... your fuel economy goes thru the roof, and added "brisky" performance... in your state fuel wise premium and diesel are about head-to-head.. the run flat tires on the island will run forever...

If you get the Multimedia package, you get a rearview camera with the guidelines. Parktronic doesn't add anything to that. If you get the Parking Assist package instead of the standalone Parktronic, then in addition to the rearview camera, you also get surround cameras that can be viewed separately but are also used to create a simulated birds-eye view as if you were hovering above the car looking down on it.

Here's a great blog entry that describes the Surround View and has several pictures. It's for a GL but I'm pretty sure Surround View is Surround View.

http://www.benzblogger.com/2012/11/m...e-package.html

I ordered the Parking Assist package but I don't have my GLK yet to say how useful the Surround View is. Basically I wanted Parktronic and the difference between Parktronic and the whole Parking package was not enough to stress out about. I would rather get it than regret not getting it.

Thank you very much, indeed, for that clarification! I was not able to independently verify my assumption, as correct or otherwise, before your response. It was also interesting to see the placement of the additional cameras.

Actually, the gas mileage will be the same as I'm getting now, around 20-21 mpg combined (I currently have a 2008 Lexus RX 350). Diesel is about .30 more per gallon than premium, which I currently use, and while the gas mileage will be better with the diesel option, diesel is scarce around the island. We won't be buying our GLK until the end of the year, which will give me more time to scout out all the gas stations with diesel. We've never had a diesel vehicle before, so it will something for which both my wife and I will have to become accustomed, should we go that route. I'm still considering it, though. thanks for the suggestion.

I wasn't aware that GLKs came standard with run flats. I didn't choose that option, and would rather not have them, as they don't drive particularly well, according to some people I've known that have them on their BMWs. Most of them have converted to "normal" tires, and one that has an X3 carries a full-sized spare in the back of his SUV.

GLK250 has run flats, but the newer design, and rides fine - and the higher torque of the GL250 is much "peppier" in everyday drving.

Diesel stations are lcoated on the web - you're "combined" MPG will be awesome..

Sorry about that; I was thinking of the combined mileage for the GLK 350, not the GLK 250. That should get me somewhere around 30mpg on the highway, right? I'll have to look at the military bases on the island. I'm retired Navy and can buy gas there, which saves me quite a bit of money. I can normally get premium for about what the mid-grade fuel goes for off-base, and can sometimes even beat the mid-grade price.

I don't want to say that I'm old, but at 50, I'm not sure that I really need "peppier" driving. I, at times, drive aggressively, and don't want the "blue light special" in my rear view, if you know what I mean

Ok, I may have made some incorrect observations, from watching entirely too many review on both the GLK 250 and the GLK 350 Anywho, what kind of spares do each have? I remember one review that mentioned airless spares, which would most likely be on the GLK 350. Does the GLK 250 have a spare in the rear? I'll double check the reviews again, but I don't remember anyone saying anything about that.

Thanks again for your information on the newer run flat design. What do you think about the rest of the configs?

So, if I'm reading this correctly, all Parktronic does is beep at you when you get close to another object, as detected by the front and rear sensors, correct?

The 250 would get better than 30 on the highway. It's rated at 33 highway but diesels are notoriously low rated. Some owners are reporting ~40 on the highway.

250 has runflats and no spare. The urea ("AdBlue") tank for the diesel exhaust is in the well and doesn't leave enough space for a spare tire.

350 has regular tires and a spare. I think it's an inflatable spare but someone else could verify.

Parktronic beeps at you and there are little light bars on top the dash and on the rear headliner (you can see it in the rearview mirror) that display yellow and red lights to indicate how close you are to something and which direction (left, right, or dead center).

The standalone Parktronic also includes Active Parking Assist, which has two functions. First, at low speeds it scans your right side (can also scan the left if you have the left signal on) for parallel spaces in which your car will fit. Then if it finds a space and you want to park in it, it will parallel park for you. You take your hands off the wheel and simply control the brakes while the car steers. If you haven't witnessed this miracle, you're in for a treat, haha. Perfect parking every time. If the space is a little tight and the car needs to "wiggle" back and forth, it will tell you to shift between Reverse and Drive as many times as necessary. As if that's not enough, when you are ready to leave the space, the car will steer you out of the space even if the cars in front and/or behind you have changed position while you were parked. Again, if it needs to "wiggle" it will tell you when to shift. This is awesome for when you come back to your car and both cars have parked a little too close to you.

The Parking Assist Package includes all of that plus the Surround View.

So you settled on a color? Nice choice. I ordered Lunar Blue over black but I probably wouldn't have ordered black if I lived in a sun-drenched state. Since you're getting MB-Tex you also have the option of the grey/black interior. The black dash, wheel, and upper door panels look a little bit more sporty whereas the mocha is a little bit more on the luxury side. The blue will look great with either one.

Fun fact: when the W204 C Class debuted for the 2008 model year, you couldn't get the beige/mocha interior in the Sport model; it was reserved for the Luxury model only.

It's a Mercedes. Order all the options!

Given your price target and location (heated seats, wheel and 4Matic not necessary), I think you have the right options. Maybe I'd add harman/kardon (I personally did) but that's up to you. Consider the source of your music. If you listen mostly to the radio, Sirius, or highly compressed MP3s, you're not going to hear the benefits of the harman/kardon.

I think it was the other thread you asked about your bike and I mentioned the hitch for a bike rack. If you go that route, add the trailer hitch.

If you add h/k or hitch and want to reduce the price closer to $50k again, either drop the metallic paint or drop the Parking Package in favor of standalone Parktronic.

Balticgreen, thank you for your responses. I remembered, after posting my question about Parktronic with Active Psrking Assist, that it parks the car for you. As I do not have requirement of parallel parking very much, I can pass on that one, although having it beep at you when you get too close to something is pretty nice.

I have not been seriously looking at the BT option, so I apologize for having to make you repeat the config for that one. As only Schofield Barracks has diesel fuel (I can not purchase diesel at Combined Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam), so the GLK 250 is most likely out at this point.

Not that we are being cheap or anything, but when considering what I need over what I want, I found that I can get the final price down to $47,600+, which is less than what my local dealer has in on the lot here. Additionally, I would not have heated front seats and/or black interior. Plus, if I pick the Driver Assistance Package and drop both the Parktronic and Lane Tracking options as well as the Lighting Package, the price gets better. Of course, this is to get my wife thinking about different price points and what we would have to give up, on the one hand, to get a "better" price, on the other hand. I am still convinced that I can get my bike into the back without having to take off my front wheel - it is only a 56cm frame with standard 700x23c wheels, after all.

I would recommend not dropping the Lighting package.

I would agree with you on that one, but my wife keeps insisting on her bottom line, which is price. I will have to see a GLK in white in person. The pictures look really nice. I remember one video I saw where a white GLK was filmed in and around Miami and on the bridge going out to the Keys. It was a pretty long (for YouTube, at least) video and the GLK looked really nice indeed. I would not be opposed to the Polar White color, although I prefer the Lunar Blue

I have never had anything but halogen light, and it's going to be hard to convince her on that until we get a change to actually see them in person. That shouldn't be too hard to arrange with the dealership here, assuming they have one on the lot with the Lighting package. All we'd have to do is line up one with, and without, the Lighting Package and have them turn on their lights. Personally, anything that can help me see better at night is very welcome (not that I'm getting old or anything)

I actually got an ML350, without the Lighting Package, all the way down to around $55,000 I was not aware that I could actually do that. Of course, the only other options were Polar White paint, Keyless-Go, Premium 1 Package, and the Lane Tracking Package. While that is doable, I would most likely want some other packages, but still

OK, how about this one:

MY2014 GLK 350
Polar White
Lighting Package
Premium 1 Package
Multimedia Package
Lane Tracking Package
Keyless-Go
Harman/Kardon Audio System

Invoice: $45,143
MSRP: $48,480

This was done on NADAguides.com. Based on that, at what price would you would begin your negotiation?

I have about a dozen Mercedes dealerships within an easy drive so the way I negotiate is very different from how you'd negotiate with the one dealership on an island.

The worst offer I had was 3% under MSRP and that was on a Bluetec, which are in such hot demand here that dealers can't keep them in stock. You don't have the competition but you're also ordering a 350 and those are not in short supply. Getting around invoice shouldn't be difficult. How comfortable are you with negotiating? Are you the type to lowball and play games or do you tend to offer close to what you think is reasonable and attainable and then not budge much? If you're the stick to your guns type, offer $44,700 with some room to come up to $45-something. If you're the games type, go for something like $42,400 and see what happens.