I have a 2014 E350 4matic and a 2020 GLS450. I am familiar with cost to maintain, and typical / common repairs on the 276 engine (oil leaks on cam magnets) and somewhat lumpiness of the 7g gear box. Not a newbie to the brand at this point, and I do love the brand.

Love the brand so much that I am thinking of a 2014-2015 GLK for my son's first car in about a year. High-ish mileage in the 80-100k range. Will be looking at maintenance records closely.

My question - can I expect the GLK 350 4matic to be along the same lines as my 2014 E350 4matic in terms of driving, reliability and build quality? No special issues unique to the GLK of that era that I may not have seen on my E?

Personally, I think the GLK is one of the coolest looking cars MB has ever produced. Such a cool looking ride, and I trust the brand in terms of safety and ability to take a hit, which is why I am thinking of one for my son's first car to carry him through the rest of his teen years. I'm not afraid of cost to maintain properly, and I don't skimp on when things are due (I actually change my oil at 7k instead of 10k. Trans fluid at 40k instead of 60k, etc). I buy these cars with the expectation of having them for at least 7 years and 200k miles. My 2014 E only has 71k miles. At this point, I won't be buying a new car for myself until sometime around 2030!

 

I think you should be okay with the GLK 350

 

Our 2015 GLK350 RWD model went 155k+ miles trouble free before being totaled in a serious accident. 4matics have a bit more issues but just scan this forum. Most of them are preventable with PM or can be DIYed..

 

I am curious, how did the vehicle perform in the accident?

 

“serious” = SERIOUS —> The GLK was not an insurance total. It was completely destroyed except for the passenger cabin.

It performed as well as can be expected given the severity of the accident.

SUV struck an animal at speed between 4:00 & 5:00 AM causing loss of control. Then it left the roadway and struck a glancing blow on a large tree. That caused it to roll over down a slope until it came to rest upright.

The passive restraints functioned flawlessly stabilizing the occupant in the rolling vehicle and preventing fatality. The GLK’s onboard system called for help with location, then connected the injured driver with the call center until rescue arrived.

 

Wow, glad to hear everyone got to come home. Thanks for responding! Your experience is exactly what I am trying to drill into the head of a near 16 year old myself, in that “it’s not you Son that I am worried about, it’s everything else that you can’t control”.

I think if I could find a well maintained 14-15 GLK 350 4-matic for around $15k +\-, that would be my pick.

 

To answer your original question: no, the GLK is not equivalent to an E-class. The GLK shares most of its platform and components with the w204 C-class cars.

Look for a 2015 (the last year made) model with the most records available. If you won't be encountering much snow, you probably won't need 4Matic which means one less complex system to worry about.

As for safety, the GLK is one little tank. However, given that they're discontinued models, if airbags deploy in an accident you can be relatively certain your insurance company WILL total it.

Good luck with your search.

 

We have both the 2015 GLK 350 and a 2015 E400 sedan. Both are 4Matic and pretty nicely optioned.

In my case, the GLK rides much softer and quieter than the E Class, as my E is the E400 (sort of higher performance than E350, with twin turbos and steel springs - no air suspension). That said, both have been great cars to own and drive. My wife drives the GLK and will not be giving it up any time soon (she says "they will have to pry the key from my cold dead fingers"). I drive the E400 (and often drive it hard), and sometimes the GLK. Two vastly different cars, but both can be rewarding and fun to drive.

If you're thinking of a first car for a new driver, I would say the GLK would be a good pick. Plenty of zip without being a cop-magnet. Built like a tank, so if something bad does happen, the occupants will be well cared for. The GLK is a well-sorted platform, and personally I can not find anything to complain about in it. Just look for one that is well cared-for and fully maintained, if possible. And of course, low mileage and lots of options would be best.

Also be aware that MB has recently issued a special warranty extension covering rear subframe replacements in case of rust. I am not sure if this warranty is fully transferrable, so might be worth some research.

 

Coincidence that you ask this for the following reasons:

1) When i bought our 2015 GLK in 2015, I selected based on a sales person's suggestion that between the GLK and the C350, based on engine position vs frame, the GLK would take a hit better than the C class. It was meant to ferry our little kids to and from after school care at that time.

2) Eight years on and 68k miles on the GLK - we have just replaced 3 cam magnets due to leaks at the spots you know about. One other major issue was a seized left front axle which was replaced under extended warranty in 2021 and we got a "free" transmission drain refill along with it because they had to drop the tranny pan.

3) The 7 speed trans is about as good ( or as lazy ) as the 7 speed trans in my much loved 2014 CLS. Don't push it too hard and it will be fine. Just having owned my E63 for a few months now ( I understand entirely different eras and categories of vehicles ), I moderate my expectations of the tranny when in my CLS or GLK and I am not unhappy. I just do not expect 9 speed MCT performance from the lazy old 7 -speed. Not quick shifting by any means but that is fine.

4) The GLK is being kept till the end of its service life whenever that may be - like you, I am saving it for my kid in a few years for exactly the same reasons you mentioned. He is being taught now how to change engine air filters, ac filters, install winter wheel sets etc etc so he appreciates what he will get in a few years.


Good luck with your search. I think our decisions about our kids' future vehicles are well aligned.

PS: one complaint that I cannot quite get over - the brakes on the GLK perform worse than on my CLS - once again I know, different vehicles etc etc. I always wondered if the brakes are actually C Class parts that are pressed into service to handle a much heavier SUV frame. This is manage-able - I just tell myself when in the GLK, brake hard and brake early ....