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Test Drive of the Mercedes Benz GLC

November 18, 2016 By Hilary Morris

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At Princeton Online, we have clients representing some of the best businesses in the local Princeton area. Recently, my family had an opportunity to test drive the Mercedes Benz GLC from Mercedes Benz of Princeton located on business Route 1 just down from the Bakers Basin intersection. On the day I picked up the beautiful mid-sized SUV, I posted a picture to my personal Facebook account knowing that other Princeton customers would chime in too. Sure enough, I had comments from loyal supporters professing their love for the Princeton location. I already had a good vibe from my salesperson Adam, who walked me through all the bells and whistles of the vehicle before I drove off. As this was my first time EVER driving a luxury vehicle, I felt like I was riding a bike for the first time. But that initial anxiety was quickly replaced by excitement over this stunning, state-of-the-art car. Below are some of the highlights from our experience.

Interior & Controls

I'm just going to start off by saying that this is a really sexy car!

The GLC’s interior is a beautiful synthesis of elegance and innovation. The woodgrain console is integrated with the sleek touchpad that allows the driver to “connect” while driving. The sleek aluminum controls and topstiching of the seats complete the upscale and classic look of the car.

As for the technology in the GLC, If you’re a good learner and already technolocialy inclined, the multimedia options, phone connectivity and navigation will be a no-brainer for you. Admittedly, it’s a small learning curve if you’re not used to all this technology! But it was fun to tinker around.

You also might be used to having a gear shift in your center console, but in the GLC it’s old-schoo in a good way. To make room for all the technological features in the "cockpit area," the gear shift is on the sterling wheel. Even though the act of reaching for the gear shift in the center console is like 2nd nature, it was actually a smoother transition between gears in this car comapred to my current one.

Eco Start/Stop

The Eco Start/Stop feature kicks in when you come to a complete stop. The engine shuts off to improve fuel efficiency and cut down on carbon emmissioins. It’s a good thing Adam told me about this feature during the run-through, because it literally feels like the car breaks down. If you’re too weirded out by it though, you can shut it off.

Safety

There are a lot of safety features available to you in this car, like radar to alert you if you’re getting too close to a vehicle and pedestrian recognition that activates your breaks, and THANKFULLY I only had to experience two of them: the blind spot assist and the rear view camera. I was talking to an owner of an '09 SUV who said she loved her car but didn't like the blind spot. I told her about the Blind Spot Assist in all Mercedes Benz vehicles. The little triangle you see in the picture above is an automatic alert that beeps when a car or motorcycle is in the way. And it works! It came on when I was changing lanes on RT 1 by Nassau Park Blvd - a typically contested area. She was intrigued and had to take a look at the other necessary upgrades.

A car without a rear-view camera would be a major deal breaker for me. The GLC has one that gives a tablet-size, crystal clear view of what's behind you, plus you can toggle between 3 different camera angles just to be sure it's all clear.

Sound System

Music is big for me.. and my kids. Spotify is always playing in our house and I love a good electronic or dance beat while I’m on the road. The 590-watt, 9-channel Burmester Surround-Sound System in this car is seriously #goals. With 13 high-end speakers, you are literally abosrbed into the music. And the craftsmenship of the speaker design is the perfect blend of form and function. Seriously, I don’t think I’ve ever admired a car speaker like I did in the GLC.

Smooth Ride

From Mercedes-Benz.com:

“The standard-fit all-wheel drive AMG Performance 4MATIC is characterised by the rear-biased torque distribution of 31 percent at the front axle to 69 percent at the rear axle. This configuration ensures more driving dynamics and higher lateral acceleration on the road plus improved traction during acceleration. With the five DYNAMIC SELECT transmission modes “Eco”, “Comfort”, “Sport”, “Sport Plus” and “Individual”, the driver can tailor the characteristics of the GLC 43 4MATIC to inbjvdividual preferences at the tap of a finger.”

Even though I was looking at this from the POV of a mom carting around kids, the GLC is great for driving enthusiasts who want a little extra power. One of the biggest things that we all noticed was how smooth a ride it was in the GLC. I’ll admit that it’s fairly easy to loose track of the speed limit because of how smooth the car whips around corners and accelerates up hills. My girls even pointed out how it wasn’t as bumpy a ride as it is in our current SUV. For those who appreciate the experince of driving a manual shift car, you can switch to that too!

Size

Having been a passenger in a few Mercedes Benz cars in my life, I have always appreciated the roominess of the front and back seats. It would be too snug to fit 3 carseats across the back, but it worked out that we only needed two. The girls noted the space as well, and we all know kids don’t mince their words.

The trunk is a decent size for groceries, weekend trips and holding your kids’ sports equipment, and the back seats can fold down to fit 56.5 cu ft of cargo. But for this family of 5, it wouldn’t be enough for a big family trip.

Final Verdict

It was hard taking the car back to the dealership. I really enjoyed driving it and noticed the difference immediately when I got back into my usual car. However, if I did go Mercedes for my next car, it would have to be bigger. I have 3 kids, so the GLC wouldn’t be a practical choice for our lifestyle. Just like any car buying experince, you have to look at your needs and find a car that meets them. If some of your needs/wants are safety, superior technology, eco-friendly features, and customized driving options if you're a driving enthusiast, then this is your car.

The model GLC featured here is $49,410. For more information, visit www.mbprinceton.com or call 609-450-1601 and ask for Adam Gelfand! Tell him Hilary at Princeton Online sent you.