seriously, you think the GLK looks better than the FL2? That's not nice...the ML is much nicer though so they can make good looking 4x4 Phil

Hmm,


There seems to be a lot of rumour that MB will be spending 50-70 million euro to create a RHD version of the GLK..........


Paul;

That GLK is certainly not my cup of tea.........in the compact 4x4 the FL2 is by far the best and most rugged looking of the lot....IMHO!

Audi always used to be the guys sandwiched in between BMW and MB in terms of performance, ride confort and handling, i.e. good power from top end cars, ride not too firm and not too soft and handling not great, but not bad either. Once you've tasted GREY you'll never go back!

I think the GLK ineterior looks much classier than FL2. Just look at the display in the speedo and compare it with the cheaply looking display of the FL2:

I'll give you that the arrangement looks better, and I would guess the nav screen has more than just navigation through it....however I am sure it is absolutely useless offroad. Once you've tasted GREY you'll never go back!

That binnacle design is MB standard which is nice. There's always parts of design which everyone will have an opinion on and cannot possibly satisfy everyone. At least I haven't bought an Aston Martin and discoverd my interior came from the Ford parts bin  Phil

Gambba wrote:

....however I am sure it is absolutely useless offroad.

yamaha-fan wrote:

Well, being a German, I have swapped my BMW X3 against the Freely 2 and never regretted it. The X3 was very bumpy with no ride comfort at all, and the Freely 2 is excactly the opposite.
But, I have had the chance to test drive the new Mercedes GLK, and I am impressed indeed. The looks are great, the ride comfort similar to the Freely 2, the 220 cdi engine with the 7-speed automatic surpasses the Freely's drive train, and fuel consumption of the GLK is considerably lower. So my next SUV in one or two years may be the Mercedes GLK. The new Audi Q5 is out of question, as Audi seems to copy the BMW philosophy with regard to emphasis on "sport", which I do not understand, as I buy a SUV for very defined reasons, and if I want a sports car, I buy a sports car.

YF

Hi George, did you see the new GLK in real, or are you judging from fotos? On photos the GLK looks quite unimpressive, but the moment you face it in real you will change your mind. Mercedes seem to have put a lot of thought into this car, and I bet that this SUV will surpass all sales figures of its competitors, even though the price is high. We will talk in 12 months and see.

YF

Hi gorjant, as I work a lot for the international car industry im my capacity as lawyer, I very often have the chance to test drive new cars much prior to its official release. I try not to be biased towards any specific manufacturer - even though I do have my favourits - and the Freely 2 has impressed me at the point of test drive. The Mercedes GLK -and this is my personal opinion- has in many aspects "copied" the Freely 2, as ride quality, suspension, low noise, seating position and off road capability is very similar to the Freely 2, but the GLK feels more refined in general. The up-dated 220 cdi engine with 170 hp and 400nm torque is a delight and is considerably more responsive than the TD4. The 7-speed automatic seems to be made especially for this engine, and Mercedes is congratulated to offer the GLK only with automatic transmision. Fuel consumption and emmission-values are up-to-date, and the GLK is rated EURO 5 with regard to emission values.
The GLK is made in Bremen/Germany, and NOT in the US, which will guarantee high quality.
I will carefully watch the GLK for some time and see how it performs.

YF

yamaha-fan wrote:

Hi George, did you see the new GLK in real, or are you judging from fotos? On photos the GLK looks quite unimpressive, but the moment you face it in real you will change your mind. Mercedes seem to have put a lot of thought into this car, and I bet that this SUV will surpass all sales figures of its competitors, even though the price is high. We will talk in 12 months and see.

YF

You may be right but those GLK's in the photos do look uninspiring and not dissimilar to a Sang-yung musso. The black one does look neater, but I would say that's because it doesn't have the rather odd side styling pack that the white is wearing.
I like simple flowing lines on a car and the GLK is too angular for my liking. It seems that Merc are trying to incorporate the look of the G-wagon into the GLK.
Saying that I do respect Mercedes cars, I quite often drive my Dads E320cdi , so the GLK should be an impressive car so will no doubt sell well, but probably not to me.  At work
At home

"I can't always believe facts I read on the web" - Charles Dickens

winner by default of the tractor vs caravan race

great thoughts - keep it up. I just noticed the GLK yesterday - caught my eye, but I rented MB compact in Germany last year and was not impressed.

I rent A6 Avant - LOVED IT.

not sure how Q5 will stand up. I agree, i wish audi would focus on the SUV part of it vs sport. The LR2 has both in my mind. I do miss it, sold it a few months ago as I'm heading back to Germany for 14 months. Not sure what to replace it with due to gas prices. Thoughts??

Last edited by lrlr2 on 7th Aug 2008 3:11 pm. Edited 1 time in total

Well those pics are the first I've seen of the GLK........................................ looks like a rebadged Shogun/Pajero with a better quality interior. Not for me.

I've just read the FL2/Q5 short test in Autocar and I think what every ex Audi owner here has said is what Autocar's verdict was - the quality and build of the Q5 was fantastic but Autocar liked having the FL2 much more as it had CHARACTER, even if it's bigger engine was less powerful, the CO2 emissions were higher and it used more fuel than the Q5, it has bucket loads of quirkiness and that still makes F2 the car to have, but only just. How can carbon have a footprint, it has no feet?
Now driving - RRE Coupe Dynamic Lux Auto with Plus pack, Fuji White, Ebony, SD4 with tow pack
Gone - 2010MY FFRR TDv8 Stornoway and Ivory, Privacy - the pace of a TDv8 RRS, the incomparable grace of a Range Rover
Gone but will be missed- RRS Tdv8 HSE Stornoway Grey with Ebony Leather
Gone (only a little missed) RRS Tdv6 2.7SE Giverny Green/Aspen
Defender 90 County HT in Epsom Green

CG, I have a completely different view to you on the E-class mercs (as well as C-Class) versions in terms of driving.

I've rented quite a few 5-Series, E-class' and C-Class's along with Volvo's, and my in-laws have a '06 E320 and can safely say I found the Mercs to be simply boring at best.
Now I don't think I would be saying that if it was an AMG version or a CLS........having said that though it was even commented in a comparison article (EVO - RS4 vs C63 AMG) that the AMG versions have interiors comparable with a Golf

Rear leg room in an E-class is a joke, boot space is oddly shaped, the leather seats squeak like you are wearing PVC pants, the dealer service is dreadful, the sunroofs have some issues with leaking and one I had rattled when open.

There are a number of MB's that I do really like the styling of (SLK, CLS) but this GLK certainly is not one of them and I find it clumsy and dull IMHO. I find LR refreshingly different in terms of styling and continue to love the current LR range with the bucket loads of chracter that they have.

For me I'd pick a BMW or Audi over an MB any day of the week in terms of a premium vehicle.


For me I'd pick a BMW or Audi over an MB anyday of the week in terms of a premium vehicle. Once you've tasted GREY you'll never go back!

here's the back of a GLK...sorry I was using my phone camera I had both hands on steering wheel though.

 Phil