This surprised me a bit

"Chariotoflove" (chariotoflove) 06/10/2019 at 12:45 • Filed to: I need to stop poking around the showroom

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This used GLC was in the Kia showroom. I opened it up and poked around inside. Very nice. But here’s the thing: I then went and looked at the Telluride next to it, and you know, the MB interior wasn’t any better feeling than the Kia. There was one noticeable difference. The lower door panel on the Merc was a soft molded plastic vs the Kia’s hard molded plastic.

I know there is a lot of variation in materials depending on trim level, but it still seems a little strange that there should be so much overlap between an AMG anything and a Kia anything.

farscythe - makin da cawfee! > Chariotoflove 06/10/2019 at 12:51

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kias are nice nowadays

hell most cars are pretty nice nowadays

for mercs/bimmers/audis/jags you just pay a premium for the badge (and possibly the rwd/4wd)

Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras > Chariotoflove 06/10/2019 at 12:54

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Baby AMG’s blow

Ash78, voting early and often > Chariotoflove 06/10/2019 at 13:08

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The gap has closed a LOT. But at similar price points, the Telluride is a lot more vehicle than the GLC (the artist formerly known as GLK). So ultimately it’s an unfair comparison when the Telluride competes with GLS, two classes higher and a LOT more money.

But your point stands, interior materials are so close now that brands almost don’t matter. And Kia is doing now what VW was doing 20 years ago, which is benchmarking way above their normal competitors.

WilliamsSW > Chariotoflove 06/10/2019 at 13:10

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Kia is doing a damn good job on interiors these days from what I’ve experienced ( note - I haven’t been in their smaller cars).

The AMG43 cars aren’t exactly AMGs and don’t come with leather. From what I’ve seen, the C class and up have very nice interior materials, and cars below that aren’t that great. I would have thought the GLC would be at C class levels tbh, though.  

I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker > Chariotoflove 06/10/2019 at 13:11

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Read GLC without seeing the pic, choked on my coffee expecting this:

I was a little disappointed.

Textured Soy Protein > WilliamsSW 06/10/2019 at 13:54

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The GLC interior looks nearly identical to the C-Class, at least to me.

Seems like the truly nice interiors are E-Class on up.

Chariotoflove > farscythe - makin da cawfee! 06/10/2019 at 14:13

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Yeah, and presumably for what’s under the hood, although sometimes not.

Chariotoflove > Ash78, voting early and often 06/10/2019 at 14:21

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I think synthetic materials are getting better at their price points, and so when you see that MB and BMW put synthetic interior materials on their lower trims, it’s hard for them to be much better than the lower brands.

You’d like to think the top level MB trim materials would still be much nicer than the top level Kia trim.  For instance, the S class interior materials should be way better than in a K900.  But even then, having sat in both, it’s not as much as you’d think.

Chariotoflove > WilliamsSW 06/10/2019 at 14:22

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That’s what I would have thought. Honestly, in my mind, the C class is the base MB.  I don’t even see cars below that.

Chariotoflove > I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker 06/10/2019 at 14:23

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Hehe.

WilliamsSW > Textured Soy Protein 06/10/2019 at 14:52

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  They do take a big step up as you move up the ladder - the E is certainly a lot nicer than the C, but I liked the C other than the stick on screen.

A current E class with the full glass dash is super nice.

WilliamsSW > Chariotoflove 06/10/2019 at 14:53

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Having had a GLA250 loaner recently, I completely agree.   

Full of the sound of the Gran Fury, signifying nothing. > I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker 06/10/2019 at 14:56

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RWD or GTFAC...   :P