"CompactLuxuryFan" (compactluxury)
06/22/2019 at 15:31 • Filed to: None
2
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"CompactLuxuryFan" (compactluxury)
06/22/2019 at 15:31 • Filed to: None | 2
| 8 |
We all daydream about our perfect 5 car garage and waste countless hours in online configurators. But over the last couple of months, my desire for a newer, probably brand new (!) car to putz around in has turned into something more. It’s been intensifying in me like the unstoppable hormonal surge of puberty. Enter this long-honored Oppo tradition.
My current two car garage meets my every need and is relatively cheap to keep around, even when things go very wrong:
The A4 (2005.5 2.0T quattro Avant 6-speed) is around 101K miles and just got a new clutch and flywheel
The 335i (2009 6-speed) is coming up on 94K
I’m never left needing more no matter which one I choose to drive, but I do with sometimes they would magically combine into one car. As such, what I’m looking for should have everything these two have combined, and more:
relatively fun driving dynamics, including decent acceleration
good visibility
a relatively luxurious interior
not black, white, or gray exterior
not gray or beige interior, prefer brown over black
auto-dimming mirrors
bluetooth audio streaming
HID headlights
parking sensors/camera
hatchback or liftback
six cylinders or electric
all-wheel drive
good automatic transmission or a manual
a good dealer experience in San Francisco
With all those requirements in mind, I’ve been gathering some unsurprising candidates and going on test drives.
First up, the Mercedes-AMG GLC 43.
While looking at Mercedes’ website and pricing one out, the GLC 43 seems to be perfectly aligned with the competition. However, once I actually started looking at dealer stock and reaching out, I found that 1) GLC 43s are pretty rare on lots, 2) all of them are loaded to the gills, and 3) they will barely deal on these relative to the competition. Other brands will get back to you with prices well below MSRP with just an email, but Mercedes-Benz of San Francisco came back with MSRP on a nearly $70k blue over brown one I inquired about.
With just the bare necessities of life
Uh, thanks?
Add in sales tax and registration, and you’re knocking on $77,000's door. Completely nuts! That said, I was happy to find pretty much exactly what I would spec right on a dealer lot. MB dealers don’t as shy about speccing non-white/black cars with interesting options, especially considering how few AMGs they seem to keep around. So I set up a test drive, and off I went in the rather menacing blacked out one pictured above.
With options such as $1,000 21" wheels, $975 AMG carbon fiber trim, $200 AMG Night Package, and the ridiculous $500 illuminated star, this was clearly not a car I would be taking home. However, I was excited to experience the saddle brown interior in person.
As you walk up to the GLC 43, you immediately get a sense of seriousness you don’t get from most cars. Everything about it looks and feels beefy and solid, the massive wheels and tires showing a lot of metal behind them and the doors having a lot of heft. I felt kind of intimidated, not knowing if I would even want to own so much hardware.
As the saleswoman navigated the big SUV down the dealer’s packed parking structure, I was shocked to experience plenty of “crabwalking”. I’m quite familiar with the feeling of tire skittering over concrete since my A4 sometimes does it, but I can only imagine what somebody who just dropped damn near 80 grand on their new luxury SUV would think! It turns out GLCs are well known for crabwalking, and MB forum members are none too pleased about it!
Having read some reviews and comparisons of the GLC 43 and its Coupe sibling, I had some idea of what to expect once we were out on the street. Pretty much everything you’ll see written is true. The interior is beautiful, with great materials. You sit with a commanding view of the road (something I’m not really familiar with and find myself not really preferring, having rarely driven SUVs), but you never feel unstable. Power is always plentiful and there are no untoward behaviors. I am of the opinion that the 43 cars’ V6 sounds awesome, so I was very pleased with the soundtrack.
I was also pleasantly surprised by the good visibility and maneuverability. I felt very comfortable navigating the streets of San Francisco in it. The powertrain and brakes especially are set up more towards aggressive driving (no mush), but I enjoyed them. And I cannot understate how these things take off like a scalded cat! Zero lag from a standstill. Incredible how such a heavy-feeling vehicle got moving.
Now for some negatives (besides the price):
The infotainment didn’t really wow me, although it was very easy to use. I know it’s not the latest and greatest from Mercedes, and I can’t understand why they’re taking so long to update their bread and butter SUV.
Piano black all over the center console will definitely become a mess quickly
The ride was firm, which I was fine with, but the unnecessarily large wheel/tire package made noises I could do without over San Francisco’s rough streets. It just felt like they detracted comfort without adding anything.
So there you have it, my first test driving experience of what I’m sure will end up being a very long process. Stay tuned for the next one!
sony1492
> CompactLuxuryFan
06/22/2019 at 17:07 |
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I look forward to the next r eview. S eems like it would be a better car for some where more rural or open.
Is t he x3 is somewhere on your list?
Spanfeller is a twat
> CompactLuxuryFan
06/22/2019 at 18:44 |
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Good dealer experience means Germans, unless Genesis has it’s shit together, then I’d say the G70 2.0 manual has some nice reviews.
But really, if you’re already looking at a GLC (which is up for a mid cycle refresh soon)
.... maybe you should “fuck it” and get a 2.0 E
voq
ue with 300hp.
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CompactLuxuryFan
> Spanfeller is a twat
06/22/2019 at 23:43 |
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Buick, Genesis, Cadillac and Volkswagen are a few that have cars that would qualify but that I don’t think have a good presence in San Francisco. Genesis and Cadillac are particularly puzzling since they’re two luxury brands that seem to have abandoned one of the country’s largest luxury markets.
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CompactLuxuryFan
> Spanfeller is a twat
06/22/2019 at 23:44 |
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The Evoque doesn’t have 6 cylinders...
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CompactLuxuryFan
> sony1492
06/22/2019 at 23:44 |
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Yep, definitely on my list. San Francisco is surprisingly car friendly, having a GLC would be expensive but not all that inconvenient. They’re a dime a dozen here.
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Spanfeller is a twat
> CompactLuxuryFan
06/23/2019 at 00:02 |
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Oh I had forgotten about the 6cyl requirement. That would also leave out the G70 with the manual
.
Maybe going for the Germans is your best choice. I love the GLC but I’d avoid it until MB releases the 2020 version because it has an ancient infotainment system. Plus, I suspect the new GLC 53 is going to come with the new i6 engine with a mild hybrid... that should peak your interest.
Otherwise, I think the M340i is probably a solid choice. But if you need a larger car (I mean, you are looking at a GLC), maybe you could go for an X3 M40i, or a 540i.
If you really want a fun car, maybe a Macan S could do you good. It was refreshed last year, and the MSRP is 59k; meaning you have 10k to play with before matching the AMG’s MSRP.
Honestly though, I have a six cylinder car, and I don’t think it’s that good. Like, sure, it accelerates very nicely but the running costs are huge even compared to high-strung 4 cyls.
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CompactLuxuryFan
> Spanfeller is a twat
06/23/2019 at 01:22 |
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An M340 or C43 wagon (hatchback requirement) would be my ideal car, but I can’t have either. I hate the M340’s plasticky grill, so I’d rather get an X3. A G70 with the 3.3 would be great except the closest Genesis dealer is in Palm Springs or something.
Most (all?) of my requirements are soft, so I’ve got quite a few options open.
As for the Macan, it’s definitely pricier than even the GLC once you match features. $10k is nothing in Porsche option land. The leather interior and premium sound are like $4k each Also, Porsche’s new inventory finder is surprisingly horrible. I’m definitely not springing for GLC prices, so a Macan looks even more unlikely.
superdave847
> CompactLuxuryFan
07/06/2019 at 23:00 |
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The BMW 440i with the M-Sport Package doesn’t offer a manual, but damn is that not a great car.