Any GLC AMG 43 owners out there?

[Topazblue]

Hi

I've not had a Mercedes for some years now due mainly to the appalling customer service at Mercedes Manchester when I owned an SLK350 that used more oil than screenwash. That was 12-13 years ago and I believe that the Franchise is in the hands of LSH and they are a lot better. I've had a Porsche Macan diesel for two years now, great vehicle but a diesel I bought for long journeys to see my Grandchildren. Three months after I bought it, my son and family move back to Cheshire

Now I'm looking at a petrol engine and considering a fairly new, if not new, GLC AMG 43. I know the magazines rave about the Macan and it is a great drive but to get a petrol even close to the specification on my Diesel your looking at £55-60k for a one year old one.

I would appreciate any frank and warts and all comments from any owners. Thanks

 

[Blobcat]

Hello and welcome,

@Srdl has one

 

[bembo449]

Welcome to the site , ive said this before but what is the point of buying a hi performance SUV ?

 

[Wighty]

Welcome to the site , ive said this before but what is the point of buying a hi performance SUV ?

It goes really fast and you don’t have to crawl out on your knees because of the seat height

 

[A.J.]

Hi and welcome to the forum

 

[John Laidlaw]

@Srdl will be along shortly, from what I gather he's enjoying his. I think it's a good choice...

 

[Srdl]

Hello and welcome,

@Srdl has one

@Srdl will be along shortly, from what I gather he's enjoying his. I think it's a good choice...

Yep, I’m here now. Been out in my GLC43!
I test drove both a Macan S and a Diesel before trying the GLC. The Macan was nice enough, if not that memorable, but the GLC somehow felt very special.

Plus points for me included:
GLC43 much better spec. I bought mine new and same spec. Macan would have been £10/12k more once Merc dealer discount taken into account.
GLC is much roomier inside but a slightly smaller footprint externally
GLC has standard Air Suspension
It is a Mercedes so I was familiar with many of the controls and systems.

Downsides?
It’s not a Porsche
Local Mercedes dealers are rubbish, I suspect Porsche were better.

Apart from that, I love it and have never regretted choosing this rather than a Macan.

Let me know if you have any specific questions.

PS and this is a better forum than the Porsche ones!

 

[Srdl]

It goes really fast and you don’t have to crawl out on your knees because of the seat height

.... and it takes a lot of luggage etc if needed and it sounds good. Oh, and it goes very fast

 

[Topazblue]

Srdl, thanks for your summary. More or less what I was expecting along with the usual 'oh I'm so on trend I hate SUV's' comment (No offence meant). Remarkably, the GLC and Macan are physically within a few mm of each other but the Merc seems more spacious. My SD Macan is a lovely thing to drive over distance, relaxing and has oodles of torque. Overtaking is easy and it topped 40 mpg on the long trip I used to take although mpg isn't a priority, life is too short to be fretting over a few coppers. Porsche dealers are magnificent to be fair, nothing is too much trouble. They are quality just like their vehicles. The Macan can be hustled to a certain extent, but it is what it is and will never be a sports car that the Journalists keep pointing out pointing out the bleeding obvious. I'm not sold on the GLC coupe's shape though, but do see a fair number about. I am not new to this forum as I had an SLK350 in 2006/7 I think. Took it back to the dealer due to excessive oil usage, a litre every few hundred miles. It was new and they said an oil change would solve it but I'd have to pay. Eventually got some movement, took it in and, as always took a photo of the odometer. Picked it up just before they closed with an extra 85 miles on it. They had all p****d off home (forgive my language but old wounds opened) they denied everything and during a stand up nose to nose row with the Service Manager the following day who basically called me a liar despite the photographs, I vowed never to buy another Merc.
Back to the GLC 43. The interior is night and day better than the Macan which is quite old on my 2016 car and more kit as standard such s air suspension. Not sure about residuals or new car discounts as I've not been to a dealer yet to do battle. I prefer to sell privately and pay cash. No PCP, GAP insurance, paint protection and he other stuff for me thanks.

The Macan forum is inhabited by people with three or four other Porsche, usually 911's of various flavours with the Macan as family wheels. If you ever want to upset some of the more boring Macan owners, just mention then Audi Q5 and take a step back ass it is based on the previous Audi Q5. My main issue with the Macan is the pedal offset to the right which isn't ideal as I broke both ankles some years ago and they give me jip occasionally. The other thing |I miss from my previous car (RR Sport, don't ask) is a heated steering wheel, is it standard on the 43?

Thanks for taking an interest and reply.

 

[Srdl]

Sorry, no heated steering wheel on the GLC even as an option (unless things have changed with the facelift).

Interesting you mention the diesel torque and it took me quite a while to get used to living without that - I had a V6 diesel in my previous Merc. However, you learn to love the revs and the noise they make and driving it sensibly is a different art. You certainly don’t need anywhere near as much throttle to make very good progress if you want to but, conversely, it can be a very relaxing drive if that’s the way you want it.

I find the GLC supremely comfortable and have travelled down to the south of a France in it with no problems (I’m 6ft 2in). My wife has back problems and loves the comfort,

 

[Topazblue]

How bizarre! I'm also 6' 2" and of cuddly build and my Wife also has lower back issues which, along with joint issues of my own, is the main reason for buying the Macan. I had a RR Sport prior to that which was a potential money pit. JLR dealers are useless. The thing leaked on all four doors but they wouldn't consider a warranty repair as I'd had the Silver roof (on a red car) wrapped with gloss black. That was the cause of the leak they said despite it having been on for a year before the leaks arose. Final straw came when a friend's car had a massive engine failure just our of warranty. It's a body off job to replace an engine on most Land Rover products. £20k he was quoted but got it down to £14k, still robbery.

 

[Topazblue]

Looks like there will me no GLC 43 in my drive. We went to look at a three month old facelift one at the weekend and I got the wrinkled nose treatment from the boss along with some comments (please don't be offended and tear my statue down if they ever erect one) like 'That looks stuck on' pointing to screen above the vents. 'It smells of plastic', I can't comment on that and she didn't like the seats. End of visit, no point in taking a test drive and ,yes, she wears the trousers.

 

[Srdl]

Shame, the boss won’t know what she is missing! Mine was quite set on a Macan (because it was a Porsche) before I told her how much we could save going down the GLC route.