2019 Mercedes-Benz GLC Class Review, Ratings, Specs, Prices, And Photos

2019 Mercedes-Benz GLC Class Review, Ratings, Specs, Prices, And Photos

For years, Mercedes-Benz GLC crossover buyers have talked about their luxury ride. This year, the 2020 GLC-Class talks back. With the new GLC, Mercedes-Benz adds its latest infotainment system and a slightly more powerful engine. Like last year, the GLC-Class is available as a crossover 鈥渃oupe鈥?with a racier roofline and hatchback glass, or as a traditional crossover with an upright tail and more usable cargo space. We give the range a 7.5, skewed heavily toward the GLC300 4Matic crossover, which is more popular with buyers. That鈥檚 without fuel economy or safety info, which could raise or lower the score slightly. The GLC-Class is the tall-roof companion to the C-Class, if anyone remembers what that is. The GLC crossover is better looking by some estimations, and its space is more practical for more people. The exterior hasn't changed much with this year鈥檚 fluff-and-buff refresh鈥攏ew bumpers, headlights, and taillights, and a new grille鈥攊t鈥檚 what鈥檚 on the inside that matters more, according to Mercedes-Benz and your parents.

The interior of the GLC-Class is treated to the same sumptuous materials that get better with more money, and a newly standard 10.3-inch touchscreen bolted above the climate controls that runs Mercedes鈥?improved infotainment system, dubbed MBUX. Mercedes鈥?new system runs via touchpad, touchscreen, or steering wheel controls, gesture controls, or if you鈥檙e loose and comfortable with the social contract鈥攊nternet-connected voice commands. Getting directions to the mall is easier than waking up Siri, whether that鈥檚 a good thing is wholly not up to us. Under the hood of the 2020 GLC300 is a more powerful turbo-4 that makes 255 horsepower, plus 14 from last year if you鈥檙e keeping score. That鈥檚 paired to a standard 9-speed automatic transmission that鈥檚 eager to put the GLC in a more efficient mood. EPA figures for the 2020 version aren鈥檛 yet available, but Mercedes promises similar or better numbers than the 24-mpg highway mark from last year. The GLC rides atop standard steel springs or an optional air suspension with adaptive dampers, but both rides are creamy.

The standard 18-inch wheels are a little firm, but they fill in road imperfections better than construction crews. The dimensions of the GLC-Class haven鈥檛 changed, even if the insides have. The crossover still comfortably seats up to five adults, with plenty of leg and knee room for 6-footers or taller. Shoulder room may be an issue for wide adults or Olympic swimmers, but 75-percenters likely won鈥檛 squabble with three abreast鈥攅ven if they touch shoulders. 鈥淐oupe鈥?models are a stretch by definition, less in comfort. Although the rear doors are compromised in their cutout, our 6-foot-3 editor was able to sit behind someone of equal stature with about a half-inch of head room and ample leg room. The GLC 鈥淣ormal鈥?is more comfortable for people and cargo with nearly 20 cubic feet of cargo space that opens up to more than 65 cubic feet with the second row folded. The Coupe鈥檚 roofline sacrifices some space to 17.7 cubes and 49.4 respectively. The base synthetic leather warms up with more money鈥攈igh-class shades of hides and wood are available as optional extras and make the GLC feel warmer than some of its competitors. High-po GLC 63 models wear daring accents in yellow or red, complete with carbon 鈥渇aux-ber鈥?panels that look good but seem somewhat superfluous in a 4,500-pound crossover. We鈥檒l wait until more data is available before crowning it again. All the mandatory safety systems are there, but Mercedes鈥?spend-up safety systems are likely worth the price. In addition to adaptive cruise control, the active safety features can help keep the GLC-Class centered in its lane, change lanes, and slow down for corners. Automatic emergency braking is standard, like last year.

Things get a bit messier when digging into the finer details, though. When comparing classes of cars, such as the 1 Series/2 Series class, 3 Series class and 5 Series class, it wasn鈥檛 so cut and dry. While the positioning of the brands stayed the same, different models received different repair costs. For instance, both BMW鈥檚 and Audi鈥檚 lesser expensive models were less expensive to fix, which seems pretty standard. But for Mercedes-Benz, the more expensive models were the least expensive to fix, likely having to do with better build quality and reliability. When getting into specific routine repairs and components, things get even messier. When it comes to servicing and MOT testing, the roles are reversed, with Audi being the cheapest, BMW still staying in the middle and Mercedes being the most expensive. This trend continues with brakes and exhaust repairs, however, Audi becomes significantly cheaper than BMW and Mercedes becomes significantly more expensive. For electrical work and batteries, BMW shined and was the least expensive, followed by Audi and Mercedes, respectively. However, BMW was the most expensive brand to repair steering and suspension components. Overall, what AM-Online found was that Audi was the brand with the most expensive repair costs, BMW sat somewhere in the middle and Mercedes was the least expensive of the three. Now, obviously things vary by age, mileage, style of driving and the quality of repairs done, but overall it was Audi that was the least reliable and most expensive to own and repair.