A steady ride
Mercedes Benz GLC300 is a sporty crossover coupe
In the 47 years I’ve been following the auto industry, there have been many trends that have come and gone. Thankfully, increased safety and fuel economy, plus reduced pollution, are a few of the items that seem to be constant.
Family vehicles have shifted from station wagons, to minivans, to SUVs, and now Crossovers are all the rage. A recent entry is the four-door Crossover Coupe. My week spent in a 2017 Cardinal Red Metallic GLC300 4MATIC Coupe allowed me to contemplate the existence of this market segment.
The GLC300 SUV starts at $39,140, while the GLC300 Coupe’s base price is $45,950. Both come with a 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder turbocharged engine that makes 242hp. and 273 lb.-ft. of peak torque. Power is sent through a nine-speed automatic transmission to all four wheels, thanks to its standard 4MATIC drivetrain. Mercedes Benz says it will accelerate from 0-60 in 6.4 seconds and the EPA proclaims you will achieve 22-mpg city and 27-mpg highway for a combined score of 24 mpg.
If you’d like to go even faster, be prepared to spend $59,650 for the AMG GLC43 Coupe. It arrives at 60 MPH in only 4.8 seconds thanks to its bi-turbo-enhanced 3.0 liter V6 pumping out 362 hp. and 384 lb.-ft. of peak torque.
Having owned a 1997 ML320, I somehow expected my tester to remind me of that much-more-boxy family truckster. Instead, I found myself thinking more about sporty coupes when it came time to carve a few corners on my favorite back roads. The GLC300 Coupe uses slightly stiffer springs and my tester came with huge, 285/40x20 inch tires that seemed not to be aware of the idea that traction can be limited.
Part of the credit also goes to the $1,900 Air Body Control air suspension, that practically eliminated any signs of body sway. The nicely-shaped, flat bottom, leather-wrapped steering wheel provided excellent feedback, and the vehicle seemed like the most competent vehicle in this category I have ever experienced.
I was smitten by the effect the $3,900 Designo trim cast on the interior. White leather Nappa leather with black inserts, tastefully sculpted aluminum door trim, seat controls and speaker grilles combine with “Natural Grain Black Ash wood trim” to evoke a feeling of high fashion luxury.
The $6,400 premium package delighted with a wide variety of enhancements. These include Navigation on an 8.4-in. display, while a 7.0 in. is standard. You also get a choice of three colors for your ambient light and safety items galore. Most useful were smart cruise-control with steering assist, active blind spot warning, cross traffic assist, active LED headlights and adaptive high beam assist. My tester’s total came to $66,435.
When not engaged in sporty driving, the GLC300 Coupe is a comfortable daily driver. The visibility is very good, the interior storage is well-designed and ride is exceptional, and variable. Changing the drive mode from ECO to Comfort to Sport to Sport Plus results in changes to the shock absorbers, throttle response and even an enhanced exhaust tone is available in Sport Plus.
While you pay extra for the elegant roof line in the Coupe over its SUV sibling, and you lose a bit of cargo space, think about it. Folks have been paying more for twodoor coupes over their four-door brethren for decades. Why not seek out some stylish flair when shopping for your next luxury Crossover?