MMike1981

in the march 09 issue, there is a 1 pager on the GLK.

guess who they mainly compared it to? the RDX. that was a wow. was not expecting that...X3, EX, Audi etc...def did not expect the RDX to be the sentence ender.

i cant find the article on the website, but its in paper version...basically, GLK wrote up great but for....smaller and under performing (compared to the RDX)

said GLK was a good ride, but basically leaves off in the car-performance area where the RDX picks up. Good straight line 0-60 (6.5 tie w/RDX) but after that, they seemed to write like it was a no comparison. GLK drives like a truck, the RDX like a car. Also gave complaints of its stiff ride, calling it "head-tossing" steering was 1 finger lite, pretty vauge and just very un-sports car like compared to the RDX ....

pretty good quick read, find it, if you are wondering further about the GLK.

godfather2

thanks for the update ... always nice to get some props

gtrrdx

Here it is:

http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/...take_road_test

DJ Iceman

I find it interesting that the review started with the sentence, "Mercedes has hit the mark perfectly with the GLK," but then it goes on to say a bunch of unflattering things.

I wonder where our "Former Acura Sales Consultant" is with his two cents!

chipmunk

That article was a bit disappointing, I was expecting it to be longer.

wrestrepo

The article is very brief and doesn't say much about either the RDX or GLK.....

BallsOfSteel

Here is an article comparing the GLK with the RDX and X3 showing alot of details:



http://mybenzguy.com/blog/?p=174#more-174

wrestrepo

good find....However (and off course I had to say something else), the article is written by "mybenzguy"...does that tell you something? Also, the things that they are comparing the cars on are almost stupid....cup holders? amount of weather strip under the hood? number of hood latches?
I would expect the Benz to be better than the RDX, it's a Benz for crying out loud; but this article does not show me that.....

BallsOfSteel

Sorry - this is the real article:

https://pictures.dealer.com/sonicben...f72d067fca.pdf

If this doesnt show - is there a way i can post a pdf file?

wrestrepo

the link worked (clicked from my e-mail)....can you say that the article is a little bias?

Many things are true, and kind of disappointing about Acura, but most of them are BS....

BallsOfSteel

Im curious - Which ones are BS? I'm trying to make a decision and anything that can refute what this article is saying, please provide the BS.

Thanks,

wrestrepo

you are trying to decide which car to buy?

Well, look at the article...the Benz is better made, has more attention to detail, better gearbox, just about the same fuel economy with more power and better towing, better undercarriage aerodynamics, rear passenger's vents, standard 19"...I mean, I can go on and on, but I guess that you get the point.....

What I call BS are the things being compared, i.e. cup holders, or whether something projects "luxury" (RDX grille), or if the window controls are better if projected towards the driver....

The GLK is a better car, period. If money was not an issue and I was trying to decide, that would be the car to buy....BUT if you can live with the RDX's deficiencies it's a way better buy (way cheaper if comparably packaged).

BallsOfSteel

THANKS A BUNCH - Cup holders, grill and window controls are BS !!!

wrestrepo

I don't know what you are trying to get at.....I don't decide to buy a car because the cup holders are better or the window controls more convenient......and those were just some of the things I though were BS to be put in a "comparison".....
Seriously, what are you looking for?

BallsOfSteel

I just wanted opinions about the 3 different vehicles when compared. You provided a very good opinion which I will think about before making my decision. I hope others well chime in also and leave their opinions. I just thought this article was interesting and wanted members to read it and make comments.

wrestrepo

I imagine that you read the comparison between the RDX, X3 and Freelander. I think that there are also comparisons to RX350 done by magazines, which are supposed to be "impartial".
BUT no matter how many articles you read, or how many times a car is beating in a comparison, it comes down to which one you like driving the best . I drive Saabs, which are not the most reliable, or better performing cars out there, but I have never driven a car that I get more enjoyment out of than my Saab....

EDIT: Again, the better car of the 3 is the GLK in my opinion....it comes at a premium $$ too

wrestrepo

I was thinking about this, and I came to realize that you are missing one more competitor in the mix, that is the Audi Q5...

rexmaster

The article is geared toward the MB advantages and trying to portrait RDX as upscaled CR-V. Why don't they talk about the performance aspects!

Here is my take on:

Chrome strip: functional, but not asthetic
Underbody shielding: in fact, missing touch in RDX
Exhaust: Acura = Honda, what's wrong with Honda stamp?
Gauge cluster: subjective
Cup holders: Are you kidding?
Arm rest: What don't they open it up and see what's under!
Rear seat air vent: Missing feature in RDX, but RDX has no floor bump (more leg room). It seems like MB is trying to hide it in the picture.
Cargo volume: 71.0 > 60.6 > 54.7 is incorrect???
Lift gate height: 79 > 74 > 73 (6'6" > 6'2" > 6'1") I found 6' is more than enough and the lift gate touches my garage door when both garage door and lift gate open.

BallsOfSteel

Yes - I am also reading about the Q5. Sorry I didn't add this one to the bunch.

wrestrepo

I agree that a comparison should include performance data, but I wouldn't be too eager to get that comparison with the GLK.....I think that the RDX will be beaten....
GLK, bigger more powerful engine, bigger standard tires, better suspension, better brakes, 7 speed gearbox...I don't know numbers, but I would think that this car will perform way better than the RDX....

rexmaster

It does not matter who comes on top. The point is there should be a fair comparison based on the facts, not opinions or personal preference.

BallsOfSteel

Did wrestrepo just comment about several facts? Are you saying a bigger and more powerful engine is not factual? 7 speed gear box? etc. etc. I don't understand your last comment about a fair comparison based on facts. What points do you consider fair?

rexmaster

Do all that features make GLK better?

• 3.5L V6 268 hp (superb 7 speed) vs 2.3L 240 hp (shady Honda like 5 speed) = same 6.5s 0-60 according to C&D
• Same (0.82) or better (0.77 vs. 0.80) lateral g for RDX (depends on source)
• Better Slalom (mph) for RDX (61.3 vs. 65.7)
• Better braking (ft) for GLK (60-0: 119 vs. 127)
• Slightly better 1/4 miles for RDX (15.3@90.3 vs. 15.2@90.4)

No doubt that GLK would have better fit and finish for more $$

wrestrepo

Better for who?

As I stated before, the numbers don't matter if you like driving one better than the other....You would say that with the RDX is a more "sport" like ride, but that doesn't make the car "better" for everyone...

R*D*X*

cost of maintenace!! German cars are too expensive even for an oil change!!!

VeNeNo

iTrader: (1)

I used to work at a benz dealer here in NY, I drove the GLK along side the X3 and a RDX side by side for an event to show off the GLK vs. competition januaryish. The MB 3.5 V6 is a superb engine and was extremely smooth and powerful at the same time. The GLK could not even compare to the super handling of the RDX. other than that the benz is a lot more money comparably equiped and the X3 got beat by both cars even though it started the segment!

CL6

Depends what you want. I sell MBs for a living. The RDX does handle better but it's a bumpier ride with more noise and the build quality is not as high. The X3 is junk.

You cannot decide which car to buy based on numbers alone. No rear A/C in the RDX, prop rod for hood... the GLK is more expensive but there is more in it too with options the RDX doesn't have.

I'm not a big fan of the segment but I'd take the Benz then the Acura then the BMW.

rexmaster

All those performance statistics are the facts for comparison. Whether you like sporty ride or not, that's personal preference.

Another fact, RDX >>>> GLK, X3 as for long term reliability

wrestrepo

I have to respectfully disagree with you. You cannot talk about reliability of the RDX vs the GLK. The GLK has not been out long enough to say that is a good/bad car.

The performance stats are facts, but they will not tell you which car is right for you, or which one you will like better; personal preference will tell you that...

wrestrepo

The "segment"....let's write them all down...

- RDX
- RX350
- LR2
- XC60
- Q5
- X3
- GLK
- RX-7
- Murano
- Rav4
- Subaru?
- Tiguan
- .....

can't think or any more...if you do, add them...

rexmaster

You are right about the reliability comment on GLK since it is new. Time will tell, but statistically Acura >>> MB.

They will help you to decide along with personal preference. Anyway, the point is that GLK article from BallOfSteel is missing lots of facts and only describing one-sided GLK superior features (it has to be since it costs more $$).

CL6

The GLK is basically a C Class which has been out for 2 years. As far as I know the 08 Cs are holding up pretty well. Of course, they have not been out as long as the RDX.

MMike1981

well...this "article" would be ok with except for the fact that it seems like a benz sales lecture or something designed right from MB....if it were neutral, it may come off more unbiased.

but i think it does point out the main differences in quality, which should be blatantly obvious without even reading this brochure type thing.

how do you think acura sells its cars at such a lower price....there has to be cost cutting....and the overall package suffers.

any benz sales guy trying to make the sales pitch that the MB is more luxurious...well of course it is wtf would i be buying one for, as a bargain? i would assume without setting foot in the dealership that the benz has everything the acura left out, or at the very least, i would hope it had some things acura didnt.

if Acura upscaled the interior and gave the back seat some rear hvac...i think the call would be alot tighter...the RDX stacks up well against the GLK in its own right...but its quickly apparent where the extra money goes in the MB...i would think if the Acura had the overall fit/finish of the MB, the pricing would be alot closer.

phil17

the pdf was actually kind of cool but it only shows what we already know. The RDX is a heck of a suv given its price range. If Acura matched the price of the GLK with the same level of equipment, i'm confident Acura would do a better job. I'm not sure if mercedes can build a GLK in the price range of the RDX (same equipment) better though. the only thing that caught my eye in that entire pdf however was that the GLK comes standard with a 80watt sound system? WTF. hows that for "premium"

MMike1981

i dunno bout that, the C class has brand leading quality, every article ive read on the GLK says its one of the best put together benz's to date, regardless of price. the edmunds review comes quickly to mind.

what really gets me about acura with the RDX, there is no attention to smooth over rough edges...the underbody speaks volumes with this...i mean seriously, it looks economy car like under there. even the CX-7 is finished almost as well as the benz, there is absolutely nothing under the RDX to suggest they even cared, call it cost saving, but man is that pretty bad, even for Acura...the prop rod for the hood, just gangster....

whether the benz was 32k or 42k, you can bank on issues such as those being mute, right down to the carpet & seems no matter what model or trim, it just wouldnt happen in the benz, some ppl get satisfaction from that, the RDX is making me seek that satisfaction.

Syzygy

I don't mind the prop rod for the hood. It holds it up. And it is a very heavy hood. I had a 2000 TL before my RDX and it didn't have a prop rod. Well, it was to the point where if I parked on even a slight downslope, the hood would not stay up. I'll take the prop rod any day. It will never wear out or fail.

By the way, I really hate seeing comparisons between the X3 and the RDX. I understand they are in the same class, but there is no comparison. I had an X3 as a rental for a month when my TL was t-boned last year. What a crappy vehicle. I couldn't wait to get rid of it. The RDX is so much better in so many ways.

MMike1981

well...thats just bad design or something, doesnt mean the cars shouldnt have them...also, that was from 2000!!!! 9 model years later....and now they DONT have it? ehh...the hydro's have been holding tailgates open forever, im pretty sure they can get some to hold up a hood.

MMike1981

also forgot to say...you could argue the relevance of different sized cup holders, real material on trim, styles of map pockets...the thing is, they all add up to a measurable difference in the package. I cant tell u how many times a container has tipped over in the RDX cupholder....SERIOUSLY - how did they not include the finger/grasper things...even the CIVIC has that, so did my old accord, instead of holding anything its just an open bin....and then the rubberized map pockets - o wait, they are just plastic and we have to order Dr. Wong (or whatever his name is) for those....these are all the things that yea you could say are trivial...but they really arent, its what makes MB MB and acura, well, acura, or should i say the RDX

kinda like why some ppl will pay the premium (myself included) for an apple computer...more expensive, obviously....so much better in operation than a PC, without question...ill pay for that.

Syzygy

Sure, no car is perfect. The best cup holders I ever had are on my 1997 Mazda pickup. But, you have to admit some things on the RDX are way better than the BMW or MB. Like the center console. I love that I can put my laptop in there, in its bag. Try that in the MB or BMW. So some things on the RDX are better, and some things on the MB are better. Big deal. I still like Acura. They make reliable cars even if they aren't the BEST at everything. I would like to look under an ML from a few years back and see how many things say Chrysler.

wrestrepo

Visited the NY Auto Show yesterday and got to finally get up close and personal with the GLK....I have changed the way I feel about it completely. I didn't feel that it was the "superior Luxurious" car that they advertise. I don't think that it feels any better than the RDX....As a matter of fact, the fit and finish didn't feel that much better than any of the cars in this class category. The Lexus seats have not gotten any better (that was the main reason I didn't buy that car) and the Tiguan is very tiny. The XC60 was also nice....

The best two cars that I tried in this class were the Lexus RX and Audi Q5. Even the Tiguan felt pretty good.
I had an opportunity to look at the GDX or whatever the name is of the new crossover....I also talked to the model (who by the way was banging) and was surprised to see how knowledgeable she was of this concept and of the entire line up.

I have to say that my favorites displays were Ford and Scion, this is not to be confused with the cars that I liked the most.

At the Ford stand, if you sign up to do a test drive at any dealer near you they will give you a $50 cash card (after driving), so I basically went there for free