lomarica

we now have our new car purchase down to the two above. I have some likes and dislikes of each but if anyone has some more to add that would be great. some of course is a personal opinion.such as liking a touchscreen. Note the higher price for the mb is not a dislike because we an afford either one and I also realize the mb will cost more to insure and maintain and is not the better value but that is not the biggest concern in making this decision. we plan to buy the car we like better but are having a hard time deciding. None of the likes or dislikes are deal breakers for either car

RDX likes exterior style, center storage, cargo room, location of blind spot warning light (it is not on the mirror) stereo
dislikes no touchscreen, no hands free cargo door opener, engine not silky smooth

GLC300 likes gorgeous interior, screen and digital instrument panel much more clear, touchscreen, engine is silky smooth
dislikes less cargo room, less ground clearance

wife and I would be happy with either one
our concerns with the infotainment system problems on the RDX seem to have been addressed fro the 2020 so that is less of a concern , I am going to the acura dealer one more time to try a few things like adding am and fm stations to the home screen instead of using favorites, seeing if the USB time to music loaded is quicker with a smaller amount of music on the thumb drive and I am going to try AA to make sure it works. Anything else I should try?

thanks for all comments

Waetherman

I haven't really shopped the GLC but my brother in law has one (I think - I get some of their models confused) and I found it very cramped inside. The minimal cargo room was a real problem (I think it's like half of what the RDX has). On the upside it felt a little more tight and nimble than the RDX, and better for city living/driving.

As for the touchscreen issue, I guess it's a matter of personal preference but I'm really liking the touchpad interface now that I'm used to it. I especially like the dual screen, especially when using the in-car nav.

One thing I'd look at is rear-seat comfort and space. The RDX with it's practically flat floor in the back and nice wide frame is very roomy. If you carry passengers, especially kids, the second row space is important. One note though; the RDX only has left and right LATCH connectors, not in the center. So carrying one kid and two adults is not optimized.

Also, what about on-board connectivity? I think the AcuraLink, AT&T hotspot, and 3G connectivity for traffic/other driver info is actually really nice. I don't know anything about what MB offers for that.

DrWoo

My experience is this is pretty standard, and you can use the 2 inboard latches for a center car seat. I put a car seat for our grandson in our RDX, my Tacoma, and my daughter’s Chevy Equinox, and all 3 were the same way. My Tacoma manual actually states to use the 2 inboard latches for a center mounted car seat. We can easily fit 2 adults in the back of the RDX with a center mounted car seat. RDX also has a center tether strap attachment.

DrWoo

I also really like the GLC when I bought our RDX 18 months ago. One deciding factor for me was the standard safety features on the RDX. It may be different where you live, and it’s a different time of year, but the in stock GLCs when I looked were mostly base models, and the sales guy at mb told me most people don’t spend for the safety features on the mb, they are only on the top trims, and I’d have to order one and it would take months.

The Advance model RDX has the hands free lift gate. It works well.

russianDude

Is this a lease or purchase? How many years you plan to keep either car?

Waetherman

I looked at doing that, and thought the latches were too peripheral to really do this. I'll look at it again. I don't think the manual recommends this.

One thing to think about though is that the forces involved when something is installed at an angle are higher than when they're closer to 90 degrees. I remember this from my days rock climbing. At 90 degrees, a single anchor point holds 100% of the weight, so two anchor points have to hold 50% each. At 45 degrees off center, the force is effectively 40% higher because each point has to bear 71% of the weight. If spread past 45 degrees, it gets even higher. Something to keep in mind when thinking about child safety.


One other thing that I was disappointed with is the 60/40 split in the rear seat. I really wish it was 40/20/40.

Comfy

Have you looked at the Mercedes GLB (online of course) . I don't know how important is the number of seats or cargo space / versatility to you, but it offers something different than the GLC and is potentially cheaper. Its a Front Wheel Drive new SUV line about to be launched by Mercedes soon. Please do check it out. It has a stunning interior like the newer MBs (unlike GLC). You may or may not like it. I've found the interior of GLC to be very simple and plain (but good quality) to be honest. The RDX interior is way more appealing to me than GLC.
I have carried all my kids in the center using the outside latches / seatbelts with tethers without any issues in my RDX and other cars. With regards to your concerns, it should be noted that using seatbelt along with top tethers offers the highest level of protection vs using Latch anchors alone. Also the safest place for a child is the center of back seat in any given car. So if you are really really concerned about the forces involved in a crash, use the latches + center seatbelt + tethers (I know all are not recommend together ).

DrWoo

From page 64 of the manual:

LATCH-compatible restraint systems that are fitted with rigid-type attachments cannot be installed in the rear center seat. However, a system fitted with flexible-type attachments can be installed in the center seat, provided that the manufacturer’s instructions for that system permit the use of the inner anchors with the stated spacing.
Before seating a child, make sure that the system is properly attached to both the lower anchors and tether anchors.

Madd Dog

How much does status mean to you? If at all, you get more with the MB, if not, the Acura has more stuff and less status.

If both fit all of your needs and cost is not determinative, look at both, sit in both, and go with the one that makes you feel better. Let your subconscious decide.

Marino Moutafis

As a 2019 GLC owner, I would go GLC over the Tech 100%, especially with the 2020 models.

If you are comparing the Advance to the GLC, you will get more bang for the buck. I spec'd my GLC nicely, but not with all the tech that I could to keep my price down.

Ride is great, GLC transmission and engine really rev nicely. Also in the older 2019 tech, CarPlay works flawless.

Love both car, but I would get the Advance if you are going RDX. Dampers, sound proofing, seats and HUD make the RDX a complete car.

lomarica

thanks for the responses here is some more info
the car will be a purchase and we typically keep a car a long time 10 yrs or more we are replacing a 2001 lexus rx350.
no kids to worry about in the back seat so no car seat issues

Madd Dog liked your comment just hard for a retired engineer to go with a subconscious decision on such a large purchase

I will take a look at the advance today

Cuzz

If I remember correctly, the 2020 GLC did away with the 12 volt power source up front. So if you have a radar detector you will have to hardwire it to your electrical system. The new Lexus NX300 didn’t have it either. That was an important consideration for me. The GLC was clearly a premium suv, and the fact that I could order one without a sunroof almost swayed me. In the end I thought the RDX Advance was the better car for me. Cost was definitely a factor in my decision, both the purchase price, and also the cost of extended warranty and maintenance plans.

anoop

The RDX will be cheaper to maintain. It is a car that nobody will look at or compliment you on. If they do, you should get very suspicious.

The GLC is going to be expensive to maintain. For MY2020 they have refreshed both interior and exterior for the better (IMO) and they have a lot more standard safety features. I'm a little scared to go drive one, because I might end up wanting one. Also like that it can be ordered without a sunroof. It's a bummer that the US cannot get a version with the air suspension.

2012tldave

I looked at exactly these two vehicles as well. MB was cramped inside and engine a little less pep.

Quality wise: I was coming out a TL-AWD that served me 130k and 8 years with minimal down time. Looked at BMW as well and dealer repair time was a factor and since I pay cash and keep them - dealer repairs and frequency, was the biggest factor.

Have about 2k on the 2020 RDX and so far so good. Mileage is improving with miles driven, plenty of power, and in vehicle electronics work fine after a few days with them.

Good luck

anoop

did you look at the 2020 or 2019 glc? 2020 has a bump in power.

Madd Dog

A lot depends on your financial picture. The MB will cost more to buy and more to maintain, but don’t buy in to ‘unreliable German cars’ (even though this was screwed together in the States). German cars are essentially different from Japanese cars, but they are well engineered. They will cost more up and down the line, true, but they don’t fall apart and self-destruct in a couple of years either, especially when you use OEM parts, which I do.

The car will do everything in 10 years that it does today, and (if such is your taste) look better doing it. My 11 year old German car did everything at 11 years virtually as well as it did new. It was, however, totally devoid of the modern driving aids and entertainment goodies, and they stopped making DVDs for the maps. When it started to cost me, and I saw a good $5000 in maintenance coming up, I wanted a modern car. The same can happen to you.

Any decent mechanic can work on the Honda Accord 2.0 in the RDX. Not necessarily so with the MB.

Good luck in your decision, it is a tough one.

ecmproute

Just go and lease a GLC instead of buying an RDX....
Or if you really want to buy, go for a CX5 Signature with AWD......will cost much less than RDX base model, with same power band.
And all the features you want, but little less cabin size.
I regret buying the 2020 RDX.....I felt cramped in the CX5 and CX9 driver seat due to their stupid center console design.
But if you do not have issues, definitely the Mazdas a try.

Comfy

I don’t understand what you’re trying to say. Your statements are contradicting each other. Are you stating that Mazda CX 5 has cramped driver seats but recommending it to the OP...?
Also you state you regret purchasing the RDX (for what ... cramped driver seat...?) Please be more clear, or make up your mind which one is better...?

russianDude

People buy turbocharge premium all wheel drive car and expect to have high MPG. What you get is perfectly fine. Its little better than my old 1st gen rdx which had less HP and less torque. Stop complaining, or buy toyota and save money and environment

Comfy

If you want to buy a premium car, and want great HP with torque, AWD, and still want to save money on maintenance and save the environment, then yes go buy a Tesla. .

NooYawkuh

Sometimes for shits and giggles I like to see what kind of highway mileage I can get. Once I get on a stretch of highway where I know I won't hit traffic for 30-40 miles, I zero the trip computer. Without ACC, I maintain about 65-70 mph (105-113 kph) in 10th gear for that stretch. For that stretch, I typically get 30-32 mpg (13-14 kpl). I figure that's the maximum ideal mileage of the vehicle.

Overall, the type of driving I do, highway, around town and in traffic, I average 23-24 mpg (10 kpl). I don't have a lead foot but I will punch it from time to time. I go between Comfort and Sport a lot. That big knob is so prominent for a reason: you're supposed to use it, so use it. Cruising on the highway I use Comfort and around town Sport. I only use Sport+ occasionally. Remember, it won't go beyond 8th gear in Sport+.

But I wonder how accurate the trip computers are. The last time I did a highway run, for the first 10-12 miles, I was only getting 21 mpg (usually >30). I didn't think that could be right unless something was wrong. But by the end of the run (~30 miles) I was back up to 30 mpg overall.

I generally use Trip A for each tankful and Trip B for about 4-6 tankfuls if I don't need them for a trip.

murdermaschine

I narrowed down between rdx advance, glc and xc60.... I ended up with the rdx because of all the features. I really liked the GLC but it cost too much to get the same features as an advance rdx.

I have only had the car a couple days. I probably could live without a hud (so far) and I think the cameras are god awful on this car... they almost make 360 cam useless to me.

hud, 360 cam, sound systems and dampers were a deciding factor on rdx for me. GLC graphics looked outdated on the one I drove