√2016 Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class: owner review

On the eve of my retirement, I decided that a new car would be the icing on the cake as I looked forward to new adventures.

Owner: Peter Walker

On the eve of my retirement, I decided that a new car would be the icing on the cake as I looked forward to new adventures. I investigated several makes and models before settling on the 2016 Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class.

The key features I liked were: the driving position that accommodated tall drivers; overall fit and finish of the model; all-wheel drive; and the badge on the bonnet.

I have purchased several new cars over the years, and must say that the team at Mercedes were professional, respectful and attentive to all aspects of the buying process. I was offered complimentary servicing with a loan car for three years, and invited to the annual golf days which were awesome.

As a retiree, you get many opportunities to go on driving holidays, and this is where this car excels. It is very comfortable, fuel-efficient, and feels solid on the road. The suspension is very firm, which is good on the freeway, but not so good on uneven back roads as it thumps and bumps. I think the run-flat tyres add to the problem.

A few years ago, we went to the rally event at Coffs Harbour and having all-wheel drive was a real bonus, especially after heavy rain and having to drive along dirt/mud tracks.

I’m not a fan of stop/start technology, and enjoy the fact that with this car you can set up an individual driving mode to cancel it out. It would be good if you could make this a default setting. The positioning of the gear selector takes some getting used to. It would be good if it was moved back. All other cabin controls are located in accessible places, and the media system didn’t have a touchscreen but this has now been updated.

Ongoing costs are where you would expect them to be. Brake pads last about 25,000km and tyres about the same. I didn’t have any warranty issues and plan to keep this car for some time yet.

Owner: Peter Walker