Driving Sports

In the general way of things, I’m not a big fan of driving around in an SUV. They tend to be overweight, slow, and they wallow in corners.  My biggest complaint is that they can be heavy and at the same time, fail to feel solid on the road.

But I finally found an SUV that I could drive every day – not surprisingly, it’s a Mercedes-Benz. The new GLK 350 is an amazing vehicle, and it will make SUV believers out of many who would have preferred a conventional European sedan.

The GLK is about the same size as the new Audi Q5, and BMW X6. But here’s the thing – you’ll pay about  $56,000 for the BMW. The Audi starts at $37,200, and the Benz comes in at a very economical $34,600. And for all that, the Benz and the Audi are simply better cars!

Still, among all the European crossover SUVs, including the Volvo XC60 in the mix, and throwing in the Subaru Forester and Outback as well, the Mercedes GLK 350 is by far my favorite SUV ever. In a week of driving it, I never got tired of hopping in for a drive.

The GLK feels solid on the road, fast with its 3.5-liter V6 engine putting out 268 horsepower.  But it also corners like a sports car and everything about it feels good. The seats are firm and comfortable, the cabin layout is simple, elegant, and functional, and the space is useful and easy to enjoy. It’s got every modern convenience ­– some of which cost extra – so you can pick and choose.

For the acid test, I took the GLK to visit my Mercedes-Benz expert. This man is the CEO of a small software company and is a loyal Mercedes customer. His current ride is the ML-series SUV, and his prior ride was an E-class sedan.  His response to the GLK was “If they had this car when I bought my SUV, I would have taken this over the ML.”

That’s high praise, especially when you note that the ML350 costs $10,000 more than the GLK.

If I had to find a downside to the GLK, it would be the fuel economy. At 16/22, this could be a thirsty ride when gas prices take their next spike. But Benz has something for that – you can get the GLK with the Bluetec 320 CDI diesel engine for a bit more money.

The bottom line on the GLK350 is that when the press car guy came looking to take it away, I didn’t want to give it back. This is the first SUV that I have ever seriously considered buying for myself, and that says it all.