Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class: 2017 Motor Trend SUV of the Year Finalist
Despite a few bumps in the road, this solid contender rises to finalist status
We Like: The potent and efficient four-cylinder engine and the S-Class features at a C-Class price.
0:00 / 0:00
We Don't Like: The flinty ride qualities on some surfaces and how often cruise control went "in-op" due to dirty sensors.
Previously winning a comparison test among its closest competitors doesn't ensure a win or even finalist status in the more rigorous SUV of the Year contest, but it doesn't hurt, either.
For first impressions, assistant editor Christian Seabaugh's reaction to the 2017 Mercedes-Benz GLC 300 summarized the group's opinion. "Wow. This car is just nice," he said. "I hop in and immediately feel relaxed. The seats are sofa-soft yet still supportive, all the touch points feel like a million bucks, and the cabin looks and feels luxurious."
Don't miss all the latest Car, Truck and SUV of the Year content at MotorTrendAwards.com!
And the 2017 Motor Trend SUV of the Year is...
Technical director Frank Markus praised the 241-hp 2.0-liter inline-four. "The pulling power—273 lb-ft at 1,300 rpm—of this little turbo engine is impressive," he said. "Climbing Willow Springs Road at 60 mph, it only briefly went down to sixth gear once, pulling most of the grade in seventh."
The Mercedes' optional 20-inch wheels drew mixed reviews, however, as their precise, confident steering was balanced out with a nervous ride quality. And the suspension seemed a bit too willing to jarringly travel to its bump stops during off-road testing.
Comparing to the outgoing GLK, the new GLC is "a huge improvement over [that] model in style and luxury feeling, including the rear seat area," guest judge Mike Accavitti said.
Even senior features editors Jonny Lieberman and Jason Cammisa agreed that for the first time, a German brand has built a crossover as good as or better than the equivalent price-category sedan it's based on. When these two guys agree, you know Mercedes-Benz is doing something right.
2017 SUV of the Year Contenders
- Acura MDX
- BMW X1
- Cadillac XT5
- Ford Escape
- Infiniti QX30
- Kia Sportage
- Lexus LX 570
- Lexus RX
- Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class
- Nissan Armada
- Toyota Highlander SE
- Toyota Land Cruiser
- Toyota RAV4
2017 SUV of the Year Finalists
What started as my father’s passion and later my whim as a young adult turned into an unexpectedly fulfilling career. I still have the glossy black and white photos of my proud dad in his rolled-up T-shirt and dungarees standing next to his early ’50s jet-black straight-eight Pontiac, his Jaguar XK120 he bought when he got out of the Navy then sold to go to college, and the Austin Healey 100 they drove to the hospital when Mom gave birth. Growing up in Southern California where car culture was everywhere, my dad was a Road & Track guy, I was a Cycle World reader, and my first car was inherited from my Hot-Rod grandmother; her 1969 AMC Javelin SST with the optional Go Package. That car and later a string of motorcycles saw me through college. In 1995, when I peered across Wilshire Boulevard from a generic office job, I saw the Petersen Publishing sign and a bell rang in my head, “Hey, wouldn’t it be fun to write about cars and motorcycles?” I marched a resume and writing sample across the street and was an editorial assistant at MotorTrend a week later. After a few promotions, company ownerships changes, and bouncing from driving school to driving school, in 2001 I landed in the driver’s seat track testing the vehicles we all write about – about 5,000 so far. Thanks to this career (including a 10-year sojourn at Edmunds), I’ve been lucky enough to travel the world, race in the Baja 1000, be the last person to drive at speed up Pike’s Peak before it was fully paved, drive a Formula 1 car in Barcelona, and test nearly every car, truck, and SUV available for the past 30 years. Since that first potential jaywalking infraction, what a drive it’s been. Thank you, MotorTrend.
Read More
