Drove the 09 GLK350 4-matic and the 03 allroad 2.7T

[EmPower]

Last weekend I got to drive the family's new GLK350 4-matic and the Audi allroad 2.7T. All I can say is that my expectations before the drives were exactly opposite to what I experienced.

First the GLK. I like the exterior design. The interior not so much. It looks cheap and tacky and unlike the other Benzes, there is a paucity of interior lights in the car at night, may it be ambient light or light emanating through the various switches and buttons. Makes it feel much cheaper than the car it is. The various chrome accents on the inside mimic products out of Detriot.

Next the seats. I was unimpressed. There is no lateral/ thigh support and it is very easy to slide around, not very confidence inspiring during a spirited drive.

Now the toys. In true benz fashion there are a lot of goodies and surprisingly, adding all of them up does not cost you your first born child. This one had rear view camera, command, auto dimming mirrors, Sirrius, auto trunk close and was ~ 6K above base price.

Finally the feel behind the wheel. I do not like the steering wheel. It looks like a part out of the reject bin from a star wars movie. I like chunky wheels and this one was anorexic.

When you start off, the throttle response is nice and you feel the torque, but as soon as you hit cruising speed, specially with 4 passengers, you feel like it is gasping for breath and you have to put the pedal to the metal to generate any speed. The worst thing though, is the steering feel that is light during normal city cruising, but lifeless at high speeds. I felt a LOT of play in the wheel and was unable to gauge where my front wheels were. After driving my 335, I had to be very careful driving on the highway. There is also a lot of body roll and as mentioned earlier, the seats do not help.

The verdict: I loved this car before I got to drive it. I don't think I will ever buy one.

Next the Audi. It is 6 years old, but still feels like it was brand new. No suspension squeals/ squeaks, and even though the interior lacks some of the new goodies that we see on cars today, it is built like a tank and reeks of quality. I prefer these interiors to say whats on the B8 A4. The most surprising part was that the steering response was exemplary and ALMOST as goos as my 335. It was a little lighter, but after driving it for 6 hours I think I prefer it to the 335. Also, I knew exactly where my front wheels were and I could swing it into corners with a lot more confidence. The engine is a gem. Lots of power and torque and a tap of the gas brings a fat grin accross your face. The only caveat was that it ATE gas. The only other complaint was that there was some body roll, so I had to behave a little, but I honestly enjoyed the drive.

Just for the record I did drive the B8 A4 2.0T and did not like it as much as the 2.7T. The steering did not feel as prcise, but in its defense I was behing the wheel for 5 minutes.

[len56]

but it's bliiinnnngggg

i have to be fair, check my sig xD

[Yoshii]

nice info