| Pros | Cons | ||
| ✓ Punchy turbocharged engine | ☓ Fussy (i.e. frustrating) touch controls | ||
| ✓ Solid handling chops | ☓ This new GLC doesn’t look that different from the old one | ||
| ✓ Luxurious interior styling, materials | ☓ The base car is affordable…until you pack on options | ||
| ✓ Good cargo space | |||
2023 Mercedes-Benz GLC300 Overview: Better than ever, or resting on its laurels?
Even as Mercedes shifts more resources toward electrification, it’s not forgetting the models that comprise the backbone of its lineup. The GLC-Class is one of those cars, as it competes in one of the most competitive segments of the market, against the likes of the Audi Q5, BMW X3, Genesis GV70, Acura RDX, Lexus NX…you get the idea. Among all those options, this redesigned GLC needs to stand out and make the strongest case for why it’s the best compact luxury SUV. It’s been a popular choice in the past since it’s one of the more affordable SUVs to wear the three-pointed star. But are all the changes for this second-generation model enough?
That’s what I wanted to find out when I grabbed the keys and tried it out for the week. And at first glance, I was a little worried. While Mercedes did completely redesign the SUV (and the GLC Coupe, but that model’s not quite here yet), the casual observer probably won’t notice. The styling is just so conservative, though whether that’s a good thing — perhaps you want something more elegant and understated — is down to your preferences.
Inside is where you’ll really see the generational changes with the 2023 Mercedes-Benz GLC300. Like the C-Class sedan, the new GLC takes quite a few cues from the larger S-Class/GLS, and it’s all the better for it. Not only do get a mix of nice-feeling materials, but you also get a thoroughly modern look with a new steering wheel and instrument panel, an 11.9-inch infotainment screen and a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster.
Right now, the new GLC is only available in one spec: the entry-level GLC300, with or without all-wheel drive. The 4Matic-equipped model I’m testing here starts off with a reasonably affordable $49,100 price tag. Add in some options, though, and I start to gulp a little bit. This fully loaded Pinnacle model in Nautical Blue Metallic, as it sits, costs an eye-popping $66,240. If you can’t help checking every single option box, you’ll tip the MSRP just over the $70,000 mark.
Performance: The GLC300 packs more punch than you think for an entry model
Under the hood, the 2024 Mercedes-Benz GLC300 packs a 2.0-liter engine with a 48-volt mild-hybrid system. This new model manages 258 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque, which is a modest 3 hp and 22 lb-ft improvement over the outgoing four-pot. Not huge numbers on paper, I’ll admit, but the new GLC is tuned to make decent use of that grunt as it makes its way through the 9-speed automatic transmission toward the rear or all four wheels.
Even though the GLC is obviously a bigger, heavier proposition than the C-Class with this engine, it still gets up and moves as soon as the turbocharger spools up (which happens quickly when you stamp the accelerator). Put it in Sport mode, and the car’s transmission mapping does a solid job of ensuring you’re in the right gear at the right time, without really needing to resort to the shift paddles.
Between the power output and the handling, I’ll extend my impression of the C300 being all the Mercedes you ever really need to include the GLC as well. Here, you still get a sharp handling package, and Mercedes engineers dialed in the suspension and tire package to handle the added mass with grace and agility. Now, the downside of better handling is a firm ride, to the point of feeling bouncy at times, so the GLC doesn’t always just settle down into a cruise. Depending on your driving mood and what kind of road you’re on, the ride may feel a little too communicative at times. Taking it into the mountains, though, I appreciated this car’s ability to flick into the corners without protest, when some softer SUVs would try to push wide.
On the fuel economy front, the 2023 Mercedes-Benz GLC300 4Matic manages about 26 mpg combined (23 mpg city / 31 mpg highway). Just going for the base rear-wheel drive version will improve those numbers by 1-2 mpg.
Interior: The new GLC is a class act…with a few annoying quirks
If you’ve seen pretty much any modern Mercedes-Benz in the past two or three years, you’ll know the interior of the new GLC. The automaker translated a lot of S-Class elements down the model range, and there’s a common thread you’ll see among all of them: split-spoke steering wheel, large center infotainment screen, digital gauge cluster and a mix of leather and aluminum or carbon fiber-style trim. The new GLC300 pulls off a nice balance between youthful styling and nice interior materials, to the extent that this “entry-level” model is really a nice place to spend your time.
One of the highlights of the brand’s recent interior design is the MBUX infotainment system. For the most part, the system is snappy (once it starts and is fully accessible, at least) and puts the controls you regularly use within easy reach. Since the system lacks physical buttons, though, it can be a pain to adjust your climate or media controls once you’re on the move without resorting to voice commands.
Of course, you can use what few haptic buttons are there to adjust the volume, switch the drive modes or get into vehicle settings. Those work all right, but what doesn’t work as well are the capacitive steering wheel controls. Not only are there a ton of options that you can’t always work out by feel, but the so-called “buttons” are frustratingly imprecise. I lost count of the number of times I wanted to press the “OK” button to control menus on either display and it simply just didn’t register or interpreted my press as a swipe and moved me to a completely different area.
Seriously, what was the matter with just having actual buttons? I didn’t particularly like the little touch-sensitive pads or knobs on the old GLC’s steering wheel, but they were still easier to manage. Then again, at least Mercedes ditched the trackpad to control its infotainment system, so you have to take the good with the bad, I suppose.
More cargo volume, but passenger space is still on the tight side
Overall, the 2023 Mercedes-Benz GLC300 is 2.5 inches longer than the last-generation model. Most of that space translates to the cargo area, since the new car measures out to 21.9 cubic feet of space with the seats up. Fold the second row down, and that volume increases to a respectable 59.3 cubic feet. You even get a spare tire under the cargo floor, which is nice to have, and something that a growing number of luxury models lack.
Despite the extra length, passenger space feels tight both front and rear, though at least rear occupants don’t have to deal with a center console robbing even more space. The seats themselves are well bolstered and comfortable, but if you’re hovering around the six-foot area or are even taller, the lack of leg room and headroom may be an issue that you won’t have in some of the GLC’s rivals.
I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again: Watch the options
Even at a relatively affordable price tag under $50,000 (if only just), the new GLC can get painfully expensive once you start tacking on options. The Nautical Blue paint, on its own, is a $750 option. But that’s a drop in the bucket when you consider the $1,500 panoramic roof, $500 for heated rear seats and a $1,950 Driver Assistance Package.
And it doesn’t stop there: $3,450 for the sportier-looking “AMG Line Package” and $4,450 for the Pinnacle trim push the asking price for a GLC 300 well beyond the $60,000 mark. The Pinnacle is the top-end trim in Mercedes speak, though, and adds a 360-degree camera system, Burmester premium sound, illuminated door sills, navigation, heat and noise-insulating glass, a head-up display and Mercedes’ augmented video for navigation system, which superimposes GPS instructions in the infotainment screen over a live video feed of the road ahead. It’s a really cool system — just be prepared to pay for it if you want that feature.
I keep saying “watch the options” because it can get away from you a bit if you’re not mindful. On this car, specifically, the extra-cost boxes amount to an extra $17,140 on top of the GLC300’s base MSRP.
The Mercedes-Benz GLC300 is good, but it feels like status quo
Here’s the thing: If you liked the previous-generation GLC, you’ll like this one. There’s more modern tech features and the styling is comfortably familiar, so die-hards won’t be turned off by this new model. The 2023 Mercedes-Benz GLC300 comes with useful standard features as well, like automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, blind-spot monitoring and adaptive cruise control.
While my take on the updated C-Class was that it’s more refined and a great option if you’re looking for an entry-level luxury sedan, you also have fewer options in that space. That’s not the case where, where virtually every automaker has a small luxury SUV. This segment is ferociously competitive, and you have many strong players to choose from (including all those I mentioned above, in the overview).
On its own, the new GLC is absolutely fine. It looks good, it has good power, handles well enough for my liking, and it has a nice interior. It’s just not the only player in the game that has all those traits going for it. In this class more than pretty much any other, it pays to shop around and see which model is the right fit for you.
