GLK350 Adds Sexiness to City Driving

2010 Mercedes-Benz GLK350

model as tested $45,685

Test Drove 1/8/09 – 1/15/09
reviewed by Kristin Varela

I’m the biggest pop-culture loser on the planet, as I’ve never watched a full episode of “Sex and the City.” As a homework assignment last summer, I went to the movie theater to check out Mercedes’ new GLK350 small SUV in the movie version of “Sex and the City.” Despite it only getting a brief cameo as one of the ladies loaded shoes into the back, I was super-excited to test-drive this sexy-shoe-mobile. I’ve never seen one on the road before, so I couldn’t wait to drive carpool with it while wearing a pair of Manolos (if only), turning heads all the way. 

With its comfortable, sporty ride and sleek car-like feel, my week-long fantasy as an urban, single gal with ridiculous amounts of disposable income (which you’ll need in this small SUV, with its EPA-estimated 16/21 mpg city/highway) concluded with only one major complaint: I didn’t turn a single head. That’s right, folks, not even one. Maybe that was because of my totally expected daily routine of driving to and from my daughters’ school, the grocery store and swimming lessons, with a day at the stock show and rodeo thrown in for good measure — I can’t believe those cowboys weren’t impressed! Maybe it was the boring, just-like-every-other-suburban-mom’s-car metallic tan color, aka Sand Beige, that my test car came in.

Despite that, the new GLK350 is a great SUV that’s equally functional for sexy-shoe shopping or simply schlepping the kids to the Mexican Rodeo Extravaganza. Ay, ay, ay, arriba!

On Second Thought
By Kristin Varela

After getting a second spin in this sexy crossover (this time clad in an eye-popping bright cherry red), I have a few more observations to add. Apparently, my mother was wrong: People do judge a book by its cover. The change in the GLK350’s exterior color made a huge difference in the amount of head-turning looks this crossover received. I drove past a neighbor one day who immediately texted me, “You sure do look cute in the red Benz.”

The GLK350’s recessed seat belt receptors in the second row proved to be exponentially more annoying every day in this car. Although my 9-year-old could manage them on her own, my 7-year-old often gave up after several minutes and asked me to help her (causing me to unbuckle my seat belt, get out of my seat and open up her door and struggle with her seat belt). Imagine going through this almost every time you start your car. If Mercedes fixes that little issue this car would have me swooning.

For more of Kristin’s original review, click on the Exterior tab.

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