The newest edition to the stable...

As many of you know, I have been searching for a new vehicle for some time now, and just a few days ago, my wife said to just go do it. My current car is a 2004 Jaguar XJ with just 70k miles on it, while my wife drives a Mercedes C300 that is pushing 100k. Knowing a Corvette or other sports car is out of the question, I started looking for an SUV for the family. My search led to me abandoning the notion of replacing my Jag, and instead we will be replacing her car with this...

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It is a 2017 Mercedes GLC-300, and is loaded with every available option, including the Burmester surround audio system, and all the safety gizmos. This will be her car, and preserve my choice of car at a later date... :p

The Gear... Carver "Statement" Mono-blocks, Mcintosh C2300 Arcam AVR20, Oppo UDP-203 4K Blu-ray player, Sony XBR70x850B 4k, Polk Audio Legend L800 with height modules, L400 Center Channel Polk audio AB800 "in-wall" surrounds. Marantz MM7025 stereo amp. Simaudio Moon 680d DSD

“When once a Republic is corrupted, there is no possibility of remedying any of the growing evils but by removing the corruption and restoring its lost principles; every other correction is either useless or a new evil.”— Thomas Jefferson
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Comments

  • indyhawg
    indyhawg Posts: 1,633
    Nice ride John!
  • audioluvr
    audioluvr Posts: 5,420
    With twins coming I'd have thought something like a Hyundai Sonata...
    Gustard X26 Pro DAC
    Belles 21A Pre modded with Mundorf Supreme caps
    B&K M200 Sonata monoblocks refreshed and upgraded
    Polk SDA 1C's modded / 1000Va Dreadnaught
    Wireworld Silver Eclipse IC's and speaker cables
    Harman Kardon T65C w/Grado Gold. (Don't laugh. It sounds great!)


    There is about a 5% genetic difference between apes and men …but that difference is the difference between throwing your own poo when you are annoyed …and Einstein, Shakespeare and Miss January. by Dr. Sardonicus
  • nooshinjohn
    nooshinjohn Posts: 25,034
    audioluvr wrote: »
    With twins coming I'd have thought something like a Hyundai Sonata...

    We lost one of them... and the other seems to have stopped growing as well. :'(
    The Gear... Carver "Statement" Mono-blocks, Mcintosh C2300 Arcam AVR20, Oppo UDP-203 4K Blu-ray player, Sony XBR70x850B 4k, Polk Audio Legend L800 with height modules, L400 Center Channel Polk audio AB800 "in-wall" surrounds. Marantz MM7025 stereo amp. Simaudio Moon 680d DSD

    “When once a Republic is corrupted, there is no possibility of remedying any of the growing evils but by removing the corruption and restoring its lost principles; every other correction is either useless or a new evil.”— Thomas Jefferson
  • FestYboy
    FestYboy Posts: 3,861
    audioluvr wrote: »
    With twins coming I'd have thought something like a Hyundai Sonata...

    We lost one of them... and the other seems to have stopped growing as well. :'(

    :o:'( my condolences.
  • Kex
    Kex Posts: 4,892
    A very solid choice, John, congratulations! It shouldn’t be a big change from the C-300 sedan (and that’s a good thing). Beautiful color scheme, nobody has better seat controls or cruise control. Things like heated seats and heated mirrors just work the way they should IMO.

    The transmissions tend to favor comfort over responsiveness IMO (compared to BMW or Audi in particular) but they are very smooth, and have probably improved a lot from the ones I’m familiar with.

    Mercedes-Benz is one of those brands where you don’t know what you don’t know IMO, even in comparison to pseudo-luxury brands like Lexus or Acura. They are not nearly as expensive to maintain as some would have you believe, if they are well maintained from new.
    Alea jacta est!
  • No offense to ya Noosh, I hope you have good luck with the new ride. Hands down it's nicer styling and beautiful interior and exterior vs. other competitors. But, Kex could not be more wrong on his last statement on costs to maintain vs. Lexus & Acura.
  • Tony M
    Tony M Posts: 11,009
    Sorry to hear that John.
    :'(
    Most people just listen to music and watch movies. I EXPERIENCE them.
  • boston1450
    boston1450 Posts: 7,438
    edited November 2019
    audioluvr wrote: »
    With twins coming I'd have thought something like a Hyundai Sonata...

    We lost one of them... and the other seems to have stopped growing as well. :'(

    John my prayers go out to you & Nooshin & family. My condolences to you both
    ..
    ..
    ..
    Randy/Maine
  • My condolences too Noosh.
  • rooftop59
    rooftop59 Posts: 7,952
    So sorry to hear that John. Grace and peace be with John and your wife.
    Living Room 2.2: Usher BE-718 "tiny dancers"; Dual DIY Dayton audio RSS210HF-4 Subs with Dayton SPA-250 amps; Arcam SA30; Musical Fidelity A308; Sony UBP-x1000es; Squeezebox Touch with Bolder Power Supply
    Game Room 5.1.4:
    Denon AVR-X4200w; Sony UBP-x700; Definitive Technology Power Monitor 900 mains, CLR-3000 center, StudioMonitor 350 surrounds, ProMonitor 800 atmos x4; Sub - Monoprice Monolith 15in THX Ultra

    Bedroom 2.1
    Cambridge Azur 551r; Polk RT25i; ACI Titan Subwoofer
  • Nightfall
    Nightfall Posts: 10,042
    Oh, man, John. How are you guys holding up? I can't even imagine.
    afterburnt wrote: »
    They didn't speak a word of English, they were from South Carolina.

    Village Idiot of Club Polk
  • maxward
    maxward Posts: 1,490
    John, I am sorry for your loss. At the risk of appearing rude, I am interested in how you like the new ride after spending some time in it. Take care.
  • nooshinjohn
    nooshinjohn Posts: 25,034
    rooftop59 wrote: »
    So sorry to hear that John. Grace and peace be with John and your wife.
    I had my moments of grief over this, but Nooshin seems to be ok. She saw my mom in her dreams the other night, which never happens, and afterwards, her sadness was gone over it. It is because of all she has been through that I surprised her with this, instead of choosing a new car for me... no more about that.

    As for the GLC, we take delivery tonight. It is being detailed and prepped today, and tomorrow I will be putting a ceramic coating on it.


    The Gear... Carver "Statement" Mono-blocks, Mcintosh C2300 Arcam AVR20, Oppo UDP-203 4K Blu-ray player, Sony XBR70x850B 4k, Polk Audio Legend L800 with height modules, L400 Center Channel Polk audio AB800 "in-wall" surrounds. Marantz MM7025 stereo amp. Simaudio Moon 680d DSD

    “When once a Republic is corrupted, there is no possibility of remedying any of the growing evils but by removing the corruption and restoring its lost principles; every other correction is either useless or a new evil.”— Thomas Jefferson
  • tonyb
    tonyb Posts: 32,902
    charley95 wrote: »
    No offense to ya Noosh, I hope you have good luck with the new ride. Hands down it's nicer styling and beautiful interior and exterior vs. other competitors. But, Kex could not be more wrong on his last statement on costs to maintain vs. Lexus & Acura.

    Gotta agree here. What MB does well is the creature comforts, no arguments there. Good news is, most luxury brands have some pretty stellar CPO programs. Good luck on the new ride John, and sorry to hear about the other, prayers my friend.
    HT SYSTEM-
    Sony 850c 4k
    Pioneer elite vhx 21
    Sony 4k BRP
    SVS SB-2000
    Polk Sig. 20's
    Polk FX500 surrounds

    Cables-
    Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
    Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
    Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
    Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable

    Kitchen

    Sonos zp90
    Grant Fidelity tube dac
    B&k 1420
    lsi 9's
  • Milito
    Milito Posts: 1,907
    Very sorry to you and your wife about the loss of your twins.

    Congrats on the MB.
    Yamaha RX-A2070, Musical Fidelity M6si integrated amp, Benchmark Dac1, Bluesound NODE 2i, Audiolab 6000CDT CD Transport, Parasound Zphono USB Phono Preamp, Fluance RT85, Ortofon 2M Bronze, Polk L600's, L400, L900's, RC80i's, SVS 3000 Micro, Audioquest Interconnects and Digital Cables, Nordost Silver Shadow Digital Cable, Cullen Gold and Crossover Series Power Cables, Douglas Connection Alpha 12AWG OCC Speaker Cables, Douglas Connection Alpha Analog Interconnect Cables, Douglas Connection Alpha 11 OCC Custom Power Cable, Signal Power Cable, Furman PL-8C 15 Power Conditioner, Sony 65" 900F, Sony UBP-X700, Fios, Apple TV 4K, Audioquest Chocolate HDMI Cables.
  • Kex
    Kex Posts: 4,892
    Actually, @tonyb & @charley95, I may have not been clear in my post. 🤔

    I wasn’t comparing maintenance costs (I don’t precisely know the maintenance costs of Acura or Lexus), but stating that they are not nearly as expensive for MBZ as some would have you believe.

    I do much prefer MBZ styling and road manners.
    Alea jacta est!
  • audioluvr
    audioluvr Posts: 5,420
    Sorry to hear that John. Everything happens for a reason. Only God knows how our future plays out.
    Gustard X26 Pro DAC
    Belles 21A Pre modded with Mundorf Supreme caps
    B&K M200 Sonata monoblocks refreshed and upgraded
    Polk SDA 1C's modded / 1000Va Dreadnaught
    Wireworld Silver Eclipse IC's and speaker cables
    Harman Kardon T65C w/Grado Gold. (Don't laugh. It sounds great!)


    There is about a 5% genetic difference between apes and men …but that difference is the difference between throwing your own poo when you are annoyed …and Einstein, Shakespeare and Miss January. by Dr. Sardonicus
  • verb
    verb Posts: 10,176
    OMG John! I am so so sorry to hear this! My heart truly goes out to you and your lovely wife and family. :cry:

    I am so struck. With anguish and sorrow. All my love for you brother, and your wife, and son.

    My deepest prayers for you and the family during this time. I hope and pray that you can find peace.
    Basement: Polk SDA SRS 1.2tl's, Cary SLP-05 Pre with ultimate upgrade,McIntosh MCD301 CD/SACD player, Northstar Designs Excelsio DAC, Cambridge 851N streamer, McIntosh MC300 Amp, Silnote Morpheus Ref2, Series2 Digital Cables, Silnote Morpheus Ref2 Series2 XLR's, Furman 15PFi Power Conditioner, Pangea Power Cables, MIT Shotgun S3 IC's, MIT Shotgun S1 Bi-Wire speaker cables
    Office: PC, EAR Acute CD Player, EAR 834L Pre, Northstar Designs Intenso DAC, Antique Sound Labs AV8 Monoblocks, Denon UDR-F10 Cassette, Acoustic Technologies Classic FR Speakers, SVS SB12 Plus sub, MIT AVt2 speaker cables, IFI Purifier2, AQ Cinnamon USB cable, Groneberg Quatro Reference IC's
    Spare Room: Dayens Ampino Integrated Amp, Tjoeb 99 tube CD player (modified Marantz CD-38), Analysis Plus Oval 9's, Zu Jumpers, AudioEngine B1 Streamer, Klipsch RB-61 v2, SVS PB1000 sub, Blue Jeans RCA IC's, Shunyata Hydra 8 Power Conditioner
    Living Room: Peachtree Nova Integrated, Cambridge CXN v2 Streamer, Rotel RCD-1072 CD player, Furman 15PFi Power Conditioner, Polk RT265 In Wall Speakers, Polk DSW Pro 660wi sub
    Garage #1: Cambridge Audio 640A Integrated Amp, Project Box-E BT Streamer, Polk Tsi200 Bookies, Douglas Speaker Cables, Shunyata Power Conditioner
    Garage #2: Cambridge Audio EVO150 Integrated Amplifier, Polk L200's, Analysis Plus Silver Oval 2 Speaker Cables, IC's TBD.
  • verb
    verb Posts: 10,176
    Always wanted to get my ears on some Burmester stuff! Had my eyes on a CD player not too long ago, opted for the EAR instead. They look amazing! All that chrome! :)
    Basement: Polk SDA SRS 1.2tl's, Cary SLP-05 Pre with ultimate upgrade,McIntosh MCD301 CD/SACD player, Northstar Designs Excelsio DAC, Cambridge 851N streamer, McIntosh MC300 Amp, Silnote Morpheus Ref2, Series2 Digital Cables, Silnote Morpheus Ref2 Series2 XLR's, Furman 15PFi Power Conditioner, Pangea Power Cables, MIT Shotgun S3 IC's, MIT Shotgun S1 Bi-Wire speaker cables
    Office: PC, EAR Acute CD Player, EAR 834L Pre, Northstar Designs Intenso DAC, Antique Sound Labs AV8 Monoblocks, Denon UDR-F10 Cassette, Acoustic Technologies Classic FR Speakers, SVS SB12 Plus sub, MIT AVt2 speaker cables, IFI Purifier2, AQ Cinnamon USB cable, Groneberg Quatro Reference IC's
    Spare Room: Dayens Ampino Integrated Amp, Tjoeb 99 tube CD player (modified Marantz CD-38), Analysis Plus Oval 9's, Zu Jumpers, AudioEngine B1 Streamer, Klipsch RB-61 v2, SVS PB1000 sub, Blue Jeans RCA IC's, Shunyata Hydra 8 Power Conditioner
    Living Room: Peachtree Nova Integrated, Cambridge CXN v2 Streamer, Rotel RCD-1072 CD player, Furman 15PFi Power Conditioner, Polk RT265 In Wall Speakers, Polk DSW Pro 660wi sub
    Garage #1: Cambridge Audio 640A Integrated Amp, Project Box-E BT Streamer, Polk Tsi200 Bookies, Douglas Speaker Cables, Shunyata Power Conditioner
    Garage #2: Cambridge Audio EVO150 Integrated Amplifier, Polk L200's, Analysis Plus Silver Oval 2 Speaker Cables, IC's TBD.
  • nooshinjohn
    nooshinjohn Posts: 25,034
    My understanding is that Burmester EQ’d the system. I will give you guys my impressions of the sound when I get it set up. I like that I can plug in a hard drive with my music on it and play it in the car.
    The Gear... Carver "Statement" Mono-blocks, Mcintosh C2300 Arcam AVR20, Oppo UDP-203 4K Blu-ray player, Sony XBR70x850B 4k, Polk Audio Legend L800 with height modules, L400 Center Channel Polk audio AB800 "in-wall" surrounds. Marantz MM7025 stereo amp. Simaudio Moon 680d DSD

    “When once a Republic is corrupted, there is no possibility of remedying any of the growing evils but by removing the corruption and restoring its lost principles; every other correction is either useless or a new evil.”— Thomas Jefferson
  • maxward
    maxward Posts: 1,490
    John, since this SUV is pretty different than what you were originally considering, IIRC, did you look at others (X3, Q5, XC60, etc.), or did this one just call out to you and that was that? Reason I’m asking is I’m considering a CPO of one of these, or possibly the upcoming Mercedes GLB, to replace my wife’s Countryman when the time comes.
  • nooshinjohn
    nooshinjohn Posts: 25,034
    edited November 2019
    This particular GLC was built with a few options reserved for the S Class, so it was a special build, and MSRP’d north of 60k. It has 26k miles on it, and simply nothing else competes for the price. I considered Jaguar F-pace, which in supercharged v6 form, is an amazing drive. If it were for me, I would have taken that one. Subaru Outback 3.6r is the same price as the Benz, and nowhere near it in terms of value. BMW took one look at my ratty t-shirt and jeans, my old Pontiac Sunfire and everybody scattered.

    The Buick GMC store was closed on a Wednesday and locked up. Their service manager offered to give my information to their sales team when they got back from their day off. I told him they don’t need my business if they can’t be open on a work day.

    Ultimately the GLC represents the best value and my wife loves it.
    The Gear... Carver "Statement" Mono-blocks, Mcintosh C2300 Arcam AVR20, Oppo UDP-203 4K Blu-ray player, Sony XBR70x850B 4k, Polk Audio Legend L800 with height modules, L400 Center Channel Polk audio AB800 "in-wall" surrounds. Marantz MM7025 stereo amp. Simaudio Moon 680d DSD

    “When once a Republic is corrupted, there is no possibility of remedying any of the growing evils but by removing the corruption and restoring its lost principles; every other correction is either useless or a new evil.”— Thomas Jefferson
  • Kex wrote: »
    Actually, @tonyb & @charley95, I may have not been clear in my post. 🤔

    I wasn’t comparing maintenance costs (I don’t precisely know the maintenance costs of Acura or Lexus), but stating that they are not nearly as expensive for MBZ as some would have you believe.

    I do much prefer MBZ styling and road manners.

    I agree on styling and road manners. What do you mean by not nearly as expensive?
  • Kex
    Kex Posts: 4,892
    Geez... I guess it depends on what your expectations are, but reading some of the opinions around CP is as if any MBZ owner should be anticipating a doomsday scenario at any time with the sword of Damocles hanging over their heads permanently. That has not been my experience, even beyond 100K miles or ten years.

    Sure, it costs more to maintain a vehicle that requires 8.5 quarts of synthetic oil and special fleece filters. Also, more exotic accessories like a panoramic sunroof or powered blinds on rear and side windows might require some additional maintenance, or even fail.

    Basically, there are two service schedules. Service A and service B. They occur once a year or every 10K miles. Service A is under $200, and service B is under $400, so that averages out at $300/year. Assuming that holds for the first five years, after that, expect additional maintenance items such as rotors, brake pads, spark plugs, tires, or a transmission service.

    IMO, the best way to maintain any vehicle, regardless of brand, is to know a good mechanic who specializes in that brand, and who is in possession of the appropriate diagnostics computer (STAR for MBZ).
    Alea jacta est!
  • nooshinjohn
    nooshinjohn Posts: 25,034
    My '04 Jag stays because I know how to diagnose, and in may cases, fix the car on my own. Last year, the intake manifold failed, and I chose to have it done elsewhere because I didn't have time to work on it, but the parts to fix came from Land Rover and were a couple hundred bucks. Jaguar would have insisted I buy the whole intake @2k... labor was about 500 bucks.

    It needs brakes/rotors/LOF and tires now and I may get this done on Monday, while we still have her old Benz...

    The Gear... Carver "Statement" Mono-blocks, Mcintosh C2300 Arcam AVR20, Oppo UDP-203 4K Blu-ray player, Sony XBR70x850B 4k, Polk Audio Legend L800 with height modules, L400 Center Channel Polk audio AB800 "in-wall" surrounds. Marantz MM7025 stereo amp. Simaudio Moon 680d DSD

    “When once a Republic is corrupted, there is no possibility of remedying any of the growing evils but by removing the corruption and restoring its lost principles; every other correction is either useless or a new evil.”— Thomas Jefferson
  • Kex
    Kex Posts: 4,892
    edited November 2019
    Love the old Jags John, like the XJS, especially Vanden Plas. Hate the new ones... not sufficient British pedigree for me 😂

    P.S. I’d never work on a Mercedes-Benz myself. Gets complicated fast, and so much that can’t be done without STAR.
    Alea jacta est!
  • nooshinjohn
    nooshinjohn Posts: 25,034
    I love the XF/XJ but fear they have lost their way forever by following Tesla. The next XJ will be a battery powered golf cart with a 100k price tag.
    The Gear... Carver "Statement" Mono-blocks, Mcintosh C2300 Arcam AVR20, Oppo UDP-203 4K Blu-ray player, Sony XBR70x850B 4k, Polk Audio Legend L800 with height modules, L400 Center Channel Polk audio AB800 "in-wall" surrounds. Marantz MM7025 stereo amp. Simaudio Moon 680d DSD

    “When once a Republic is corrupted, there is no possibility of remedying any of the growing evils but by removing the corruption and restoring its lost principles; every other correction is either useless or a new evil.”— Thomas Jefferson
  • Kex
    Kex Posts: 4,892
    Don’t even know who they make these cars for, John... looks like a Hyundai to me 😞

    Jaguar for sale
    Alea jacta est!
  • Kex wrote: »
    Geez... I guess it depends on what your expectations are, but reading some of the opinions around CP is as if any MBZ owner should be anticipating a doomsday scenario at any time with the sword of Damocles hanging over their heads permanently. That has not been my experience, even beyond 100K miles or ten years.

    Sure, it costs more to maintain a vehicle that requires 8.5 quarts of synthetic oil and special fleece filters. Also, more exotic accessories like a panoramic sunroof or powered blinds on rear and side windows might require some additional maintenance, or even fail.

    Basically, there are two service schedules. Service A and service B. They occur once a year or every 10K miles. Service A is under $200, and service B is under $400, so that averages out at $300/year. Assuming that holds for the first five years, after that, expect additional maintenance items such as rotors, brake pads, spark plugs, tires, or a transmission service.

    IMO, the best way to maintain any vehicle, regardless of brand, is to know a good mechanic who specializes in that brand, and who is in possession of the appropriate diagnostics computer (STAR for MBZ).

    Any modern car is expensive to maintain. You can perform all the PM's on any modern Mercedes,BMW,Audi and they're still gonna bite ya if you're keeping it for the long haul. Audi's... of yesteryear going 2-300k are not the case with the modern ones. Most people driving the modern higher end imports are usually leasing or trading in 3-5 years anyway.

    I'm the exception owning 2 newer Lexus's and hope to get 15 years of service out of them with proper PM's of course. Ya never know, one or both might not make it that far, but I have a better chance vs. the other luxury competitors. Too many people rely on ad agencies like JD Power,Consumer Reports... to make their decisions on their new car purchases. I've actually read that some will tell ya that a Fiat or a Mini Cooper is the way to go.

    I come to places like this if I'm purchasing HiFi since I don't know a transistor from a diode. I spend enough time on forums like this and conclude who the seasoned veterans are to steer me in my HiFi purchase. In the car world, appliance world... it all boils down to planned obsolescence. Some just make a better mouse trap than others.
    Some people just don't know what they don't know!!!