Starting with the mid-cycle refresh it “suffered” back in 2012, the Mercedes-BenzGLK (X204) lost a great deal of its angular styling features, despite its new front end not losing any “get outta my way” features.
The GLK 250 BlueTec model is also currently the most fuel efficient version of the crossover/SUV that is available in the United States, with its rather small 2.1-liter four-cylinder diesel boasting hybrid-like fuel economy.
Unlike its two major rivals, BMW and Audi, Mercedes-Benz chose to no longer bring their three-liter turbodiesel with six cylinders in the land of the free, using their smaller four-cylinder with sequential turbochargers to outsmart its competitors with better fuel economy.
Despite being having just a 2.1-liter engine, the GLK 250 BlueTec has a rather impressive 500 Nm (369 lb ft) of torque, which in normal driving feels a little bit more powerful than figures would suggest.
Audi, for example, only brings the diesel Q5 with a three-liter V6 in the states, an engine which makes it quite a great deal more powerful and torquier than the Mercedes-Benz.
Better performance also means more empty space in your wallet though, with the Audi Q5 3.0 TDI having a starting price that is almost $8,000 higher than the Mercedes-Benz GLK 250 BlueTec.
The folks from Auto Guide got the two German models in a compact SUV tug of war (actually, just a peaceful comparison) and their conclusions are probably a bit unexpected for some of the specification readers out there.
Keep in mind that the GLK is more fuel efficient, so it costs less to buy and to drive, and offers about the same level of features, comfort and space. Which model do you think actually won the following comparison?
Alex handled his first real steering wheel at the age of five (on a field) and started practicing "Scandinavian Flicks" at 14 (on non-public gravel roads). Following his time at the University of Journalism, he landed his first real job at the local franchise of Top Gear magazine a few years before Mircea (Panait). Not long after, Alex entered the New Media realm with the autoevolution.com project. Full profile
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