In “GLK Hands On 1.0” I gave an overall of my experience in the GLK vs the RDX and X3.  A couple of things I will touch on is under the hood, driver and passenger layout, cup holders, and the trunk.

Lets start under the hood…

 

A few things to point out to you.  First off on the GLK and X3 no battery to be seen.  The RDX has it upfront on the drivers side…anyone want to guess where the #1 spot that is impacted when a front impact occurs?  Well if you guessed front left you guessed correctly.  With the battery placed there you could potentially have some problems if the front is compromised.  First battery acid leaking out?  Second there could be a potential for a spark?  Lastly what happens if your vehicle looses power from the battery…cant unlock power door locks, hazard lights don’t operate, can’t roll down power windows, I can go on and on.  I am sure you get the idea.

Next thing we are looking at is the hood pins or latches.  The RDX has one (that’s required by law).  The X3 has 3 like us, the difference is ours are spaced a little further out to the edges of the hood.  It gives us a little better hold when the hood is closed.

Thirdly I will point out our use of dual bulkheads.  The X3 and RDX have a single bulkhead.  To simplify it even more, if you look around our engines you see weather stripping to help with aerodynamics (less air under the hood) and it seals off the engine from dirt and debris.  Also, it reduces engine noise and any potential odor from under the hood.

The last item I will mention here that you can’t see here is the finish of the under belly of the vehicle.  The only reason I am mentioning it here is if you were to look down through the engine bay on the RDX you will see the asphalt the X3 for the most part is finished from front to rear of the vehicle, just not to the extent of the GLK.

Moving on…

The Dash…

Lets start with the X3, WOW a bunch of confusing buttons a pop up screen that looks like an Atari (old gaming console in the 80’s for my young readers) should be hooked up to it.  Not easy to use, if I hadn’t been around BMW’s previously I would have been lost.

The RDX like all Japanese cars looks very high tech.  I didn’t find the radio system easy to use.  I didn’t get the big joystick looking controller in the middle of the dash.

The GLK uses our latest COMMAND system found in the C-Class.  Easy to use from the dash or COMMAND knob on the center console.  All 3 vehicles are equipped with a multi-function steering wheel of sorts each providing different functions and information.  With ours you can control radio functions, see fuel economy, check tire pressure, see directions (if you have Multimedia package), and many other things.

Cup holders…BMW has yet to update their lineup with good ones.  They still use the pop in and out of the dash great for cups, but not coffee mugs. The Germans have never had good cup holders.  They don’t drink and drive, no biggie size drinks, and no daily trips to Starbucks.  It was a long fought battle for us.  Mercedes-Benz made the change to great cup holders starting in 2006, and I think we make the best I’ve seen.  The RDX cup holders worked just fine.

The rear of the vehicle…this includes the trunk, spare tire, rear hatch, and bumper.

Starting from the outside of the vehicle, looking at the bumper and the rear hatch.  The RDX’s bumper and hatch meet in line unlike the X3 and GLK.  What does this mean?  Think rear impact, you getting hit or you backing into something.  See where I am going with this yet?  No?  Let me elaborate.  In the event of rear impact, the chances are much greater that you will be replacing both the bumper and rear hatch.  No big deal right?  That’s why we have insurance.  Also think about it from a safety stand point.  The extra gap allows the bumper to absorb or distort before moving into the cargo area or occupant cell.

When we open the hatch we see cargo area’s of different sizes. Each has different ways of securing cargo with d-rings. I think BMW had a good idea of movable cargo anchors, they just didn’t implement it good. Children please watch your fingers in the track.

Moving to the spare tire and extra cargo area (if any).

The X3 has the battery in the rear, common for German built cars.  You have the extra cargo tie downs, and a little bit of storage area, and this cool little handle you pull up and then turn so you can lower the spare tire from under the vehicle.  Nothing like changing a tire in the rain or snow, and then crawling under the car to get the tire.  Oh wait, BMW gives you roadside while the vehicle is still under warranty after that AAA to the rescue.

The RDX, well its a spare tire underneath.  Nothing special, no extra cargo area.

The GLK engineers are brilliant here.  First off, foldable cargo tray that tucks away.  Ever play golf, don’t want to put your shoes in your bag and have to dirty up you trunk?  Pull this out expand it and you’re off.  You see a nicely finished off removable cargo tray.  Pull that up and you see the space saver spare tire below with a little extra room beside it.  To the left of the tire you find all of your tools for changing the tire tucked away in a nice compartment.  Wait, did I insinuate that Mercedes owners have to change a flat tire?  Sorry silly me.  Call roadside assistance and they will take care of it for you.  Wait your car is how old and you are out of warranty?  That’s ok Mercedes provides roadside assistance for the life of the vehicle.  Yep that’s right.  Flat tire, dead battery, run out of gas Mercedes has you covered.  It doesn’t matter how many owners, miles, or age.  As long as the vehicle is rolling down the road Mercedes is there for you.  Bye bye AAA (I have heard that a time or two).

The last item I will touch on is the closing of the rear hatch.

All 3 have integrated handles to manually pull the hatch closed.  BMW, hmmm, not sure what they were thinking.  I guess if you load up the cargo area, then climb in on top of everything you just loaded up it is easy to close.  Or maybe the designer had his hand on backwards when designing the handle.  Very awkward to grab.  The RDX is nothing special it is where it should be for ease of use.  The GLK, if equipped with Premium 1(it should really have this package), has power lift gate.  If not, easy to grab handles.

I hope this head to head gives you a good an idea what each vehicle is like.  There are a few things I didn’t touch on like rear seat entertainment, the towing capacity, tire/wheel sizes and options, and rear heating and cooling vents.  If you want to know more or have additional questions please contact me.

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