Exterior

The GLK350 sported a luxuriously boxy exterior with huge, expressive tires that were the perfect juxtaposition of femininity and gusto. It seemed to be saying, "I could hang with a Land Rover in the mud if I wanted to, but I'd rather hit the spa with a glass of bubbly in hand." I knew we had a lot in common from the get-go.

Next to the seeming lack of head-turning ability, which quite frankly I don't get - it's sharp and unique-looking - I have one other complaint about this car: The door sills on both the front and rear doors are so wide and deep that it was nearly impossible for either me or my children to get in or out without brushing a pant leg on the exterior. I never thought I'd say this, but it's a good thing I reverted to wash-and-wear clothing with the births of my children, or my dry cleaning bill would have been astronomical after a few days in the GLK350; it's hard to be as stylish as Sarah Jessica Parker when everything I own gets thrown into the "mixed-load" cycle alongside Little Mermaid undies.

SENSE AND STYLE

Family Friendly (Not Really, Fair, Great, Excellent): Great

Fun-Factor (None, Some, Good Times, Groove-On): Groove On

    See also:

    Off-road menu
    Depending on your vehicle's optional equipment, you can set the following current settings to be shown in the Off-road menu: • Level control • compass • differential locks Large buildings, powe ...

    Proper use
    WARNING There are various warning stickers affixed to your vehicle. Their purpose is to alert you and others to various dangers. Therefore, do not remove any warning stickers unless the sti ...

    Under the Hood
    A 168-hp 2.6-liter V-6 engine in the C240 sedan and wagon teams with a six-speed-manual gearbox or an optional five-speed driver-adaptive automatic transmission that incorporates Touch Shift. A 21 ...