While many Mercedes-Benz models have been inducted into the pantheon of greats, with collector appreciation to match, the GLK compact crossover isn’t normally mentioned in the same breath as models like the 500E and the 300SL gullwing. However, there are always exceptions to the rule, because at least one GLK is highly desired. That’s because this particular 12-year-old upscale crossover utility vehicle just sold on Bring A Trailer for a whopping $38,000. I know what you’re wondering: why?
If you aren’t incredibly familiar with the Mercedes-Benz GLK aside from having seen a few in the wild, don’t feel bad. Few people pay close attention to compact luxury crossovers. Basically, think of this as Mercedes’ BMW X3 competitor for the early 2010s, a relatively small and blocky C-Class-based box that could haul everything an active urban professional could want while still fitting neatly in a downtown parking spot.
Initially, all U.S.-market GLKs came with a 3.5-liter V6 hitched to a seven-speed automatic transmission, and that’s exactly what we find under the hood of this 2012 GLK 350. Pumping out 268 horsepower and 258 lb.-ft. of torque, it’s a smooth and tractable powerplant that could whisk this crossover to 60 mph in a reasonably brisk 6.5 seconds in Car And Driver instrumented testing. Good performance, but that alone doesn’t explain the hammer price.
The big reason this GLK 350 sold for $38,000 on Bring A Trailer is because it only has 1,019 miles on the clock. What you’re looking at might be the nicest GLK in the world outside of Mercedes’ own possession, a genuine case where trying to find another like it would be a nigh-on impossible task.
As a result, everything on this 12-year-old crossover is perfect. The underbody looks just about perfect, the headlight lenses are perfect, the carpet is perfect, the upholstery is perfect. Even though some of the photos in the listing are a bit low-res, the higher-resolution ones suggest this is as close to a showroom condition GLK 350 as you’re going to get in 2024.
Interestingly enough, the winner of this GLK wasn’t just one moonshot bid. In the last hour of bidding, five different bidders drove up the price from $28,500 to $38,000, meaning the hammer price wasn’t the product of one person’s obsession, but the product of several people’s obsessions. Indeed, the winning bidder commented, “This has been a ” Bucket list vehicle ” So, I know I paid A Lot, but where else would you find a virtually “NEW” one of these !”
The $38,000 12-year-old Mercedes-Benz GLK compact crossover is a reminder that car enthusiasm comes in all stripes. Some people love sports cars. Some people love trucks. Some people have affection for a particular crossover utility vehicle. The more cars that get enjoyed and cherished, the better, because it makes the culture richer. After all, sometimes the coolest old cars on the road aren’t the ones you’d expect to be cherished, but the ones you’re surprised are still around. Mark my words, this thing will be the hit of whatever the 2050 equivalent of Radwood is.
(Photo credits: Bring A Trailer)
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Spending new-car money on ultra-low mileage, non-currant, non-collectable cars has always been a cry for mental help, on the part of both buyer and seller. Nothing to see here.
That aside, I do understand the appreciation for the GLK. It’s easy to write these off with the disposable yuppy market they served, but they actually have a lot going for them.
300hp in a 4000lb car is nothing to scoff at. The classic NA 3.5L V6 is supposedly quite solid, and will return combined MPGs in the low 20s with a modern 7-speed gear box. All the arguably positive attributes of 2010s vehicles combining the best of new and old tech apply here. Full-curtain airbags and hydraulic steering.
As a crossover SUV, this is arguably one of the best examples of the concept ever made. Mercedes took the Subaru Forester formula, and applied it to the C-Class. A tall, practical greenhouse with good visibility, neatly positioned on an agile RWD sport-sedan chassis. In addition to excellent dynamics, the longitudinal layout gives a distinguished dash-to-axle, and the dramatically tapered belt line swoops down to a low, athletic hood.
The striking, linear silhouette stands out firmly amongst a sea of amorphous blobs with ‘floating’ roofs and angry faces.
As a Mercedes, these mark the end of the crisp, linear styling and calm, understated interiors the brand became associated with through the 80s and 90s.
For people of a certain age, these still typify that mature, executive look, before the brand went hog-wild with matte green paint, tuner rims and WALL-E interiors.
I always loved the boxy style of this era of Mercedes truck. The shape just suggests that they have way less bloat and weight than newer models.
At just over 4000lb, these are downright svelte by today‘s standards.
This article makes a fair point that the GLK was the last Mercedes SUV to draw inspiration from the G-Class.
https://hypebeast.com/2021/6/jeff-staple-mercedes-benz-glk-350-4matic-drivers
Truck…? xD
Yes, up here in Quebec, they call SUV’s trucks.
The GLK is the rich and refined cousin of the 2nd gen Subaru Forester – a slightly-raised, squared-off wagon. My MIL had one at the same time I had the Forester. Love the size and form factor. She got t-boned when another driver ran a red light. The GLK was totaled but she walked away.
It’s definitely nicer than the V6 Saturn Vue I bought last year but not $37,500 nicer.
Ah, the buyer has 500 more miles before major systems failures. At least parts won’t be available.
My GLK purchase came after six months of car research, including reading every relevant thread in two MB forums. I spoke with at least five Eurocar mechanics who endorsed the GLK as inherenty reliable, well-engineered and easy to work on. Nobody spoke of parts shortages. How much actual research have you done on this?
There are two types of Mercedes people in this world: Current and former. The former club has valuable lived experience, terrifying memories, and thinned wallets. There are no membership fees, and when your day to join us arrives, you will be warmly embraced. We do hope that on that day, you’ll be behind the wheel of something made in Japan.
Twenty years ago I owned a Forester. The manual transmission failed shortly after the warranty expired (the friendly dealer offered to pay half). Just before I sold it, the evap canister in the fuel filler erupted, causing a $1500 repair. Oh, and I paid over $2000 for the “full meal deal” of timing belt and water pump near 100K miles. My worst new car experience! Thanks, Japan.
Okay, okay, something mainstream from Japan. Notably, those repairs on a dear Benz would probably be three times more.
Smart MB owners know these things: you do the maintenance on schedule, and you do the work at independent shops, not dealerships. Problems will be fewer and cheaper. I’ve already told how prices for replacement Ford transmissions are identical to this car. I’ve done a full brake job for $800- that’s a normal price, not 3x a regular car. This is not a high-strung, high-tech AMG model, it’s a basic SUV from late in the model run. Even Consumer Reports gave this GLK a Used Car Pick last year!
I’ve bought less rational cars, believe me. Three SAABs, a Fiat, two NSUs and a dozen VWAG products, Buying a Mercedes is like going on the wagon, er, Wagen.
Tell us you’ve never serviced your Mercedes without telling us you’ve never serviced your Mercedes.
Will the 2050 Radwood equivalent be called Swagwood? Fleekwood? Yolowood?
Had one, loved it. Considered keeping it to LS swap but a reasonably priced Model S P85D came along.
RCR summed the GLK up perfectly as the vehicle of choice for someone buying the most expensive car at the buy here pay here lot. It’s the only time I would look at someone and suggest that they give the off lease twice repo’d Altima a second test drive. At least Altima parts will be cheap until something goes catastrophically wrong.
I considered another GLK that turned out to have a transmission problem, so I walked away. The dealer’s replacement cost would have been $7000, though an indy MB shop would have fixed it for $3000. At the same time, a friend had the transmission break in his Ford Edge. His replacement cost was the same, $7000. BTW, my Ford dealer’s hourly labor rate is $200 an hour, the same as my MB independent shops. Car repair is expensive no matter what you buy.
True story: Family member had a 2014 GLK with the diesel. It had so many problems that family member sued MB and settled out of court. My perception of these is based on that experience. I can’t imagine paying MSRP for one 12 years later.
Yep. I once paid an outrageous amount for a 2004 Disco 2 with 3k miles. What a mistake. Rubber still rots, plastic still warps and paint, Ford years here, so crap. I’ve lifted it, properly, and other trail worthy upgrades. I was told by the timers to buy the best you could afford and build it from there. Crappy advice. If I’d started with a builder quality I would have saved about 10k. But, I do all of the mechanical work myself. Try that on a Mercedes..
So yeah, old is old. Stuff rots and you replace it anyway. Save the bucks and buy happily used. Miles are proof of life.
Are you claiming that a Land Rover products are *easier* to work on than MB? That’s pretty absurd. I’ve owned four Mercedes and do all of the work myself. They are some of the easiest cars to work on, full stop.
Is this going to show up at local car shows as a strangely clean example of an old pedestrian car like the random geo metro at every show?
Those are my favorite, like the guy at our Cars and Coffee who showed up with a pristine 2nd gen Cavalier wagon.
I never understand buying a normal car with incredibly low miles for a bunch of money. Once you drive it all the value is lost. I drove a 91 Escort GT in Lemons and really wanted one as a daily. There was a lady close by who had one with 4,000 miles (this was 2019). She did not have a price, but I still went and looked at it. She wanted 24k for this thing. Now it was beautiful red with the red piping interior. But once I drove it for a month it becomes a 4k car.
Yeah, the value is in the low miles, so if you drive it, there goes the value and, if you don’t, you have something boring sitting in your garage to stare at. I mean, sure, OK, someone loves GLKs, but do they seriously like them primarily for the looks? Is there really a lot of value in it as a collectible, hoping to make a bigger score to some other weirdo who would pay even more for it down the line enough to offset the return from better conventional investments?
I can see this making logical sense from the buyer’s perspective, but only just.
Say you’ve already owned a GLK since 2012, and loved it. It was the perfect car for you, but your original has racked up a ton of miles, and reached the end of its life. Here is a chance to buy a new copy of the same car, for a bit less than MSRP. (Adjusted for inflation.) Of course it will immediately depreciate like a rock, but that doesn’t actually matter if you intend to drive it into the ground.
I doubt many people like this actually exist, but it’s possible.
The seller on the other hand, got absolutely hosed. $40k into an index fund instead of a car they never drove, (yet still spent money storing and maintaining) would have seen a return of like $170k.
The only automotive “investment” that comes close to making any sort of sense, is buying a desirable, limited-production car at the bottom of it’s depreciation curve, and selling it once it reaches peak-collectability. If you can drive it and enjoy it in that time, you’ve played the game right. Even then, it’s probably pretty hard to beat the S&P 500.
Yeah, that makes sense even though they’re likely to encounter a lot of issues having basically been sitting for 12 years, but most people aren’t aware of that. I completely get loving a particular car that makes most people scratch their heads.
I like the GLK, this is one of the last times Benz tried to build a competent off-roader that wasn’t a G-wagen. Having said that, that prices is nuts. It’s still a 12 year old car with twelve year old parts. Just because it sat somewhere doesn’t mean it hasn’t been aging.
These GLKs have aged incredibly well, and really look the business. Plus, they had that bulletproof 3.5-liter N/A V6. I have an idea for a comparo:
GLK 350 vs gen. 2 RDX. Both of these were pretty late examples of luxury compact crossovers with standard, well-regarded N/A 3.5-liter V6 engines.
On the flip side, here’s one near me with 206,000-odd miles.
The winner must have very, very fond memories of rolling up to the tennis club in their GLK and swinging their younger hips past the valet
This makes no sense to me.
I’m with you. I have always liked the GLK, but I cannot fathom paying this much for one when one with slightly higher mileage could be had for a small fraction of that price. I can’t exactly see the GLK350 becoming the next 450SEL 6.9 anytime soon…
Exactly, it’s fine as a small luxury crossover and all but at least 5 people with the means to do so thought it was worth this much…baffling. Well, I guess you can finance anything these days so maybe they didn’t all really have the means.
I would even bet that a regularly used one would be less trouble, too. This one’s done a lot of sitting around with seals drying up, any water vapor in the brake lines sitting in one spot, parts that are supposed to move being static, fluids aging, etc.
Good point!
Friend had one that she traded in for a GLE during the pandemic. She got a good trade in value, but definitely not that much.
You know, I never minded these. It avoided being blobby and shapeless, which I appreciated. Plus, I think they look sharp in red. I don’t know why it’s anyone’s bucket list cars, but I’m not here to judge. I hope it’s everything they hoped it would be and more!
All cars look sharp in red. Even my humble Fit.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/26426975@N02/37873148496/in/album-72157695446557291
That’s a nice shade of red! I’ve got a Sportwagen and it’s also a very bright red, I love it.
Thanks!
Seems perfectly reasonable to me – they were $38K before options new.
The 302hp 3.5L V6/7 speed Automatic is pretty bulletproof – and it’s not burdened with 4Matic.
all these years later i still think they nailed this design. it’s very opinionated but it is a great expression of that opinion and still communicates well today.
I want to meet the person who had a 2012 GLK on their bucket list. What else is on their bucket list? A vacation to Appleton, Wisconsin?
While neither were on my bucket list, I actually think these GLKs are attractive for what they are, and back in August my first ever trip to Wisconsin was indeed to Appleton where I spent part of my vacation.
I mean, I’ve been to Wisconsin and rented a GLB off Turo and both were very pleasant experiences, but I never saw them as necessary threads in the tapestry of my life… maybe I should be more grateful.
Oh God is this a reference to the lady with the candles?
And if it’s NOT a reference to the lady with the candles, did I just make myself look insane?
I feel like BAT, Cars and Bids, etc. have normalized this insanity in a way that’s going to be hard to come back from. We’ve seen a lot of ridiculous auctions, but this one is particularly absurd to me. This is literally a 12 year old lease mobile for upper middle class soccer moms.
You can go buy a nicer, newer, more interesting Mercedes off a lot for the same money or less. Hell you can get a certified AMG A35, GLA35, or GLB35 for this much money and at least have something peppy with a little extra flair and a warranty. Why in the name of god and all that is holy would you do this?
Nostalgia can be a hell of a drug but this will be worth less than 20 grand in the next year. Hell this dingus was underwater on it the second they hit bid. People keep complaining about how expensive cars are and then turn around and pay 40 grand for a 12 year old base crossover. GET IT TOGETHER, PEOPLE!
Ahem, insanity has been normalized across the board. Rationality is for losers.
At least there was no malice, petulance or willful ignorance involved, and any consequences are limited.
Good point. At least the consequences are limited to this one peculiar individual and aren’t going to foisted on the rest of us like um…other stuff that’s going on
But… but it’s a really ugly car
https://gifsec.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/but-why-gif-1.gif
It’s got more character than the generically blobby GLC
$38,000 for a perfect POS.
If nothing else I can appreciate that this is someone who knows what they want beyond reason