cars news 10: 2017 Mercedes-Benz GLC300 4Matic Long-Term Update 2: Camping and Cargo Covers

As I write this, our long-term 2017 Mercedes-Benz GLC300 4Matic has just finished up its first service and is on its way to a car wash before the keys make their way back into my hands.

The GLC’s first service, or Service A according to the on-board reminder, includes an oil and filter change, the requisite inspection, and weirdly enough, an alignment. The total cost for our Mercedes’ first service is $461.64.

A day of pampering at the Mercedes dealer is just what our GLC300 4Matic deserves after 10,000 largely trouble free miles. Aside from a broken cargo cover (just replaced under warranty) and the tire pressure monitoring system deciding to randomly act up one day before fixing itself, our 2017 SUV of the Year has proven itself to be a steady travel companion.

The past few months haven’t been particularly glamorous for the GLC, and yet it has served well. In the daily grind of Los Angeles traffic, its 241-hp 2.0-liter turbocharged I-4 and nine-speed auto always seem to be in the sweet spot of the engine’s powerband, and the cabin is a quiet respite from the chaos outside the windows.

When the Mercedes’ cabin wasn’t enough of an escape on its own, my wife and I pressed the GLC into service for a weekend of car camping at Yosemite National Park. With the rear seats folded flat, the cabin easily swallowed up our massive Napier Sportz SUV tent, a large cooler, camp stove, hiking gear, suitcases, and a long weekend’s worth of food, with room to spare. With excellent visibility and the optional panoramic sunroof (not to mention heated seats for those cold mornings), I can’t think of a better SUV to take in the sites of Yosemite.

Yosemite is probably one of the most developed national parks in the country, with no real opportunity for heading off the pavement, but I did get a chance to test our GLC300 4Matic’s off-road prowess a bit at Honda’s proving grounds in the Mojave Desert. Our Merc was hard at work as a camera car for our 2018 SUV of the Year competition. Despite having no dedicated off-road mode, the GLC plowed through our sand pit, (designed to mimic snow) without any trouble. With traction control disabled and the GLC in Sport mode, the Merc gets quite fun through corners. The 4Matic all-wheel-drive system happily overpowers the rear wheels on command for some immensely satisfying drifts. Ride quality was also particularly noteworthy considering we skipped the optional air suspension when ordering our GLC300; the Mercedes handled the deep ruts in the hard-packed dirt road section far better than some of its direct competitors, with no impact harshness transferred into the cabin. For a four-cylinder, all-wheel-drive luxury SUV, our GLC300 was surprisingly capable.

Back at the Mercedes dealer, a black G550 sitting just outside the waiting room gives me an idea—I wonder if I can make our GLC300 4Matic even more capable. Tires would probably go a long way—but before I can fire up Tire Rack’s site, our metallic brown GLC pulls up fresh from its wash. It’s time to go, but I’m thinking our GLC will be far dirtier by the time it makes its next visit to the Mercedes dealer in 10,000 miles.