

Year | Make/Model | Nada Odds per 100 Cars | Lemon Odds per 100 Cars | ||
34 vehicles, 11.6 months per vehicle, 15800 miles driven2017 | Ford Explorer | Join or sign in to view | see reported repairs | ||
34 vehicles, 11.6 months per vehicle, 15800 miles driven |
Mercedes-Benz GLK Brand Reputation: Pros | ||
Year | Comment | |
2013 | The smaller the Mercedes, the more heavily it tends to trade on the three-pointed star. So the #1 reason to consider a GLK250 carries over from the GLK350 review (text from the previous review in italics): I don't personally put much stock in brands, with cars or anything else. But each time I have a Mercedes-Benz for a week the continuing power of the marque has been unavoidable. Audi and BMW now command similar prices, but haven't yet acquired the same mystique. They probably never will for people born before 1980. Until the final years of the twentieth century, Audis were largely ignored as troublesome, modestly upgraded VWs and BMW was mostly known for the compact, still semi-affordable 3-Series. Neither could hold a candle to the company that invented the mass-produced automobile and that has been strongly associated with large, top-shelf automobiles ever since. Gayla (the site's programmer, my wife) is not a car person. Her take on the GLK: "Of course it's a good car, it's a Mercedes." Some of my friends who are more into cars--and who own competing makes--similarly employ a different tone when asking about "the Mercedes." They could afford one, so why don't they own one? Partly because the brand's mystique cuts both ways. They're not interested in making such a strong status statement. Can even a compact crossover make a strong status statement? Mercedes-Benz has done its best to make this so--check out the size of the three-pointed star on the GLK's grille. see full Mercedes-Benz GLK review |
Mercedes-Benz GLK Brand Reputation: Pros | ||
Year | Body/Powertrain | Comment |
2010 | 4dr SUV 268-horsepower 3.5L V6 7-speed shiftable automatic AWD |
Trickle-down reputation from the more expensive M-Bs. see full Mercedes-Benz GLK review |
Ford Explorer Brand Reputation: Pros | ||
Year | Body/Powertrain | Comment |
2004 | 4dr SUV 210-horsepower 4.0L V6 5-speed automatic AWD |
Lots of them on the road. see full Ford Explorer review |
2004 | 4dr SUV 210-horsepower 4.0L V6 5-speed automatic 4WD w/low range |
Ford may not be perfect, but they are still solid. see full Ford Explorer review |
Ford Explorer Brand Reputation: Cons | ||
Year | Body/Powertrain | Comment |
2013 | 4dr SUV turbocharged 365hp 3.5L V6 6-speed shiftable automatic AWD |
Ford Explorers were long a bad brand based on the tire fiasco that was proven, for the most part, was owner created. So have high expectations that it will improve. see full Ford Explorer review |
2006 | 4dr SUV 210-horsepower 4.0L V6 5-speed automatic 4WD w/low range |
Fords do not have the same reputation for quality as imports. see full Ford Explorer review |
2006 | 4dr SUV 292-horsepower 4.6L V8 6-speed automatic RWD |
Ford is not considered a premium brand. see full Ford Explorer review |