When we bought our GLA 250, we were assured by our friendly salesman, Joe, that it would cope with the rigours of snow covered hills and mountain tracks. Was he right? Today was the first opportunity for us to find out. After an overnight fall of about three inches of rather wet snow, we donned our winter clothing, got the GLA out the garage, and headed for the hills near our home. The road we took is a rough, single-track pass predominantly used by farmers in their Land Rovers or tractors as they set about feeding or rounding up their sheep. The pass leads over the top of the Llantysilio Mountain and is not for the faint hearted on the best of summer days, despite the wonderful views.
So off we set, wondering if the GLA would even make it to the cattle grid that marks the start of the mountain proper. Up steep hillside roads we went as the snow got thicker. We prayed that nothing was coming the other way as the passing places were just boggy field entrances. As we climbed the steepest hills, the car took it all in its stride, just occasionally slipping very slightly as it wondered where the hell we were taking it.
Across the cattle grid and we were on our own - quite literally. It was clear that not a single vehicle or tractor had yet passed this way in the last 24 hours, probably because the locals all know what a treacherous road it is in the winter. I checked that my girlfriend was still happy to proceed …"Go on; live dangerously" she said with a mischievous smile on her face as I hit the 'off road mode' button.
The road disappeared beneath the snow and the ditches had drifts in, so the adrenaline coursed as I did my best to remember which way the road went relative to the banks of hibernating heather. But the GLA just pushed ahead harder as I started to pick up more speed, with a masochistic grin on my face. Time for a photo, as my GF posed for the camera. Dare I push the car any harder as I approached an off-road area that I knew had no hidden rocks. Of course, I thought, as I left the track and climbed a steep incline to take another photo by the precipice to a panoramic view of Snowdonia.
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Getting back onto the track was tricky as I had to negotiate deep ruts and banks that were hidden by drifting snow. At one point the car slid down a bank on its belly, leaving behind a trench of mud but no exhaust parts - how clever of MB to hide all the underbelly parts above the belly guards. Next, the real test: very steep inclines, both up and down, next to a small but deep frozen lake. On goes the 'descent control' as we meandered down over the tyre marks from a farmer's truck that had tried unsuccessfully to make it to the top of the mountain. I don't think he was there to take pictures of his GF! He had even tried throwing grit down, which made things easier for us. The GLA scoffed and laughed with its exhaust note as we piled on through another drift of deep snow. I'll swear the grill had a bigger grin than normal!
At this point I would clarify that we have fitted our car with MB's winter wheels and ContiWinterContact TS830P MO tyres. Clearly, things would have been very different without these special winter boots.
Descending the other side of the mountain got trickier as the inclines got steeper (>20°, or > 40%) and the snow turned slushier as we moved further down from the top, which is nearly 2,000 ft above sea level. We passed a couple of farmers' 4x4 trucks fitted with huge knobbly tyres - I wonder what they thought of the sight of a racy little Mercedes hatchback threading its way down from where they had failed to get to!
Then the narrow road was blocked by a 4x4 Skoda who's owner had assumed that she could get up the pass with her two little girls because her car had an 'off road' button. The farmer trying to help get her SUV off the track, just a couple of feet next to an un-guarded killer drop down the mountainside, seemed totally bemused at the apparent sight of the front of the Mercedes sports car that had clearly made it over the mountain top.
Half an hour later, with a police 4x4 on its way to rescue the lady and her children, we had managed to push her SUV off the track to be abandoned. Whereupon the farmer took the SUV's occupants to safety, and we put the GLA into 'descent control' mode and carried on our merry way, music blaring, staring down the extremely steep drop to our right.
Conclusions: (1) If you own a GLA, fit some decent winter tyres - not just for the snow, as they are a lifesaver in heavy rain too; and (2) to all those GLA reviewers who postulated that "Of course this wannabe-SUV won't be any good off-road for anything other than a dusty track": you're talking utter sh*te! We bought this car so that we could drive the five miles to our nearest pub or shop in the snow, and I have to tell you that we are mightily impressed. Clearly the success of our foray into the bleak wilderness was the result of many things: the tyres, the suspension, the 4matic gearbox and the computer-controlled traction and decent control - whatever; it all comes together to make an astoundingly good mode of transport in the snow
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Edit: change 20% incline to 20°
Edited by: roytheboy
So off we set, wondering if the GLA would even make it to the cattle grid that marks the start of the mountain proper. Up steep hillside roads we went as the snow got thicker. We prayed that nothing was coming the other way as the passing places were just boggy field entrances. As we climbed the steepest hills, the car took it all in its stride, just occasionally slipping very slightly as it wondered where the hell we were taking it.
Across the cattle grid and we were on our own - quite literally. It was clear that not a single vehicle or tractor had yet passed this way in the last 24 hours, probably because the locals all know what a treacherous road it is in the winter. I checked that my girlfriend was still happy to proceed …"Go on; live dangerously" she said with a mischievous smile on her face as I hit the 'off road mode' button.
The road disappeared beneath the snow and the ditches had drifts in, so the adrenaline coursed as I did my best to remember which way the road went relative to the banks of hibernating heather. But the GLA just pushed ahead harder as I started to pick up more speed, with a masochistic grin on my face. Time for a photo, as my GF posed for the camera. Dare I push the car any harder as I approached an off-road area that I knew had no hidden rocks. Of course, I thought, as I left the track and climbed a steep incline to take another photo by the precipice to a panoramic view of Snowdonia.
Getting back onto the track was tricky as I had to negotiate deep ruts and banks that were hidden by drifting snow. At one point the car slid down a bank on its belly, leaving behind a trench of mud but no exhaust parts - how clever of MB to hide all the underbelly parts above the belly guards. Next, the real test: very steep inclines, both up and down, next to a small but deep frozen lake. On goes the 'descent control' as we meandered down over the tyre marks from a farmer's truck that had tried unsuccessfully to make it to the top of the mountain. I don't think he was there to take pictures of his GF! He had even tried throwing grit down, which made things easier for us. The GLA scoffed and laughed with its exhaust note as we piled on through another drift of deep snow. I'll swear the grill had a bigger grin than normal!
At this point I would clarify that we have fitted our car with MB's winter wheels and ContiWinterContact TS830P MO tyres. Clearly, things would have been very different without these special winter boots.
Descending the other side of the mountain got trickier as the inclines got steeper (>20°, or > 40%) and the snow turned slushier as we moved further down from the top, which is nearly 2,000 ft above sea level. We passed a couple of farmers' 4x4 trucks fitted with huge knobbly tyres - I wonder what they thought of the sight of a racy little Mercedes hatchback threading its way down from where they had failed to get to!
Then the narrow road was blocked by a 4x4 Skoda who's owner had assumed that she could get up the pass with her two little girls because her car had an 'off road' button. The farmer trying to help get her SUV off the track, just a couple of feet next to an un-guarded killer drop down the mountainside, seemed totally bemused at the apparent sight of the front of the Mercedes sports car that had clearly made it over the mountain top.
Half an hour later, with a police 4x4 on its way to rescue the lady and her children, we had managed to push her SUV off the track to be abandoned. Whereupon the farmer took the SUV's occupants to safety, and we put the GLA into 'descent control' mode and carried on our merry way, music blaring, staring down the extremely steep drop to our right.
Conclusions: (1) If you own a GLA, fit some decent winter tyres - not just for the snow, as they are a lifesaver in heavy rain too; and (2) to all those GLA reviewers who postulated that "Of course this wannabe-SUV won't be any good off-road for anything other than a dusty track": you're talking utter sh*te! We bought this car so that we could drive the five miles to our nearest pub or shop in the snow, and I have to tell you that we are mightily impressed. Clearly the success of our foray into the bleak wilderness was the result of many things: the tyres, the suspension, the 4matic gearbox and the computer-controlled traction and decent control - whatever; it all comes together to make an astoundingly good mode of transport in the snow
Edit: change 20% incline to 20°
Edited by: roytheboy
