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Shawn Rusich and Kyle Hewey have plenty to celebrate this year. Besides marking the 10th anniversary of BPR – their food, lifestyle and hospitality communications agency – they recently expanded their business to the U.S. this spring.
Splitting their time between Los Angeles and Toronto, the duo shipped their Porsche Macan S to California but still needed a vehicle to use while in Canada for work, to take trips to visit Rusich’s parents in Windsor, and to head over to Detroit to visit friends and to fly out of that city’s airport.
Since the Porsche was Rusich’s pick, Hewey got to decide on their new vehicle. He went with a 2022 Mercedes-Benz GLC 300 4Matic SUV, and opted to upgrade its paint colour and rims, and add a host of different driving packages. Having put 2,000 kilometres on the car during the first week they drove it off the Mercedes-Benz Durham lot, Hewey and Rusich tell us why they love their vehicle.
“There's a dealer located in our apartment parkade, and he's always bringing in different makes and models,” said Hewey. “One time he brought in a Hyacinth Red Mercedes-Benz GLE that really caught my eye. That’s what kick-started our approach to this vehicle; seeing it in a colour that I wanted to replicate.
“Before we made our decision, we to test drove the GLE, but found it a little too big. So, we opted for the GLC, which is more of a mid-size SUV that fit our needs a bit better, especially for city driving, parallel parking and tight parking spots.”
“Because the engine is bigger in the Porsche, there’s less cabin room,” said Rusich. “I’m six-foot-five-inches, so a major problem I have with the Porsche is that I must put the front seat all the way back, but nobody can sit behind me. Even though the measurement is roughly a half an inch difference, the GLC has a considerably larger cabin just because the engine is slightly smaller. The difference makes this car very comfortable.”
“Shawn’s parents have an older version of this vehicle,” said Hewey. “The 2022 has some great upgrades and modifications that are more seamless and user friendly, like the touch controls in the car. The voice-activated Mercedes app works like the Siri app on an iPhone. I was excited to see how that works. It's integrated with mobile phones, so you're able to lock your car remotely from your phone, and you can see where your vehicle is in a big parking lot.
“We did that in Detroit when we flew out. It was great to be able to check in on the status of the vehicle and make sure it was the locked. We were able to see exactly where it was in a parking lot that we hadn't parked at before. You can also do a remote start which is great, especially in Canadian winters when you're parked outside.”
“There’s so many features,” said Hewey. “That's one thing I'm getting used to. It’s amazing, but slightly intimidating. A cool feature I really like is the ambient lighting. There’s a spectrum of colours you can easily adjust that change the esthetic and feel of the car. We were driving from Detroit last week and we searched for the brightest colour possible to keep us energized during the late drive home.”
A CLOSER LOOK: 2022 Mercedes-Benz GLC 300 4Matic SUV
Eye catching colour
“The biggest feature for me is the colour,” said Hewey of the upgraded painted exterior, which features a hue called Hyacinth Red Metallic. “It’s the most eye-catching thing and the reason why I wanted to purchase the vehicle. I'm happy every time I see it. I haven't seen a vehicle this colour in Toronto yet, so there is a bit of a kind of uniqueness factor.”
Ample storage
“My favorite aspect of the vehicle is the spaciousness of the interior,” said Hewey. “It’s laid out well and allows us to store boxes of products, pots and pans and related items, and PR material that we must get from Point A to Point B. We also travel with it, and we never pack light when we go on the road. For example, when we go to Detroit, we're constantly bringing Shawn’s parents groceries from Eataly.”
Custom rims
“My one prerequisite was the size of the wheels,” said Rusich. “I have family and friends who own this vehicle, and I knew it was an excellent choice, but I did request that we get 20-inch rims on it. It’s super nitpicky, but I do feel the drive itself is more comfortable. Their grip on the road feels different and ultimately feels safer. My parents have the exact same car but with smaller rims. I have driven both cars and it is noticeably different.
THE SPECS
This article was edited for space and clarity. To be featured in Why I Love My Vehicle?, email us at wheels@thestar.ca. Renée S. Suen is a Toronto-based lifestyle writer and photographer. Follow her on Twitter: @rssuen.
Splitting their time between Los Angeles and Toronto, the duo shipped their Porsche Macan S to California but still needed a vehicle to use while in Canada for work, to take trips to visit Rusich’s parents in Windsor, and to head over to Detroit to visit friends and to fly out of that city’s airport.
Since the Porsche was Rusich’s pick, Hewey got to decide on their new vehicle. He went with a 2022 Mercedes-Benz GLC 300 4Matic SUV, and opted to upgrade its paint colour and rims, and add a host of different driving packages. Having put 2,000 kilometres on the car during the first week they drove it off the Mercedes-Benz Durham lot, Hewey and Rusich tell us why they love their vehicle.
“There's a dealer located in our apartment parkade, and he's always bringing in different makes and models,” said Hewey. “One time he brought in a Hyacinth Red Mercedes-Benz GLE that really caught my eye. That’s what kick-started our approach to this vehicle; seeing it in a colour that I wanted to replicate.
“Before we made our decision, we to test drove the GLE, but found it a little too big. So, we opted for the GLC, which is more of a mid-size SUV that fit our needs a bit better, especially for city driving, parallel parking and tight parking spots.”
“Because the engine is bigger in the Porsche, there’s less cabin room,” said Rusich. “I’m six-foot-five-inches, so a major problem I have with the Porsche is that I must put the front seat all the way back, but nobody can sit behind me. Even though the measurement is roughly a half an inch difference, the GLC has a considerably larger cabin just because the engine is slightly smaller. The difference makes this car very comfortable.”
“Shawn’s parents have an older version of this vehicle,” said Hewey. “The 2022 has some great upgrades and modifications that are more seamless and user friendly, like the touch controls in the car. The voice-activated Mercedes app works like the Siri app on an iPhone. I was excited to see how that works. It's integrated with mobile phones, so you're able to lock your car remotely from your phone, and you can see where your vehicle is in a big parking lot.
“We did that in Detroit when we flew out. It was great to be able to check in on the status of the vehicle and make sure it was the locked. We were able to see exactly where it was in a parking lot that we hadn't parked at before. You can also do a remote start which is great, especially in Canadian winters when you're parked outside.”
“There’s so many features,” said Hewey. “That's one thing I'm getting used to. It’s amazing, but slightly intimidating. A cool feature I really like is the ambient lighting. There’s a spectrum of colours you can easily adjust that change the esthetic and feel of the car. We were driving from Detroit last week and we searched for the brightest colour possible to keep us energized during the late drive home.”
A CLOSER LOOK: 2022 Mercedes-Benz GLC 300 4Matic SUV
Eye catching colour
“The biggest feature for me is the colour,” said Hewey of the upgraded painted exterior, which features a hue called Hyacinth Red Metallic. “It’s the most eye-catching thing and the reason why I wanted to purchase the vehicle. I'm happy every time I see it. I haven't seen a vehicle this colour in Toronto yet, so there is a bit of a kind of uniqueness factor.”
Ample storage
“My favorite aspect of the vehicle is the spaciousness of the interior,” said Hewey. “It’s laid out well and allows us to store boxes of products, pots and pans and related items, and PR material that we must get from Point A to Point B. We also travel with it, and we never pack light when we go on the road. For example, when we go to Detroit, we're constantly bringing Shawn’s parents groceries from Eataly.”
Custom rims
“My one prerequisite was the size of the wheels,” said Rusich. “I have family and friends who own this vehicle, and I knew it was an excellent choice, but I did request that we get 20-inch rims on it. It’s super nitpicky, but I do feel the drive itself is more comfortable. Their grip on the road feels different and ultimately feels safer. My parents have the exact same car but with smaller rims. I have driven both cars and it is noticeably different.
THE SPECS
- BODY STYLE: SUV
- DRIVE METHOD: AWD
- ENGINE: 2.0L Inline-4 turbo, 255-hp; 273 lb.-ft. torque
- FUEL ECONOMY (CITY/HIGHWAY): 11.5/9.1 litres per 100 kms
- CARGO VOLUME: 550 to 1,600 litres
- PRICE: Starts at $51,600
- WEBSITE: mercedes-benz.ca
This article was edited for space and clarity. To be featured in Why I Love My Vehicle?, email us at wheels@thestar.ca. Renée S. Suen is a Toronto-based lifestyle writer and photographer. Follow her on Twitter: @rssuen.
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