[turbolink]

Turbolink from sunny Hawaii.

We recently ordered a 2016 GLA250 with quite a few packages and standalone options. The one option we did not order, however, was a panoramic roof. We currently drive a 2012 C250 and use or open our sunroof maybe twice a year. Virtually every GLA I’ve seen in Hawaii at the dealer or on the road has them. But our current C250 standard sunroof…glass only or totally open…is just too hot by day and not very useful at night for us. I was neutral, but my wife was against ordering the panoramic roof. I also found an internet discussion on MB panoramic roofs shattering without apparent cause, with associated bad dealer experiences when that happened. Frankly I am fine not having it, but wonder what those on the forum who have panoramic roofs think about them.

Very happy to have found this forum and looking forward to discussions.

Aloha

 

[olmate]

Haven't used ours yet but its winter here and dunno if i will

 

[Watto]

I have had my GLA250 for 3 weeks now (mid winter in Perth, Australia) and have used the roof most days. I find the mix of: back end open for air, fully open or closed with the blind protection covers most weather options. However, I am sure that in summer, the blind will be closed most of the time except when driving at night.


I have had cars with panoramic roofs and cars without. I don't miss them when I don't have them but they do give an extra option when you do have them. My last one stood up to a hail storm better than the metal roof around it though!

 

[nightscar]

I personally love the panoramic roof, I don't even need to open it to enjoy it, just retract the shade and you have this wide open view of the sky. Enjoy the sun in the day or the moon in the night, I just plain love the panoramic roof and how it just looks like you don't have a roof. Then open it up completely when driving in the highway by the beach.

Keep in mind though that I do benefit from living in Southern California where the weather permits it almost year round.

To me it is well worth it and is actually an option I was after.

 

[Xtheunknown]

My CLA had no panoramic roof and I was OK. When I traded for the GLA Edition 1, it came with it and I have grown to love it. On all but the sunniest of days, with sun directly overhead, I open it to get the fresh air. I haven't heard about any spontaneous shattering, but that's just me.

 

[SSBGLA45]

I live in Florida and my GLA45 has the pano roof… no problems and heat is a non issue with the interior shades closed. Enjoy the open feel on the interior with the shades retracted and the open air feel with the pano roof open.

 

[Oceansol]

I agree with the sunny state guys (like me!). I love it, it opens up the back seat area especially and makes the whole interior seem bigger. We've only opened the top a couple times, but it was nice too. The shade keeps the sun out nicely on hot mid-day runs. Love it!

 

[SPARKALINA]

Love love love it! And I am also in Florida. I never close the shade! With my tan interior I don't find the interior too hot. Check back with me in August when it is 100 degrees F outside and then we'll REALLY see...

 

[crabman]

I love the added light enough so that I will check the box for that reason but I never open them up, as a young man working the deck I tasted enough wind for two lifetimes. Living in the Pacific Northwest I've never had the pleasure of needed to close the shade due to the heat.

 

[evose]

I do love my panorama roof and so does my 3 year old daughter. She likes to look at the sky, airplanes, and birds when she is in her car seat.

 

[AMGz]

Love love love it! And I am also in Florida. I never close the shade! With my tan interior I don't find the interior too hot. Check back with me in August when it is 100 degrees F outside and then we'll REALLY see...

and that's one thing I noticed in the south, tan interiors outweigh black by a lot!
and its easy to understand that.

going black... takes effort to work around.

 

[Espresso machine]

Very similar news from sunny California. By looking at trade-off between the two options, which were readily available for an immediate purchase ( pre-ordered by dealership), the one with the panorama roof, but no Multimedia package, or the one with the MM package , but no Pan roof included, we decided to go with the latter. It's a popular view, that in California sunroof is a must. But, frankly, having it in all of our old cars, we could hardly recount more than a few moments of using it for a short period of time. So, we decided to go without the feature. Any feeling of more limited space in the "no roof" experiences? Any sense of the cabin noise effects?

 

[turbolink]

Very similar news from sunny California. By looking at trade-off between the two options, which were readily available for an immediate purchase ( pre-ordered by dealership), the one with the panorama roof, but no Multimedia package, or the one with the MM package , but no Pan roof included, we decided to go with the latter. It's a popular view, that in California sunroof is a must. But, frankly, having it in all of our old cars, we could hardly recount more than a few moments of using it for a short period of time. So, we decided to go without the feature. Any feeling of more limited space in the "no roof" experiences? Any sense of the cabin noise effects?

Five weeks now with our no-panoramic-roof GLA and we don't miss it at all, and we live in Hawaii. Neither my wife nor I feel claustrophobic, even with a black headliner.

As far as cabin noise goes, I only had a short demo drive in a 2015 GLA with a pano roof, so I can't comment either way. However, two of the factors that influenced our decision were the cloth covers as opposed to solid ones, and the exterior baffle that goes up as a wind deflector. That didn't match the overall visual lines of the GLA and seemed to cheat the otherwise superb design features of the model.

That said, it is a desired option that many enjoy. Was a tough decision to make when we ordered.

 

[Espresso machine]

Well, making that tough decision makes now two of us. Thank you for sharing the positive experiences.

 

[Espresso machine]

Five weeks now with our no-panoramic-roof GLA and we don't miss it at all, and we live in Hawaii. Neither my wife nor I feel claustrophobic, even with a black headliner.

As far as cabin noise goes, I only had a short demo drive in a 2015 GLA with a pano roof, so I can't comment either way. However, two of the factors that influenced our decision were the cloth covers as opposed to solid ones, and the exterior baffle that goes up as a wind deflector. That didn't match the overall visual lines of the GLA and seemed to cheat the otherwise superb design features of the model.

That said, it is a desired option that many enjoy. Was a tough decision to make when we ordered.

Here is an interesting reference, which reinforces your point. I was unaware of such failures: Mercedes-Benz Panoramic Roof Failure | Pictures, News | Digital Trends

 

[turbolink]

Yes, I came across that in my research as well. It was a significant factor in our decision, pretty much the tie-breaker data point.

 

[gcurnew]

We were happy to find a GLA that had all other options EXCEPT a sunroof and backup camera. Don't miss either at all, in fact if there's a choice of no sunroof, we will always go that way. I have the standard sunroof in my 911, and aside from checking it worked when I got the car, it's never been opened.

 

[m-type]

For me also in CA, with all my previous cars, the only time i would jar the moon roof would be to allow more air flow into the car without opening the windows, and especially when MB charges 1500 for it, its a no go.

Plus i prefer the convertible if i want to take in some sun

 

[DCClinton]

I've never been a convertable lover as I've cooked way too long in friends cars, but I opted in getting it since the lady loves moon roofs and it does open the car up much more (faux space). The more metal above my head during a rollover or hailstorm, the better.

 

[peeti]

We have both GLA with and without - when I drive hers without it feels like a much smaller interior. Love the pano roof. This is a personal choice so you can poll as many people as you like and you'll get as many opinions. Sit in both and make your own choice.