Compare the2022 Volvo XC90VS 2021 Mercedes GLE

For enhanced safety, the front and middle seat shoulder belts of the Volvo XC90 are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The Mercedes GLE doesn’t offer height-adjustable middle seat belts.

Both the XC90 and GLE have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The XC90 has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The GLE’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

The Volvo XC90 offers an optional built in child booster seat. It’s more crash worthy than an added child seat because of its direct attachment to the seat. Mercedes doesn’t offer the convenience and security of a built-in child booster seat in the GLE. Their owners must carry a heavy booster seat in and out of the vehicle; XC90 owners can just fold their built-in child seat up or down.

Using vehicle speed sensors and seat sensors, smart airbags in the XC90 deploy with different levels of force or don’t deploy at all to help better protect passengers of all sizes in different collisions. The XC90’s side airbags will shut off if a child is leaning against the door. The GLE’s airbags don’t have smart features and will always deploy full force.

The XC90 has a standard Whiplash Protection System (WHIPS), which use a specially designed seat to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the WHIPS allows the backrest to travel backwards to cushion the occupants and the headrests move forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. At the same time the pretensioning seatbelts fire, removing slack from the belts. The GLE doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

The XC90 has standard Automatic Braking After Collision, which automatically apply the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The GLE doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

The XC90’s standard lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane and gently nudges the vehicle back towards its lane. A lane departure warning system costs extra on the GLE.

Both the XC90 and the GLE have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors and available around view monitors.

The XC90’s corrosion warranty is 7 years longer than the GLE’s (12 vs. 5 years).

Volvo pays for scheduled maintenance on the XC90 for 3 years and 36,000 miles. Volvo will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Mercedes doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the GLE.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the XC90’s reliability 25 points higher than the GLE.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Volvo vehicles are more reliable than Mercedes vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Volvo 2 places higher in reliability than Mercedes.

As tested in Motor Trend the XC90 T6 2.0 turbo/supercharged 4-cylinder is faster than the GLE 350 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder:

On the EPA test cycle the XC90 running on electricity gets better mileage than the GLE:

On the EPA test cycle the XC90 running its gasoline engine gets better mileage than the GLE:

The XC90 Recharge can drive on battery power alone for up to 18 miles. The GLE must run its internal combustion engine to move.

The XC90 has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The GLE doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

For better stopping power the XC90’s standard front brake rotors are larger than those on the GLE:

The XC90’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs standard on the GLE 350 are solid, not vented.

The XC90 stops much shorter than the GLE:

The XC90’s optional tires provide better handling because they have a lower 35 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the GLE 580’s optional 40 series tires.

The XC90’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (51.7% to 48.3%) than the GLE’s (53.5% to 46.5%). This gives the XC90 more stable handling and braking.

The XC90 T6 AWD handles at .85 G’s, while the GLE 350 4MATIC pulls only .78 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The XC90 T6 AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.4 seconds quicker than the GLE 350 4MATIC (26.8 seconds @ .65 average G’s vs. 28.2 seconds @ .62 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the XC90 w/19” wheels’ turning circle is .7 feet tighter than the GLE’s (38.7 feet vs. 39.4 feet).

For greater off-road capability the XC90 has a greater minimum ground clearance than the GLE (8.8 vs. 7.9 inches), allowing the XC90 to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The XC90 w/Air Suspension’s minimum ground clearance is .7 inch higher than on the GLE Airmatic (9.9 vs. 9.2 inches).

The Volvo XC90 may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs up to about 300 pounds less than the Mercedes GLE.

The front step up height for the XC90 is 4.2 inches lower than the GLE (15.8” vs. 20”). The XC90’s rear step up height is 4 inches lower than the GLE’s (16” vs. 20”).

The XC90’s cargo area is larger than the GLE’s in almost every dimension:

The XC90 has a standard third row seat which folds flat into the floor. This completely clears a very large cargo area quickly. The GLE doesn’t offer seats that fold into the floor.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are optional on the XC90 to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The GLE doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the XC90 has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the GLE only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The XC90 has standard headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The GLE doesn’t offer headlight washers.

A manual rear sunshade and rear side window sunshades are optional in the XC90 to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The GLE doesn’t offer a rear sunshade.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the XC90 is less expensive to operate than the GLE because it costs $10 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the XC90 than the GLE, including $304 less for a muffler, $92 less for front brake pads, $54 less for a starter, $164 less for fuel injection, $143 less for front struts and $106 less for a power steering pump.

The Car Book by Jack Gillis recommends the Volvo XC90, based on economy, maintenance, safety and complaint levels.

Motor Trend selected the XC90 as their 2016 Sport Utility of the Year. The GLE has never been chosen.

The XC90 was chosen as one of Automobile Magazine’s “All Stars” in 2016. The GLE has never been an “All Star.”

A group of representative automotive journalists from North America selected the XC90 as the 2016 North American Truck of the Year. The GLE has never been chosen.