Compare the2022 Toyota HighlanderVS 2022 Mercedes GLE

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Highlander are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The GLE doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Highlander has standard Whiplash Injury Lessening Seats, which use a specially designed seat to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Whiplash Injury Lessening Seats system allows the backrest to travel backwards to cushion the occupants and the headrests move forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The GLE doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

The Highlander has a standard Secondary Collision Brake, which automatically applies 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.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Highlander Limited/Platinum has standard Automated Braking that uses rear sensors to monitor and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a rear collision. The GLE doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The Highlander’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 Highlander and the GLE have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front 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, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors, available all wheel drive, blind spot warning systems, around view monitors and rear cross-path warning.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH, results indicate that the Toyota Highlander is safer than the Mercedes GLE:

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Toyota’s powertrain warranty covers the Highlander 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Mercedes covers the GLE. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the GLE ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

Toyota pays for scheduled maintenance on the Highlander for 2 years and 25000 miles. Toyota will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Mercedes doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the GLE.

There are over 3 times as many Toyota dealers as there are Mercedes dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Highlander’s warranty.

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 Highlander’s reliability 81 points higher than the GLE.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Highlander third among upper midsize suvs in their 2021 Initial Quality Study. The GLE isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are better in initial quality than Mercedes vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota 13th in initial quality, above the industry average. With 36 more problems per 100 vehicles, Mercedes is ranked 25th, below the industry average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Mercedes vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota fourth in reliability, above the industry average. With 24 more problems per 100 vehicles, Mercedes is ranked 15th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Mercedes vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Toyota second in reliability. Mercedes is ranked 20th.

The Highlander’s 3.5 DOHC V6 produces 40 more horsepower (295 vs. 255) than the GLE 350’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Toyota Highlander is faster than the GLE 350 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder:

On the EPA test cycle the Highlander gets better mileage than the GLE:

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Toyota Highlander uses regular unleaded gasoline. The GLE requires premium, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

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

The Highlander’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 Highlander stops much shorter than the GLE:

The Highlander XLE AWD handles at .82 G’s, while the GLE 350 4MATIC pulls only .78 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Highlander XLE AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the GLE 350 4MATIC (27.4 seconds @ .63 average G’s vs. 28.2 seconds @ .62 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Highlander’s turning circle is 2 feet tighter than the GLE’s (37.4 feet vs. 39.4 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Highlander has a greater minimum ground clearance than the GLE (8 vs. 7.9 inches), allowing the Highlander to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Toyota Highlander may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 450 to 550 pounds less than the Mercedes GLE.

The Highlander has standard seating for 8 passengers; the GLE can only carry up to 7.

The Highlander has .7 inches more front headroom, 1.7 inches more front legroom, .1 inches more rear legroom and .4 inches more rear shoulder room than the GLE.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Highlander’s middle and third row seats recline. The GLE’s third row seats don’t recline.

The Highlander’s cargo area provides more volume than the GLE.

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

A Trailer Sway Control (TSC) is standard on the Highlander, using the Enhanced Vehicle Stability Control sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. A trailer sway program costs extra on the GLE.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Highlander 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.

Consumer Reports rated the Highlander’s headlight performance “Good,” a higher rating than the GLE’s headlights, which were rated “Poor.”

Insurance will cost less for the Highlander owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Highlander will cost $3350 to $7785 less than the GLE over a five-year period.

The Highlander will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Highlander will retain 56.97% to 58.08% of its original price after five years, while the GLE only retains 47.77% to 49.94%.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Highlander is less expensive to operate than the GLE because it costs $337 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the Highlander than the GLE, including $614 less for a water pump, $638 less for a muffler, $195 less for front brake pads, $179 less for a starter, $134 less for fuel injection, $362 less for front struts and $843 less for a power steering pump.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Toyota Highlander will be $27308 to $39148 less than for the Mercedes GLE.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Toyota Highlander, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Mercedes GLE isn't recommended.

The Toyota Highlander outsold the Mercedes GLE by over four to one during the 2021 model year.