Compare the2022 Mercedes GLCVS 2023 Cadillac XT5

Safety
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Mercedes GLC have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Cadillac XT5 doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

The GLC has standard NECK-PRO front head restraints, which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the NECK-PRO front head restraints system moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The XT5 doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

The GLC has a standard blind spot warning system which uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. Only the XT5 Premium Luxury/Sport offers a blind spot warning system.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the GLC has a standard rear cross-path warning system, which uses sensors in the rear bumper to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. Only the XT5 Premium Luxury/Sport has a rear cross-path warning system.

The GLC’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The XT5 doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the GLC and the XT5 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, available all wheel drive, lane departure warning systems and around view monitors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Mercedes GLC is safer than the Cadillac XT5:

	GLC	XT5
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	120	147
Neck Injury Risk	23%	24%
Neck Stress	177 lbs.	188 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	113	287
Neck Injury Risk	24%	37%
Neck Stress	116 lbs.	155 lbs.

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

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 and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Mercedes GLC is safer than the Cadillac XT5:

	GLC	XT5
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	69	112
Chest Movement	.9 inches	.9 inches
Abdominal Force	117 lbs.	151 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	134	183
Hip Force	784 lbs.	825 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	206	399
Hip Force	787 lbs.	799 lbs.

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

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, with its optional vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, with its optional vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its available headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the GLC the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2022, a rating granted to only 139 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The XT5 last would have qualified as a “Top Safety Pick” in 2017.

Reliability

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Mercedes vehicles are more reliable than Cadillac vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Mercedes 1 place higher in reliability than Cadillac.

Engine

The GLC’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 20 more horsepower (255 vs. 235) and 15 lbs.-ft. more torque (273 vs. 258) than the XT5’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder. The GLC’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 2 lbs.-ft. more torque (273 vs. 271) than the XT5’s optional 3.6 DOHC V6.

As tested in Motor Trend the Mercedes GLC is faster than the Cadillac XT5 V6:

	GLC	XT5
Zero to 60 MPH	6.3 sec	6.5 sec
Quarter Mile	14.9 sec	15.1 sec

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the GLC gets better mileage than the XT5:

			MPG
GLC
	RWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	22 city/27 hwy
	AWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	21 city/28 hwy
XT5
	FWD	3.6 DOHC V6	19 city/26 hwy
	AWD	3.6 DOHC V6	18 city/25 hwy
		2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	21 city/27 hwy

Brakes and Stopping

The GLC stops much shorter than the XT5:

	GLC	XT5
60 to 0 MPH	110 feet	128 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the GLC’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the XT5 (255/45R20 vs. 235/65R18).

The GLC’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 60 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the XT5’s standard 65 series tires. The GLC’s optional tires have a lower 45 series profile than the XT5’s optional 55 series tires.

Changing a flat tire near traffic can be dangerous and inconvenient. The run-flat tires standard on the GLC can be driven up to 50 miles without any air pressure, allowing you to drive to a service station for a repair. The XT5 doesn’t offer run-flat tires.

Suspension and Handling

The GLC’s drift compensation steering can automatically compensate for road conditions which would cause the vehicle to drift from side to side, helping the driver to keep the vehicle straight more easily. The XT5 doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

The GLC’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (53% to 47%) than the XT5’s (58.2% to 41.8%). This gives the GLC more stable handling and braking.

The GLC 300 4MATIC handles at .85 G’s, while the XT5 pulls only .81 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The GLC 300 4MATIC executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the XT5 AWD (26.6 seconds @ .66 average G’s vs. 27.1 seconds @ .65 average G’s).

Chassis

The GLC is 6.3 inches shorter than the XT5, making the GLC easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Passenger Space

The GLC has .1 inches more rear headroom and .2 inches more rear shoulder room than the XT5.

Cargo Capacity

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the GLC easier. The GLC’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 28.8 inches, while the XT5’s liftover is 30.9 inches.

Towing

The GLC’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the XT5’s (3500 vs. 1000 pounds).

Servicing Ease

The engine in the GLC is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the XT5. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because there are no rear spark plugs and the accessory belts are in front.

Ergonomics

Unlike the driver-only memory system in the XT5 Premium Luxury/Sport, the GLC offers an optional passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat, steering wheel position and outside mirror angle and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

The GLC’s front and rear power windows all open or close with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside of the car. The XT5’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to close them fully.

If the windows are left open on the GLC the driver can close them all at the outside door handle or from a distance using the remote. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the XT5 can only close the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The GLC has a standard locking fuel door with a remote release located convenient to the driver. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank. The XT5 doesn’t offer a locking fuel door.

The GLC’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The XT5’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are optional on the GLC to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The XT5 doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The GLC’s available headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the XT5’s headlights are rated “Marginal.”

The XT5’s cornering lamps activate a lamp on the front corner when the turn signal is activated. The GLC’s optional adaptive cornering lights turn the actual headlight unit up to several degrees, depending on steering wheel angle and vehicle speed. This lights a significant distance into corners at any speed.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the GLC to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The XT5 doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

The GLC offers an optional 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The XT5 doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

Economic Advantages

The GLC will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the GLC will retain 51.03% to 51.13% of its original price after five years, while the XT5 only retains 42.46% to 44.08%.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the GLC is less expensive to operate than the XT5 because it costs $191 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the GLC than the XT5, including $111 less for a muffler and $680 less for a timing belt/chain.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Mercedes GLC will be $1890 to $7455 less than for the Cadillac XT5.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Mercedes GLC and the Cadillac XT5, based on reliability, safety and performance.

Motor Trend selected the GLC as their 2017 Sport Utility of the Year. The XT5 has never been chosen.

The Mercedes GLC outsold the Cadillac XT5 by 59% during the 2021 model year.