Compare the2023 Volvo XC40VS 2022 Mercedes GLC

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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Both the XC40 and GLC have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The XC40 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 GLC’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 XC40 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 GLC 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 XC40 has a standard CTA Auto Brake that use rear sensors to monitor and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a rear collision. The GLC doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the XC40’s standard Hill Descent Control allows you to creep down safely. The GLC doesn’t offer Hill Descent Control.

The XC40’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 GLC.

Both the XC40 and the GLC 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, 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 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Volvo XC40 is safer than the Mercedes GLC:

	XC40	GLC
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Neck Compression	25 lbs.	87 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	361/380 lbs.	378/445 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Compression	.5 inches	.7 inches
Neck Compression	66 lbs.	115 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 Volvo XC40 is safer than the Mercedes GLC:

	XC40	GLC
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Movement	.9 inches	.9 inches
Hip Force	320 lbs.	409 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	119	134
Hip Force	755 lbs.	784 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Spine Acceleration	33 G’s	40 G’s
Hip Force	411 lbs.	787 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, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the XC40 its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 87 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The GLC has not been fully tested, yet.

Warranty

The XC40’s corrosion warranty is 7 years longer than the GLC’s (12 vs. 5 years).

Volvo pays for scheduled maintenance on the XC40 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 GLC.

Reliability

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.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the XC40 gets better mileage than the GLC:

			MPG
XC40
	FWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl. Hybrid	24 city/32 hwy
	AWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl. Hybrid	23 city/30 hwy
GLC
	RWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	22 city/27 hwy
	AWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	21 city/28 hwy

Regenerative brakes improve the XC40’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The GLC doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

The XC40 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 GLC doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

Brakes and Stopping

The XC40 stops much shorter than the GLC:

	XC40	GLC
60 to 0 MPH	111 feet	126 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	135 feet	143 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

The XC40’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the GLC’s standard 60 series tires.

Suspension and Handling

The XC40 B5 Plus AWD handles at .86 G’s, while the GLC 300 4MATIC pulls only .80 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the XC40’s turning circle is 1.3 feet tighter than the GLC’s (37.4 feet vs. 38.7 feet).

For greater off-road capability the XC40 has a 3.1 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the GLC (8.1 vs. 5 inches), allowing the XC40 to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Chassis

The XC40 is 8.5 inches shorter than the GLC, making the XC40 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Passenger Space

The XC40 has 1.2 inches more front headroom, .1 inches more front legroom and .6 inches more rear headroom than the GLC.

The front step up height for the XC40 is 2.3 inches lower than the GLC (17.7” vs. 20”). The XC40’s rear step up height is 4.3 inches lower than the GLC’s (18.2” vs. 22.5”).

Cargo Capacity

The XC40 has a larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the GLC with its rear seat up (20.4 vs. 19.4 cubic feet). The XC40 has a larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the GLC with its rear seat folded (57.5 vs. 56.5 cubic feet).

Ergonomics

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the XC40 has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the GLC only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

Consumer Reports rated the XC40’s headlight performance “Very Good,” a higher rating than the GLC’s headlights, which were rated “Good.”

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Volvo XC40 has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Wireless charging costs extra on the GLC.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Volvo XC40 and the Mercedes GLC, based on reliability, safety and performance.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the XC40 second among small premium suvs in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The GLC isn’t in the top three in its category.

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