Compare the2023 Lincoln AviatorVS 2022 Mercedes GLC

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

Safety

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Both the Aviator and GLC have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The Aviator 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 Lincoln Aviator has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The GLC doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

The Aviator has standard Post Collision Braking, 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 Aviator (except Standard) offers an optional Reverse Brake Assist 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 Aviator’s optional Hill Descent Control allows you to creep down safely. The GLC doesn’t offer Hill Descent Control.

The Aviator’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 Aviator 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, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

The Lincoln Aviator weighs 854 to 1892 pounds more than the Mercedes GLC. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

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

	Aviator	GLC
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Neck Stress	167 lbs.	177 lbs.
Neck Compression	26 lbs.	87 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	230/210 lbs.	378/445 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Compression	.4 inches	.7 inches

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 Lincoln Aviator is safer than the Mercedes GLC:

	Aviator	GLC
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	65	69
Chest Movement	.9 inches	.9 inches
Hip Force	224 lbs.	409 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	86	134
Spine Acceleration	38 G’s	46 G’s
Hip Force	604 lbs.	784 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	12 inches	13 inches
Spine Acceleration	39 G’s	40 G’s
Hip Force	573 lbs.	787 lbs.

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

Warranty

Lincoln’s powertrain warranty covers the Aviator 2 years and 20,000 miles longer than Mercedes covers the GLC. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 6 years or 70,000 miles. Coverage on the GLC ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are over 78 percent more Lincoln dealers than there are Mercedes dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Aviator’s warranty.

Reliability

The Lincoln Aviator’s engines use a cast iron block for durability, while the GLC’s engine uses an aluminum block. Aluminum engine blocks are much more prone to warp and crack at high temperatures than cast iron.

The Aviator has a standard “limp home system” to keep drivers from being stranded if most or all of the engine’s coolant is lost. The engine will run on only half of its cylinders at a time, reduce its power and light a warning lamp on the dashboard so the driver can get to a service station for repairs. The GLC doesn’t offer a lost coolant limp home mode, so a coolant leak could strand you or seriously damage the truck’s engine.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Lincoln vehicles are better in initial quality than Mercedes vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Lincoln above average in initial quality. With 22 more problems per 100 vehicles, Mercedes is rated below average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Lincoln vehicles are more reliable than Mercedes vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Lincoln above average in long-term dependability. With 12 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Mercedes is rated below average.

Engine

The Aviator’s standard 3.0 turbo V6 produces 145 more horsepower (400 vs. 255) and 142 lbs.-ft. more torque (415 vs. 273) than the GLC’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder. The Aviator Grand Touring’s standard 3.0 turbo V6 hybrid produces 239 more horsepower (494 vs. 255) and 357 lbs.-ft. more torque (630 vs. 273) than the GLC’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Lincoln Aviator turbo V6 is faster than the Mercedes GLC:

	Aviator	GLC
Zero to 60 MPH	5.4 sec	6.9 sec
Quarter Mile	14.1 sec	15.2 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	97.7 MPH	89.6 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Aviator running on electricity gets better mileage than the GLC:

			MPGe
Aviator
	AWD	Grand Touring Electric Motor	54 city/58 hwy
GLC
			MPG
	RWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	22 city/27 hwy
	AWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	21 city/28 hwy

The Aviator Grand Touring can travel with zero emissions for 21 miles. The GLC can’t move without running its internal combustion engine.

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

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Lincoln Aviator uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended for maximum performance). The GLC requires premium, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

The Aviator’s standard fuel tank has 2.8 gallons more fuel capacity than the GLC (20.2 vs. 17.4 gallons).

The Aviator 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.

Transmission

A 10-speed automatic is standard on the Lincoln Aviator, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a nine-speed automatic is available for the GLC.

Brakes and Stopping

The Aviator stops shorter than the GLC:

	Aviator	GLC
60 to 0 MPH	119 feet	126 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Aviator has larger standard tires than the GLC (255/60R19 vs. 235/60R18). The Aviator’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the GLC (275/40R22 vs. 255/45R20).

The Aviator’s optional tires provide better handling because they have a lower 40 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the GLC’s optional 45 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Aviator has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the GLC. The Aviator’s optional 22-inch wheels are larger than the 20-inch wheels optional on the GLC.

Suspension and Handling

The Aviator offers an available driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads or off-road. The GLC’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

The Aviator has a standard automatic front and rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The Aviator’s height leveling suspension allows the driver to raise ride height for better off-road clearance and then lower it again for easier entering and exiting and better on-road handling. The GLC doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Aviator’s wheelbase is 6 inches longer than on the GLC (119.1 inches vs. 113.1 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Aviator is 3 inches wider in the front and 3.2 inches wider in the rear than on the GLC.

The Aviator’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (51% to 49%) than the GLC’s (53% to 47%). This gives the Aviator more stable handling and braking.

The Aviator Grand Touring AWD handles at .83 G’s, while the GLC 300 4MATIC pulls only .80 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Aviator Grand Touring AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the GLC 300 4MATIC (26.5 seconds @ .72 average G’s vs. 27.3 seconds @ .65 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the Aviator has a 3.7 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the GLC (8.7 vs. 5 inches), allowing the Aviator to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Chassis

The Aviator (except Standard) offers available computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The GLC doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

Passenger Space

The Aviator has standard seating for 7 passengers; the GLC can only carry 5.

The Aviator has 3.7 inches more front headroom, 2.2 inches more front legroom, 4.2 inches more front shoulder room, 1.2 inches more rear headroom, 1.7 inches more rear legroom and 4.8 inches more rear shoulder room than the GLC.

Cargo Capacity

The Aviator’s cargo area provides more volume than the GLC.

	Aviator	GLC
Third Seat Folded	41.8 cubic feet	n/a
Third Seat Removed	n/a	19.4 cubic feet
Second Seat Folded	77.7 cubic feet	56.5 cubic feet

Towing

The Aviator’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the GLC’s (5600 vs. 3500 pounds).

Ergonomics

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Aviator’s exterior PIN entry system. The GLC doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system, and its Mercedes-Benz Emergency Call can’t unlock the doors if the vehicle doesn’t have cell phone reception or the driver can’t contact the service.

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

Optional air conditioned front and second row seats keep the Aviator’s passengers comfortable and take the sting out of hot leather in summer. The GLC doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats in the rear.

The Aviator (except Standard) offers optional massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the GLC.

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