Compare the2023 Audi Q5VS 2022 Mercedes GLC

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

Safety

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Both the Q5 and GLC have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The Q5 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 Q5 has a standard Secondary Collision Brake Assist, which automatically applies 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.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the Q5. But it costs extra on the GLC.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Q5’s standard Hill Descent Control allows you to creep down safely. The GLC doesn’t offer Hill Descent Control.

The Q5’s standard lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane. A lane departure warning system costs extra on the GLC.

Both the Q5 and the GLC have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front 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 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 Audi Q5 is safer than the Mercedes GLC:

	Q5	GLC
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	22%	23%
Neck Compression	44 lbs.	87 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	80/49 lbs.	378/445 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Compression	.7 inches	.7 inches
Neck Compression	30 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 Audi Q5 is safer than the Mercedes GLC:

	Q5	GLC
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	60	69
Chest Movement	.6 inches	.9 inches
Abdominal Force	98 lbs.	117 lbs.
Hip Force	279 lbs.	409 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Spine Acceleration	35 G’s	40 G’s
Hip Force	600 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 Q5 its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 92 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The GLC has not been fully tested, yet.

Warranty

The Q5’s corrosion warranty is 7 years longer than the GLC’s (12 vs. 5 years).

Reliability

The Audi Q5’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.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Audi vehicles are more reliable than Mercedes vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Audi 6 places higher in reliability than Mercedes.

Engine

The Q5 45 TFSI’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 6 more horsepower (261 vs. 255) than the GLC’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder. The Q5 55 TFSI e’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 107 more horsepower (362 vs. 255) and 96 lbs.-ft. more torque (369 vs. 273) than the GLC’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Q5 running on electricity gets better mileage than the GLC:

			MPGe
Q5
	AWD	55 TFSI e Electric Motor	60 city/61 hwy
GLC
			MPG
	RWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	22 city/27 hwy
	AWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	21 city/28 hwy

On the EPA test cycle the Q5 running its gasoline engine gets better mileage than the GLC:

			MPG
Q5
	AWD	55 TFSI e 2.0 turbo 4-cyl. Hybrid	25 city/27 hwy
		40 TFSI 2.0 turbo 4-cyl. Hybrid	23 city/29 hwy
		45 TFSI 2.0 turbo 4-cyl. Hybrid	22 city/29 hwy
GLC
	RWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	22 city/27 hwy
	AWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	21 city/28 hwy

The Q5 55 TFSI e can travel with zero emissions for 22 miles. The GLC can’t move without running its internal combustion engine.

Regenerative brakes improve the Q5’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 Audi Q5 uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended for maximum performance). The GLC requires premium, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

The Q5’s standard fuel tank has 1.1 gallons more fuel capacity than the GLC (18.5 vs. 17.4 gallons).

Transmission

The Q5 offers a standard sequential manual gearbox (SMG). With no clutch pedal to worry about and a fully automatic mode, an SMG is much more efficient than a conventional automatic but just as easy to drive. The GLC doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

The Q5’s launch control uses engine electronics to hold engine RPM’s precisely in order to provide the most stable and rapid acceleration possible, using all of the available traction. The GLC doesn’t offer launch control.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Q5 55 TFSI e’s brake rotors are larger than those on the GLC:

	Q5 55 TFSI e	GLC
Front Rotors	13.8 inches	13.5 inches
Rear Rotors	13 inches	12.6 inches

The Q5 stops shorter than the GLC:

	Q5	GLC
60 to 0 MPH	130 feet	131 feet	Consumer Reports

Suspension and Handling

The Q5 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 Q5 55 TFSI e has a standard automatic front and rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The Q5’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 greater off-road capability the Q5 55 TFSI e has a 3 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the GLC (8 vs. 5 inches), allowing the Q5 to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Q5 45 TFSI’s minimum ground clearance is 3.2 inches higher than on the GLC (8.2 vs. 5 inches).

Passenger Space

The Q5 has 1.8 inches more front headroom, .1 inches more front legroom, .4 inches more front shoulder room, .8 inches more rear headroom and .7 inches more rear legroom than the GLC.

The front step up height for the Q5 is 1.7 inches lower than the GLC (18.3” vs. 20”). The Q5’s rear step up height is 4.5 inches lower than the GLC’s (18” vs. 22.5”).

Cargo Capacity

The Q5 has a much larger cargo volume than the GLC with its rear seat up (25.8 vs. 19.4 cubic feet).

Towing

The Q5’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the GLC’s (4400 vs. 3500 pounds).

Servicing Ease

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Audi service is better than Mercedes. J.D. Power ranks Audi 8th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 16% lower rating, Mercedes is ranked 18th.

Ergonomics

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the Q5 to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. Heated windshield washer nozzles cost extra on the GLC.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The Q5 Prestige has standard headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The GLC doesn’t offer headlight washers.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the Q5 owner. The Car Book by Jack Gillis rates the Q5 with a number “5” insurance rate while the GLC is rated higher at a number “10” rate.

The Q5 will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Q5 will retain 48.77% to 50.66% of its original price after five years, while the GLC only retains 44.8% to 45.61%.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Q5 is less expensive to operate than the GLC because it costs $91 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the Q5 than the GLC, including $148 less for a water pump, $85 less for front brake pads, $86 less for fuel injection, $54 less for front struts and $749 less for a power steering pump.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Audi Q5 and the Mercedes GLC, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Audi Q5/SQ5 outsold the Mercedes GLC by 25% during the 2021 model year.

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