Compare the2023 Ford ExplorerVS 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
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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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 Explorer are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The GLC doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Ford Explorer 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 Explorer 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 Explorer (except Base/XLT/Limited/Timberline) offers an optional Reverse Brake Assist that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The GLC doesn’t offer automatic braking for stationary objects directly to the rear.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Explorer 4WD’s standard Hill Descent Control allows you to creep down safely. The GLC doesn’t offer Hill Descent Control.

The Explorer’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 Explorer 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 Ford Explorer weighs 454 to 1188 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 Ford Explorer is safer than the Mercedes GLC:

	Explorer	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 Ford Explorer is safer than the Mercedes GLC:

	Explorer	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.

For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, and daytime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Explorer the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2023, a rating granted to only 55 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The GLC last would have qualified as a “Top Safety Pick” in 2022.

Warranty

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

There are almost 8 times as many Ford dealers as there are Mercedes dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Explorer’s warranty.

Reliability

The Explorer 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 Ford vehicles are better in initial quality than Mercedes vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Ford 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 Ford vehicles are more reliable than Mercedes vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Ford above average in long-term dependability. With 4 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Mercedes is rated below average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Ford vehicles are more reliable than Mercedes vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Ford 6 places higher in reliability than Mercedes.

Engine

The Explorer’s standard 2.3 turbo 4-cylinder produces 45 more horsepower (300 vs. 255) and 37 lbs.-ft. more torque (310 vs. 273) than the GLC’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder. The Explorer’s optional 3.3 DOHC V6 hybrid produces 63 more horsepower (318 vs. 255) and 49 lbs.-ft. more torque (322 vs. 273) than the GLC’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder. The Explorer’s optional 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.

As tested in Motor Trend the Ford Explorer turbo 4 cyl. is faster than the Mercedes GLC:

	Explorer	GLC
Zero to 60 MPH	6.2 sec	6.9 sec
Quarter Mile	14.8 sec	15.2 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	90 MPH	89.6 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

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

			MPG
Explorer
	RWD	3.3 V6 Hybrid	27 city/28 hwy
		Platinum 3.3 V6 Hybrid	25 city/26 hwy
GLC
	RWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	22 city/27 hwy

The Explorer can travel with zero emissions on a full charge for 3 miles. The GLC can’t move without running its internal combustion engine.

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

The Explorer V6 Turbo’s standard fuel tank has 2.8 gallons more fuel capacity than the GLC (20.2 vs. 17.4 gallons).

The Explorer 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 Ford Explorer, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a nine-speed automatic is available for the GLC.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Explorer ST’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the GLC:

	Explorer	Explorer ST	GLC
Front Rotors	13.6 inches	14.3 inches	13.5 inches
Rear Rotors	12.4 inches	13.8 inches	12.6 inches

The Explorer stops much shorter than the GLC:

	Explorer	GLC
60 to 0 MPH	113 feet	126 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	139 feet	143 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Explorer has larger standard tires than the GLC (255/65R18 vs. 235/60R18). The Explorer’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the GLC (275/45R21 vs. 255/45R20).

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Explorer offers optional 21-inch wheels. The GLC’s largest wheels are only 20-inches.

Suspension and Handling

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Explorer’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 Explorer is 3 inches wider in the front and 3.2 inches wider in the rear than on the GLC.

The Explorer’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (50% to 50%) than the GLC’s (53% to 47%). This gives the Explorer more stable handling and braking.

The Explorer ST 4WD handles at .85 G’s, while the GLC 300 4MATIC pulls only .80 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Explorer ST 4WD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the GLC 300 4MATIC (26.4 seconds @ .72 average G’s vs. 27.3 seconds @ .65 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the Explorer ST has a 2.9 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the GLC (7.9 vs. 5 inches), allowing the Explorer to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Explorer Timberline’s minimum ground clearance is 3.7 inches higher than on the GLC (8.7 vs. 5 inches).

Chassis

The Explorer Hybrid uses 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 Explorer has standard seating for 7 passengers; the GLC can only carry 5.

The Explorer has 2.9 inches more front headroom, 2.2 inches more front legroom, 4.5 inches more front shoulder room, 2 inches more rear headroom, 1.7 inches more rear legroom and 5.4 inches more rear shoulder room than the GLC.

Cargo Capacity

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

	Explorer	GLC
Third Seat Folded	47.9 cubic feet	n/a
Third Seat Removed	n/a	19.4 cubic feet
Second Seat Folded	87.8 cubic feet	56.5 cubic feet

The Explorer’s cargo area is larger than the GLC’s in every dimension:

	Explorer	GLC
Length to seat (3rd/2nd/1st)	20.8”/49.8”/83.9”	n.a./36.6”/61.3”
Max Width	59”	49.4”
Min Width	48.1”	43.3”
Height	33.7”	31.1”

Towing

Maximum trailer towing in the Mercedes GLC is limited to 3500 pounds. The Explorer offers up to a 5600 lbs. towing capacity.

Trailer Sway Control is standard on the Explorer, using the AdvanceTrac® 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 GLC.

Ergonomics

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Explorer’s available 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 Explorer 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.

The Explorer ST/King Ranch/Platinum offers optional massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the GLC.

Economic Advantages

The Explorer will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Explorer will retain 48.3% to 55.09% 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 Explorer is less expensive to operate than the GLC because it costs $155 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the Explorer than the GLC, including $368 less for a water pump, $6 less for a muffler, $195 less for front brake pads, $477 less for a starter, $351 less for fuel injection, $59 less for a fuel pump, $346 less for front struts and $193 less for a power steering pump.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Ford Explorer will be $2014 to $13081 less than for the Mercedes GLC.

Recommendations

The Ford Explorer outsold the Mercedes GLC by over three to one during 2022.