Compare the2023 Mercedes AMG GLSVS 2023 Cadillac Escalade-V

For enhanced safety, the front and second-row seat shoulder belts of the Mercedes AMG GLS 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 Escalade-V doesn’t offer pretensioners for its second-row seat belts.

The Mercedes AMG GLS has a standard driver’s side knee airbag mounted low on the dashboard. The knee airbag helps prevent the driver from sliding under the seatbelts or the main frontal airbag; this keeps the driver better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. A knee airbag also helps keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Escalade-V doesn’t offer knee airbags.

The AMG GLS has a standard Post Collision Brake, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Escalade-V 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.

The AMG GLS’ 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 Escalade-V doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

For better protection of the passenger compartment, the AMG GLS uses safety cell construction with a three-dimensional high-strength frame that surrounds the passenger compartment. It provides extra impact protection and a sturdy mounting location for door hardware and side impact beams. The Escalade-V uses a body-on-frame design, which has no frame members above the floor of the vehicle.

Both the AMG GLS and the Escalade-V have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, all wheel drive, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, around view monitors and rear cross-path warning.

For smoother operation, better efficiency and fewer moving parts, the AMG GLS has an overhead cam design, rather than the old pushrod design of the engine in the Escalade-V.

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.

As tested in Car and Driver the Mercedes AMG GLS is faster than the Cadillac Escalade-V:

On the EPA test cycle the AMG GLS 63 gets better fuel mileage than the Escalade-V (14 city/19 hwy vs. 11 city/16 hwy).

Regenerative brakes improve the AMG GLS’ fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Escalade-V doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the AMG GLS’ engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. The Escalade-V doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Mercedes AMG GLS higher (6 out of 10) than the Cadillac Escalade-V (3). This means the AMG GLS produces up to 23.4 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Escalade-V every 15,000 miles.

For better stopping power the AMG GLS’ brake rotors are larger than those on the Escalade-V:

The AMG GLS stops much shorter than the Escalade-V:

For better traction, the AMG GLS’ optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Escalade-V (F:285/45R22 & R:325/40R22 vs. 275/50R22).

The AMG GLS 63’s standard 315/45R21 rear tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Escalade-V’s standard 50 series tires. The AMG GLS’ optional 285/40R23 front and 325/35R23 rear tires have a lower 40 series front and 35 series rear profile than the Escalade-V’s 50 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the AMG GLS offers optional 23-inch wheels. The Escalade-V’s largest wheels are only 22-inches.

The AMG GLS offers an available adjustable active suspension system, which counteracts cornering forces actively, limiting body roll and improving handling and stability. Cadillac doesn’t offer an active suspension on the Escalade-V.

The AMG GLS’ 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 Escalade-V doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the AMG GLS’ wheelbase is 2.5 inches longer than on the Escalade-V (123.4 inches vs. 120.9 inches).

The AMG GLS 63 handles at .92 G’s, while the Escalade-V pulls only .69 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the AMG GLS’ turning circle is .3 feet tighter than the Escalade-V’s (39.4 feet vs. 39.7 feet). The AMG GLS’ turning circle is 3.9 feet tighter than the Escalade-V ESV’s (39.4 feet vs. 43.3 feet).

The AMG GLS is 5.5 inches shorter than the Escalade-V, making the AMG GLS easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Unibody construction lowers the AMG GLS’ center of gravity significantly without reducing ground clearance. This contributes to better on the road handling and better off-road performance and stability. In addition, unibody construction makes the chassis stiffer, improving handling and reducing squeaks and rattles. The Escalade-V uses body-on-frame design instead.

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the AMG GLS easier. The AMG GLS’ cargo hatch lift-over height is 31.8 inches, while the Escalade-V’s liftover is 37 inches.

The AMG GLS has a standard third row seat which folds flat into the floor. This completely clears a very large cargo area quickly. The Escalade-V doesn’t offer seats that fold into the floor.

The AMG GLS’ standard towing capacity is much higher than the Escalade-V’s (7700 vs. 7000 pounds).

Heated windshield washer fluid is standard on the AMG GLS to defrost the washer nozzles and quickly clear ice and frost from the windshield without scraping. The Escalade-V doesn’t offer heated windshield washer fluid.

To better shield the driver and front passenger’s vision, the AMG GLS has standard dual-element sun visors that can block glare from two directions simultaneously. The Escalade-V doesn’t offer secondary sun visors.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the AMG GLS to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Escalade-V doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

The AMG GLS has standard heated front and middle row seats and optional heated third row seats, which keep the driver and passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Cadillac doesn’t offer heated seats in the third row of the Escalade-V.

The AMG GLS has standard front air conditioned seats and offers them optionally in the second row. This keeps the passengers comfortable and takes the sting out of hot seats in summer. The Escalade-V doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats for the second row.

The AMG GLS offers an optional center folding armrest for the third row rear passengers. A center armrest helps make rear passengers more comfortable and can provide a barrier between children. The Escalade-V doesn’t offer a third row rear seat center armrest.

Both the AMG GLS and the Escalade-V have standard massaging front seats. The AMG GLS also offers optional massaging second row seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging second row seats aren’t available in the Escalade-V.