Compare the2023 Mercedes G-ClassVS 2023 GMC Yukon

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Mercedes G-Class 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 GMC Yukon doesn’t offer pretensioners for its second-row seat belts.

The G-Class’ pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Yukon doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

The Mercedes G-Class 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 Yukon doesn’t offer knee airbags.

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

The G-Class has a standard blind spot warning system that uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them and moves the vehicle back into its lane. A system to reveal vehicles in the Yukon’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the G-Class has standard Rear Cross-Traffic Alert and Active Brake Assist automatically engages the brakes to help avoid a collision. GMC charges extra for Rear Cross Traffic Alert on the Yukon and the Yukon’s Rear Cross Traffic Alert does not include automatic braking.

The G-Class’ 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 Yukon doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the G-Class and the Yukon have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems and rearview cameras.

The G-Class comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Yukon’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

The G-Class’ corrosion warranty is unlimited miles longer than the Yukon’s (unlimited vs. 100,000 miles).

For smoother operation, better efficiency and fewer moving parts, the engines in the G-Class have an overhead cam design, rather than the old pushrod design of some of the engines in the Yukon.

The G 550’s standard 4.0 turbo V8 produces 61 more horsepower (416 vs. 355) and 67 lbs.-ft. more torque (450 vs. 383) than the Yukon’s standard 5.3 V8. The AMG G 63’s standard 4.0 turbo V8 produces 157 more horsepower (577 vs. 420) and 167 lbs.-ft. more torque (627 vs. 460) than the Yukon’s optional 6.2 V8.

As tested in Motor Trend the G 550 is faster than the GMC Yukon 5.3 V8:

As tested in Car and Driver the AMG G 63 is faster than the GMC Yukon 6.2:

The G-Class has 2.4 gallons more fuel capacity than the Yukon (26.4 vs. 24 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

For better stopping power the G-Class’ brake rotors are larger than those on the Yukon:

The G-Class stops much shorter than the Yukon:

For better traction, the G-Class has larger standard tires than the Yukon (275/55R19 vs. 265/65R18). The G-Class’ optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Yukon (295/40R22 vs. 275/60R20).

The G 550’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 Yukon SLE’s standard 65 series tires. The G-Class’ optional tires have a lower 40 series profile than the Yukon’s optional 50 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the G 550 has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the Yukon SLE.

The AMG G 63 handles at .75 G’s, while the Yukon Denali 4x4 pulls only .73 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The AMG G 63 executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 2.4 seconds quicker than the Yukon AT4 4x4 (28.2 seconds @ .64 average G’s vs. 30.6 seconds @ .51 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the G-Class has a 1.5 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Yukon (9.5 vs. 8 inches), allowing the G-Class to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The G 550 is 1 foot, 8.3 inches shorter than the Yukon, making the G-Class easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The G-Class has a much larger cargo volume than the Yukon with its rear seat up (38.1 vs. 25.5 cubic feet).

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the G-Class easier. The G-Class’ cargo hatch lift-over height is 29.3 inches, while the Yukon’s liftover is 37 inches.

Unlike the driver-only memory system in the Yukon SLT/AT4/Denali, the G-Class has standard driver and passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat, steering wheel position and outside mirror angle and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

The G-Class’ front and rear power windows all open or close with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside of the car. The Yukon’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to close them fully.

If the windows are left open on the G-Class the driver can close them all at the outside door handle or from a distance using the remote. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Yukon can only close the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The G-Class has a standard locking fuel door with a remote release located convenient to the driver. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank. The Yukon doesn’t offer a locking fuel door.

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

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the G-Class has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The Yukon doesn’t offer cornering lights.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Mercedes G-Class has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Only the Yukon SLT/AT4/Denali offers wireless charging.