Compare the2023 GMC YukonVS 2023 Mercedes GLS

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

The Yukon (except SLE with front bench seat) has a standard front seat center airbag, which deploys between the driver and front passenger, protecting them from injuries caused by striking each other in serious side impacts. The GLS doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Yukon Denali offers optional Reverse Automatic Braking that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The GLS doesn’t offer automatic braking for stationary objects directly to the rear.

The Yukon’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 GLS.

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

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

The Yukon’s corrosion warranty is 1 year longer than the GLS’ (6 vs. 5 years).

There are over 4 times as many GMC dealers as there are Mercedes dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Yukon’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Yukon second among large suvs in their 2022 Initial Quality Study. The GLS isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that GMC vehicles are better in initial quality than Mercedes vehicles. J.D. Power ranks GMC above average in initial quality. With 27 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 GMC vehicles are more reliable than Mercedes With 3 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks GMC higher than Mercedes.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that GMC vehicles are more reliable than Mercedes vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks GMC 3 places higher in reliability than Mercedes.

The Yukon’s 3.0 turbo diesel produces 91 lbs.-ft. more torque (460 vs. 369) than the GLS 450’s standard 3.0 turbo 6-cylinder hybrid.

On the EPA test cycle the Yukon gets better mileage than the GLS:

An engine control system that can shut down some of the engine’s cylinders helps improve the Yukon V8’s fuel efficiency. The GLS doesn’t offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the GMC Yukon uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended with the 6.2 V8 engine for maximum performance). The GLS requires premium, which can cost on average about 82.8 cents more per gallon.

The Yukon 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 GLS doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

A 10-speed automatic is standard on the GMC Yukon, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a nine-speed automatic is available for the GLS.

The GMC Yukon’s wheels have 6 lugs for longer wheel bearing life, less chance of rotor warping and greater strength. The Mercedes GLS only has 5 wheel lugs per wheel.

The Yukon has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The GLS doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

The Yukon has a standard full size spare tire so a flat doesn’t interrupt your trip. A full size spare isn’t available on the GLS; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare, which limits mileage and speed before replacement.

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Yukon is 1.8 inches wider in the front and .6 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the GLS.

For better maneuverability, the Yukon’s turning circle is 1.3 feet tighter than the GLS’ (38.1 feet vs. 39.4 feet).

The front grille of the Yukon (except Diesel) uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The GLS doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Yukon offers optional seating for 9 passengers; the GLS can only carry 7.

The Yukon has 2.9 inches more front headroom, 4.2 inches more front legroom, 6.7 inches more front shoulder room, .1 inches more rear legroom, 6.3 inches more rear shoulder room, .3 inches more third row legroom and 12.4 inches more third row shoulder room than the GLS.

The Yukon’s cargo area provides more volume than the GLS.

The Yukon’s cargo area is larger than the GLS’ in every dimension:

Maximum trailer towing in the Mercedes GLS is limited to 7700 pounds. The Yukon offers up to a 8400 lbs. towing capacity.

The Yukon 4WD with optional equipment can be flat towed on all four wheels (dinghy towed), allowing recreational vehicle owners to bring it with them on the road. When they reach their destination, the Yukon can be unhitched and driven around locally. The GLS can’t be towed flat on the ground.

Trailer Sway Control is standard on the Yukon, using the StabiliTrak® 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 GLS.

The Yukon’s instruments include an oil pressure gauge and a temperature gauge - which could save your engine! Often ‘idiot lights’ don’t warn you until damage has been done. The GLS does not have an oil pressure gauge.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Yukon has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the GLS only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

The Yukon is available in both rear-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The GLS doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

Insurance will cost less for the Yukon owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Yukon will cost $6873 to $7435 less than the GLS over a five-year period.

The Yukon will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Yukon will retain 51.37% to 52.71% of its original price after five years, while the GLS only retains 41.62%.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Yukon is less expensive to operate than the GLS because typical repairs cost much less on the Yukon than the GLS, including $305 less for a water pump, $116 less for front brake pads, $388 less for a starter, $208 less for fuel injection, $282 less for front struts and $662 less for a power steering pump.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the GMC Yukon will be $16540 to $33632 less than for the Mercedes GLS.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Yukon third among large suvs in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The GLS isn’t in the top three.

The GMC Yukon/Yukon XL outsold the Mercedes GLS by almost four to one during 2022.