Compare the2023 Mercedes GLCVS 2023 Ford Bronco

Safety
Warranty
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Model Availability
Recommendations

Safety

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

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Mercedes GLC are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The Ford Bronco doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

The Mercedes GLC 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 Bronco doesn’t offer knee airbags.

The GLC has standard NECK-PRO front head restraints, which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the NECK-PRO front head restraints system moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Bronco doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The GLC has a standard Maneuvering Brake Function that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The Bronco doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

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

For better protection of the passenger compartment, the GLC 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 Bronco uses a body-on-frame design, which has no frame members above the floor of the vehicle.

Both the GLC and the Bronco have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, available all wheel drive, lane departure warning systems and around view monitors.

Warranty

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

Engine

As tested in Car and Driver the Mercedes GLC is faster than the Ford Bronco (automatics tested):

	GLC	Bronco turbo 4 cyl.	Bronco turbo V6
Zero to 60 MPH	5.7 sec	6.5 sec	6.3 sec
Zero to 100 MPH	16.2 sec	19.9 sec	19.5 sec
5 to 60 MPH Rolling Start	6.6 sec	8.2 sec	7.4 sec
Passing 50 to 70 MPH	4.5 sec	4.6 sec	4.4 sec
Quarter Mile	14.4 sec	15.1 sec	15 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	95 MPH	90 MPH	91 MPH
Top Speed	130 MPH	106 MPH	106 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the GLC gets better mileage than the Bronco 4-Door:

			MPG
GLC
RWD	Auto	2.0 turbo 4-cyl. Hybrid	25 city/32 hwy
AWD	Auto	2.0 turbo 4-cyl. Hybrid	23 city/31 hwy
Bronco 4-Door
AWD	Manual	2.3 turbo 4-cyl.	20 city/21 hwy
		Black Diamond 2.3 turbo 4-cyl.	16 city/18 hwy
		Sasquatch 2.3 turbo 4-cyl.	16 city/18 hwy
		Badlands 2.3 turbo 4-cyl.	16 city/17 hwy
AWD	Auto	3.0 turbo V6	15 city/16 hwy
		2.3 turbo 4-cyl.	20 city/21 hwy
		2.7 turbo V6	19 city/21 hwy
		Black Diamond 2.3 turbo 4-cyl.	18 city/18 hwy
		Sasquatch 2.3 turbo 4-cyl.	18 city/17 hwy
		Badlands 2.3 turbo 4-cyl.	17 city/17 hwy
		Badlands/Sasquatch 2.7 turbo V6	17 city/17 hwy

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

The GLC has a standard locking fuel door which locks and unlocks with the power locks The fuel filler door is not lockable on the Bronco. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank.

Transmission

The Mercedes GLC comes standard with an automatic transmission, for driver comfort, especially in the city. Automatic costs extra on the Bronco.

Brakes and Stopping

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

	GLC	GLC	Bronco	Bronco Raptor
Front Rotors	13.5 inches	14.6 inches	12.2 inches	13.8 inches
Rear Rotors	12.6 inches	12.6 inches	12.1 inches	13.2 inches

The GLC stops much shorter than the Bronco:

	GLC	Bronco
70 to 0 MPH	161 feet	221 feet	Car and Driver

Tires and Wheels

The GLC’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 60 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Bronco Big Bend’s standard 75 series tires. The GLC’s optional 255/45R20 front and 285/40R20 rear tires have a lower 45 series front and 40 series rear profile than the Bronco’s 70 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the GLC has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 16-inch wheels are standard on the Bronco. The GLC’s optional 20-inch wheels are larger than the 18-inch wheels on the Bronco Outer Banks.

Suspension and Handling

For superior ride and handling, the Mercedes GLC has fully independent front and rear suspensions. An independent suspension allows the wheels to follow the road at the best angle for gripping the pavement, without compromising ride comfort. The Ford Bronco has a solid rear axle, with a non-independent rear suspension.

The GLC has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the GLC flat and controlled during cornering. The Bronco’s suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

The GLC 300 4MATIC handles at .88 G’s, while the Bronco Raptor pulls only .68 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

Chassis

The GLC is 3.7 inches shorter than the Bronco 4-Door, making the GLC easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The GLC is 7.3 inches shorter in height than the Bronco, making the GLC much easier to wash and garage and drive (lower center of gravity).

Unibody construction lowers the GLC’s 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 Bronco doesn’t use unibody construction, but a body-on-frame design.

Passenger Space

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the GLC’s rear seats recline. The Bronco’s rear seats don’t recline.

Cargo Capacity

A control in the cargo area automatically lowers the GLC’s rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Bronco doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

The GLC’s liftgate lifts up in one piece, completely out of the way of loading and unloading, while sheltering the cargo loading area. The Bronco’s swing out door blocks loading from the passenger’s side.

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier, especially for short adults, the GLC has a standard power liftgate, which opens and closes automatically by pressing a button. The Bronco doesn’t offer a power cargo door.

Towing

The GLC’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Bronco’s (5291 vs. 3500 pounds).

Servicing Ease

The GLC uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Bronco uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

Ergonomics

When three different drivers share the GLC, the memory system makes it convenient for all three. Each keyless remote activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat (memory seat optional for the front passenger), steering wheel position and outside mirror angle. The Bronco doesn’t offer a memory system.

The GLC’s standard easy entry and exit feature raises the steering wheel and glides the driver’s seat back, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The Bronco doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The GLC offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Bronco doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

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

The GLC’s standard power window controls are mounted on the armrest for easy access. The Bronco’s available power window controls are spread out on the center console where they can’t be seen without the driver completely removing his eyes from the road.

If the windows are left open on the GLC 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 Bronco can only close the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The GLC’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Bronco’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the GLC offers optional adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The Bronco doesn’t offer cornering lights.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the GLC to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Bronco doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

The GLC’s power mirror controls are mounted on the armrest for easy access. The Bronco’s power mirror controls are on the center console where they can’t be seen without the driver completely removing his eyes from the road.

When the GLC is put in reverse, the passenger rearview mirror tilts from its original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirror into its original position. The Bronco’s mirror doesn’t automatically adjust for backing.

The GLC’s standard rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Bronco offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

The GLC has standard heated front seats. Heated front seats cost extra on the Bronco, and aren’t available on the Bronco Base. The GLC also offers optional heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Bronco.

Optional air-conditioned seats in the GLC keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The Bronco doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

The GLC has a standard center folding armrest for the rear passengers. A center armrest helps make rear passengers more comfortable and it can provide a boundary between children. The Bronco doesn’t offer a rear seat center armrest.

The GLC has a standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. Dual zone air conditioning costs extra on the Bronco and isn’t available on the Bronco Base.

The GLC’s standard automatic temperature control maintains the temperature you set, automatically controlling fan speed, vents and temperature to maintain a consistent, comfortable environment. The Bronco Base doesn’t offer automatic air conditioning.

Both the GLC and the Bronco offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the GLC has available rear air conditioning vents to keep rear occupants cool in summer or warm in winter. The Bronco doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Mercedes GLC has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Only the Bronco Outer Banks/Badlands/Wildtrak/Raptor offers wireless charging and it costs extra.

The GLC’s Active Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting and stopping automatically, with the driver only responsible for switching from reverse to drive. The Bronco doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Model Availability

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

Recommendations

Motor Trend selected the GLC as their 2017 Sport Utility of the Year. The Bronco has never been chosen.