Compare the2023 Mercedes GLCVS 2023 Toyota Venza

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Mercedes GLC 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 Toyota Venza doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

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 Venza doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

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 Venza doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the GLC has standard Rear Cross-Traffic Alert with Active Brake Assist, systems which detect vehicles approaching from the sides and can automatically apply the brakes to prevent a collision. Only the Venza XLE/Nightshade/Limited offers Parking Support Brake.

Both the GLC and the Venza have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee 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, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors, available all wheel drive, lane departure warning systems and around view monitors.

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 Venza’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

The GLC 300’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 36 more horsepower (255 vs. 219) than the Venza’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid.

As tested in Car and Driver the Mercedes GLC is faster than the Toyota Venza:

The GLC has 2.9 gallons more fuel capacity than the Venza (17.4 vs. 14.5 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

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

The GLC’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Venza are solid, not vented.

The GLC stops much shorter than the Venza:

For better traction, the GLC has larger standard tires than the Venza (235/60R18 vs. 225/60R18). The GLC’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Venza (F:255/45R20 & R:285/40R20 vs. 225/60R18).

The GLC’s optional 255/45R20 front and 285/40R20 rear tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series front and 40 series rear profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Venza XLE/Nightshade/Limited’s 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the GLC offers optional 20-inch wheels. The Venza’s largest wheels are only 19-inches.

The GLC has vehicle speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Venza doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the GLC’s wheelbase is 7.2 inches longer than on the Venza (113.1 inches vs. 105.9 inches).

The GLC 300 4MATIC handles at .88 G’s, while the Venza Limited pulls only .79 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The GLC has 2.7 inches more front headroom, 4.6 inches more front hip room, .7 inches more rear headroom and 13.1 inches more rear hip room than the Venza.

The GLC has a larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Venza with its rear seat folded (59.3 vs. 55.1 cubic feet).

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

The GLC has a 5291 lbs. towing capacity. The Venza has no towing capacity.

Standard Trailer Stability Assist on the GLC uses the Electronic Stability Program sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The Venza doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

The GLC uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Venza 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.

The engine in the GLC is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Venza. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because the accessory belts are in front.

Unlike the driver-only memory system in the Venza XLE/Nightshade/Limited, the GLC offers an optional 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 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 Venza’s standard 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 Venza 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 Venza doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

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 Venza’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 Venza offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

The GLC has standard heated front seats. Heated front seats are only available on the Venza XLE/Nightshade/Limited. 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 Venza.

The GLC offers an optional 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The Venza doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

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 Venza doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

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

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

The Mercedes GLC outsold the Toyota Venza by almost two to one during 2022.