Compare the2024 Subaru OutbackVS 2023 Mercedes GLC Coupe

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

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Outback’s standard Hill Descent Control allows you to creep down safely. The GLC Coupe doesn’t offer Hill Descent Control.

The Outback’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 GLC Coupe.

Both the Outback and the GLC Coupe have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, all wheel drive, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, available blind spot warning systems, rear parking sensors, rear cross-path warning and driver alert monitors.

For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, daytime pedestrian crash prevention, and nighttime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Outback its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2023, a rating granted to only 30 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The GLC Coupe has not been tested, yet.

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

There are over 65 percent more Subaru dealers than there are Mercedes dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Outback’s warranty.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Outback’s reliability 21 points higher than the GLC Coupe.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Subaru vehicles are better in initial quality than Mercedes vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Subaru above average in initial quality. With 16 more problems per 100 vehicles, Mercedes is rated below average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Subaru vehicles are more reliable than Mercedes vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Subaru 17 places higher in reliability than Mercedes.

The Outback XT/Wilderness’ standard 2.4 turbo 4-cylinder produces 5 more horsepower (260 vs. 255) and 4 lbs.-ft. more torque (277 vs. 273) than the GLC Coupe’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Outback XT/Wilderness 2.4 turbo 4-cylinder is faster than the Mercedes GLC Coupe:

The flat cylinder configuration of the boxer engine in the Outback lowers its center of gravity, enhancing handling stability (That’s why Porsche uses boxer engines.). The GLC Coupe doesn’t offer a boxer engine configuration.

On the EPA test cycle the Outback gets better mileage than the GLC Coupe:

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Subaru Outback uses regular unleaded gasoline. The GLC Coupe requires premium, which can cost on average about 82.8 cents more per gallon.

The Outback has 1.1 gallons more fuel capacity than the GLC Coupe (18.5 vs. 17.4 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The Outback has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The GLC Coupe doesn’t offer a CVT.

The Outback stops much shorter than the GLC Coupe:

The Outback Wilderness/Onyx XT has a standard full size spare tire so a flat doesn’t interrupt your trip. A full size spare isn’t available on the GLC Coupe; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare or run-flat tires, either of which has mileage and speed limitations.

The Outback Wilderness executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the GLC 300 Coupe (27.2 seconds @ .63 average G’s vs. 27.6 seconds @ .63 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Outback’s turning circle is 2.6 feet tighter than the GLC 300 Coupe’s (36.1 feet vs. 38.7 feet).

The Subaru Outback may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs up to about 350 pounds less than the Mercedes GLC Coupe.

To almost totally eliminate engine vibration in the passenger area, the Outback has liquid-filled engine mounts. The liquid helps further dampen engine harshness. The GLC Coupe uses conventional solid rubber engine mounts.

The front grille of the Outback 2.5i uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The GLC Coupe doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Outback has 1.2 inches more front headroom, 2 inches more front legroom, .8 inches more front shoulder room, .8 inches more rear headroom, 2.3 inches more rear legroom and .9 inches more rear shoulder room than the GLC Coupe.

The Outback has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the GLC Coupe with its rear seat up (32.6 vs. 17.6 cubic feet). The Outback has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the GLC Coupe with its rear seat folded (75.6 vs. 49.4 cubic feet).

The Outback’s cargo area is larger than the GLC Coupe’s in almost every dimension:

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Outback’s available exterior PIN entry system (not available on Outback Base). The GLC Coupe doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system, and its Mercedes-Benz Emergency Call can’t unlock the doors if the vehicle doesn’t have cell phone reception or the driver can’t contact the service.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Outback has a standard rear wiper. The GLC Coupe doesn’t offer a rear wiper.

Insurance will cost less for the Outback owner. The Car Book by Jack Gillis rates the Outback with a number “5” insurance rate while the GLC Coupe is rated higher at a number “10” rate.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Outback is less expensive to operate than the GLC Coupe because typical repairs cost much less on the Outback than the GLC Coupe, including $490 less for a water pump, $576 less for a muffler, $181 less for front brake pads, $246 less for a starter, $336 less for fuel injection, $86 less for a fuel pump, $147 less for front struts and $915 less for a power steering pump.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Subaru Outback, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Subaru Outback outsold the Mercedes GLC by over two to one during 2022.