Compare the2024 Genesis GV80VS 2022 Mercedes GLC

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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Both the GV80 and GLC have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The GV80 has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The GLC’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

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 GV80 are reminded to check the back seat when a sensor determines the back seat is occupied. The GLC doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The GV80 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 GLC doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The GV80 offers optional Parking Collision-Avoidance Assist-Reverse that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The GLC doesn’t offer automatic braking for stationary objects directly to the rear.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the GV80. But it costs extra on the GLC.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the GV80’s standard Downhill Brake Control allows you to creep down safely. The GLC doesn’t offer Downhill Brake Control.

The GV80’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.

Both the GV80 and the GLC have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, 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 and available around view monitors.

The Genesis GV80 weighs 615 to 1323 pounds more than the Mercedes GLC. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Genesis GV80 is safer than the Mercedes GLC:

	GV80	GLC
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	29	69
Chest Movement	.5 inches	.9 inches
Abdominal Force	101 lbs.	117 lbs.
Hip Force	293 lbs.	409 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	70	134
Spine Acceleration	26 G’s	46 G’s
Hip Force	458 lbs.	784 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	640 lbs.	787 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Acceptable” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the GV80 its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 128 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The GLC has not been fully tested, yet.

Warranty

The GV80 comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes free 24-hour roadside assistance. The GLC’s 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 10,000 miles sooner.

Genesis’ powertrain warranty covers the GV80 6 years and 50,000 miles longer than Mercedes covers the GLC. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the GLC ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

The GV80’s corrosion warranty is 2 years longer than the GLC’s (7 vs. 5 years).

Genesis pays for scheduled maintenance on the GV80 for 3 years and 36,000 miles. Genesis will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Mercedes doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the GLC.

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Genesis vehicles are better in initial quality than Mercedes vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Genesis above average in initial quality. With 25 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 statistics that show that Genesis vehicles are more reliable than Mercedes vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Genesis fourth in reliability, above the industry average. With 40 more problems per 100 vehicles, Mercedes is ranked 18th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Genesis vehicles are more reliable than Mercedes vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Genesis 12 places higher in reliability than Mercedes.

Engine

The GV80 2.5T’s standard 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder produces 45 more horsepower (300 vs. 255) and 38 lbs.-ft. more torque (311 vs. 273) than the GLC’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder. The GV80 3.5T’s standard 3.5 turbo V6 produces 120 more horsepower (375 vs. 255) and 118 lbs.-ft. more torque (391 vs. 273) than the GLC’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the GV80 2.5T 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder is faster than the Mercedes GLC:

	GV80	GLC
Zero to 60 MPH	6.4 sec	6.9 sec
Quarter Mile	14.9 sec	15.2 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	94.3 MPH	89.6 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

The GV80 has 3.7 gallons more fuel capacity than the GLC (21.1 vs. 17.4 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the GV80’s brake rotors are larger than those on the GLC:

	GV80 2.5T	GV80 3.5T	GLC
Front Rotors	14.2 inches	14.9 inches	13.5 inches
Rear Rotors	14.2 inches	14.2 inches	12.6 inches

The GV80 stops much shorter than the GLC:

	GV80	GLC
60 to 0 MPH	112 feet	126 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	139 feet	143 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the GV80 has larger tires than the GLC (265/40R22 vs. 235/60R18). The GV80’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the GLC (265/40R22 vs. 255/45R20).

The GV80’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 GLC’s standard 60 series tires. The GV80’s optional tires have a lower 40 series profile than the GLC’s optional 45 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the GV80 has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the GLC. The GV80’s optional 22-inch wheels are larger than the 20-inch wheels optional on the GLC.

Suspension and Handling

The GV80 offers an optional driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads or off-road. The GLC’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

The GV80 offers an optional automatic rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The GLC doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the GV80’s wheelbase is 3.2 inches longer than on the GLC (116.3 inches vs. 113.1 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the GV80 is 2 inches wider in the front and 2.8 inches wider in the rear than on the GLC.

The GV80 Prestige handles at .82 G’s, while the GLC 300 4MATIC pulls only .80 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The GV80 Prestige executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the GLC 300 4MATIC (26.9 seconds @ .65 average G’s vs. 27.3 seconds @ .65 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the GV80 has a 3.1 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the GLC (8.1 vs. 5 inches), allowing the GV80 to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Chassis

To almost totally eliminate engine vibration in the passenger area, the GV80 3.5T has a liquid-filled front engine mount. The liquid helps further dampen engine harshness. The GLC uses conventional solid rubber engine mounts.

The GV80 Prestige uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The GLC doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

Passenger Space

The GV80 offers optional seating for 7 passengers; the GLC can only carry 5.

The GV80 has 2.4 inches more front headroom, .8 inches more front legroom, 2.9 inches more front shoulder room, 1.4 inches more rear legroom and 1.7 inches more rear shoulder room than the GLC.

Cargo Capacity

The GV80’s cargo area provides more volume than the GLC.

	GV80	GLC
Third Seat Removed	34.9 cubic feet	19.4 cubic feet
Second Seat Folded	84 cubic feet	56.5 cubic feet

The GV80’s cargo area is larger than the GLC’s in almost every dimension:

	GV80	GLC
Length to seat (3rd/2nd/1st)	15.9”/44.7”/79”	n.a./36.6”/61.3”
Max Width	53”	49.4”
Min Width	41.7”	43.3”
Height	31.1”	31.1”

Towing

The GV80’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the GLC’s (6000 vs. 3500 pounds).

Ergonomics

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the GV80 has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the GLC only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

Optional air conditioned front and second row seats keep the GV80’s passengers comfortable and take the sting out of hot leather in summer. The GLC doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats in the rear.

The GV80 has a standard heated steering wheel to take the chill out of steering on extremely cold winter days before the vehicle heater warms up. A heated steering wheel costs extra on the GLC.

The GV80 offers optional massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the GLC.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Genesis GV80 has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console and one for the rear passengers. Wireless charging costs extra on the GLC.

The GV80’s optional Smart Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Optional Remote Smart Parking Assist will park and retrieve your car remotely: press a button and watch it park itself. This is ideal for tight locations. The GLC’s automatic parking system does not offer parking by remote control.

Recommendations

Motor Trend performed a comparison test in its December 2020 issue and they ranked the Genesis GV80 Standard higher than the Mercedes GLC 300 4MATIC.

The GV80 was chosen as a Car and Driver’s “Top Ten” for 2021. The GLC has never been chosen by Car and Driver in their “10Best” issue.