Compare the2024 GMC TerrainVS 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 Terrain 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 Terrain’s standard Hill Descent Control allows you to creep down safely. The GLC Coupe doesn’t offer Hill Descent Control.

The Terrain’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 Terrain and the GLC Coupe have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front 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, blind spot warning systems, around view monitors and rear cross-path warning.

For its top level performance in all IIHS frontal, side, rear impact and roof-crush tests, and its standard front crash prevention system, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Terrain the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2017, a rating granted to only 231 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The GLC Coupe has not been tested, yet.

GMC’s powertrain warranty covers the Terrain 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.

The Terrain’s corrosion warranty is 1 year longer than the GLC Coupe’s (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 Terrain’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 Terrain’s reliability 16 points higher than the GLC Coupe.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Terrain second among compact suvs in their 2023 Initial Quality Study. The GLC Coupe isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 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 34 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.

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

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

The Terrain 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 GLC Coupe doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the GMC Terrain higher (7 out of 10) than the Mercedes GLC Coupe (6). This means the Terrain produces up to 1.1 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the GLC Coupe every 15,000 miles.

The Terrain 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 GLC Coupe doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

For better maneuverability, the Terrain w/17” wheels’ turning circle is 1.3 feet tighter than the GLC 300 Coupe’s (37.4 feet vs. 38.7 feet).

The GMC Terrain may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 250 to 550 pounds less than the Mercedes GLC Coupe.

The front grille of the Terrain offers available 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 Terrain uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The GLC Coupe doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

The Terrain has 1.1 inches more front headroom, .1 inches more front legroom, .2 inches more rear headroom and 2.5 inches more rear legroom than the GLC Coupe.

The Terrain has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the GLC Coupe with its rear seat up (29.6 vs. 17.6 cubic feet). The Terrain has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the GLC Coupe with its rear seat folded (63.3 vs. 49.4 cubic feet).

Trailer Sway Control is standard on the Terrain, 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 GLC Coupe.

The Terrain’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 GLC Coupe does not have an oil pressure gauge.

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

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

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Terrain is less expensive to operate than the GLC Coupe because typical repairs cost much less on the Terrain than the GLC Coupe, including $385 less for a water pump, $30 less for front brake pads, $240 less for a starter, $86 less for fuel injection, $326 less for front struts and $484 less for a power steering pump.

The GMC Terrain outsold the Mercedes GLC by 32% during 2022.