Compare the2024 Audi A4 AllroadVS 2023 Mercedes GLC Coupe

Both the A4 Allroad and GLC Coupe have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The A4 Allroad 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 Coupe’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.

The Audi A4 Allroad has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The GLC Coupe doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the A4 Allroad’s standard Hill Descent Control allows you to creep down safely. The GLC Coupe doesn’t offer Hill Descent Control.

The A4 Allroad’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 A4 Allroad 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, around view monitors and rear cross-path warning.

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 available headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the A4 Allroad the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2022, a rating granted to only 174 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The GLC Coupe has not been tested, yet.

The A4 Allroad’s corrosion warranty is 7 years longer than the GLC Coupe’s (12 vs. 5 years).

The Audi A4 Allroad’s engine uses a cast iron block for durability, while the GLC Coupe’s engine uses an aluminum block. Aluminum engine blocks are much more prone to warp and crack at high temperatures than cast iron.

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 A4 Allroad’s reliability 20 points higher than the GLC Coupe.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Audi vehicles are more reliable than Mercedes vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Audi 18 places higher in reliability than Mercedes.

The A4 Allroad’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 6 more horsepower (261 vs. 255) than the GLC Coupe’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

On the EPA test cycle the A4 Allroad gets better fuel mileage than the GLC 300 Coupe (23 city/30 hwy vs. 20 city/26 hwy).

Regenerative brakes improve the A4 Allroad’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The GLC Coupe doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Audi A4 Allroad uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended for maximum performance). The GLC Coupe requires premium, which can cost on average about 82.8 cents more per gallon.

The A4 Allroad offers a standard sequential manual gearbox (SMG). With no clutch pedal to worry about and a fully automatic mode, an SMG is much more efficient than a conventional automatic but just as easy to drive. The GLC Coupe doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

The A4 Allroad’s launch control uses engine electronics to hold engine RPM’s precisely in order to provide the most stable and rapid acceleration possible, using all of the available traction. The GLC Coupe doesn’t offer launch control.

The A4 Allroad stops much shorter than the GLC Coupe:

For better traction, the A4 Allroad has larger tires than the GLC Coupe (245/45R18 vs. 235/55R19).

The A4 Allroad’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the GLC Coupe’s standard 55 series tires.

The A4 Allroad has a standard 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. The GLC Coupe’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

The A4 Allroad Premium Plus handles at .81 G’s, while the GLC 300 Coupe pulls only .79 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The A4 Allroad Premium Plus executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.3 seconds quicker than the GLC 300 Coupe (26.3 seconds @ .69 average G’s vs. 27.6 seconds @ .63 average G’s).

The A4 Allroad has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the GLC Coupe with its rear seat up (24.2 vs. 17.6 cubic feet). The A4 Allroad has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the GLC Coupe with its rear seat folded (58.5 vs. 49.4 cubic feet).

The A4 Allroad’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the GLC Coupe’s (3968 vs. 3500 pounds).

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Audi service is better than Mercedes. J.D. Power ranks Audi 8th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 16% lower rating, Mercedes is ranked 18th.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the A4 Allroad has a standard rear wiper. The GLC Coupe doesn’t offer a rear wiper.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The A4 Allroad Prestige has standard headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The GLC Coupe doesn’t offer headlight washers.

The A4 Allroad has a standard heated steering wheel to take the chill out of steering on extremely cold winter days before the car heater warms up. A heated steering wheel costs extra on the GLC Coupe.