Compare the2024 Mercedes GLCVS 2024 Alfa Romeo Stelvio

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 Alfa Romeo Stelvio 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 Stelvio 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 Stelvio doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The GLC has a standard Maneuvering Brake Function that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The Stelvio doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

Earlier warning of stopped traffic, traffic signals, dangerous road conditions, weather, or accidents, can keep driver's safer and prevent crashes. The GLC offers optional Car-to-X Communication, a system that seamlessly communicates important warnings to the driver about impending danger, if they're available. The Stelvio doesn’t offer a system that can receive automated systems from infrastructure or other vehicles.

The GLC offers an optional Surround View System to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Stelvio only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

Both the GLC and Stelvio have rear cross-traffic warning, but the GLC has Active Brake Assist (automatically applies the brakes) to better prevent a collision when backing near traffic. The Stelvio’s Rear Cross-Path Detection doesn’t automatically brake.

Both the GLC and the Stelvio 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, available all wheel drive and lane departure warning systems.

The Mercedes GLC achieved a “Top Safety Pick” rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for the 2024 model year. This recognition was based on its impressive performance in the small overlap frontal crash test, updated side impact crash test, headlight evaluations, and pedestrian crash prevention testing. The Stelvio has not yet been evaluated by the IIHS for 2024.

There are over 3 times as many Mercedes dealers as there are Alfa Romeo dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the GLC’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Mercedes vehicles are more reliable than Alfa Romeo With 50 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Mercedes higher than Alfa Romeo.

As tested in Consumer Reports the Mercedes GLC is faster than the Alfa Romeo Stelvio:

On the EPA test cycle the GLC gets better mileage than the Stelvio:

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

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Mercedes GLC higher (7 out of 10) than the Alfa Romeo Stelvio (5). This means the GLC produces up to 8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Stelvio every 15,000 miles.

A nine-speed automatic is standard on the Mercedes GLC, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only an eight-speed automatic is available for the Stelvio.

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

The GLC stops much shorter than the Stelvio:

The GLC’s drift compensation steering can automatically compensate for road conditions which would cause the vehicle to drift from side to side, helping the driver to keep the vehicle straight more easily. The Stelvio doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the GLC’s wheelbase is 2.2 inches longer than on the Stelvio (113.1 inches vs. 110.9 inches).

The GLC 300 4MATIC handles at .88 G’s, while the Stelvio Sprint AWD pulls only .84 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The GLC has 1.1 inches more front headroom, 4.1 inches more front legroom, .8 inches more rear headroom, 5.5 inches more rear legroom and .6 inches more rear shoulder room than the Stelvio.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the GLC’s rear seats recline. The Stelvio’s rear seats don’t recline.

The GLC has a much larger cargo volume than the Stelvio with its rear seat up (21.9 vs. 18.5 cubic feet).

The GLC’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Stelvio’s (5291 vs. 3000 pounds).

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 Stelvio doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

Unlike the driver-only memory seat and mirrors in the Stelvio, the GLC has standard driver and 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 offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Stelvio doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

If the windows are left open on the GLC the driver can close them all at the outside door handle or from a distance using the remote. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Stelvio can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The GLC’s standard Keyless-Go allow you to unlock the doors from any outside door handle, open the cargo door, and start the engine, all without removing the key from the pocket or purse. Keyless-Enter-n-Go standard on the Stelvio doesn’t offer a sensor on the rear doors, so you’ll have to reach a front handle to unlock the rear door.

The GLC’s LED headlights produce a white, bright light using less electricity than the Stelvio’s xenon high intensity discharge (HID) headlights. HID headlights can be slow to reach full brightness or power cycle, causing issues when flashing them to signal other vehicles; LED headlights light instantly. LED lights also last about three to four times as long.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the GLC to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Stelvio 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 Stelvio’s mirror doesn’t automatically adjust for backing.

Optional air-conditioned seats in the GLC keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The Stelvio doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

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 Stelvio doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

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

The Mercedes GLC outsold the Alfa Romeo Stelvio by almost 8 to one during 2023.