Compare the2024 Mercedes GLCVS 2024 Honda Passport

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Towing
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Model Availability
Recommendations

Safety

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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 Honda Passport 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 Passport doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

The Mercedes GLC has a standard driver’s side knee airbag mounted low on the dashboard. The knee airbag helps prevent the driver from sliding under the seatbelts or the main frontal airbag; this keeps the driver better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. A knee airbag also helps keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Passport doesn’t offer knee airbags.

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 Passport 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 Passport 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 Passport 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 Passport 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 Passport 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 Passport’s Cross Traffic Monitor doesn’t automatically brake.

The GLC’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Passport doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the GLC and the Passport have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact 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.

Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Mercedes GLC is much safer than the Passport:

	GLC	Passport
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	MARGINAL
Structure	GOOD	MARGINAL
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	108	206
Neck Tension	156 lbs.	335 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	GOOD
Shoulder Deflection	.55 in	.67 in
Torso Max Deflection	.94 in	1.22 in
Pelvis	GOOD	MARGINAL
Pelvis Force	736 lbs.	1339 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD
	Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Neck Tension	112 lbs.	178 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	MARGINAL
Shoulder Force	67 lbs.	335 lbs.
Torso Max Deflection	.98 in	2.05 in
Torso Deflection Rate	7 MPH	12 MPH
Pelvis	GOOD	GOOD
Pelvis Force	558 lbs.	759 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD

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 Passport is not a “Top Safety Pick” for 2024.

Warranty

The GLC comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Passport’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

Reliability

A hardened steel chain, with no maintenance needs, drives the camshafts in the GLC’s engine. A rubber cam drive belt that needs periodic replacement drives the Passport’s camshafts. If the Passport’s belt breaks, the engine could be severely damaged when the pistons hit the opened valves.

To reliably power the ignition and other systems and to recharge the battery, the GLC has a standard 150-amp alternator. The Passport’s 130-amp alternator isn’t as powerful.

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 Honda With 35 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Mercedes higher than Honda.

Engine

The GLC’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 33 lbs.-ft. more torque (295 vs. 262) than the Passport’s 3.5 SOHC V6.

As tested in Motor Trend the Mercedes GLC is faster than the Honda Passport:

	GLC	Passport
Zero to 60 MPH	6.1 sec	6.6 sec
Quarter Mile	14.6 sec	15.1 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	93.8 MPH	89.2 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

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

			MPG
GLC
	RWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl. Hybrid	26 city/33 hwy
	AWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl. Hybrid	24 city/32 hwy
Passport
	AWD	3.5 SOHC V6	19 city/24 hwy

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

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Mercedes GLC higher (7 out of 10) than the Honda Passport (3). This means the GLC produces up to 24.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Passport every 15,000 miles.

Brakes and Stopping

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

	GLC	GLC	Passport
Front Rotors	13.5 inches	14.6 inches	12.6 inches

The GLC’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Passport are solid, not vented.

The GLC stops much shorter than the Passport:

	GLC	Passport
70 to 0 MPH	161 feet	181 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	112 feet	135 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	142 feet	143 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

The GLC’s optional 285/40R20 rear tires provide better handling because they have a lower 40 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Passport EX-L/Elite’s 45 series tires.

Suspension and Handling

The GLC has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The Passport’s suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

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 Passport 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 Passport (113.1 inches vs. 110.9 inches).

The GLC 300 4MATIC handles at .88 G’s, while the Passport Elite pulls only .78 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The GLC 300 4MATIC executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Passport Elite (27.3 seconds @ .65 average G’s vs. 28.1 seconds @ .62 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the GLC’s turning circle is .6 feet tighter than the Passport AWD’s (38.7 feet vs. 39.3 feet).

Chassis

The GLC is 3.4 inches shorter than the Passport, making the GLC easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The GLC is 7.6 inches shorter in height than the Passport, making the GLC much easier to wash and garage and drive (lower center of gravity).

Passenger Space

The GLC has 1.8 inches more front headroom and 1 inch more rear hip room than the Passport.

Towing

The GLC’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Passport’s (5291 vs. 5000 pounds).

Servicing Ease

The GLC uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Passport uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

The engine in the GLC is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Passport. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because there are no rear spark plugs and the accessory belts are in front.

Ergonomics

Unlike the driver-only memory seat and mirrors in the Passport, 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 Passport doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The GLC’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The Passport’s parking brake has to be released manually.

The power windows standard on both the GLC and the Passport have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the GLC is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The Passport prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

The GLC’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Passport’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

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. Push Button Start and Smart Entry standard on the Passport 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 rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Passport’s standard intermittent wipers change speed with vehicle speed, but can’t turn on and off or change speed based on changing rainfall.

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the GLC offers optional adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The Passport doesn’t offer cornering lights.

The GLC’s power mirror controls are mounted on the armrest for easy access. The Passport’s power mirror controls are on the dash where they are possibly hidden by the steering wheel and are awkward to manipulate.

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 Passport doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Model Availability

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

Recommendations

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