Compare the2024 Mercedes GLCVS 2024 Land Rover Range Rover Velar

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 Range Rover Velar doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Mercedes GLC are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The Land Rover Range Rover Velar doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

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 Range Rover Velar 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 Range Rover Velar 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 Range Rover Velar doesn’t offer automatic braking for stationary objects directly to the rear.

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 Range Rover Velar doesn’t offer a system that can receive automated systems from infrastructure or other vehicles.

Both the GLC and the Range Rover Velar have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, 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, available all wheel drive, lane departure warning systems and around view monitors.

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 Range Rover Velar has not yet been evaluated by the IIHS for 2024.

There are almost 2 times as many Mercedes dealers as there are Land Rover dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the GLC’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Mercedes vehicles are better in initial quality than Land Rover vehicles. With 2 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Mercedes higher than Land Rover.

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 Land Rover With 89 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Mercedes higher than Land Rover.

The GLC’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 8 more horsepower (255 vs. 247) and 26 lbs.-ft. more torque (295 vs. 269) than the Range Rover Velar P250’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Consumer Reports the Mercedes GLC is faster than the Range Rover Velar P250 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder:

On the EPA test cycle the GLC gets better mileage than the Range Rover Velar:

The GLC has a standard locking fuel door which locks and unlocks with the power locks. The fuel filler door is not lockable on the Range Rover Velar. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank.

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 Range Rover Velar.

The GLC stops much shorter than the Range Rover Velar:

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 Range Rover Velar doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

The GLC 300 4MATIC handles at .88 G’s, while the Range Rover Velar pulls only .83 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The GLC 300 4MATIC executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.3 seconds quicker than the Range Rover Velar (27.3 seconds @ .65 average G’s vs. 28.6 seconds @ .57 average G’s).

The GLC is 3.2 inches shorter than the Range Rover Velar, making the GLC easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The GLC has 2.2 inches more front headroom, .4 inches more front legroom, .1 inches more front shoulder room, .8 inches more rear headroom, .2 inches more rear legroom and 1 inch more rear shoulder room than the Range Rover Velar.

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

The GLC’s cargo area is larger than the Range Rover Velar’s in almost every dimension:

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 Range Rover Velar can only close the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

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 Range Rover Velar doesn’t offer cornering lights.

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the GLC has standard extendable sun visors. The Range Rover Velar doesn’t offer extendable visors.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the GLC to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Range Rover Velar doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

The GLC offers an optional 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The Range Rover Velar doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

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

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

The Mercedes GLC outsold the Land Rover Range Rover Velar by almost six to one during 2023.