Compare the2024 Mercedes GLCVS 2024 Alfa Romeo Tonale

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 Tonale 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 Tonale 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 Tonale doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

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

Both the GLC and Tonale 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 Tonale’s Rear Cross-Path Detection doesn’t automatically brake.

Both the GLC and the Tonale 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, 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 Tonale 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.

The GLC has 6.2 gallons more fuel capacity than the Tonale (17.4 vs. 11.2 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

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 Tonale (6). This means the GLC produces up to 1.1 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Tonale 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 a six-speed automatic is available for the Tonale.

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

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 Tonale are solid, not vented.

The GLC stops shorter than the Tonale:

For better traction, the GLC has larger standard tires than the Tonale (235/60R18 vs. 225/55R18). The GLC’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Tonale (F:255/45R20 & R:285/40R20 vs. 235/45R19).

The GLC has a standard space-saver spare tire so you can replace a flat tire and drive to have the flat repaired or replaced. A spare tire isn’t available on the Tonale; it requires you to depend on roadside assistance and your vehicle will have to be towed.

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 Tonale doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the GLC’s wheelbase is 9.3 inches longer than on the Tonale (113.1 inches vs. 103.8 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the GLC is 1.9 inches wider in the front and 2.4 inches wider in the rear than on the Tonale.

The GLC 300 4MATIC handles at .88 G’s, while the Tonale Veloce pulls only .86 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The GLC has 2.5 inches more front headroom, 4.7 inches more front hip room, 1.6 inches more front shoulder room, 1.5 inches more rear headroom, 4.8 inches more rear hip room and 1.8 inches more rear shoulder room than the Tonale.

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

The GLC has a larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Tonale with its rear seat folded (56.3 vs. 50.5 cubic feet).

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the GLC. The Tonale doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

The GLC’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Tonale’s (5291 vs. 2000 pounds).

The engine in the GLC is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Tonale. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because the accessory belts are in front.

Unlike the driver-only memory system optional at extra cost in the Tonale, 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’s standard easy entry and exit feature raises the steering wheel and glides the driver’s seat back, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. An easy entry system costs extra on the Tonale.

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 Tonale doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

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 Tonale doesn’t offer a sensor on the rear doors, so you’ll have to reach a front handle to unlock the rear door.

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

Both the GLC and the Tonale have standard heated front seats. The GLC also offers optional heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Tonale.

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 Tonale doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

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 Tonale’s automatic parking system requires operating the brakes and transmission to safely park.

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

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

The Mercedes GLC outsold the Alfa Romeo Tonale by over 19 to one during 2023.