Compare the2024 Chevrolet TahoeVS 2024 Mercedes GLS

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Tahoe are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The GLS doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Tahoe (except LS with front bench seat) has a standard front seat center airbag, which deploys between the driver and front passenger, protecting them from injuries caused by striking each other in serious side impacts. The GLS doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Tahoe Premier/High Country offers optional Reverse Automatic Braking that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The GLS doesn’t offer automatic braking for stationary objects directly to the rear.

The Tahoe’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 GLS.

Both the Tahoe and the GLS have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, available all wheel drive, blind spot warning systems, around view monitors and rear cross-path warning.

Chevrolet’s powertrain warranty covers the Tahoe 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Mercedes covers the GLS. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the GLS ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

The Tahoe’s corrosion warranty is 1 year longer than the GLS’ (6 vs. 5 years).

There are almost 8 times as many Chevrolet dealers as there are Mercedes dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Tahoe’s warranty.

The Tahoe has a standard “limp home system” to keep drivers from being stranded if most or all of the engine’s coolant is lost. The engine will run on only half of its cylinders at a time, reduce its power and light a warning lamp on the dashboard so the driver can get to a service station for repairs. The GLS doesn’t offer a lost coolant limp home mode, so a coolant leak could strand you or seriously damage the truck’s engine.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Tahoe first among large suvs in their 2023 Initial Quality Study. The GLS was rated second in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Chevrolet vehicles are better in initial quality than Mercedes vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Chevrolet above average in initial quality. With 35 more problems per 100 vehicles, Mercedes is rated below average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Chevrolet vehicles are more reliable than Mercedes vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Chevrolet above average in long-term dependability. With 21 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Mercedes is rated below average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Chevrolet vehicles are more reliable than Mercedes vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Chevrolet 4 places higher in reliability than Mercedes.

The Tahoe’s 3.0 turbo diesel produces 91 lbs.-ft. more torque (460 vs. 369) than the GLS 450’s standard 3.0 turbo 6-cylinder hybrid.

On the EPA test cycle the Tahoe gets better mileage than the GLS:

An engine control system that can shut down some of the engine’s cylinders helps improve the Tahoe V8’s fuel efficiency. The GLS doesn’t offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Chevrolet Tahoe uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended with the 6.2 V8 engine for maximum performance). The GLS requires premium, which can cost on average about 82.8 cents more per gallon.

The Tahoe has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The GLS doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

A 10-speed automatic is standard on the Chevrolet Tahoe, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a nine-speed automatic is available for the GLS.

For better stopping power the Tahoe’s brake rotors are larger than those on the GLS:

The Chevrolet Tahoe’s wheels have 6 lugs for longer wheel bearing life, less chance of rotor warping and greater strength. The Mercedes GLS only has 5 wheel lugs per wheel.

The Tahoe has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The GLS doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

The Tahoe has a standard full size spare tire so a flat doesn’t interrupt your trip. A full size spare isn’t available on the GLS; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare, which limits mileage and speed before replacement.

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Tahoe is 1.9 inches wider in the front and .8 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the GLS.

For better maneuverability, the Tahoe’s turning circle is 1.3 feet tighter than the GLS’ (38.1 feet vs. 39.4 feet).

The front grille of the Tahoe uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The GLS doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Tahoe offers optional seating for 9 passengers; the GLS can only carry 7.

The Tahoe has 2.9 inches more front headroom, 4.2 inches more front legroom, 6.7 inches more front shoulder room, .1 inches more rear legroom, 6.3 inches more rear shoulder room, .3 inches more third row legroom and 12.4 inches more third row shoulder room than the GLS.

The Tahoe’s cargo area provides more volume than the GLS.

The Tahoe’s cargo area is larger than the GLS’ in every dimension:

Maximum trailer towing in the Mercedes GLS is limited to 7716 pounds. The Tahoe offers up to a 8400 lbs. towing capacity.

The Tahoe 4WD with optional equipment can be flat towed on all four wheels (dinghy towed), allowing recreational vehicle owners to bring it with them on the road. When they reach their destination, the Tahoe can be unhitched and driven around locally. The GLS can’t be towed flat on the ground.

Trailer Sway Control is standard on the Tahoe, using the StabiliTrak® sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. A trailer sway program costs extra on the GLS.

The Tahoe’s instruments include an oil pressure gauge and a temperature gauge - which could save your engine! Often ‘idiot lights’ don’t warn you until damage has been done. The GLS does not have an oil pressure gauge.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Tahoe has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the GLS only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

Consumer Reports rated the Tahoe’s headlight performance “Very Good,” a higher rating than the GLS’ headlights, which were rated “Good.”

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

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Tahoe is less expensive to operate than the GLS because typical repairs cost much less on the Tahoe than the GLS, including $305 less for a water pump, $116 less for front brake pads, $388 less for a starter, $208 less for fuel injection, $282 less for front struts and $792 less for a power steering pump.

The Chevrolet Tahoe outsold the Mercedes GLS by over five to one during 2022.