Compare the2024 Audi Q8VS 2023 Mercedes GLC Coupe

Both the Q8 and GLC Coupe have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The Q8 has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The GLC Coupe’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Q8’s standard Hill Descent Assist allows you to creep down safely. The GLC Coupe doesn’t offer Hill Descent Assist.

Earlier warning of stopped traffic, traffic signals, dangerous road conditions, weather, or accidents, can keep driver's safer and prevent crashes. The Q8 has Car-to-X Services, a system that seamlessly communicates important warnings to the driver about impending danger, if they're available. The GLC Coupe doesn’t offer a system that can receive automated systems from infrastructure.

A passive infrared night vision system optional on the Q8 Prestige helps the driver to more easily detect people, animals or other objects in front of the vehicle at night. Using an infrared camera to detect heat, the system then displays the image on a monitor in the dashboard. The GLC Coupe doesn’t offer a night vision system.

The Q8’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 GLC Coupe.

Both the Q8 and the GLC Coupe have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, all wheel drive, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available around view monitors.

The Audi Q8 weighs 1081 pounds more than the Mercedes GLC Coupe. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Acceptable” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Q8 its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 131 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The GLC Coupe has not been tested, yet.

The Q8’s corrosion warranty is 7 years longer than the GLC Coupe’s (12 vs. 5 years).

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Q8’s reliability 14 points higher than the GLC Coupe.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Audi vehicles are more reliable than Mercedes vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Audi 10 places higher in reliability than Mercedes.

The Q8’s 3.0 turbo V6 hybrid produces 80 more horsepower (335 vs. 255) and 96 lbs.-ft. more torque (369 vs. 273) than the GLC Coupe’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Audi Q8 is faster than the Mercedes GLC Coupe:

Regenerative brakes improve the Q8’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The GLC Coupe doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

The Q8 has 5.1 gallons more fuel capacity than the GLC Coupe (22.5 vs. 17.4 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

For better stopping power the Q8’s brake rotors are larger than those on the GLC Coupe:

For better traction, the Q8 has larger tires than the GLC Coupe (285/45R21 vs. 235/55R19). The Q8’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the GLC Coupe (285/45R21 vs. 255/45R20).

The Q8’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the GLC Coupe’s standard 55 series tires. The Q8’s optional tires have a lower 40 series profile than the GLC Coupe’s optional 45 series front tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Q8 has standard 21-inch wheels. Smaller 19-inch wheels are standard on the GLC Coupe. The Q8’s optional 22-inch wheels are larger than the 20-inch wheels optional on the GLC Coupe.

The Q8 has a standard driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads or off-road. The GLC Coupe’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Q8’s wheelbase is 4.8 inches longer than on the GLC Coupe (117.9 inches vs. 113.1 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Q8 is 2.2 inches wider in the front and 2.9 inches wider in the rear than on the GLC Coupe.

The Q8 Prestige handles at .83 G’s, while the GLC 300 Coupe pulls only .79 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Q8 Prestige executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the GLC 300 Coupe (26.9 seconds @ .69 average G’s vs. 27.6 seconds @ .63 average G’s).

The Q8 has .8 inches more front legroom, 2.2 inches more front shoulder room, 3 inches more rear legroom and 2 inches more rear shoulder room than the GLC Coupe.

The Q8 has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the GLC Coupe with its rear seat up (30.5 vs. 17.6 cubic feet). The Q8 has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the GLC Coupe with its rear seat folded (60.7 vs. 49.4 cubic feet).

The Q8’s cargo area is larger than the GLC Coupe’s in almost every dimension:

The Q8’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the GLC Coupe’s (7700 vs. 3500 pounds).

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Audi service is better than Mercedes. J.D. Power ranks Audi 8th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 16% lower rating, Mercedes is ranked 18th.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Q8 has a standard rear wiper. The GLC Coupe doesn’t offer a rear wiper.

Laser headlights, standard on the Q8 Prestige, produce their light by firing blue lasers through phosphorus, a process that uses one-half the power of the GLC Coupe’s LED headlights. Laser headlights can have double the range of LEDs with a much smaller surface area.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The Q8 has standard headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The GLC Coupe doesn’t offer headlight washers.

A manual rear sunshade is optional in the Q8 and power rear side window sunshades are optional in the Q8 (except Premium) to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The GLC Coupe doesn’t offer a rear sunshade.

The Q8 Prestige has standard massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the GLC Coupe.

The Q8 Prestige’s Park Assist Plus can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Remote Park Assist Plus will park and retrieve your car remotely: press a button and watch it park itself. This is ideal for tight locations. The GLC Coupe’s automatic parking system does not offer parking by remote control.