Compare the2024 Mercedes GLAVS 2024 Porsche Macan

The GLA’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Macan doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

The GLA’s standard pretensioning seatbelts also sense rear collisions and remove slack from the seatbelts to help protect the occupants from whiplash and other injuries. The Macan doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

The GLA has a standard blind spot warning system that uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. A system to reveal vehicles in the Macan’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the GLA’s standard Rear Cross-Traffic Alert uses sensors in the rear to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side and Active Brake Assist automatically engages the brakes to help avoid a collision. The Macan doesn’t offer a rear cross-path warning system.

The GLA’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 Macan doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the GLA and the Macan have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee 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, rearview cameras, available all wheel drive, lane departure warning systems and around view monitors.

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

J.D. Power and Associates rated the GLA third among small premium suvs in their 2023 Initial Quality Study. The Macan isn’t in the top three in its category.

On the EPA test cycle the GLA gets better mileage than the Macan:

An eight-speed automatic (SMG) is standard on the Mercedes GLA, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a seven-speed automatic is available for the Macan.

Changing a flat tire near traffic can be dangerous and inconvenient. The run-flat tires available on the GLA can be driven up to 50 miles without any air pressure, allowing you to drive to a service station for a repair. The Macan doesn’t offer run-flat tires.

The GLA’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 Macan doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For better maneuverability, the GLA’s turning circle is 1.8 feet tighter than the Macan’s (37.4 feet vs. 39.2 feet).

The Mercedes GLA may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 750 to 900 pounds less than the Porsche Macan.

The GLA is 1 foot shorter than the Macan, making the GLA easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The design of the Mercedes GLA amounts to more than styling. The GLA has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .3 Cd. That is significantly lower than the Macan (.35 to .37) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the GLA get better fuel mileage.

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

The GLA has a much larger cargo volume than the Macan with its rear seat up (19 vs. 17.2 cubic feet).

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the GLA’s liftgate can be opened and closed just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Macan doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its liftgate, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

The GLA has a standard remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The climate system will also automatically heat or cool the interior. The Macan doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

The GLA 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 Macan doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

Heated windshield washer fluid is optional on the GLA to defrost the washer nozzles and quickly clear ice and frost from the windshield without scraping. The Macan doesn’t offer heated windshield washer fluid.

The GLA 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 Macan doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

The GLA’s Active Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. The Macan’s automatic parking system requires operating the brakes and transmission to safely park.

The GLA is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Macan doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

Insurance will cost less for the GLA owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the GLA will cost $2360 to $6065 less than the Macan over a five-year period.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Mercedes GLA will be $15436 to $39716 less than for the Porsche Macan.