Compare the2024 GMC TerrainVS 2024 Mercedes GLE

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 Terrain are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The GLE doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Terrain’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 GLE.

Both the Terrain and the GLE have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, 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.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the GMC Terrain is safer than the Mercedes GLE:

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH, results indicate that the GMC Terrain is safer than the Mercedes GLE:

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

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

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

There are over 4 times as many GMC dealers as there are Mercedes dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Terrain’s warranty.

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 Terrain’s reliability 20 points higher than the GLE.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Terrain second among compact suvs in their 2023 Initial Quality Study. The GLE isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that GMC vehicles are better in initial quality than Mercedes vehicles. J.D. Power ranks GMC above average in initial quality. With 34 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 GMC vehicles are more reliable than Mercedes With 3 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks GMC higher than Mercedes.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that GMC vehicles are more reliable than Mercedes vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks GMC 5 places higher in reliability than Mercedes.

On the EPA test cycle the Terrain gets better mileage than the GLE running its gasoline engine:

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the GMC Terrain uses regular unleaded gasoline. The GLE requires premium, which can cost on average about 82.8 cents more per gallon.

The Terrain 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 GLE doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the GMC Terrain higher (7 out of 10) than the Mercedes GLE (5 to 7). This means the Terrain produces up to 8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the GLE every 15,000 miles.

The Terrain 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 GLE doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

The Terrain Denali AWD handles at .79 G’s, while the GLE 350 pulls only .78 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Terrain Denali AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the GLE 350 (27.5 seconds @ .64 average G’s vs. 28.2 seconds @ .62 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Terrain w/17” wheels’ turning circle is 2 feet tighter than the GLE’s (37.4 feet vs. 39.4 feet).

The GMC Terrain may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 1500 to 2050 pounds less than the Mercedes GLE.

The Terrain is 12 inches shorter than the GLE, making the Terrain easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

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

The Terrain uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The GLE doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

The Terrain has .6 inches more front legroom and 1.6 inches more rear headroom than the GLE.

Trailer Sway Control is standard on the Terrain, 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 GLE.

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

Consumer Reports rated the Terrain’s headlight performance “Good,” a higher rating than the GLE’s headlights, which were rated “Poor.”

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

Insurance will cost less for the Terrain owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Terrain will cost $1960 to $8095 less than the GLE over a five-year period.

The Terrain will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Terrain will retain 53.97% to 56.81% of its original price after five years, while the GLE only retains 49.45% to 53.48%.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Terrain is less expensive to operate than the GLE because typical repairs cost much less on the Terrain than the GLE, including $404 less for a water pump, $19 less for front brake pads, $237 less for a starter, $119 less for fuel injection, $307 less for front struts and $461 less for a power steering pump.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the GMC Terrain will be $29159 to $51939 less than for the Mercedes GLE.

The GMC Terrain outsold the Mercedes GLE by 25% during 2023.