Compare the2025 Mercedes AMG GLCVS 2024 Tesla Model X

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Cargo Capacity
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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

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 AMG GLC are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Model X doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The AMG GLC 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 Model X doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

The AMG GLC has standard Post-Collision Brake, which automatically apply the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Model X doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The AMG GLC has standard Maneuvering Assistance that use rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a collision. The Model X doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the AMG GLC’s standard Downhill Speed Regulation allows you to creep down safely. The Model X doesn’t offer Downhill Speed Regulation.

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

The AMG GLC offers an optional Surround View System to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Model X only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the AMG GLC’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 Model X doesn’t offer a rear cross-path warning system.

The AMG GLC has standard Mercedes-Benz Emergency Call, which uses a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and a cellular system to remotely unlock your doors if you lock your keys in, help track down your vehicle if it’s stolen or send emergency personnel to the scene if any airbags deploy. The Model X doesn’t offer a GPS response system, only a navigation computer with no live response for emergencies, so if you’re involved in an accident and you’re incapacitated help may not come as quickly.

Both the AMG GLC and the Model X have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee 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, driver alert monitors and available lane departure warning systems.

The Mercedes AMG 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 Model X has not yet been evaluated by the IIHS for 2024.

Warranty

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

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Mercedes vehicles are better in initial quality than Tesla vehicles. With 60 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Mercedes higher than Tesla.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Mercedes vehicles are more reliable than Tesla With 34 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Mercedes higher than Tesla.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the AMG GLC 63 S E Performance’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the Model X:

	AMG GLC 63 S E Performance	Model X
Front Rotors	16.5 inches	15.6 inches
Rear Rotors	14.6 inches	14.4 inches

The AMG GLC 63 S E Performance offers optional heat-treated ceramic brake rotors, which last ten to twenty times as long as conventional cast iron rotors, don’t rust, don’t fade during repeated high speed braking, and their lighter weight contribute to better braking, handling and acceleration. The Model X doesn’t offer ceramic brake rotors.

Tires and Wheels

For better traction and acceleration, the AMG GLC has larger rear tires than the Model X (295/40R20 vs. 275/45R20). The AMG GLC’s rear tires are larger than the largest rear tires available on the Model X (295/40R20 vs. 285/35R22).

The AMG GLC’s standard 295/40R20 rear tires provide better handling because they have a lower 40 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Model X’s standard 45 series tires.

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

Suspension and Handling

The AMG GLC 63 S E Performance offers active sway bars, which help keep it flat and controlled during cornering, but disconnect at lower speeds to smooth the ride and offer greater off-road suspension articulation. This helps keep the tires glued to the road on-road and off. The Model X doesn’t offer an active sway bar system.

Chassis

The Mercedes AMG GLC may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 250 to 650 pounds less than the Tesla Model X.

The AMG GLC is 1 foot shorter than the Model X, making the AMG GLC easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Cargo Capacity

The AMG GLC has a much larger cargo volume than the Model X with its rear seat up (21.9 vs. 15 cubic feet).

The AMG GLC’s standard rear seats fold to accommodate long and bulky cargo. The Model X 6-Passenger doesn’t offer folding rear seats.

Pressing a button automatically lowers the AMG GLC’s rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Model X doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

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

Servicing Ease

An ASSYST PLUS is standard on the AMG GLC to save the owner time and money by calculating maintenance intervals for oil changes, tire rotation, and brake pad replacement, based on odometer mileage. This takes the guesswork out of keeping your vehicle in top condition and helps it last longer. Tesla doesn’t offer a maintenance reminder on the Model X.

Ergonomics

The AMG GLC’s entire steering wheel hub sounds the horn, facilitating hitting the horn in an emergency. The Model X has a small, single button on the steering wheel spoke that can be hard to find quickly in an emergency.

Unlike the driver-only memory system in the Model X, the AMG 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 AMG GLC offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed, tachometer 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 Model X doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The AMG GLC’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The Model X’s cruise control switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

Heated windshield washer fluid is standard on the AMG GLC to defrost the washer nozzles and quickly clear ice and frost from the windshield without scraping. The Model X doesn’t offer heated windshield washer fluid. Its standard heated washer nozzles will defrost the washer fluid but not the windshield.

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

The AMG GLC’s standard side window demisters help clear frost or condensation from the side windows in the winter. The Model X doesn’t even offer side window demisters, so the driver may have to wipe the windows from the outside to gain side vision.

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the AMG GLC has standard extendable sun visors. The Model X doesn’t offer extendable visors.

The AMG GLC’s sun-visors swivel front-to-side to block glare from the side windows. The Model X’s visors are fixed into the windshield header.

The AMG GLC has a standard center folding armrest for the rear passengers. A center armrest helps make rear passengers more comfortable and it can provide a boundary between children. The Model X doesn’t offer a middle row seat center armrest.

Recommendations

The Mercedes GLC outsold the Tesla Model X by 63% during 2023.