Compare the2025 Mercedes GLCVS 2025 Toyota Land Cruiser

The 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 Land Cruiser doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

The GLC has standard NECK-PRO front head restraints, which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the NECK-PRO front head restraints system moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Land Cruiser doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

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

For better protection of the passenger compartment, the GLC uses safety cell construction with a three-dimensional high-strength frame that surrounds the passenger compartment. It provides extra impact protection and a sturdy mounting location for door hardware and side impact beams. The Land Cruiser uses a body-on-frame design, which has no frame members above the floor of the vehicle.

Both the GLC and the Land Cruiser 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, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors, available all wheel drive, lane departure warning systems and around view monitors.

The Mercedes 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 Land Cruiser has not yet been evaluated by the IIHS for 2024.

The GLC comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Land Cruiser’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

As tested in Car and Driver the GLC 300 is faster than the Toyota Land Cruiser:

On the EPA test cycle the GLC 350e running on electricity gets better mileage than the Land Cruiser (60 city/70 hwy MPGe vs. 22 city/25 hwy).

On the EPA test cycle the GLC running its gasoline engine gets better mileage than the Land Cruiser:

The GLC 350e can travel with zero emissions for 54 miles. The Land Cruiser can’t move without running its internal combustion engine.

Both the GLC and Land Cruiser have a standard automatic start/stop engine feature to stop unnecessary fuel waste and pollution at stoplights and heavy traffic. The GLC has a standard disable switch for the system, so a driver can keep the engine from shutting off when the vehicle stops temporarily.

A nine-speed automatic is standard on the Mercedes GLC, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only an eight-speed automatic is available for the Land Cruiser.

The GLC stops shorter than the Land Cruiser:

The GLC’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 60 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Land Cruiser 1958’s standard 70 series tires. The GLC’s optional tires have a lower 45 series profile than the Land Cruiser’s optional 60 series tires.

The GLC has a standard automatic load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The Land Cruiser doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

The GLC’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 Land Cruiser doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

The GLC 300 4MATIC handles at .88 G’s, while the Land Cruiser pulls only .69 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The GLC 300 4MATIC executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 2.4 seconds quicker than the Land Cruiser (27.3 seconds @ .65 average G’s vs. 29.7 seconds @ .55 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the GLC’s turning circle is .7 feet tighter than the Land Cruiser’s (38.7 feet vs. 39.4 feet).

For greater off-road capability the GLC has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Land Cruiser (8.2 vs. 8 inches), allowing the GLC to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Mercedes GLC may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 400 to 1200 pounds less than the Toyota Land Cruiser.

The GLC is 10.7 inches shorter than the Land Cruiser, making the GLC easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The GLC is 11.1 inches shorter in height than the Land Cruiser, making the GLC much easier to wash and garage and drive (lower center of gravity).

Unibody construction lowers the GLC’s center of gravity significantly without reducing ground clearance. This contributes to better on the road handling and better off-road performance and stability. In addition, unibody construction makes the chassis stiffer, improving handling and reducing squeaks and rattles. The Land Cruiser doesn’t use unibody construction, but a body-on-frame design.

The GLC has 1.2 inches more front headroom, 7.7 inches more front legroom, 3.6 inches more front hip room, .4 inches more rear headroom, 10.7 inches more rear legroom and 1.3 inches more rear hip room than the Land Cruiser.

The GLC has a larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Land Cruiser with its rear seat folded (56.3 vs. 55.5 cubic feet).

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

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

The GLC uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Land Cruiser uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

Unlike the driver-only memory system optional at extra cost in the Land Cruiser (except 1958), the 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 GLC’s standard easy entry and exit feature raises the steering wheel and glides the driver’s seat back, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. An easy entry system costs extra on the Land Cruiser, and is not available on all models.

The GLC’s standard Keyless-Go allow you to unlock the doors from any outside door handle, open the cargo door, and start the vehicle, all without removing the key from the pocket or purse. Smart Key System standard on the Land Cruiser doesn’t offer a sensor on the rear doors, so you’ll have to reach a front handle to unlock the rear door.

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

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the GLC offers optional adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The Land Cruiser doesn’t offer cornering lights.

The GLC’s standard rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Land Cruiser has an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

Both the GLC and the Land Cruiser have standard heated front seats. The GLC also offers optional heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Land Cruiser.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Mercedes GLC has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Wireless charging costs extra on the Land Cruiser.

The GLC’s Active Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. The Land Cruiser doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

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

Motor Trend selected the GLC as their 2017 Sport Utility of the Year. The Land Cruiser has never been chosen.