Compare the2025 Mercedes GLCVS 2024 Porsche Cayenne

The GLC’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Cayenne 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 GLC are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Cayenne doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

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 Cayenne 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 Cayenne 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 Cayenne doesn’t offer a system that can receive automated systems from infrastructure or other vehicles.

The GLC’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 Cayenne doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the GLC and the Cayenne have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, 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, 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 Cayenne has not yet been evaluated by the IIHS for 2024.

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 GLC’s warranty.

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

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

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 Cayenne.

In an emergency stopping situation, many drivers don’t press the brakes with enough force to stop the vehicle in the shortest distance. The GLC has standard Brake Assist to detect emergency braking situations (by how hard and how quickly the brake pedal is pressed) and then automatically apply maximum braking immediately in order to help prevent a collision. The Cayenne doesn’t offer a brake assist feature.

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 Cayenne doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For better maneuverability, the GLC’s turning circle is 1 foot tighter than the Cayenne Turbo E-Hybrid’s (38.7 feet vs. 39.7 feet). The GLC’s turning circle is 1.3 feet tighter than the Cayenne’s (38.7 feet vs. 40 feet).

For greater off-road capability the GLC has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Cayenne E-Hybrid (8.2 vs. 8.1 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 500 to 650 pounds less than the Porsche Cayenne.

The GLC is 8.3 inches shorter than the Cayenne Turbo E-Hybrid, making the GLC easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The design of the Mercedes GLC amounts to more than styling. The GLC has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .29 Cd. That is lower than the Cayenne (.3 to .35) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the GLC get better fuel mileage.

The GLC has 2.3 inches more front headroom, .7 inches more rear headroom and .1 inches more rear shoulder room than the Cayenne.

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

The GLC 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 Cayenne doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

The 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 Cayenne’s cruise control switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

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 Cayenne doesn’t offer heated windshield washer fluid. Its standard heated washer nozzles will defrost the washer fluid but not the windshield.

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

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

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

The Mercedes GLC outsold the Porsche Cayenne by almost two to one during 2023.