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 GLE Coupe are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The SQ5 Sportback doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.
The Mercedes AMG GLE Coupe has a standard driver’s side knee airbag mounted low on the dashboard. The knee airbag helps prevent the driver from sliding under the seatbelts or the main frontal airbag; this keeps the driver better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. A knee airbag also helps keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The SQ5 Sportback doesn’t offer knee airbags.
The AMG GLE Coupe has standard whiplash protection, which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the whiplash protection system moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The SQ5 Sportback doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.
Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The AMG GLE Coupe has a standard Maneuvering Assistant that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The SQ5 Sportback doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.
The AMG GLE Coupe’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 SQ5 Sportback doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.
Both the AMG GLE Coupe and the SQ5 Sportback have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front 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, rear cross-path warning and available lane departure warning systems.
The Mercedes AMG GLE Coupe weighs 926 to 1246 pounds more than the Audi SQ5 Sportback. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Mercedes AMG GLE Coupe is safer than the Audi SQ5 Sportback:
|
AMG GLE Coupe |
SQ5 Sportback |
|
Driver |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
HIC |
84 |
284 |
Neck Stress |
208 lbs. |
215 lbs. |
Neck Compression |
17 lbs. |
44 lbs. |
|
Passenger |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
Chest Compression |
.4 inches |
.7 inches |
Neck Injury Risk |
31% |
34% |
Neck Stress |
125 lbs. |
134 lbs. |
New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety does 40 MPH moderate front offset crash tests on new cars. In this updated test, results indicate that the AMG GLE Coupe is much safer than the SQ5 Sportback:
|
AMG GLE Coupe |
SQ5 Sportback |
Overall Evaluation |
GOOD |
MARGINAL |
Structure |
GOOD |
GOOD |
|
Driver Injury Measures |
|
Head/Neck Rating |
GOOD |
GOOD |
Chest Rating |
GOOD |
GOOD |
Thigh/hip Rating |
GOOD |
GOOD |
Leg/foot Rating |
GOOD |
GOOD |
Restraints |
GOOD |
GOOD |
|
Rear Passenger Injury Measures |
|
Head/Neck Rating |
ACCEPTABLE |
ACCEPTABLE |
Chest Rating |
GOOD |
GOOD |
Thigh Rating |
GOOD |
GOOD |
Restraints |
GOOD |
POOR |
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 and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Mercedes AMG GLE Coupe is safer than the Audi SQ5 Sportback:
|
AMG GLE Coupe |
SQ5 Sportback |
|
Front Seat |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
HIC |
40 |
60 |
|
Rear Seat |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
HIC |
103 |
185 |
Spine Acceleration |
40 G’s |
53 G’s |
Hip Force |
677 lbs. |
817 lbs. |
|
Into Pole |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
Max Damage Depth |
12 inches |
15 inches |
Spine Acceleration |
35 G’s |
35 G’s |
New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.
Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Mercedes AMG GLE Coupe is safer than the SQ5 Sportback:
|
AMG GLE Coupe |
SQ5 Sportback |
Overall Evaluation |
GOOD |
ACCEPTABLE |
Structure |
GOOD |
GOOD |
|
Driver Injury Measures |
|
Head/Neck |
GOOD |
GOOD |
Head Injury Criterion |
50 |
96 |
Neck Tension |
201 lbs. |
245 lbs. |
Neck Compression |
-45 lbs. |
89 lbs. |
Pelvis |
ACCEPTABLE |
ACCEPTABLE |
Pelvis Force |
1026 lbs. |
1116 lbs. |
Head Protection |
GOOD |
GOOD |
|
Passenger Injury Measures |
|
Head/Neck |
GOOD |
GOOD |
Head Injury Criterion |
232 |
346 |
Neck Tension |
89 lbs. |
223 lbs. |
Neck Compression |
-89 lbs. |
89 lbs. |
Torso |
GOOD |
ACCEPTABLE |
Shoulder Deflection |
.28 in |
1.73 in |
Shoulder Force |
89 lbs. |
402 lbs. |
Torso Max Deflection |
.67 in |
1.54 in |
Torso Deflection Rate |
7 MPH |
11 MPH |
Pelvis |
ACCEPTABLE |
MARGINAL |
Pelvis Force |
1116 lbs. |
1249 lbs. |
Head Protection |
GOOD |
GOOD |
The Mercedes AMG GLE Coupe (with optional crash prevention) has achieved the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) highest rating of “Top Safety Pick Plus” for the 2024 model year. This distinction is based on its exceptional performance in IIHS’ rigorous battery of safety tests. Specifically, it earned a “Good” rating in the latest, more stringent moderate overlap front crash test, a “Good” result in the updated side impact test, and an “Acceptable” score in the revised pedestrian crash prevention test. The SQ5 Sportback was last only a “Top Safety Pick” in 2023 but no longer qualifies.