Compare the2025 Mercedes AMG GLCVS 2025 Porsche Cayenne

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Mercedes AMG GLC have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Porsche Cayenne doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

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 Cayenne 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 Cayenne doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

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

Both the AMG 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, all wheel drive, 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 lane departure warning systems and around view monitors.

The Mercedes AMG GLC 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” to “Good” score in the revised pedestrian crash prevention test. 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 AMG GLC’s warranty.

The AMG GLC has more powerful engines than the Cayenne:

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

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

For better stopping power the AMG GLC’s standard brake rotors are larger than those on the Cayenne:

For better traction, the AMG GLC has larger front tires than the Cayenne (F:265/45R20 & R:295/40R20 vs. F:255/55R20 & R:295/45R20).

The AMG GLC’s standard 265/45R20 front and 295/40R20 rear tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series front and 40 series rear profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Cayenne’s standard 55 series front and 45 series rear 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 Cayenne doesn’t offer run-flat tires.

The AMG 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.

The AMG GLC is 7.1 inches shorter than the Cayenne, making the AMG GLC easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The AMG 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 AMG GLC’s rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Cayenne doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

The AMG 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.

If the windows are left open on the AMG GLC the driver can close them all at the outside door handle or from a distance using the remote. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Cayenne can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

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 Cayenne’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 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 AMG GLC has standard extendable sun visors. The Cayenne doesn’t offer extendable visors.

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