Compare the2025 Mercedes GLCVS 2025 Porsche Cayenne Coupe

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Mercedes 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 Coupe 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 GLC are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Cayenne Coupe 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 Coupe 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 Coupe 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 Coupe doesn’t offer a system that can receive automated systems from infrastructure or other vehicles.

Both the GLC and the Cayenne Coupe 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, driver alert monitors, available all wheel drive, lane departure warning systems and around view monitors.

The Mercedes 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 Coupe 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 Coupe running its gasoline engine:

The GLC 350e can travel with zero emissions for 54 miles. The Cayenne Coupe 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 Coupe.

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 Coupe doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

The Mercedes GLC may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 550 to 700 pounds less than the Porsche Cayenne Coupe.

The GLC is 8.4 inches shorter than the Cayenne Turbo GT, 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 significantly lower than the Cayenne Coupe (.34 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 3.1 inches more front headroom, 1.4 inches more rear headroom and .1 inches more rear shoulder room than the Cayenne Coupe.

The GLC has a larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Cayenne Coupe with its rear seat up (21.9 vs. 20.9 cubic feet). The GLC has a larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Cayenne Coupe with its rear seat folded (56.3 vs. 53 cubic feet).

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

If the windows are left open on the 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 Coupe can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

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 Coupe’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 Coupe 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 GLC has a standard rear wiper. The Cayenne Coupe doesn’t offer a rear wiper.

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 Coupe doesn’t offer extendable visors.

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

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

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