Compare the2025 Volvo XC40VS 2025 Mercedes GLC

Both the XC40 and GLC have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The XC40 Ultra has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The GLC’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the XC40. But it costs extra on the GLC.

The XC40’s standard lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane and gently nudges the vehicle back towards its lane. A lane departure warning system costs extra on the GLC.

Both the XC40 and the GLC 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 and available around view monitors.

The XC40’s corrosion warranty is 7 years longer than the GLC’s (12 vs. 5 years).

Volvo pays for scheduled maintenance on the XC40 for 3 years and 30,000 miles. Volvo will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Mercedes doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the GLC.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Volvo vehicles are more reliable than Mercedes With 1 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Volvo higher than Mercedes.

On the EPA test cycle the XC40 T5 gets better fuel mileage than the GLC 350e running its gasoline engine (23 city/30 hwy vs. 23 city/28 hwy).

The XC40 has 1.3 gallons more fuel capacity than the GLC 350e’s standard fuel tank (14.2 vs. 12.9 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The XC40 has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The GLC doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

The XC40 stops shorter than the GLC:

The XC40’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the GLC’s standard 60 series tires.

For better maneuverability, the XC40’s turning circle is 1.3 feet tighter than the GLC’s (37.4 feet vs. 38.7 feet).

The Volvo XC40 may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 300 to 1050 pounds less than the Mercedes GLC.

The XC40 is 10.9 inches shorter than the GLC, making the XC40 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The XC40 has a larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the GLC with its rear seat folded (57.5 vs. 56.3 cubic feet).

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the XC40 has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the GLC only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

Consumer Reports rated the XC40’s headlight performance “Very Good,” a higher rating than the GLC’s headlights, which were rated “Fair.”