Mercedes-Benz GLC Review & Prices

The GLC sits in the middle of the Mercedes SUV range. Bigger than the GLA and GLB but smaller than the GLE, GLS and the G-Class, it combines handsome styling with plenty of room inside and a wide range of engines, but it’s more expensive than its alternatives and the interior quality can’t quite match the price.

Choosing the GLC is like doing your shop at Waitrose, as opposed to the Sainsbury’s Audi Q5 or M&S BMW X3. Look around and you’ll find a lot of similarities, but there’s a touch more poshness to the Mercedes badge than the others, just like the green Waitrose shopping bags.

But it’s not just poshness where the GLC is a step above the others, because it’s a properly good looking, medium-sized SUV. The Volvo XC60 runs it close in the styling department, but the GLC’s slender taillights, aggressive headlights and curvaceous body edges it ahead, to our eyes.

Step inside the GLC and you’re greeted by an equally handsome interior, which resembles the rest of the current Mercedes range - even the super-expensive S-Class, SL roadster and AMG GT coupe. The dashboard is angled away from you while the 11.9-inch, portrait-oriented infotainment screen curves up dramatically from the centre console, ‘floating’ above the dash.

Watch: Audi Q5 v BMW X3 v Mercedes GLC v Volvo XC60

You get a 12.3-inch driver’s display behind the slightly fussy five-spoke steering wheel, and five intricate vents on the dashboard. While the infotainment’s graphics are crystal clear, it’s not as responsive as the systems you get in a BMW or Audi - or even a Skoda Enyaq, for that matter.

It may all look excellent, but material and build quality is a bit disappointing in the most expensive SUV of this type. There’s a lot of plush trim and upholstery, but the centre console, door cards and even the wood trim on the dashboard all feels hollow and a bit flimsy.

Still, it’s easy to get comfortable in the GLC. The seats offer a fantastic range of adjustment, and our test car had a superb - optional - massage function.

There’s lots of space in the back of the GLC too, with enough headroom and legroom for tall adults to sit in comfort - even on a long journey. Middle passengers have a hump in the floor to contend with, but there’s adequate shoulder room across the bench. The 620-litre boot size blows the X3 and Q5 out of the water, though hybrid models lose a shocking 150 litres to the under-floor batteries.

On the road the GLC’s powerful engines (petrol, diesel or our choice, the plug-in hybrid) make for swift progress, and the SUV never feels strained when you put your foot down. The gearbox lets it down though, as it can take a while to get going at the lights which is frustrating; PHEV models are better as the electric motor smooths out the gear changes, while the unique-to-Mercedes diesel PHEV offers the ideal mix of long-range fuel efficiency and electric power around town.

It’s not a very comfortable SUV though, not when fitted with the larger wheel options; thudding through potholes and lumbering over speedbumps. Motorway driving isn’t much better for ride comfort, but the well-insulated cabin is quiet and cosseting.

Get the GLC on a country lane and you’re in for an uneventful journey. It’s stable, grippy and the body lean is kept adequately in check when cornering, but the quick steering is a touch vague. A BMW X3 is much more fun.

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The petrol Mercedes GLC 300 model starts at around £56,500, making it around £5,000 more expensive than the entry-level petrol BMW X3 and £6,000 more than the Audi Q5. The entry-level GLC 220d diesel is cheaper, but still costs £2,000 more than the equivalent diesel Q5.

Price varies massively in the GLC though, and while the base AMG Line models are all around the mid £50,000 range, you’ll pay a whopping £20,000 more for a PHEV model in AMG Line Premium Plus spec. Ouch.

Even bottom-rung GLCs come fitted with the swanky interior lighting, portrait infotainment system, heated front seats, electrically adjustable driver’s seat with memory and sporty AMG Line bumpers.

The Mercedes GLC is comfortable to drive in town and on the motorway, but it's not the most fun car to steer doing a winding road

In town

By going for a plug-in hybrid, you’ll find the GLC to be excellent around town. Apart from the odd jolt over harsher bumps at slow speeds, the suspension soaks up a lot of lumpier surfaces - but only if you avoid the big optional wheels.

Manoeuvring in the GLC is simple enough, with light steering and all-round sensors as standard helping you to park or to get through tighter gaps. You get a reversing camera from the entry option as well, while surround-view cameras will offer additional help. That’s fitted on mid- and top-spec versions. All GLC models have an 11.8m turning circle, which is equal-best amongst its peers.

Driving in all-electric mode in the PHEV models is a doddle because there’s so much range. Saving the electric range just for town makes for a quiet cabin and the motor is punchy enough to help you get through and around urban traffic.

On the motorway

While it’s good in town, the GLC is most at home while cruising on the motorway. Again, it thuds over ruts and dips at speed with the larger wheels fitted, but the well-insulated cabin means exterior noise is minimal with only a little bit of tyre noise. The petrol engine in the PHEV we tested was refined and efficient too, making the 300e the most compelling overall setup unless you do frequent motorway trips too, where the diesel 300de shines.

Having the hybrid means you have the electric motor to help get up to speed off slip roads and to overtake, while you can hold any charge that the battery has to allow for zero-emission driving in town.

You get cruise control as standard with the GLC, but only the top-spec AMG Line Premium Plus can be fitted with full adaptive cruise control – and then it’s part of an options pack worth £1,695.

What’s worse is that the button to engage it is still there, even if the fancy cruise control isn’t fitted; you get a pop-up on the dashboard telling you that you can buy it separately, like one of those irritating phone apps trying to prise some money out of you for an in-game extra. Very disappointing.

On a twisty road

While this isn’t where the GLC Is at its best, it performs admirably enough. Going up against the likes of the Porsche Macan and Audi Q5 though, it was never going to be the most exciting option. 

Putting it in the sport driving mode sharpens the steering, suspension and accelerator responsiveness, but the brakes are a little odd with the electrical power regeneration that charges the battery. With the PHEVs weighing over 2,300kg, the GLC isn't the nimblest when you want to drive a bit quicker. 

That being said, all GLCs come with four-wheel drive, so grip and stability won’t be much of an issue, whatever conditions you drive in.

Space throughout the GLC is excellent, but hybrids are significantly compromised

You’ll be pleased to know that the GLC happens to have some of the best storage available in its segment. With a large cubby in the armrest, cupholders and wireless charging pad in the centre console, and large door bins, the GLC has more than enough space for most people.

With its all-electrical seating setup, you can easily make adjustments to get the right position for you. The GLC even has a nifty feature, where you can input your height and the car will get your seating position just right for you – it’s wacky but pretty useful. 

Space in the back seats

The spaciousness continues into the rear seats. The contoured seats offer lots of comfort, while you can stretch out thanks to the ample head and legroom. You can also slide your feet under the front seats, making it feel very spacious, while the backs of the front seats have a useful cutaway design for kneeroom.

You get aeroplane-style pockets on the seats in front of you, while the door bins – although not as big as up front – are well-sized. There’s also pop-out cupholders in the fold-down central armrest for further storage.

Boot space

With the petrol and diesel models, you get 600 litres of boot space, which is only trumped by the Volvo XC60’s 635 litres. The Audi Q5 has 550 litres, the BMW X3 gets 520 litres and the Porsche Macan just 500.

However, choosing the plug-in hybrid loses you a hefty 200 litres of boot space compared to the non-PHEV models. The space drops to 400 litres, which in a car this size isn’t that great, with the plug-in versions of the Audi, BMW and Volvo boasting more space.

There’s also a huge mound in the floor of the GLC’s boot where the batteries for the electric drive are fitted, and that makes a massive ridge in front of the back seats when you fold them down, as well as at the boot opening. You also lose most of your underfloor storage, with only a thin space near the opening.

You get good space under the floor to store the load cover and other smaller items, while folding the seats down can easily be done from switches to the side. That gives up to 1,640 litres with a flat floor, which is excellent.

While the infotainment displays and styling look great, there’s some genuine issues with materials

The GLC’s interior looks just as cool as the rest of the Mercedes range. The modern styling matches that of the exterior and the large amount of ambient lighting helps lift the cabin too. There’s a lot of shiny surfaces that can reflect a lot of sunlight through and into the windscreen, which can be distracting.

Where the GLC loses some of its premium sheen is in some of its materials. There are a lot of leather and metal trim bits which help create the premium feel, but there are scratchy plastics at touchpoints that you’ll be using a lot. For example, around the door bins it feels quite nasty, while the gear stalk on the steering column doesn’t feel high-end at all.

Both infotainment screens are clear and easy to navigate. The driver’s display has multiple views that you can flick through, and you can set it up how you want it. The central touchscreen is a bit slower to respond to your inputs than a BMW or Audi, though.

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are also available, and they’re better to use on the whole. There aren’t a lot of option packs available with the GLC, as the trim levels are all well-equipped. The only option packs on offer are for the driver assistance package, which adds adaptive cruise control and active lane change assist, and a tow bar adaptation.

With the help of an electric motor, the PHEVs are the clear choice for efficiency – with the petrol the best choice overall for performance. The diesel does offer better long distance fuel efficiency when the electric motor isn’t in use, but the price of fuel balances it out in the petrol version’s favour unless you’re doing some serious motorway mileage.

The official 73 to 77 miles of battery range for both models means that you can spend most days driving in electric mode – as long as you can charge it conveniently. Don’t pay any attention to the ludicrous MPG figures Mercedes quotes, but if you regularly top up the battery you’ll hardly use any fuel.

Of the non-electrified options, the 220d and 300d diesels are again the more efficient options for longer distance driving, but the lesser-powered version is only 1mpg better off at its best at 52.3mpg. That being said, the 300 petrol option isn’t a lightyear away, with its claimed 37.7mpg quite admirable for a petrol engine in a car this size. All versions of the GLC get a nine-speed automatic and four-wheel drive.

We managed 39mpg on a motorway run, which is impressive, but around town we could only eke out 30mpg from the heavy SUV.

Both PHEV versions have the benefit of low first year road tax and will be a no-brainer for company car drivers. Petrol and diesel models receive with the standard rate, and you’ll pay the luxury car supplement on your GLC from years two-to-six.

When tested by Euro NCAP in 2022, the GLC scored five stars out of five. Adult and child occupancy alongside safety assists were the best categories for the GLC, with pedestrian and vulnerable road user safety a touch away from the rest – but still a good score.

As standard, the GLC features active brake assist, attention assist, collision prevention assist, cruise control with variable speed limiter and tyre pressure monitoring. Mid- and top-spec models also get an augmented transparent bonnet stitched together from all the camera views – useful when going off-road – as well as traffic sign assist, blind spot assist and a 360-degree camera.

The GLC also features all-round airbags, rear ISOFIX points with top mounts, all-round car security sensors and Mercedes emergency calling.

Mercedes came a very impressive second place in the 2025 Driver Power survey for owner satisfaction, which ought to fill you with confidence about purchasing a GLC.

All GLCs and new Mercedes models come with a three-year, unlimited mileage warranty - on par with BMW - and up to 30 years of corrosion protection, while you can extend the warranty up to nine years from the car’s date of manufacture.