Where each one leads
Audi SQ5
Ahead on none of the like-for-like measures.
Mercedes-Benz GLC
- Fewer Mercedes-Benz GLC cars in the Netherlands carry an illogical odometer record (2.4% against 21.2%).
- NHTSA rates the 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLC at 5 of 5 stars, the 2017 Audi SQ5 at 4.
- New Mercedes-Benz GLC cars registered in Europe in 2022 average 129 g/km of CO₂ on the WLTP test, against 217 for the Audi SQ5 in 2022.
- Measured by the cars' own fuel meters, the diesel hybrid Mercedes-Benz GLC uses 6.6 l/100 km on the road, the Audi SQ5 8.8.
Only measures that do not depend on how many cars were sold: pass and failure rates against cars of the same age, ratings, fuel use and CO₂. How we compare
At a glance
| Audi SQ5 | Mercedes-Benz GLC | |
|---|---|---|
| Model years in the US safety record | 2012–2026 | 2015–2023 |
| New cars registered in Europe | 66,085 (2013–2022) | 640,588 (2015–2022) |
| Licensed in the United Kingdom | 13,684 | 98,346 |
| On the road in the Netherlands | 2,587 | 25,833 |
| In traffic in Finland | — | 12,123 |
EEA new-car registrations (CC BY 4.0) · DVLA licensed vehicles (OGL v3.0) · RDW (CC0) · Traficom (CC BY 4.0) · generations: Wikidata (CC0).
Reliability and problems
| Audi SQ5 | Mercedes-Benz GLC | |
|---|---|---|
| UK MOT first-time pass rate | — | 88% |
| … against cars of the same age | — | +5% |
| New York safety inspections failed | 0.5% | — |
| … against cars of the same year | −55% | — |
| Illogical odometer records (NL) | 21.2% | 2.4% |
| US owner complaints | 124 | 24 |
| Most complaints about | Engine | Service brakes |
| Model year with most complaints | 2018 (24) | 2017 (13) |
| US recall campaigns | 14 | — |
| Manufacturer service bulletins | 5,904 | 273 |
| NHTSA defect investigations | — | 2 |
Complaint, recall and bulletin counts grow with the number of cars sold and are not adjusted for it. UK MOT: DVSA anonymised MOT results (OGL v3.0); New York: DMV inspections; complaints, recalls, bulletins and investigations: NHTSA (public domain); odometer: RDW (CC0).
Safety
| Audi SQ5 | Mercedes-Benz GLC | |
|---|---|---|
| NHTSA overall rating | 4★ (2017) | 5★ (2021) |
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program, most recent rated model year (public domain).
Fuel, emissions and price
| Audi SQ5 | Mercedes-Benz GLC | |
|---|---|---|
| Official combined fuel use, Canada | 10.1 l/100 km (2026) | — |
| Real-world use in Europe, diesel hybrid | 8.8 l/100 km | 6.6 l/100 km |
| Real-world use in Europe, diesel | — | 7.6 l/100 km |
| Real-world use in Europe, petrol hybrid | — | 9.5 l/100 km |
| Real-world use in Europe, petrol | — | 13.1 l/100 km |
| Official CO₂ of new cars in Europe | 217 g/km | 129 g/km |
| Average power of new cars in Europe | 251 kW (337 hp) | 156 kW (209 hp) |
| Average mass in running order | 2,084 kg | 1,960 kg |
| Dutch list price when new (median) | €118,419 | €77,065 |
| Average odometer in Finland | — | 123,000 km |
Canada: NRCan Fuel Consumption Ratings, most frugal version of the latest year (OGL Canada). Europe: EEA monitoring of new-car CO₂ and on-board fuel meters (OBFCM), CC BY 4.0. Price: RDW catalogue price (CC0). Finland: Traficom (CC BY 4.0).