Where each one leads
Ford Explorer
- Fewer Ford Explorer cars in the Netherlands carry an illogical odometer record (1.0% against 19.4%).
- On Canada's official test the most frugal 2026 Ford Explorer uses 10.4 l/100 km, the 2016 Mercedes-Benz GL 12.0.
Mercedes-Benz GL
Ahead on none of the like-for-like measures.
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
| Ford Explorer | Mercedes-Benz GL | |
|---|---|---|
| Model years in the US safety record | 1984–2027 | 2006–2011 |
| New cars registered in Europe | 10,009 (2010–2022) | 16,716 (2010–2021) |
| Licensed in the United Kingdom | 16,800 | 2,898 |
| On the road in the Netherlands | 7,417 | 816 |
| In traffic in Finland | 1,617 | — |
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
| Ford Explorer | Mercedes-Benz GL | |
|---|---|---|
| UK MOT first-time pass rate | — | 79% |
| … against cars of the same age | — | +19% |
| New York safety inspections failed | 1.2% | — |
| … against cars of the same year | −20% | — |
| Illogical odometer records (NL) | 1.0% | 19.4% |
| US owner complaints | 34,627 | 12 |
| Most complaints about | Power train | Visibility |
| Model year with most complaints | 2002 (3,295) | 2010 (4) |
| US recall campaigns | 142 | 5 |
| Manufacturer service bulletins | 5,035 | 40 |
| NHTSA defect investigations | 155 | — |
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
| Ford Explorer | Mercedes-Benz GL | |
|---|---|---|
| NHTSA overall rating | 5★ (2027) | — |
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program, most recent rated model year (public domain).
Fuel, emissions and price
| Ford Explorer | Mercedes-Benz GL | |
|---|---|---|
| Official combined fuel use, Canada | 10.4 l/100 km (2026) | 12.0 l/100 km (2016) |
| Official CO₂ of new cars in Europe | 75 g/km | — |
| Average power of new cars in Europe | 267 kW (358 hp) | 410 kW (550 hp) |
| Average mass in running order | 2,547 kg | 2,580 kg |
| Dutch list price when new (median) | €77,709 | €140,811 |
| Average odometer in Finland | 86,000 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).