Where each one leads
Mercedes-Benz GL
- Against cars of the same age, the Mercedes-Benz GL comes out better at its first MOT test (passes 19% more often than average) than the Volvo XC90 (passes 2% more often than average).
Volvo XC90
- Fewer Volvo XC90 cars in the Netherlands carry an illogical odometer record (5.2% against 19.4%).
- On Canada's official test the most frugal 2026 Volvo XC90 uses 10.4 l/100 km, the 2016 Mercedes-Benz GL 12.0.
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
| Mercedes-Benz GL | Volvo XC90 | |
|---|---|---|
| Model years in the US safety record | 2006–2011 | 2003–2025 |
| New cars registered in Europe | 16,716 (2010–2021) | 244,724 (2010–2022) |
| Licensed in the United Kingdom | 2,898 | 93,504 |
| On the road in the Netherlands | 816 | 32,495 |
| In traffic in Finland | — | 218 |
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
| Mercedes-Benz GL | Volvo XC90 | |
|---|---|---|
| UK MOT first-time pass rate | 79% | 72% |
| … against cars of the same age | +19% | +2% |
| New York safety inspections failed | — | 0.8% |
| … against cars of the same year | — | −32% |
| Illogical odometer records (NL) | 19.4% | 5.2% |
| US owner complaints | 12 | 1,534 |
| Most complaints about | Visibility | Electrical system |
| Model year with most complaints | 2010 (4) | 2004 (462) |
| US recall campaigns | 5 | 35 |
| Manufacturer service bulletins | 40 | 5,739 |
| NHTSA defect investigations | — | 14 |
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
| Mercedes-Benz GL | Volvo XC90 | |
|---|---|---|
| NHTSA overall rating | — | 5★ (2027) |
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program, most recent rated model year (public domain).
Fuel, emissions and price
| Mercedes-Benz GL | Volvo XC90 | |
|---|---|---|
| Official combined fuel use, Canada | 12.0 l/100 km (2016) | 10.4 l/100 km (2026) |
| Real-world use in Europe, diesel hybrid | — | 8.3 l/100 km |
| Real-world use in Europe, petrol hybrid | — | 10.6 l/100 km |
| Real-world use in Europe, diesel | — | 8.4 l/100 km |
| Official CO₂ of new cars in Europe | — | 102 g/km |
| Average power of new cars in Europe | 410 kW (550 hp) | 205 kW (275 hp) |
| Average mass in running order | 2,580 kg | 2,239 kg |
| Dutch list price when new (median) | €140,811 | €88,925 |
| Average odometer in Finland | — | 258,000 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).