Compare the2025 Audi Q5 SportbackVS 2025 Mercedes GLC Coupe

Both the Q5 Sportback and GLC Coupe have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The Q5 Sportback 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 Coupe’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.

The Q5 Sportback’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 Coupe.

Both the Q5 Sportback and the GLC Coupe have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, all wheel drive, 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 Q5 Sportback’s corrosion warranty is 7 years longer than the GLC Coupe’s (12 vs. 5 years).

The Audi Q5 Sportback’s engine uses a cast iron block for durability, while the GLC Coupe’s engine uses an aluminum block. Aluminum engine blocks are much more prone to warp and crack at high temperatures than cast iron.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Audi vehicles are more reliable than Mercedes vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Audi 10 places higher in reliability than Mercedes.

The Q5 Sportback’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid produces 6 more horsepower (261 vs. 255) than the GLC Coupe’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Audi Q5 Sportback uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended for maximum performance). The GLC Coupe requires premium, which can cost on average about 84.9 cents more per gallon.

The Q5 Sportback has 2.1 gallons more fuel capacity than the GLC Coupe (18.5 vs. 16.4 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The Q5 Sportback offers a standard sequential manual gearbox (SMG). With no clutch pedal to worry about and a fully automatic mode, an SMG is much more efficient than a conventional automatic but just as easy to drive. The GLC Coupe doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

The Q5 Sportback’s launch control uses engine electronics to hold engine RPM’s precisely in order to provide the most stable and rapid acceleration possible, using all of the available traction. The GLC Coupe doesn’t offer launch control.

The Q5 Sportback is 3 inches shorter than the GLC Coupe, making the Q5 Sportback easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Q5 Sportback has .2 inches more front legroom, .4 inches more front shoulder room, .8 inches more rear legroom and .7 inches more rear shoulder room than the GLC Coupe.

The Q5 Sportback has a much larger cargo volume than the GLC Coupe with its rear seat up (24.7 vs. 19.2 cubic feet).

The Q5 Sportback’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the GLC Coupe’s (4400 vs. 3500 pounds).

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Q5 Sportback has a standard rear wiper. The GLC Coupe doesn’t offer a rear wiper.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The Q5 Sportback Prestige has standard headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The GLC Coupe doesn’t offer headlight washers.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the Q5 Sportback to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The GLC Coupe doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

The Q5 Sportback has a standard heated steering wheel to take the chill out of steering on extremely cold winter days before the vehicle heater warms up. A heated steering wheel costs extra on the GLC Coupe.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Audi Q5 Sportback, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Audi Q5 outsold the Mercedes GLC by 84% during 2023.