Compare the2026 Mercedes GLCVS 2025 Subaru Forester

The GLC’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Forester doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

The GLC has a standard front seat center airbag, which deploys between the driver and front passenger, protecting them from injuries caused by striking each other in serious side impacts. The Forester doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

The GLC has standard Post-Collision Brake, which automatically apply the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Forester doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

Earlier warning of stopped traffic, traffic signals, dangerous road conditions, weather, or accidents, can keep driver's safer and prevent crashes. The GLC offers optional Car-to-X Communication, a system that seamlessly communicates important warnings to the driver about impending danger, if they're available. The Forester doesn’t offer a system that can receive automated systems from infrastructure or other vehicles.

The GLC has a standard blind spot warning system that uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. A system to reveal vehicles in the Forester’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the GLC has standard Rear Cross-Traffic Alert and Active Brake Assist automatically engages the brakes to help avoid a collision. Subaru charges extra for Rear Cross Traffic Alert on the Forester and it’s not available on the Base and the Forester’s Rear Cross Traffic Alert does not include automatic braking.

Both the GLC and the Forester have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, available all wheel drive, lane departure warning systems and around view monitors.

The GLC comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Forester’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

To reliably power the ignition and other systems and to recharge the battery, the GLC has a standard 150-amp alternator. The Forester’s 130-amp alternator isn’t as powerful.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the GLC first among compact premium suvs in their 2025 Initial Quality Study. The Forester isn’t in the top three in its category.

The GLC has more powerful engines than the Forester:

	Horsepower	Torque
GLC 300 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid	255 HP	295 lbs.-ft.
GLC 350e 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid	313 HP	406 lbs.-ft.
Forester 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder	180 HP	178 lbs.-ft.
Forester Wilderness 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder	182 HP	176 lbs.-ft.
Forester 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid	194 HP

As tested in Car and Driver the GLC 300 is faster than the Subaru Forester 4 cyl.:

	GLC	Forester
Zero to 60 MPH	5.7 sec	8.4 sec
Zero to 100 MPH	16.2 sec	23.8 sec
5 to 60 MPH Rolling Start	6.6 sec	8.8 sec
Passing 30 to 50 MPH	3.6 sec	4.6 sec
Passing 50 to 70 MPH	4.5 sec	6.2 sec
Quarter Mile	14.4 sec	16.6 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	95 MPH	86 MPH
Top Speed	130 MPH	127 MPH

On the EPA test cycle the GLC running on electricity gets better mileage than the Forester:

			MPGe
GLC
	AWD	350e Electric Motor	60 city/70 hwy
Forester
			MPG
	AWD	2.5 flat-4 Hybrid	35 city/34 hwy
		2.5 DOHC flat-4	26 city/33 hwy
		Sport/Touring 2.5 DOHC flat-4	25 city/32 hwy
		2.5 DOHC flat-4	25 city/28 hwy

On the EPA test cycle the GLC running its gasoline engine gets better mileage than the Forester:

			MPG
GLC
	RWD	300 2.0 turbo 4-cyl. Hybrid	24 city/32 hwy
	AWD	300 2.0 turbo 4-cyl. Hybrid	23 city/31 hwy
Forester
	AWD	2.5 DOHC flat-4	25 city/28 hwy

The GLC 350e can travel with zero emissions for 54 miles. The Forester can’t move without running its internal combustion engine.

For better stopping power the GLC’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Forester:

	GLC	Forester Wilderness	Forester Hybrid
Front Rotors	13.5 inches	12.4 inches	12.6 inches
Rear Rotors	12.6 inches	11.2 inches	11.8 inches

The GLC stops much shorter than the Forester:

	GLC	Forester
70 to 0 MPH	172 feet	176 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	106 feet	131 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	142 feet	152 feet	Consumer Reports

For better traction, the GLC has larger standard tires than the Forester (235/60R18 vs. 225/60R17). The GLC’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Forester (255/45R20 vs. 235/50R19).

The GLC’s optional tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Forester Sport/Touring’s 50 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the GLC has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Forester. The GLC’s optional 20-inch wheels are larger than the 19-inch wheels on the Forester Sport/Touring.

The GLC has a standard automatic load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The Forester doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

The GLC has vehicle speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Forester doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

The GLC’s drift compensation steering can automatically compensate for road conditions which would cause the vehicle to drift from side to side, helping the driver to keep the vehicle straight more easily. The Forester doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the GLC’s wheelbase is 8.2 inches longer than on the Forester (113.1 inches vs. 104.9 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the GLC is 2.5 inches wider in the front and 2.9 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Forester.

The GLC 300 4MATIC handles at .88 G’s, while the Forester Sport pulls only .82 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The GLC 350e executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.4 seconds quicker than the Forester Sport (26.2 seconds @ .7 average G’s vs. 27.6 seconds @ .61 average G’s).

The GLC has .1 inches more front headroom, 4.3 inches more front hip room, .1 inches more rear headroom and 4.6 inches more rear hip room than the Forester.

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the GLC. The Forester doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

The GLC’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Forester’s (3500 vs. 1500 pounds).

The GLC uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Forester uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

Unlike the driver-only memory system in the Forester Touring, the GLC has standard driver and passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat, steering wheel position and outside mirror angle and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

The GLC offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Forester doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The power windows standard on both the GLC and the Forester have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the GLC is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The Forester prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

The GLC’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Forester’s standard passenger windows don’t open or close automatically.

If the windows are left open on the GLC the driver can close all of them at the outside door handle or from a distance using the remote. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Forester can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The GLC’s standard Keyless-Go allow you to unlock the doors from any outside door handle, open the cargo door, and start the vehicle, all without removing the key from the pocket or purse. Keyless Access and Start is only offered on the Forester Premium/Sport/Limited/Touring, and doesn’t offer a sensor on the rear doors, so you’ll have to reach a front handle to unlock the rear door.

The GLC’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Forester’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

Heated windshield washer fluid is optional on the GLC to defrost the washer nozzles and quickly clear ice and frost from the windshield without scraping. The Forester doesn’t offer heated windshield washer fluid.

The GLC’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Subaru only offers heated mirrors on the Forester Premium/Sport/Limited/Touring.

Both the Mercedes GLC and Subaru Forester offer exterior mirrors that can be folded to provide convenience. The GLC features standard power folding mirrors, which allow for easy, one-touch folding or unfolding at the driver’s discretion. This provides added convenience when maneuvering or parking, as well as when walking past the parked vehicle. In comparison, the Forester’s foldable mirrors are manual, requiring the driver to get out and physically fold them once parked and unfold them before getting in.

The Mercedes GLC has a standard Homelink wireless remote control system for garage door operation and device management, conveniently located on the rear view mirror. Homelink® eliminates the need for separate garage door openers and associated risks of losing, breaking, or having dead batteries. Subaru charges extra for Homelink® on the Forester.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Mercedes GLC has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Only the Forester Premium/Sport/Wilderness/Limited/Touring offers wireless charging.

The GLC’s Active Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. The Forester doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

The GLC is available in both rear-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Forester doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

Motor Trend selected the GLC as their 2017 Sport Utility of the Year. The Forester has never been chosen.