In the luxury crossover segment, the difference between the Mercedes Benz GLS and Volvo XC90 T6 isn’t just in their countries of origin.
The two vehicles have a variety of differences that TFL’s Roman Mica and Nathan Adlen discovered recently after testing driving both back to back.
The Mercedes starts off at a higher price tag with the vehicle they tested coming in at $110,565, about $40,000 more than the Volvo.
Under the hood, the German vehicle has a 4.7-liter, twin-turbo, eight-cylinder engine that produces 449 horsepower and 516 lb-ft of torque on a nine-speed automatic transmission.
The Volvo, which has a price tag for the model Roman and Nathan tested of $72,805, isn’t as powerful as the Mercedes. Under the hood, the Swedish vehicle has a four-cylinder engine that produces 316 horsepower and 295 pound feet or torque and comes equipped with an eight-speed automatic.
But for gas mileage, the Volvo does better than the Mercedes. The Volvo gets 20 mpg city, 25 mpg highway mpg and 22 mpg combined while the Mercedes gets 14 mpg city, 18 mpg highway and 16 mpg combined.
Inside, both vehicles have their pros and cons. For example, the Mercedes offers a better ride and is faster, while the Volvo has little lag and is elegant inside with its detailing. A positive for both is they offer driver assistance safety features.
Mercedes’ rotary dial controls may not be the best in term of ergonomics, and for a high-end luxury vehicle, it offers heated seats but not cooled seats.
Volvo’s third row seating is tight and its 2-liter engine may not be strong enough for the vehicle itself.
What other features did the two vehicles have? Which one did Roman and Nathan like the best? And, how did the two do when they took them for a road test? Find out by watching the complete TFL video above.
