2021 Mercedes-Benz GLC vs 2022 Buick Enclave

The 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLC was a testament to the brand's commitment to a timeless aesthetic. Unlike many contemporary SUVs that embraced aggressive, angular designs, the GLC featured soft curves and rounded edges, giving it a more classic look. The long hood and wide grille provided a dramatic stance, reminiscent of a raised C-Class or E-Class sedan, which emphasized its car-like characteristics. The menacing LED headlights added a touch of modern aggression without being overly intimidating. Inside, the GLC's cabin was an automotive masterpiece, with flowing lines and a minimalist approach that elevated the interior to an art form. The floating center touchscreen and the overall design set a high bar for compact luxury SUV interiors.

In contrast, the 2022 Buick Enclave took a more conservative approach to styling, reflecting its traditional customer base. However, over the past 15 years, Buick had transitioned from a sedan-heavy lineup to an all-SUV portfolio, aligning with market trends. The Enclave, especially after its 2018 redesign, moved further upmarket and became the flagship of Buick's SUV lineup. The 2022 model received a mid-cycle refresh with new exterior styling elements, including a new grille, front and rear fascias, and updated wheel designs. Inside, the Enclave featured a restyled center console with new push-button gears and upgraded materials. The Avenir trim level offered additional luxury touches, such as climate-controlled front seats and unique trim and seat stitching.

The 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLC 300 came standard with a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, producing 255 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque. This power was routed through a nine-speed automatic transmission to either the rear wheels or the available 4MATIC all-wheel drive. The GLC featured steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters and Dynamic Select with Eco, Comfort, Sport, and Sport+ drive modes. Despite these performance features, the GLC 300 was more than adequate in its default Comfort mode, providing a responsive and balanced driving experience. For those seeking more power, the AMG GLC43 offered a twin-turbocharged V6 with 385 horsepower, while the AMG GLC63 featured a twin-turbo V8 with up to 503 horsepower.

The 2022 Buick Enclave kept it simple with a single powertrain option: a 3.6-liter V6 engine paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission. This setup delivered 310 horsepower and 266 pound-feet of torque. The Enclave came standard with front-wheel drive, with all-wheel drive available on all trims. The SUV's maximum towing capacity was 5,000 pounds when properly equipped. The Enclave's ride quality was exceptional, thanks to the optional Avenir Technology package, which included a premium ride suspension and continuously variable real-time chassis damping. The Enclave's powertrain was surprisingly responsive, and the nine-speed automatic transmission performed flawlessly. The cabin remained quiet and serene, thanks to Buick's QuietTuning and active noise cancellation technology.

The 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLC 300 offered 56.5 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats folded, and 19.4 cubic feet with the seats up. The GLC Coupe's fastback profile reduced these figures to 49.4 and 17.6 cubic feet, respectively. The GLC's interior was well-designed, with a decently sized center console, deep door pockets, and retractable cupholders. Rear-seat space was adequate, with plenty of legroom and headroom in the SUV, though the Coupe's low roofline compromised headroom.

The 2022 Buick Enclave excelled in interior space and comfort. Ingress and egress were easy, and visibility was excellent. The Enclave's cabin was spacious, with ample headroom, legroom, hip room, and shoulder room for passengers in all three rows. The third row was comfortable even for six-footers, and the second-row captain's chairs made access easy. The restyled center console featured new push-button transmission gears and a covered compartment with cupholders. The Enclave offered 23.6 cubic feet of cargo space with all seats up, 57.7 cubic feet with the third row folded, and a generous 97.4 cubic feet with both rows folded. Power-folding third-row seats added convenience.

The 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLC featured the Mercedes-Benz User Experience (MBUX) infotainment system, which included a 10.25-inch center touchscreen, a center console touch controller, and an advanced voice-control system. The system was intuitive, with both the touchscreen and touch controller offering a seamless flow through various menus. The steering wheel had touch-sensitive pads for customizing the digital instrument panel and navigating the main infotainment screen. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto were included, though switching between the GLC's radio and smartphone music apps required navigating through the home screen.

The 2022 Buick Enclave came with a standard 4.2-inch driver information center, with Premium and Avenir trims featuring a larger 8-inch reconfigurable version. The Essence trim included an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as wireless phone charging. Premium and Avenir trims added navigation. The Enclave's infotainment system could pair up to 10 devices, with two smartphones active simultaneously. A built-in WiFi hotspot supported up to four devices. The Premium and Avenir trims featured a 10-speaker Bose audio system, though it lacked some power. The Enclave also included a three-month trial subscription to SiriusXM 360L and six USB ports.

The 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLC came with a comprehensive suite of standard safety features, including automatic emergency braking, forward collision warning, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert. Additional standard features included front and rear parking sensors, hands-free parking assist, and a driver drowsiness monitor. Optional safety features included a 360-degree parking camera, dynamic cruise control, automatic high beams, and lane departure warning. However, the parking and proximity sensors were overly sensitive, leading to frequent false positives.

The 2022 Buick Enclave saw significant updates to its safety tech for 2022, with the Buick Driver Confidence Plus package becoming standard on all trims. This package included automatic emergency braking, forward-collision warning with pedestrian detection, lane-change alert with blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic warning, lane-keeping assistance with lane-departure warning, rear park assist, following-distance indicator, and automatic high-beam headlights. Additional standard safety features included a Safety Alert driver's seat, a rear-seat reminder system, and an HD reversing camera. Premium trim added enhanced automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, a surround-view camera, head-up display, and rear pedestrian alert. The Enclave received high safety ratings from the IIHS, though it had not been rated by the NHTSA at the time of writing.