2021 Mercedes-Benz GLC vs 2021 Nissan Rogue

The 2021 Nissan Rogue came with a handsome new design that leaned heavily into its SUV identity, featuring a more technical appearance. It sported dark gray plastic cladding along its lower perimeter, paired with bold simulated skid plates and lower door protection that lent it a rugged character—maybe overly rugged at the rear bumper. Clean LED lighting elements and a prominent V-Motion grille contributed to its modern aesthetic. The Rogue also featured aluminum wheels up to 19 inches and optional two-tone paint, giving it a custom look with a black roof treatment.

The Rogue was available in four trims: the base model S ($25,650), the popular SV ($27,340), the slightly luxurious SL ($32,000), and the Platinum ($35,430), which offered semi-aniline quilted leather and upscale amenities. Our test vehicle was a front-wheel-drive Rogue SL equipped with a Premium Package and extra-cost paint, totaling $35,195 including destination charges. Its interior was attractively outfitted in Almond color leather with a standard panoramic glass sunroof, emphasizing roominess. Soft-touch surfaces, simulated wood trim, and fabric-wrapped windshield pillars added a sense of quality. The Rogue Platinum trim added quilted semi-aniline leather, contrast stitching, and ambient lighting, elevating it to a near-luxury look.

Notably, the climate control panel had 1980s-style digital clocks, an interesting juxtaposition alongside its modern wireless Apple CarPlay feature. Despite still offering a CD player, the Rogue was technologically up-to-date.

The 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class, by contrast, embraced a timeless aesthetic marked by soft curves and rounded edges, delivering a much more classic, luxury-oriented look than its aggressively styled competitors. The GLC’s front featured a broad grille and menacing LED headlights, reminiscent of a raised C-Class or E-Class sedan. This design underscored its car-like characteristics while maintaining an SUV stance.

Inside, the GLC's cabin was an artful blend of soft lines and curves, with a flowing dashboard and a floating center touchscreen with rounded edges. Mercedes-Benz was gradually moving toward larger screens and a minimalistic aesthetic, making this period a high point in their cabin design. Even the basic GLC 300 included synthetic leather upholstery, power-adjustable and heated front seats, dual-zone climate control, and a fully digital instrument panel. The infotainment system featured a 10.2-inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto.

In terms of test configurations, the GLC 300 came with the $1,295 Multimedia Package, adding navigation and augmented video for turn-by-turn navigation. The Premium Package ($635) included SiriusXM satellite radio, illuminated door sills, and 64-color ambient lighting. Further options included wireless device charging, a Burmester premium sound system, and a panoramic moonroof. Higher trims like the AMG GLC 43 and AMG GLC 63 enhanced performance features like adaptive air suspension, sport seats, and advanced navigation tech.

The 2021 Nissan Rogue could have benefited from more power. It was fitted with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine making 181 horsepower and 181 pound-feet of torque, which was adequate but hardly thrilling, especially for its nearly 3,500-pound weight. The engine was paired with a continuously variable transmission (CVT) that performed decently, thanks largely to its programmed ratios mimicking traditional automatic gears. Nissan also offered paddle shifters, although they didn’t add much to the driving experience.

Despite the sufficient daily driver performance, the Rogue felt underpowered in adventurous settings, particularly in mountainous areas where its naturally aspirated engine lacked vigor. New Snow and Off-Road driving modes, along with up to 8.2 inches of ground clearance and available all-wheel drive, sought to compensate for this lack of power by improving the Rogue’s capability off the beaten path.

Fuel economy for the tested front-wheel-drive Rogue SL was 27.5 mpg, which fell short of the official EPA rating by 1.5 mpg. Its ride and handling were commendable, leveraging a new architecture composed of 35% high-strength steel, strut front, and multi-link rear suspension. Brake-induced Intelligent Trace Control, Active Ride Control, and Vehicle Motion Control systems significantly enhanced the driving dynamics. The redesigned electric-assisted steering offered much-improved feedback compared to its predecessor.

The 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class, namely the GLC 300, came standard with a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, generating 255 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque—substantially more than the Rogue. This engine was paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission, offering rear-wheel drive or optional 4MATIC all-wheel drive. Steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters and the Dynamic Select system with Eco, Comfort, Sport, and Sport+ modes allowed for varied driving experiences. Despite such features, most drivers found the default Comfort mode more than sufficient, thanks to the turbocharged engine’s generous power, albeit with occasional lag.

For those craving more power, the AMG GLC 43 with a twin-turbocharged V6 offered 385 horsepower, while the AMG GLC 63 models upped the ante with a twin-turbo V8, providing either 469 or 503 horsepower. These AMG models demonstrated performance levels on par with sports cars from a few years ago. The GLC’s steering had a soft but precise feel, providing an exceptional balance of refinement and responsiveness.

For 2021, the Nissan Rogue featured improved Zero Gravity seat designs, available in varying levels of material and adjustability across trims. The SL trim tested came with leather upholstery and included power adjustments plus heating for front seats. The Rogue’s interior was more comfortable than its predecessor, particularly in its more spacious rear-seat area. Rear doors that opened nearly 90 degrees facilitated easier access, and rear-seat passengers benefited from generous headroom and legroom, plus a triple-zone climate control system in SL and Platinum trims.

Regarding cargo space, the Rogue offered 31.6 cubic feet behind the rear seats in the S and SV trims, which increased to 36.5 cubic feet in the SL and Platinum trims thanks to the Divide-N-Hide cargo management system. Folding down the rear seats expanded the cargo area to 74.1 cubic feet, one of the largest in its class. Storage innovations included an under-console tray freed by the electronic shifter and 32-ounce water bottle-capable door pockets. Noise reduction measures improved the driving experience significantly, providing a quieter cabin.

The Mercedes-Benz GLC 300 wagon-style variant offered 56.5 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats folded down and 19.4 cubic feet with them upright. The space was adequate but considerably less than the Rogue’s. The GLC Coupe, with its stylish fastback design, traded utility for aesthetics, offering just 49.4 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats down and 17.6 cubic feet with them up. Interior storage was well thought out, featuring deep door pockets and a center console, although some might find the unconventional barn-door style lid cumbersome. Rear-seat space was sufficient in the GLC, but the Coupe’s low roofline compromised headroom.

The 2021 Nissan Rogue provided a solid infotainment package starting with an 8-inch touchscreen on the base S trim. Standard features included Bluetooth, SiriusXM satellite radio, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto. Upgrading to SV or SL trims added NissanConnect services, a WiFi hotspot, and Amazon Alexa/Google Assistant integration. Higher trims could benefit from a larger 9-inch touchscreen, door-to-door navigation, wireless Apple CarPlay, and a Bose premium audio system. Additional tech highlights in the top Platinum trim included wireless smartphone charging, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, and a 10.8-inch head-up display.

In contrast, the 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLC 300 featured the Mercedes-Benz User Experience (MBUX) system, which was considered one of the most advanced and user-friendly infotainment systems available. It included a 10.25-inch center touchscreen, a touch controller on the center console, and advanced voice control capable of understanding complex commands. The touchscreen's response and menu navigation were intuitive, albeit with a learning curve. Extra features included Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, two touchpads on the steering wheel for controlling the digital instrument panel and the infotainment system, and various customization options.

Safety was a strong suit for the 2021 Nissan Rogue, which came standard with Nissan Safety Shield 360 on all trims. This comprehensive ADAS suite included automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane-departure warning, and blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert. The inclusion of blind-spot monitoring even on the base trim was particularly noteworthy. The Rogue also featured ten airbags, driver monitoring, and rear-seat reminder systems, with additional innovations like rear pre-tensioning and load-limiting seatbelts in the Platinum trim. ProPilot Assist, available starting on the SV trim, provided adaptive cruise control with lane-centering functions.

The Mercedes-Benz GLC 300 included a host of standard safety features such as 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. However, the parking sensors were overly sensitive at times, particularly at intersections. Optional safety features included a 360-degree parking camera, dynamic cruise control, automatic high beams, and lane departure warning. Some competitors in the compact luxury SUV segment offered these features as standard, which could be a drawback for the GLC.