Audi A6 vs Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class

What's the difference?

I was thoroughly impressed by the Audi A6 Allroad 45 TDI quattro 2020 model. It is excellent on road, resolved and comfortable on unsealed surfaces, and very well packaged for family touring.

I’d personally have it in a heartbeat over a Q7 or any SUV, for that matter. I can understand why some buyers wouldn’t consider it, but if you’re someone who likes to think outside of the boxy SUV, then be sure to take a look at the Audi A6 Allroad.

The new Mercedes-Benz GLC200 might be the base-grade, but it doesn’t look or feel like it. From the outside, it’s stylish and refined, and inside, it delivers that signature Benz luxury with premium features, impressive tech and a beautiful cabin.

While the engine isn’t wildly powerful, it’s more than capable for everyday driving and long stretches on the highway and the ride quality overall is smooth, quiet and composed. It loses points for being more expensive than its entry-grade rivals and for those steep ongoing servicing costs, which could be a sticking point for some buyers.

If this isn’t the best looking genre of car, I must have been blindfolded since birth. You might think differently - be sure to let me know in the comments section below.

But for me, I just love the idea of a station wagon that is beefed up with SUV styling cues, and the Audi Allroad formula has been en pointe for generations now. This latest A6 Allroad doesn’t disappoint, either, with all the elements you’d expect.

Things like the bulging contrasting wheel-arch liners, the rugged underbody protection bash plates, and even the silver roof rails and silver metallic side sill protectors with ‘quattro’ emblazoned upon them - it just all works. 

And being an Audi A6 wagon underneath the glittery bits, it’s a sizeable vehicle. The dimensions read like so: length - 4951mm; wheelbase - 2925mm; width - 1902mm; height - 1458mm, though that depends on the height of the air suspension. 

The A6 Allroad sits about 45 millimetres higher than the standard A6 Avant wagon (not sold in Australia). And the ground clearance also varies depending on the air suspension height setting, but it is officially recorded at 139mm - which isn’t very high at all, but that’s for the regular driving setup. In its raised height, that jumps by 45mm to 184mm. Nowhere near an off-road Toyota, but still high enough to stop the belly from scraping.

And there are other hardware bits to help you out if the going gets tough - out of sight is Audi’s ‘quattro’ all-wheel drive system with a self-locking centre differential that the brand says provides “superior traction and its high level of safety and agile handling”. There is hill descent control, and the infotainment screen can display the location, elevation, compass and driving angles, too.

As for the design of the interior? It’s high-tech Audi opulence and comfort at its best. Check out the interior pictures to see what I mean.

The GLC is a handsome SUV with a strong, confident stance. It looks fit and premium, but not overly sporty, especially with the standard 'Avantgarde' exterior styling seen on our test car.

The entry-level grade rolls on 19-inch alloy wheels, features slimline running boards, LED lighting all around and an interior ambient lighting package that even includes logo 'puddle light' projection from the side mirrors.

Inside, the GLC200 doesn’t skimp on style. You get sports seats trimmed in synthetic leather (available in a range of colours), plus a panoramic sunroof, flashy dual displays and a black headliner that adds a cocooned feel.

The ambient lighting is a real standout and reminiscent of sci-fi films like Tron! It adds to the cabin’s upmarket vibe.

Combined with the soft-touch surfaces and neat trim details, the interior feels luxurious. And to be frank, it should at this level. But not every base-grade SUV in this segment gets it right. This one does.

Technical. Practical. Glorious. Three words I’d use to describe the cabin of the Audi A6 Allroad. 

The cockpit isn’t anything out of the ordinary for an Audi of the modern era, and as such it will feel familiar to you if you’ve been in or around any of its more recent stablemates. It also means that you’ll find yourself in a high-end, high-tech and highly pleasant interior. The materials used are beautiful and of a high standard. They look very nice and it is an extremely pleasant place to be. And you can hate on me if you want, but I’m sold on brown leather. Yummo!

It will take some time for you to get to grips with the dual-touchscreen layout of the cabin, but once you get the hang of it, it becomes second nature.

The media screen is very easy to use, the menus are simple to learn, and over my week there were absolutely no issues with Apple CarPlay - either when connected via USB, or when used wirelessly.

The second screen below controls a lot of the main functions of the air conditioning system, and while I’m not a huge fan of using a screen to touch through temperature and fan controls, this one has haptic feedback and is well positioned - it’s not as much of a glance away from the road as in, say, a Land Rover or Range Rover. There’s also a volume knob which is good, and quick buttons for Drive Select and demister for front and rear windscreens.

In terms of the practicalities, there are bottle holders in the doors, a pair of cup holders between the front seats, a covered centre console bin with Qi wireless phone charging (remember not to leave your phone in there!) and there are two USB ports in there, plus a SIM card slot and SD card slot as well.   

The seat comfort is very good - there’s electric adjustment on both seats with lumbar adjustment, and the driver’s seat gets memory settings as well. The electric steering wheel adjust is a nice touch as well, and there’s a remote boot release trigger, too.

There are twin sunroofs, and the front one can tilt and slide while the rear one is fixed. It helps lighten things up a bit if you have the optional dark headlining, which I personally wouldn’t choose.

Rear seat space is excellent. Sitting behind my own 182cm driver’s seat position, I had easily enough legroom, headroom and shoulder room - in fact, the rear pew is so accommodating, it could easily fit three of me across - but foot space is a little tight due to the large transmission tunnel. 

Those in the back are well catered for – there are 2x USB ports, a pair of large door pockets with bottle holders, twin mesh map pockets, a flip down armrest with storage and cupholders, and our car had quad zone climate control (as part of the optional Premium Plus package - standard is three-zone climate), plus there are centrally mounted directional air vents and in the door pillars at face height. Our tester also had those optional manual sunblinds, which would certainly help those in the back get some shut-eye on longer trips. 

The centre section of the rear seat can be split folded down on its own as well – so you have 40:20:40 rear seat folding, which is great for skis or snowboards. Plus there are two ISOFIX child seat attachments and three top-tether points available for baby seats. And one of the most excellent additions to any car ever – illuminated seat belt buckle receivers. It just makes it that much easier to see at night.

If you need to fold down those rear seats, there are boot-mounted triggers. That’ll help expand the luggage capacity from the standard 565 litres (VDA) to an expansive 1680L (VDA). The cargo hold easily fit the three CarsGuide suitcases (124L, 95L and 36L) with room to spare.

There is no Audi Allroad seven seater, though. And that’s potentially where something like a Q7 makes more sense, depending on your intent. 

The cabin is spacious in both rows, with decent access thanks to wide door apertures and 195mm of ground clearance. That said, it’s the kind of cockpit you sort of tuck into and I knocked a knee or elbow on the steering wheel getting in (my husband joked this was just a user issue). My eight-year old had no trouble hopping in and out, though.

The front seats are best described as sumptuous, with features like expandable under-thigh and lumbar support. It’s super easy to get comfortable and stay that way, a big plus for anyone who does long drives, like I do.

The rear seats are equally comfy, with generous padding and deep bases. You’ll find three top-tether points in the back row, but realistically, it’s a space better suited to two child seats.

Keeping the cabin tidy is simple thanks to thoughtful storage throughout. There are deep door bins with drink bottle holders, a couple of cupholders in each row, a largish glove box and a dual-lid centre console.

Up front, there’s also a phone cubby, two USB-C ports and a wireless charging pad. In the rear, you get another two USB-C ports and some handy map pockets.

The boot has proven to be a practical space, with 620L of capacity and a level load floor. There’s a reversible mat and underfloor storage, which is also where you’ll find the space-saver spare tyre.

This grade now includes a powered tailgate, a welcome addition, and the second row folds electrically in a 40/20/40 split, giving you more flexibility when you need it.

The updated media display is easy enough to use once you spend a bit of time with it. The touchscreen is responsive, and wireless Apple CarPlay maintained a steady connection throughout our test. I also appreciated how the instrument cluster and head-up display pull through directions from either your phone or the in-built sat nav system.

There are five variants in the GLC range, and for this review we’re testing the new entry-level GLC200, priced from $84,455, before on-road costs.

While it’s definitely more affordable than the next step up, the GLC300, it still wears the highest price tag among its base-grade rivals, with the Audi Q5 35 TDI starting from $73,400 and the BMW X3 xDrive20i from $77,601.

That said, the GLC200’s generous equipment list could easily convince you it sits higher in the range. Standard features include 19-inch alloy wheels, synthetic leather trim as well as electric front seats with memory, heating and Mercedes’ ‘kinetic’ function.

You also get a panoramic sunroof, a slick 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, a colour head-up display and a vertical 11.9-inch media screen running an upgraded operating system with satellite navigation plus wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Practicality hasn't been overlooked, either. There’s a space-saver spare tyre (a welcome change from the run-flat tyre solution often employed by Euro brands), a handsfree powered tailgate, adaptive LED headlights, dual-zone climate control, four USB-C ports, two 12-volt sockets and a wireless charging pad.

Our test car also includes the optional 'Plus Package', which adds $5846 to the price. It bundles in a 15-speaker Burmester sound system, digital matrix LED headlights, heated and noise-insulating glass, augmented reality navigation and a digital key via the Mercedes-Benz app.

You’ll also find a few extra safety additions here, such as a lane centering aid, emergency steering assist, interior monitoring and external surveillance for added occupant protection and theft deterrence.

Overall, a bit more expensive but you get an impressive amount of features.

Under the bonnet of the Audi A6 Allroad is what Audi labels the ‘45 TDI’ - a 3.0-litre turbo-diesel V6 engine that produces 183kW of power (from 2750-4500rpm) and 600Nm of torque (from 1500-3000rpm).

The engine is only available mated to an eight-speed torque-converter automatic transmission and Audi’s renowned ‘quattro’ all-wheel-drive (AWD) system. 

Audi claims this 1980kg wagon can run from 0-100km/h in just 6.5 seconds, on its way to a top speed of 250km/h. It is a hummer of an engine - more on that in the driving section below.

Towing capacity is pegged at 750kg for an unbraked trailer, and maxes out at 2500kg for a braked trailer.

Should Aussies feel short changed when it comes to the engine options here? Arguably, yes - and that’s despite the powertrain offered here still being a stormer. 

There’s only one spec available Down Under, and even it doesn’t get the most up-to-date emissions tech. There isn’t AdBlue urea treatment (meaning this is a Euro 5 engine), and our cars have essentially been de-specced to miss out on the latest 48-volt mild-hybrid tech, which is standard on all grades of the A6 Allroad in Europe. Maybe that is part of the reason the cost is down, this time around. 

And while the outputs of the 45 TDI in Australia are pretty decent, other markets have the A6 Allroad offered in 50 TDI (210kW/620Nm) and 55 TDI (257kW/700Nm) trims. Remember, though - this is a very niche player here. 

The GLC200 is powered by a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder, turbo-petrol engine paired with a 48-volt mild-hybrid system, producing up to 150kW of power and 320Nm of torque. It’s the least powerful engine in the GLC range, but still manages to feel punchy when you need it to.

This all-wheel-drive variant is paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission. While it can feel a little twitchy at lower speeds when the auto start/stop system is active, it’s otherwise a smooth and well-matched combination for everyday driving.

Audi claims the 45 TDI powertrain in the A6 Allroad will use 6.6 litres per 100 kilometres. That’s the official Australia fuel consumption figure on the combined-cycle test. CO2 emissions are claimed at 174g/km.

During my time in the Audi A6 Allroad I saw an average fuel use return of 7.4L/100km - which was taken over highways, back roads, unsealed roads and twisty bits. There was even some urban stop-start in there, too. I think that’s pretty darn good for a car of this size.

Fuel tank capacity is 63 litres, meaning a real-world range of 851km based on my fuel consumption.

As mentioned above, the A6 Allroad is a mild hybrid model in other markets, but not in Australia. We don’t even get the Euro 6-compliant version here, as there’s no incentive for it to be offered locally - as in, there’s not even AdBlue treatment. 

There’s no electric version (though you might want to look at the all-new Audi e-tron)  or plug in hybrid, and no petrol model either.

The GLC200 has an official combined cycle (urban/extra-urban) fuel consumption figure of 7.5L/100km and with its 62-litre fuel tank, you’re looking at a theoretical driving range of up to 826km which are solid figures for a family cruiser.

In real-world testing, I averaged 7.8L/100km, mostly around town with one longer trip thrown in. Overall, I’m pretty happy with its efficiency.

Mercedes-Benz recommends a minimum of 95 RON premium unleaded petrol for this model.

Here’s where the A6 Allroad separates itself from, say, an Audi Q5 or Q7. It’s a low-slung wagon, made for touring on country roads, doubling down on dirt backtracks and cruising comfortably on the freeway.

It’s not as upright as a Q5 or Q7, and that means it has a lower centre of gravity - so it feels more hunkered down, more settled into the surface below.  

And in the case of the A6 Allroad, there’s adaptive air suspension all around to cushion the car from what lies beneath. For the most part, that air suspension is superb - it absorbs big bumps and lumps very well, though the oversized 21-inch optional wheels can’t disguise sharp edges from those in the cabin. 

The general compliance is very good, and as I found out first hand, you can easily soak up hundreds of kilometres without feeling the affects of the road underneath you - even over bumpy country back roads and lumpy dirt sections.

The steering could be better; it’s a little bit vague and heavy on centre at higher pace, but at lower speeds it is light and amicable. Very easy to park despite its size, and easy to manoeuvre around town, too.

The engine builds pace with superb linearity, and it’s very quiet and refined as well. There is a tiny bit of turbo lag at lower speeds or from a standstill – but it is completely manageable and never feels like it’s sluggish at all. The 0-100km/h claim of 6.5 seconds seems achievable, too. 

The eight-speed automatic transmission was mostly very smart and well sorted - although in other VAG models with this engine family/eight-speed auto, the transmission never felt quite as busy at higher speeds. I noticed it shuffling between seventh and eighth gears more than I was expecting, given how much torque the engine has. It’s not annoying at all, and nor is it unrefined, and could well have something to do with attempting to save fuel rather than leaving it in top gear.

During night driving, the optional HD Matrix LED headlights were exceptional - among the best headlight technology that I’ve ever encountered. The ‘matrix’ technology means they can blank out oncoming traffic or cars in front of you while keeping the high-beam on in other areas. The auto headlights with auto high beam worked very well, too.

The plan was never to do a serious off road review, but I did do some driving on unsealed roads and found the Allroad to be excellent. 

Through slippery unsealed corners it exhibited excellent traction, though you can feel the weight of the car shifting from side to side when you pivot through corners. There was a touch of skittishness over mid-corner bumps, but again that could be more to do with the big wheels than anything else.

I came away thinking that if you had your eyes closed, you wouldn’t even know that you were on dirt or gravel. It really is an exceptional car across sealed and unsealed roads. 

Despite having the ‘baby’ engine in the range, the GLC200 doesn’t feel underpowered. Power delivery is generally quick, and there’s enough in reserve when you need to get up to speed or overtake. It’s responsive and confident in everyday driving.

That said, the auto start/stop feature is frustrating around town, especially at give way signs or roundabouts where you’re more likely to pause than come to a full stop.

It will cut the engine, and then when you want to accelerate, there’s a delay - sometimes even a little rollback. Not ideal, and definitely something that takes away from the otherwise polished drive.

The suspension hits a lovely balance, it’s forgiving but not floaty. You feel the road just enough to stay connected without it ever feeling harsh, which means the ride stays smooth and composed. It’s also a lovely highway cruiser, easily settling into long stretches with comfort and ease.

Visibility is solid, with minimal blind spots thanks to slim pillars, and the steering is responsive. It corners with confidence, too, with very little body roll, which isn’t always the case in a mid-size SUV.

Parking is straightforward thanks to a clear 360-degree camera system and park assist. The reversing camera turns with the steering wheel, which takes a moment to adjust to, but ultimately makes tight manoeuvres that little bit easier.

The GLC carries a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating, based on testing conducted in 2022. It scored an excellent 92 per cent in both adult and child occupant protection, which gives plenty of peace of mind for families.

It’s also well-equipped when it comes to safety tech. There are 10 airbags in total, including a front centre airbag and side chest airbags for both rows; a solid showing in this segment.

Even without the optional Plus Package, the GLC comes loaded with safety features including blind-spot monitoring, side exit assist, lane departure alert, lane keeping aid and traffic sign recognition.

There's also driver attention warning, a 360-degree camera view, front and rear parking sensors, forward collision warning, intelligent seatbelt reminders and rear cross-traffic alert.

With the Plus Package, you add interior and exterior monitoring systems, along with something called 'Pre-Safe Impulse Side'; a clever feature that gently moves front occupants away from the doors if a side impact is imminent.

Autonomous emergency braking is also included, with pedestrian, cyclist, car and backover detection. It operates from 7.0-80km/h (or up to 250km/h for vehicles), which is slightly higher than most systems that usually activate from 5.0km/h.

In the back, there are ISOFIX child seat mounts on the outboard seats and three top-tether anchor points across the row.

Audi offers a three-year/unlimited kilometre warranty, which is as good as BMW, but not as good as Lexus (four years/100,000km) or Mercedes-Benz, Volvo and Genesis (five years/unlimited kilometres). It’s falling behind in the luxury sphere.

The company offers reasonably priced capped price ownership plans for maintenance. Purchasers can roll in the cost of either a three-year service plan ($2170) or a five-year plan ($3300). That covers off the usual service items due every 12 months/15,000km.

Roadside assist is included for the period of the new car warranty.

The GLC is backed by a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty, which puts it on par with key rivals in this space. Servicing intervals are generous, too, at every 12 months or 25,000km. Great news if you rack up a lot of kilometres.

But the catch? Servicing costs are steep. Mercedes-Benz offers pre-paid servicing plans in three-, four-or five-year bundles, and the five-year package will set you back $7350. That averages out to almost $1500 per visit. Oof.

For comparison, the Audi Q5’s five-year plan is $3520, and BMW’s five-year 'Basic Service Inclusive' package for the X3 is $2475. So, while the GLC might win on features and finish, it definitely asks more of you when it comes to ongoing costs.