Mercedes-AMG GLC43 vs Lexus RX500H

What's the difference?

The Mercedes-AMG GLC43 has your back if you’re looking for a thrilling performance SUV that moonlights as the daily family driver. It boasts a fairly practical cabin with good storage. Is it too expensive? Yep. Would I have one? Absolutely. It’s fun and full of features.

This rocked my kid's world – the lighting, the cool superhero vibes of the styling … the ‘tatatata’ chirps of the engine. It won him over completely.

The Lexus RX500h F Sport Performance certainly gave a solid driving performance this week. I was comfortable behind the wheel and enjoyed the luxe features up front. I feel that it's missing some luxe items in the back seat and some of the family storage options that other large SUVs can have but otherwise, it suited my family’s needs. The fuel efficiency was quite surprising for a hybrid, so this gets a 7.0/10 from me.

My son really liked the panoramic roof and his high seating position. So, he gives this an 8.0/10.

The GLC43 looks distinctly more aggressive than its GLC300 sibling.

The grille features vertical struts instead of the star motif and there’s a sporty spoiler lip at the rear that complements the quad exhausts.

The large headlights featuring Mercedes Digital Light LEDs dance when you first put them on and add a sporty dynamic to the styling, as does the 20-inch alloy wheels.

The interior is largely the same with a dashboard that is headlined by an 11.9-inch touchscreen multimedia system and a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster.

The ambient lighting system transforms the space at night time and honestly, makes it look pretty flash compared to some of its rivals. I also love the big panoramic sunroof and cute circular air-vents found in the front – they add some interest to the cabin.

The optioned performance seats of our test model make this look the part of a performance SUV and there is AMG badging everywhere - just so you don’t forget what you're driving. This looks beautiful inside and out and it earns its luxury tag.

The RX is a deceptively large SUV, at first glance the sporty tailoring might make you think it’s the smaller NX sibling but park it and you’ll see how it fills up a space!

It’s 4890mm long and 1920mm wide but the compact 1695mm height is what causes the misdirection.

Let’s get straight into some of the obvious design changes. The iconic ‘spindle’ grille design has been flattened at the top with a new body panel. It’s a design choice that makes the bonnet look more bulbous than sporty but that’s pretty much all I don’t like.  

It was a great choice to lift and level out the sloping of the bonnet because it looks a lot more purposeful now. There’s lots of sporty elements too with the black 21-inch alloy wheels and faux-mesh intake vents at the front and rear. Plus, I’ve always been a fan of the floating roof effect that’s created by the black panelling that shoots from the C-pillar to the rear.

It’s not just the exterior that’s been revamped. The interior now boasts a massive 14-inch touchscreen multimedia system, up from the 12.3-inch screen from the previous generation. The gear shifter is now an e-shifter and the dashboard has been ‘stepped’ to make it feel like you’re being tucked into the cockpit. There’s new ambient lighting inside too, designed to make the interior feel like a luxury lounge.

All round, they’ve nailed the ‘luxury’ aspect.

The cabin up front feels like a cockpit because the optioned performance seats absolutely lock you into place.

The adjustments are pretty good for the lumbar and under-thigh supports but the highlight are the kinetic stretching massage functions on both front seats, it really helps to alleviate fatigue on a longer journey. 

While I find the seats comfy, my husband didn’t! He said he needed more ‘space’ between the legs and with the bucket-style, he um … didn’t get that required space. Take from that what you will.

Getting in and out of the backseat is easy enough but the side steps are overkill and can dig into the calves.

The back seats are not super comfortable as they are on the harder side but the headroom and legroom are great for my 168cm height. The back row would still be most comfortable as a four-seater when filled with adults, though.

The individual storage is excellent up front with a decently sized glove box, middle console and a huge storage bin and drink bottle holder in each door.

The centre console features a good-sized cubby that includes a phone shelf and two retractable cupholders.

The storage and amenities in the rear are okay with directional air vents, reading lights and a fold-down armrest with two cup holders. You also get shallow storage bins in each door but this row misses out on charging options, which is a shame.

The other technology looks high-end and the graphics in both the 11.9-inch touchscreen multimedia system and 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster assert that the GLC43 is a luxury vehicle.

Both are easy to use, highly customisable and look fantastic. What a combo!

The augmented reality satellite navigation shows dynamic directions overlaid on a live video feed, so there's no excuse for getting lost while using it. There's also wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as, a Mercedes Me Connect app, so you can access features on your car remotely.

Charging options are only found in the front row but you get a good selection with three USB-C ports and a wireless charging pad.

The GLC43 gets a large coloured head-up display, fingerprint scanner (that can lock a certain profile or features) and dual-zone climate control but it would have been nice to see climate control in the rear row as well.

The boot is pretty large for a medium SUV at 620L, and can comfortably fit shopping or luggage.

There’s a tyre mobility kit and extra underfloor storage, and the rear row has a 40/20/40 split fold, which opens up your storage options. You also get a powered tailgate in this model, which is always handy.

Sometimes you can forget how many luxury items this car has because they've been sprinkled around too sparsely.

For example, front passengers definitely enjoy the most this car has to offer. The legroom and headroom are both great, while the luxe factors feature heavily with the heated and ventilated seats and heated steering wheel. It’s great that there is dual-climate control up front and ample individual storage on offer.

The driver has a lot of technology within easy reach – the 14-inch touchscreen multimedia system is simple to use and has built-in satellite navigation. You can pull the directions into the head-up display and there’s still a healthy mix of physical dials on display. The wireless Apple CarPlay was easy to connect to and there’s also wired Android Auto, Bluetooth connectivity and digital radio (which was good in the city, terrible in regional areas).

Front passengers are absolutely spoiled when it comes to charging options, too. You can choose between an USB-A port, three USB-C ports, 12-volt port and a wireless charging pad!

When I reviewed the smaller NX sibling, I struggled with the e-latch door handles but finally got used to them on this model (I even like them!). My six-year-old found them to be frustrating at times and if the groans from my family members are to be believed, they weren’t impressed either but I do think it came down to it being a ‘user’ issue!

The backseat is comfortable and perfect for my 168cm height but taller passengers may feel a little cosier. The seats are set in a stadium setting, which does make you feel like you’re teetering in corners but my son loved the high position.

You can comfortably fit a couple of child seats back there but it might be a squeeze for three. The wide door apertures do make it easy to fit a child seat and to bend down to buckle them in.

Individual storage is limited to just map pockets, two cupholders and skinny drink bottle holders in the doors. The amenities never quite make it to luxurious either but I did like seeing two USB-C ports and retractable sun blinds.

The boot space is decently sized at 612L but the aperture is sloped, which means you might struggle to fit some bulky items. It has a level load space and it’s easy to access the temporary spare tyre. The powered tailgate with kick-function is super quick and handy too. 

There are six models for the RX and the 500h Sport Performance completely replaces the previous 450h model as ‘top dog’.

As with most things, the purchase price has shifted upwards with a hearty $126,000 tag (before on-road costs). However, it’s still almost $10K more affordable than its nearest rival, with the X5 at $139,900 and the GLE at $135,200 (all before on-road costs).

Being a top model means you enjoy the perks of many features coming as standard, like electric front seats with lumbar support, heated and ventilated front seats, heated steering wheel, panoramic sunroof and leather accented seats and trim.

It even has real aluminium inserts for the accents and a new for 2023 digital rear-view mirror.

The only luxe factor that it doesn’t have, but should for a flagship model, are heated and ventilated outboard seats in the back row.

Other features include some decent tech, like wireless Apple CarPlay and wired Android Auto, three-zone climate control and a premium Mark Levinson sound system but more on that below.  

The 43 gains the 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine from the AMG A45 hot hatch, which replaces the 3.0L turbo V6 from the previous model.

What makes this one interesting is that it’s been designed with Formula 1 tech and its performance is boosted by an electric turbocharger. Which means you have instant power delivery.

The new engine produces a power output of 310kW and 500Nm of torque. So, a little more power (23kW) but a little less torque (20Nm) than the previous model. The GLC43 is an AWD and has a nine-speed auto transmission which is mostly smooth.

The new GLC43 features a true AMG engine and that means it was hand-built by a master engine builder. Every AMG engine features a plaque with the builder's signature, which is very cool.

There is only one engine for the top model and that’s a 2.4-litre, four-cylinder turbo-petrol hybrid offering. It has a combined max power output of 273kW.

This replaces the old V6 hybrid engine from previous models but I found it to still be punchy. In fact, it’s claimed that you can do 0-100km/h in as little as 6.2 seconds.

It’s an all-wheel-drive and features a cool – eAxle … meaning the car is a bit clever with its power distribution using the electric motor to power the rear axle and the petrol engine to power the front. You can notice the gear changes with the six-speed auto transmission but overall, this combination delivers a solid performance.

You might be surprised given its outputs, but the new GLC43 is fairly frugal when it comes to consumption.

The official combined fuel-cycle consumption figure is 9.9L/100km and my real-world usage came out at 8.8L.

I have put the GLC43 through its paces too – mountain roads, urban and long trips … and have not been shy using it’s power.

That's excellent usage for such a powerful SUV but expect higher in an urban setting.

Based on the official combined fuel cycle and 62L fuel tank, expect a theoretical driving range of 626km.

Mercedes recommends a minimum 98-octane unleaded petrol to be used.

The official combined fuel figure is 6.5L/100km and that’s up by half a litre on the previous model. Real-world testing saw my figure at 8.3L, and I was disappointed with the efficiency. There are more efficient options out there that I would consider if the ‘hybrid’ part of the model’s name was what interested you.

With the 65L fuel tank and based off the official combined figure, you should be able to get a 1000km driving range … but based off my experience, I would expect a little less than that.

After driving the GLC43, it proves why its considered a performance SUV – the new engine and that Formula One tech creates a fun on-road experience. 

Power delivery is quick and stable – you never feel overwhelmed by what the car is doing but you do get excited.

It has a dedicated 'Track Pace' feature for when you take it to a race track. I mean … is that needed for a family car? Probably not but it’s cool nonetheless.

This new model sees a redesigned adaptive suspension and rear axle steering. The suspension is firm and it hits the road with a definitive thump. I like the feedback when I’m pushing it around bends but for the daily school run, it’s a pretty hard ride.

The rear axle steering is fantastic when you hit big mountain hair-pin turns or need to manoeuvre precisely in your lane. It’s extremely agile on the road, when it needs to be. 

It’s a bummer that the cabin is loud with road noise and while you can do long journeys, just know it’s not a comfort tourer. You drive this for the fun factor.

All of the pillars are quite wide, which I found impeded my vision on bends but on the straights it was fine. I just did more of a weave and bob to check all of the blind spots this week.

Because of the electric turbocharger, power stays high but revs low at lower speeds. This can make parking can feel a little bunny-hoppy at times until you get used to how to accelerate at low speeds. Once you do, it’s a breeze to park and the 360-degree camera is top-notch.

My first thought when I drove this was that it doesn’t drive like a big car. It has nice sporty handling – it feels firmly positioned on the road and the steering is responsive.

There’s a definite sense of power but it’s lazy. You have to get firm with the accelerator but it performs well when you push it.

There’s an interesting duality at play here because, despite this, it’s not sluggish - I’m just as confident on the open-road as I am zipping across traffic in this.

The suspension is adaptive and feels springy. It handles cornering quite well but I’m not as firmly seated as I would like. My husband said the same from the passenger side.

The cabin is extremely quiet and peaceful until my kid gets into the car. Then it’s 20-questions in 20-seconds. But otherwise, the new active noise cancelling this model has, works.

I really love the 11m turning circle – parking this in a rat-warren car park was simple. The 360-degree view camera is easily in my top three for camera tech that I’ve used and I like how the car ‘disappears’ when you’re manoeuvring. It makes it easier to navigate a tight spot and not get distracted. Large SUVs can sometimes feel daunting to park but not this one.

The RX has a full suite of safety features that are always great to see on a large SUV, like: LED daytime running lights, lane keeping aid, lane departure alert, blind spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, 360-degree view camera, front and rear parking sensors and dynamic parking guidance.

A cool highlight is the 'Safe Exit Assist' which will alert you via the dash if the car has sensed an oncoming obstacle when you go to exit the car. However, Lexus goes further and if the obstacle is still present and you try to open the door, the car will LOCK your door and stop you from exiting. Pretty neat!

The autonomous emergency braking with forward collision warning has car, pedestrian and cyclist detection (operational from 5.0 – 80km/h and up to 180km/h for car detection).

It achieved a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating from testing done in 2022. However, this model used to have 10 airbags but now only has eight. I do like that it now has the front centre airbag.

There are ISOFIX child seat mounts on the outboard seats and three top-tether anchor points. You may get lucky with three skinny child seats but two will fit best. A 0-4 rearward facing child seat can be installed but will encroach on front passenger comfort, especially if they’re tall.

The GLC comes with a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty, which is a normal term for the class.

You can pre-purchase either a three-, four- or five-year servicing plan, priced at $4420 for three years, $5520 for four and $6245 for five years. 

Services on the five-year plan cost an average of $1249 per service which is very expensive for the class.

Servicing intervals are reasonable at every 12 months or an extra-long 25,000km, whichever occurs first.

The ownership terms have been improved too with the RX now coming with a five-year/unlimited km warranty term, which is more in line with the market standard.

It has a five-year/75,000km capped-price servicing plan and services cost $695, which is $100 more than the previous model. Even with the price hike, the servicing costs aren’t as expensive as others in the class. 

Servicing intervals are reasonable at every 12 months or 15,000km – whichever occurs first, which is good.

Lexus recommends a minimum of 95 RON petrol for this model.