BMW X3 vs Mercedes-Benz GLC

Looking for your next combustion-powered premium compact SUV? With both Mercedes-Benz and BMW continuing to stand as popular marques amongst Singaporeans, these two are likely to be high on your shopping list.

Here, since late last year, is the new BMW X3. And it stands ready to do battle with the Mercedes-Benz GLC, which we first drove in May 2023, but is now coming up against this X3 thanks to the introduction of this new 201bhp variant.

So, if you must choose between them, which would be the better option? Let's find out, shall we?

The BMW X3 impresses with its contour lighting, but the Mercedes-Benz GLC counters with some appealing use of chrome

Strong and yummy

Longer, wider, and taller than its rival, it's the BMW X3 that better captures the eye when these two are placed next to each other. But the car's aesthetic pre-eminence comes from more than its sheer size.

Decked out with the BMW M Sport package, the X3 comes with plenty of eye-catching touches including a grille with black inner diagonal and vertical bars and quite the sizeable rear diffuser, on top of the kidney grille that comes highlighted by contour lighting.

Not that the Mercedes-Benz GLC isn't a looker. Finished in this starling blue metallic and complemented by some appealing lashings of chrome, the GLC is far from unattractive, and certainly more than enough to give those looking for a more sedate looking SUV some pause.

Build quality is hard to fault in the BMW X3, but it's hard to resist the open pore wood trim in the Mercedes-Benz GLC

With space to spare

But step into the Mercedes and you certainly won't find it lacking for visual panache. Highlights here include the intricate air-conditioning vents, open pore wood trim on the dashboard, as well as the 12.3-inch instrument panel and 11.9-inch infotainment display, the latter two of which offer a wide variety of colours and pleasing graphics.

The BMW, meanwhile, takes on a more austere approach (Interaction Bar aside), but build quality and general fit and finish are hard to fault.

Our afternoon with these two revealed a host of ergonomic flaws within both: Where the Mercedes-Benz GLC proved easy to get comfortable in, I found myself constantly adjusting the seats in the BMW X3 - its tall dashboard demanding I sit taller than I otherwise would have liked. And over in the Mercedes-Benz GLC, I found its footrest just a touch to short and narrow to comfortably use.

On the useability front, the X3's new nipple-like controls to adjust the air-conditioning vents of the BMW X3 also feel less precise to use than the regular vents utilised in other cars, while the infotainment system in the Mercedes-Benz will take more time for familiarisation before you start to be able to effortlessly find all the options you need.

The infotainment system in the X3 is the more intuitive of the two, but the one in the Mercedes counters with its sheer visual appeal

And always ready to go

It's a good thing then, that both cars prove competent when on the move.

You won't need an afternoon of driving these two back-to-back to note that the X3 comes with a stiffer ride, not surprising since this press car comes with all the stiffer dampers, springs, and firmer anti-roll bars that come with the M Sport package. To be clear, the ride here is far from uncomfortable but does let sharp edges on the road make their way into the cabin more so than many might expect.

The upshot of this, of course, is improved body control, and if you're the sort that likes to push your car hard, then note that this X3 comes paired with a steering that is untypically light for a BMW - making it feel the keener of the two here to turn into corners.

A light steering makes the BMW X3 feel like the more agile SUV, but the Mercedes-Benz feels more cohesive with a greater uniformity of weight and responsiveness behind its driving controls

The 2.0-litre unit in the BMW also feels equally competent whether you're caning the X3 or simply pottering about town, proving eager to deliver power all throughout its rev range and constantly delivering an encouraging background turbocharger whoosh into the cabin - almost egging you on to take the scenic route home.

The engine Mercedes-Benz GLC is decidedly less dramatic, but don't take this as a slight against its drivetrain. Quiet and refined, it's also paired with a mild hybrid system that is an absolute triumph, so much so that the GLC's start/stop cycles are nearly imperceivable. 

And the rest of the Mercedes is equally competent. There's a certain uniformity behind the weight of its steering and pedals that just makes getting in and moving off without any familiarisation easy. And where I found myself occasionally bothered by road noise in the X3, insulation levels in the Mercedes were hard to fault.

Shopping for a compact SUV for the family? Either of these will do the job well

Which to bring home?

So, which of these two should you bring home? Fans of either marque should not be unfamiliar with the idea that you ought to pick the BMW if an engaging drive is your priority, and that the Mercedes-Benz delivers when it comes to overall comfort, a case that has once again manifested itself today.

But this time there's more to consider. The BMW's greater exterior dimensions and that high dashboard make it feel like a substantially larger car from behind the wheel. But the Mercedes-Benz counters this with its use of more eye-catching materials in its cabin, its general refinement, and well considered driving controls, making it feel like a more cohesive product.

And then there's pricing to consider: At $364,888, this GLC is asking for just a touch more than the $346,888 that the BMW X3 starts from (if you opt for your own without the M Sport package, an $8,000 item). On this basis, it's the BMW that manages to pip the Mercedes, but it's a victory wrought only by the skin of its teeth. You really cannot go wrong with either of these.

Looking for more comparison articles? These cars might also interest you...

The BMW X5 takes on the Range Rover Sport here

Or you might want to see how the BMW 3 Series fares against the Mercedes-Benz C-Class here

But maybe the BMW X1 and the Mercedes-Benz GLA might also be of interest to you?