Compare the2026 Jeep Grand WagoneerVS 2025 Mercedes GLS

The Jeep Grand Wagoneer has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags help prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The GLS doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

The Grand Wagoneer has standard Active Headrests, which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Active Headrests system moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The GLS doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

In a Vehicle-to-Vehicle Frontal Crash Prevention 2.0 test conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the Jeep Grand Wagoneer achieved a “Acceptable” rating - the second highest possible - for its performance in forward collision warning and automatic braking systems, demonstrating its excellent capabilities in preventing collisions. The Mercedes GLS has not been tested.

The Jeep Grand Wagoneer offers an optional 360-degree camera and it also offers an optional rear camera washer to make backing always safe, regardless of road dirt or grime, while the Mercedes GLS doesn’t offer a camera washer, requiring manual cleaning.

Both the Grand Wagoneer and the GLS have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, all wheel drive, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

Jeep’s powertrain warranty covers the Grand Wagoneer 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Mercedes covers the GLS. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the GLS ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

Jeep pays for scheduled maintenance on the Grand Wagoneer for 5 years and unlimited miles. Jeep will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Mercedes doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the GLS.

There are over 6 times as many Jeep dealers as there are Mercedes dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Grand Wagoneer’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Jeep vehicles are better in initial quality than Mercedes vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Jeep above average in initial quality. With 24 more problems per 100 vehicles, Mercedes is rated below average.

The Grand Wagoneer has more powerful engines than the GLS:

As tested in Car and Driver the Jeep Grand Wagoneer turbo 6 cyl. is faster than the GLS 450 3.0 turbo 6-cylinder hybrid:

On the EPA test cycle the Grand Wagoneer running its gasoline engine gets better mileage than the GLS:

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Jeep Grand Wagoneer uses regular unleaded gasoline (mid-grade octane recommended with the 3.0 turbo 6-cylinder engine for maximum performance). The GLS requires premium, which can cost on average about 35.1 cents more per gallon.

The Grand Wagoneer has 2.7 gallons more fuel capacity than the GLS (26.5 vs. 23.8 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The Grand Wagoneer has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The GLS doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

The Jeep Grand Wagoneer’s wheels have 6 lugs for longer wheel bearing life, less chance of rotor warping and greater strength. The Mercedes GLS only has 5 wheel lugs per wheel.

The Grand Wagoneer has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The GLS doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

The Grand Wagoneer has a standard full size spare tire so a flat doesn’t interrupt your trip. A full size spare isn’t available on the GLS; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare, which limits mileage and speed before replacement.

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Grand Wagoneer is 1.9 inches wider in the front and .8 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the GLS.

The front grille of the Grand Wagoneer uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The GLS doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Grand Wagoneer uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The GLS doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

The Grand Wagoneer offers optional seating for 8 passengers; the GLS can only carry up to 7.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Grand Wagoneer’s middle and third row seats recline. The GLS’ third row seats don’t recline.

The Grand Wagoneer’s cargo area provides more volume than the GLS.

The Grand Wagoneer’s cargo area is larger than the GLS’ in every dimension:

Maximum trailer towing in the Mercedes GLS is limited to 7700 pounds. The Grand Wagoneer 4x4 offers up to a 10,000 lbs. towing capacity.

The Grand Wagoneer Quadra-Trac II can be flat towed on all four wheels (dinghy towed), allowing recreational vehicle owners to bring it with them on the road. When they reach their destination, the Grand Wagoneer can be unhitched and driven around locally. The GLS can’t be towed flat on the ground.

Trailer Sway Control is standard on the Grand Wagoneer, using the Electronic Stability Control sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. A trailer sway program costs extra on the GLS.

The Grand Wagoneer’s instruments include an oil pressure gauge and a temperature gauge - which could save your engine! Often ‘idiot lights’ don’t warn you until damage has been done. The GLS does not have an oil pressure gauge.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Grand Wagoneer has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the GLS only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

The Grand Wagoneer has a standard heated steering wheel to take the chill out of steering on extremely cold winter days before the vehicle heater warms up. A heated steering wheel costs extra on the GLS.

The Grand Wagoneer is available in both rear-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The GLS doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

The Jeep Grand Wagoneer outsold the Mercedes GLS by over two to one during 2024.