Electric GLC vs 2026 iX3 - what car - surprising range test
Electric GLC vs 2026 iX3 - what car - surprising range test
Author
Discussion

TheDeuce

Original Poster:

32,962 posts

93 months

Tuesday
quotequote all
I have the GLC on order but was torn between that and the iX3. In the end I concluded that either has more than enough range for other parts of what each car offers to matter more - I preferred the GLC so that's what I went for.


But now this comparison range test shows that there really isn't much in it at all, and that the GLC actually proved more efficient... which really surprised me!


(range comparison and figures towards the end of the video)

Obviously this is just one car v car road test and others may get different results. But it goes to show that too much focus on headline range and efficiency figures probably isn't healthy when it comes to choosing the car that is actually the best fit.

andrew-6xade

677 posts

30 months

Tuesday
quotequote all
You've got a GLC on order?

TheDeuce

Original Poster:

32,962 posts

93 months

Tuesday
quotequote all
andrew-6xade said:
You've got a GLC on order?
yes...


Cristio Nasser

706 posts

20 months

Tuesday
quotequote all
Real non-stop ranges of 350+ miles effectively takes range comparisons out of the equation. At least for real people in the real world.

TheDeuce

Original Poster:

32,962 posts

93 months

Tuesday
quotequote all
Cristio Nasser said:
Real non-stop ranges of 350+ miles effectively takes range comparisons out of the equation. At least for real people in the real world.
That's what I'm thinking. Also nearly all motorway miles in this test, which suggests the claimed range of either car is basically realistic - or in other words, more than enough!


MrBarry123

6,094 posts

148 months

Wednesday
quotequote all
andrew-6xade said:
You've got a GLC on order?
hehe

TheDeuce

Original Poster:

32,962 posts

93 months

Wednesday
quotequote all
MrBarry123 said:
andrew-6xade said:
You've got a GLC on order?
hehe
Ah, I see... smile

getmecoat

P675

815 posts

59 months

Yesterday (13:59)
quotequote all
Efficency at 3ish kwh isn't great, I know they are bigger EVs at motorway speeds, but big battery to get the nice range figures is also more money spent at the charger. Efficency is something nobody seems to care about, it's just range range range.

TheDrownedApe

1,680 posts

83 months

Yesterday (14:22)
quotequote all
P675 said:
Efficency at 3ish kwh isn't great, I know they are bigger EVs at motorway speeds, but big battery to get the nice range figures is also more money spent at the charger. Efficency is something nobody seems to care about, it's just range range range.
this is PH. laugh

TheDeuce

Original Poster:

32,962 posts

93 months

Yesterday (14:46)
quotequote all
TheDrownedApe said:
P675 said:
Efficency at 3ish kwh isn't great, I know they are bigger EVs at motorway speeds, but big battery to get the nice range figures is also more money spent at the charger. Efficency is something nobody seems to care about, it's just range range range.
this is PH. laugh
Exactly! It's a 2.5t luxury SUV with 500hp that costs about £8 to do 300 miles. That's good enough, especially compared to the alternative IC cars I used to drive laugh

Jon39

14,740 posts

170 months


P675 said:
. ... Efficency is something nobody seems to care about, it's just range range range.

The motor industry has always placed great importance on mpg and range.

They are desperate that nobody ever thinks about the £ tens of thousands spent on depreciation.


greggy50

6,273 posts

218 months

22" wheels on BMW would have killed the range...

TheDeuce

Original Poster:

32,962 posts

93 months

greggy50 said:
22" wheels on BMW would have killed the range...
23" I thought? Definitely makes a difference but so does the GLC's extra weight.

I think there's a lot less between them than the headline figures suggest IRL.

napistonheads

154 posts

90 months

greggy50 said:
22" wheels on BMW would have killed the range...
Just watched it, good point they compared the least efficient iX3 config at motorway speeds where the GLC 2 speed gearbox is also an advantage. I’d be fine with either tbh 350 miles motorway range is more than enough for any use case I’d have.

TheDeuce

Original Poster:

32,962 posts

93 months

napistonheads said:
greggy50 said:
22" wheels on BMW would have killed the range...
Just watched it, good point they compared the least efficient iX3 config at motorway speeds where the GLC 2 speed gearbox is also an advantage. I d be fine with either tbh 350 miles motorway range is more than enough for any use case I d have.
That's the thing I kept coming back to when I chose. The range is simply no longer a factor. The motoring press still obsessed over it but... The latest generation of EV's make it a non issue in most cases. Especially given we live on a tiny island...

napistonheads

154 posts

90 months

TheDeuce said:
That's the thing I kept coming back to when I chose. The range is simply no longer a factor. The motoring press still obsessed over it but... The latest generation of EV's make it a non issue in most cases. Especially given we live on a tiny island...
Agreed, range is a non issue for our use cases. There’s definitely still a place for interesting ICE but for daily driving I wouldn’t go back to ICE.

TheDeuce

Original Poster:

32,962 posts

93 months

napistonheads said:
TheDeuce said:
That's the thing I kept coming back to when I chose. The range is simply no longer a factor. The motoring press still obsessed over it but... The latest generation of EV's make it a non issue in most cases. Especially given we live on a tiny island...
Agreed, range is a non issue for our use cases. There s definitely still a place for interesting ICE but for daily driving I wouldn t go back to ICE.
And as per your username, you're still in an NA car biggrin