The Highlander has standard Whiplash Injury Lessening Seats, which use a specially designed seat to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Whiplash Injury Lessening Seats system allows the backrest to travel backwards to cushion the occupants and the headrests move forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The M-Class doesn't offer a whiplash protection system.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Highlander AWD's standard Downhill Assist Control allows you to creep down safely. The M-Class doesn't offer Downhill Assist Control.

To help make backing safer, the Highlander Limited/Platinum's cross-path warning system uses wide-angle radar in the rear bumper to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. The M-Class doesn't offer a cross-path warning system.

Both the Highlander and the M-Class 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, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, daytime running lights, available crash mitigating brakes, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems and rear parking sensors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Toyota Highlander is safer than the Mercedes M-Class:

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH, results indicate that the Toyota Highlander is safer than the Mercedes M-Class:

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Toyota's powertrain warranty covers the Highlander 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Mercedes covers the M-Class. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the M-Class ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

The Highlander's corrosion warranty is 1 year and unlimited miles longer than the M-Class' (5/unlimited vs. 4/50,000).

Toyota pays for scheduled maintenance on the Highlander for 2 years and 25000 miles. Toyota will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Mercedes doesn't pay scheduled maintenance for the M-Class.

There are almost 4 times as many Toyota dealers as there are Mercedes dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Highlander's warranty.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without their vehicle while it's being repaired. Consumer Reports predicts that the Highlander's reliability will be 91% better than the Mercedes M-Class and 101% better than the Mercedes M-Class Diesel.

J.D. Power and Associates' 2015 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are better in initial quality than Mercedes vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota 9th in initial quality, above the industry average. With 7 more problems per 100 vehicles, Mercedes is ranked 14th.

J.D. Power and Associates' 2015 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Mercedes vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota third in reliability, above the industry average. With 8 more problems per 100 vehicles, Mercedes is ranked 7th.

On the EPA test cycle the Highlander gets better fuel mileage than the M-Class:

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Toyota Highlander uses regular unleaded gasoline. The M-Class requires premium, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

The Highlander stops much shorter than the M-Class:

For greater off-road capability the Highlander has a 2.76 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the M-Class (8 vs. 5.24 inches), allowing the Highlander to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Toyota Highlander may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 250 to 550 pounds less than the Mercedes M-Class.

The Highlander has standard seating for 8 passengers; the M-Class can only carry 5.

The Highlander has 1.8 inches more front headroom, 3.9 inches more front legroom, .8 inches more front shoulder room, 1.4 inches more rear headroom and 1.2 inches more rear shoulder room than the M-Class.

The Highlander's cargo area provides more volume than the M-Class.

The Highlander's optional rear cargo window opens separately from the rest of the liftgate door to allow quicker loading of small packages. The M-Class' rear cargo window doesn't open.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Highlander has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the M-Class only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn't as good.

Consumer Reports rated the Highlander's headlight performance “Very Good,” a higher rating than the M-Class' headlights, which were rated “Poor.”

Insurance will cost less for the Highlander owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Highlander will cost $1855 to $4445 less than the M-Class over a five-year period.

The Highlander will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The Intellichoice estimates that the Highlander will retain 58.27% to 61.09% of its original price after five years, while the M-Class only retains 41.74% to 43.74%.

Intellichoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Toyota Highlander will be $24457 to $28755 less than for the Mercedes M-Class.

The Toyota Highlander has won recognition from these important consumer publications:

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Highlander second among midsize suvs in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner's expectations. The M-Class isn't in the top three in its category.

The Toyota Highlander outsold the Mercedes M-Class by over three to one during the 2015 model year.