Compare the2022 Mercedes GLSVS 2022 Land Rover Discovery

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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The GLS’ pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Discovery doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Mercedes GLS are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The Land Rover Discovery doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

The Mercedes GLS has a standard driver’s side knee airbag mounted low on the dashboard. The knee airbag helps prevent the driver from sliding under the seatbelts or the main frontal airbag; this keeps the driver better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. A knee airbag also helps keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Discovery doesn’t offer knee airbags.

Both the GLS and the Discovery have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, four-wheel antilock brakes, all wheel drive, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, blind spot warning systems, around view monitors, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors and available lane departure warning systems.

Warranty

There are over 2 times as many Mercedes dealers as there are Land Rover dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the GLS’ warranty.

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Mercedes vehicles are better in initial quality than Land Rover vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Mercedes 25th in initial quality. With 7 more problems per 100 vehicles, Land Rover is ranked 26th.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Mercedes vehicles are more reliable than Land Rover vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Mercedes 15th in reliability. With 122 more problems per 100 vehicles, Land Rover is ranked 33rd.

Engine

The GLS’ 3.0 turbo 6-cylinder hybrid produces 66 more horsepower (362 vs. 296) and 74 lbs.-ft. more torque (369 vs. 295) than the Discovery’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder. The GLS’ 3.0 turbo 6-cylinder hybrid produces 7 more horsepower (362 vs. 355) than the Discovery P360’s optional 3.0 turbo/supercharged 6-cylinder hybrid.

As tested in Motor Trend the Mercedes GLS is faster than the Discovery P360 3.0 turbo/supercharged 6-cylinder hybrid:

	GLS	Discovery
Zero to 60 MPH	5.8 sec	6.6 sec
Quarter Mile	14.3 sec	15.2 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	97 MPH	78.1 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the GLS 450 gets better fuel mileage than the Discovery 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder (18 city/24 hwy vs. 19 city/22 hwy).

Regenerative brakes improve the GLS’ fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Discovery doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

Both the GLS and the Discovery have a standard automatic start/stop engine feature to stop unnecessary fuel waste and pollution at stoplights and heavy traffic. All GLSs have a standard disable switch for the system, so a driver can keep the engine from shutting off when the vehicle stops temporarily. The Discovery P360 doesn’t offer a way to disable start/stop.

Transmission

A nine-speed automatic is standard on the Mercedes GLS, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only an eight-speed automatic is available for the Discovery.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the GLS’ standard front brake rotors are larger than those on the Discovery:

	GLS	Discovery
Front Rotors	14.8 inches	14.3 inches

The GLS stops much shorter than the Discovery:

	GLS	Discovery
60 to 0 MPH	113 feet	128 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the GLS has larger standard tires than the Discovery (275/45R21 vs. 255/55R20).

The GLS 450’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 50 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Discovery’s standard 55 series tires. The GLS’ optional 325/35R23 rear tires have a lower 35 series profile than the Discovery’s optional 40 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the GLS offers optional 23-inch wheels. The Discovery’s largest wheels are only 22-inches.

Suspension and Handling

The GLS has a standard automatic front and rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The GLS’ height leveling suspension allows the driver to raise ride height for better off-road clearance and then lower it again for easier entering and exiting and better on-road handling. The Discovery doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

The GLS’ drift compensation steering can automatically compensate for road conditions which would cause the vehicle to drift from side to side, helping the driver to keep the vehicle straight more easily. The Discovery doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the GLS’ wheelbase is 8.3 inches longer than on the Discovery (123.4 inches vs. 115.1 inches).

The GLS 450 handles at .87 G’s, while the Discovery R-Dynamic S pulls only .76 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The GLS 450 executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.7 seconds quicker than the Discovery R-Dynamic S (26.4 seconds @ .7 average G’s vs. 28.1 seconds @ .6 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the GLS’ turning circle is 1.3 feet tighter than the Discovery’s (39.4 feet vs. 40.7 feet).

For greater off-road capability the GLS Off-Road Package has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Discovery (11.3 vs. 11.1 inches), allowing the GLS to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Passenger Space

The GLS has 1.2 inches more front legroom, 1.2 inches more rear headroom, 4.5 inches more rear legroom, 1 inch more third row headroom, 1.1 inches more third row legroom and 3.1 inches more third row shoulder room than the Discovery.

Cargo Capacity

The GLS’ cargo area provides more volume than the Discovery.

	GLS	Discovery
Behind Third Seat	17.4 cubic feet	9.1 cubic feet
Second Seat Folded	84.7 cubic feet	74.3 cubic feet

The GLS’ cargo area is larger than the Discovery’s in almost every dimension:

	GLS	Discovery
Length to seat (3rd/2nd/1st)	22.2”/48.1”/81.3”	11.5”/43.4”/76.9”
Max Width	49”	55.6”
Min Width	42.5”	47.24”
Height	34.7”	33.6”

Towing

The GLS’ standard towing capacity is much higher than the Discovery’s (7700 vs. 6613 pounds).

Servicing Ease

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Mercedes service is better than Land Rover. J.D. Power ranks Mercedes 6th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 68% lower rating, Land Rover is ranked 31st.

Ergonomics

The GLS has a standard remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The climate system will also automatically heat or cool the interior. The Discovery doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

The GLS’ standard easy entry system raises the steering wheel and glides the driver’s seat back, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. An easy entry system costs extra on the Discovery.

Heated windshield washer fluid is optional on the GLS to defrost the washer nozzles and quickly clear ice and frost from the windshield without scraping. The Discovery doesn’t offer heated windshield washer fluid. Its optional heated washer nozzles will defrost the washer fluid but not the windshield.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the GLS has standard cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Discovery doesn’t offer cornering lights. The GLS also has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle.

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the GLS has standard extendable sun visors. The Discovery doesn’t offer extendable visors.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the GLS to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Discovery doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

Both the GLS and the Discovery offer available massaging front seats. The GLS also offers optional massaging second row seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging second row seats aren’t available in the Discovery.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Mercedes GLS has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console and one for the rear passengers. Wireless charging costs extra on the Discovery.

The GLS has a 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The Discovery doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

The GLS’ Active Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. The Discovery’s automatic parking system requires operating the brakes and transmission to safely park.

Recommendations

The Mercedes GLS outsold the Land Rover Discovery by over six to one during the 2021 model year.