Compare the2023 Land Rover Range Rover SportVS 2022 Mercedes G-Class

Both the Range Rover Sport and G-Class have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The Range Rover Sport has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The G-Class’ child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

The Range Rover Sport has a standard 3D Surround Camera to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The G-Class only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

For better protection of the passenger compartment, the Range Rover Sport uses safety cell construction with a three-dimensional high-strength frame that surrounds the passenger compartment. It provides extra impact protection and a sturdy mounting location for door hardware and side impact beams. The G-Class uses a body-on-frame design, which has no frame members above the floor of the vehicle.

Both the Range Rover Sport and the G-Class 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, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and driver alert monitors.

The Range Rover Sport’s corrosion warranty is 1 year longer than the G-Class’ (6 vs. 5 years).

On the EPA test cycle the Range Rover Sport running its gasoline engine gets better mileage than the G-Class:

The Range Rover Sport P440e can travel with zero emissions for 48 miles. The G-Class can’t move without running its internal combustion engine.

Regenerative brakes improve the Range Rover Sport’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The G-Class doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Land Rover Range Rover Sport higher (5 to 7 out of 10) than the Mercedes G-Class (3). This means the Range Rover Sport produces up to 24.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the G-Class every 15,000 miles.

For better stopping power the Range Rover Sport’s brake rotors are larger than those on the G-Class:

The Range Rover Sport’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 G 550’s standard 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Range Rover Sport has standard 21-inch wheels. Smaller 19-inch wheels are standard on the G 550. The Range Rover Sport’s optional 23-inch wheels are larger than the 22-inch wheels optional on the G-Class.

For superior ride and handling, the Land Rover Range Rover Sport has fully independent front and rear suspensions. An independent suspension allows the wheels to follow the road at the best angle for gripping the pavement, without compromising ride comfort. The Mercedes G-Class has a solid rear axle, with a non-independent rear suspension.

The Range Rover Sport Autobiography/First Edition has active sway bars, which help keep it flat and controlled during cornering, but disconnect at lower speeds to smooth the ride and offer greater off-road suspension articulation. This helps keep the tires glued to the road on-road and off. The G-Class doesn’t offer an active sway bar system.

The front and rear suspension of the Range Rover Sport uses air springs for a smoother, controlled ride than the G-Class, which uses coil springs. Air springs maintain proper ride height and ride more smoothly.

The Range Rover Sport Autobiography/First Edition offers an available adjustable active suspension system, which counteracts cornering forces actively, limiting body roll and improving handling and stability. Mercedes doesn’t offer an active suspension on the G-Class.

The Range Rover Sport has a standard automatic front and rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The Range Rover Sport’s 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 G-Class doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Range Rover Sport’s wheelbase is 4.2 inches longer than on the G-Class (118 inches vs. 113.8 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Range Rover Sport is 2.2 inches wider in the front and 2.2 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the G-Class.

For better maneuverability, the Range Rover Sport w/Rear Wheel Steering’s turning circle is 8.7 feet tighter than the G-Class’ (35.9 feet vs. 44.6 feet). The Range Rover Sport’s turning circle is 3.5 feet tighter than the G-Class’ (41.1 feet vs. 44.6 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Range Rover Sport has a 1.6 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the G-Class (11.1 vs. 9.5 inches), allowing the Range Rover Sport to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Land Rover Range Rover Sport may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs up to about 550 pounds less than the Mercedes G-Class.

Unibody construction lowers the Range Rover Sport’s center of gravity significantly without reducing ground clearance. This contributes to better on the road handling and better off-road performance and stability. In addition, unibody construction makes the chassis stiffer, improving handling and reducing squeaks and rattles. The G-Class uses body-on-frame design instead.

The design of the Land Rover Range Rover Sport amounts to more than styling. The Range Rover Sport has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .29 Cd. That is significantly lower than the G-Class (.55) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the Range Rover Sport get better fuel mileage.

For excellent aerodynamics, the Range Rover Sport has standard flush composite headlights. The G-Class has recessed headlights that spoil its aerodynamic shape and create extra drag.

The Range Rover Sport uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The G-Class doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

Pressing a switch automatically lowers or raises the Range Rover Sport’s rear seats, to make changing between cargo and passengers easier. The G-Class doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

The Range Rover Sport’s liftgate lifts up in one piece, completely out of the way of loading and unloading, while sheltering the cargo loading area. The G-Class’ swing out door blocks loading from the driver’s side.

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Range Rover Sport’s power cargo door can be opened or closed just by waving your foot, leaving your hands completely free. The G-Class doesn’t offer a power or hands-free opening cargo door.

The Range Rover Sport’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the G-Class’ (7716 vs. 7000 pounds).

The Range Rover Sport offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The G-Class doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

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

To better shield the driver and front passenger’s vision, the Range Rover Sport offers optional dual-element sun visors that can block glare from two directions simultaneously. The G-Class doesn’t offer secondary sun visors.

A manual rear sunshade is standard in the Range Rover Sport to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The G-Class doesn’t offer a rear sunshade.

Optional air conditioned front and rear seats keep the Range Rover Sport’s passengers comfortable and take the sting out of hot leather in summer. The G-Class doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats in the rear.

The Land Rover Range Rover Sport outsold the Mercedes G-Class by over two to one during the 2022 model year.