Compare the2023 Mercedes GLBVS 2023 Land Rover Discovery Sport

For enhanced safety, the front and second-row seat shoulder belts of the Mercedes GLB have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Land Rover Discovery Sport doesn’t offer pretensioners for its second-row seat belts.

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

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Mercedes GLB 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 Sport doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

The GLB offers an optional Surround View System to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Discovery Sport 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.

The GLB has a standard blind spot warning system which uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. A system to reveal vehicles in the Discovery Sport’s blind spot costs extra.

Both the GLB and the Discovery Sport have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors, available all wheel drive and lane departure warning systems.

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

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 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. With 4 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Mercedes higher than Land Rover.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 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 With 89 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Mercedes higher than Land Rover.

On the EPA test cycle the GLB gets better mileage than the Discovery Sport:

The GLB offers a standard sequential manual gearbox (SMG). With no clutch pedal to worry about and a fully automatic mode, an SMG is much more efficient than a conventional automatic but just as easy to drive. The Discovery Sport doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

The GLB’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Discovery Sport’s standard 60 series tires.

Changing a flat tire near traffic can be dangerous and inconvenient. The run-flat tires available on the GLB can be driven up to 50 miles without any air pressure, allowing you to drive to a service station for a repair. The Discovery Sport doesn’t offer run-flat tires.

The GLB’s 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 Sport doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the GLB’s wheelbase is 3.5 inches longer than on the Discovery Sport (111.4 inches vs. 107.9 inches).

The Mercedes GLB may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 400 to 450 pounds less than the Land Rover Discovery Sport.

The design of the Mercedes GLB amounts to more than styling. The GLB has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .32 Cd. That is lower than the Discovery Sport (.34) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the GLB get better fuel mileage.

The GLB has 1.2 inches more front headroom, 2 inches more front legroom, .6 inches more rear headroom, .4 inches more third row headroom and 3.5 inches more third row legroom than the Discovery Sport.

The GLB’s cargo area provides more volume than the Discovery Sport.

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the GLB. The Discovery Sport doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the GLB’s available liftgate can be opened and closed just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Discovery Sport doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its liftgate, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

Unlike the driver-only memory seat and mirrors in the Discovery Sport SE, the GLB has standard driver and passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat, suspension setting, power steering assist, outside mirror angle, climate settings and radio stations and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

The GLB’s standard easy entry system glides the driver’s seat back, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The Discovery Sport doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

If the windows are left open on the GLB the driver can close them all at the outside door handle or from a distance using the remote. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Discovery Sport can only close the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

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

Optional air-conditioned seats in the GLB keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The Discovery Sport doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

The GLB offers optional massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the Discovery Sport.

The GLB offers an optional 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 Sport doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

The GLB’s optional Active Parking Assist can parallel park by itself, stopping and changing direction automatically. The Discovery Sport doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

The GLB is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Discovery Sport doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

Insurance will cost less for the GLB owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the GLB will cost $160 less than the Discovery Sport over a five-year period.

The GLB will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the GLB will retain 46.13% to 48.36% of its original price after five years, while the Discovery Sport only retains 45.39% to 45.58%.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Mercedes GLB will be $7436 to $9022 less than for the Land Rover Discovery Sport.

The Mercedes GLB outsold the Land Rover Discovery Sport by almost four to one during the 2022 model year.