Compare the2023 Mercedes G-ClassVS 2023 Land Rover Discovery

The G-Class’ 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 G-Class 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 G-Class has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help 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 G-Class 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, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and driver alert monitors.

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 G-Class’ 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.

The G 550’s standard 4.0 turbo V8 produces 120 more horsepower (416 vs. 296) and 155 lbs.-ft. more torque (450 vs. 295) than the Discovery’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder. The G 550’s 4.0 turbo V8 produces 61 more horsepower (416 vs. 355) and 81 lbs.-ft. more torque (450 vs. 369) than the Discovery P360’s optional 3.0 turbo/supercharged 6-cylinder hybrid. The AMG G 63’s standard 4.0 turbo V8 produces 222 more horsepower (577 vs. 355) and 258 lbs.-ft. more torque (627 vs. 369) than the Discovery P360’s optional 3.0 turbo/supercharged 6-cylinder hybrid.

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

An engine control system that can shut down some of the engine’s cylinders helps improve the G-Class’ fuel efficiency. The Discovery doesn’t offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

The G-Class has 2.6 gallons more fuel capacity than the Discovery (26.4 vs. 23.8 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) certifies the Mercedes G-Class as an “Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle” (ULEV). The Land Rover Discovery is only certified to “Low Emissions Vehicle” (LEV) standards.

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

For better stopping power the AMG G 63’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the Discovery:

The G-Class stops shorter than the Discovery:

For better traction, the G-Class has larger standard tires than the Discovery (275/55R19 vs. 255/55R20). The G-Class’ optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Discovery (295/40R22 vs. 285/40R22).

The G-Class has a standard full size spare so a flat doesn’t interrupt your trip. A full size spare costs extra on the Discovery. Without the option you must depend on a temporary spare, which limits mileage and speed before replacement.

The G 550 is 5.4 inches shorter than the Discovery, making the G-Class easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The G-Class is 5.3 inches narrower on average than the Discovery, making the G-Class easier to handle and maneuver in traffic.

The G-Class has 2.5 inches more front headroom, 1.5 inches more rear headroom and 2.1 inches more rear legroom than the Discovery.

The G-Class has a much larger cargo volume than the Discovery with its rear seat up (38.1 vs. 9.1 cubic feet).

A standard locking glovebox keeps your small valuables safer in the G-Class. The Discovery doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

The G-Class’ standard towing capacity is much higher than the Discovery’s (7000 vs. 5925 pounds).

The G-Class’ standard easy entry system raises the steering wheel, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. An easy entry system costs extra on the Discovery.

If the windows are left open on the G-Class 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 can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the G-Class has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The Discovery doesn’t offer cornering lights.

The G-Class has a 115-volt a/c outlet in the cargo area, 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 G-Class’ 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.

The Mercedes G-Class outsold the Land Rover Discovery by over five to one during 2022.