Compare the2023 Land Rover DiscoveryVS 2023 Mercedes GLB

Both the Discovery and GLB have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The Discovery 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 GLB’s 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.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the Discovery. But it costs extra on the GLB.

The Discovery’s standard lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane and gently nudges the vehicle back towards its lane. A lane departure warning system costs extra on the GLB.

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

The Land Rover Discovery weighs 974 to 1522 pounds more than the Mercedes GLB. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

The Discovery’s corrosion warranty is 1 year longer than the GLB’s (6 vs. 5 years).

The Discovery’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 75 more horsepower (296 vs. 221) and 37 lbs.-ft. more torque (295 vs. 258) than the GLB’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder. The Discovery P360’s optional 3.0 turbo/supercharged 6-cylinder hybrid produces 134 more horsepower (355 vs. 221) and 111 lbs.-ft. more torque (369 vs. 258) than the GLB’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

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

The Discovery has 7.9 gallons more fuel capacity than the GLB (23.8 vs. 15.9 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Land Rover Discovery higher (7 out of 10) than the Mercedes GLB (5). This means the Discovery produces up to 8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the GLB every 15,000 miles.

For better stopping power the Discovery’s brake rotors are larger than those on the GLB:

The Discovery’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the GLB are solid, not vented.

For better traction, the Discovery has larger standard tires than the GLB (255/55R20 vs. 235/55R18). The Discovery’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the GLB (285/40R22 vs. 235/55R18).

The Discovery’s optional tires provide better handling because they have a lower 40 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the GLB’s optional 45 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Discovery has standard 20-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the GLB. The Discovery’s optional 22-inch wheels are larger than the 20-inch wheels optional on the GLB.

The Discovery offers an optional full size spare tire so a flat doesn’t interrupt your trip. A full size spare isn’t available on the GLB; it requires you to depend on its run-flat tires, which limits mileage and speed before they are repaired. If a run-flat is damaged beyond repair by a road hazard your vehicle will have to be towed. Some tire options on the GLB don’t have a run-flat feature, either.

The front and rear suspension of the Discovery uses air springs for a smoother, controlled ride than the GLB, which uses coil springs. Air springs maintain proper ride height and ride more smoothly.

The Discovery has a standard automatic front and rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The Discovery’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 GLB doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Discovery’s wheelbase is 3.7 inches longer than on the GLB (115.1 inches vs. 111.4 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Discovery is 3.4 inches wider in the front and 3.2 inches wider in the rear than on the GLB.

For greater off-road capability the Discovery has a 3.2 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the GLB (11.1 vs. 7.9 inches), allowing the Discovery to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The front grille of the Discovery uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The GLB doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Discovery has 4.5 inches more front shoulder room, 4.6 inches more rear shoulder room, 3.1 inches more third row headroom, 4.4 inches more third row legroom and 3.3 inches more third row shoulder room than the GLB.

Flexibility is maximized at the game, campground or a drive-in theatre in the Discovery when its optional tailgating rear seats are deployed, allowing people to sit facing out of the liftgate. (Do not use while vehicle is in motion.) The GLB doesn’t offer tailgating seats.

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

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

The Discovery has a standard third row seat which folds flat into the floor. This completely clears a very large cargo area quickly. The GLB doesn’t offer seats that fold into the floor.

Pressing a button automatically lowers or raises the Discovery’s second and third row seats, to make changing between cargo and passengers easier. The GLB doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

The Discovery has a 5925 lbs. towing capacity. The GLB has no towing capacity.

Standard Trailer Stability Assist (TSA) on the Discovery uses the Dynamic Stability Control sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The GLB doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

The engine in the Discovery is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the GLB. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because the accessory belts are in front.

The Discovery 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 GLB doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are optional on the Discovery to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The GLB doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

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

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The Discovery HSE/Metropolitan offers available headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The GLB doesn’t offer headlight washers.

The Discovery has standard heated front seats. Heated front seats cost extra on the GLB. The Discovery also offers optional heated second and third row seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Neither heated second nor third row seats are available in the GLB.

The Discovery HSE/Metropolitan has standard front air conditioned seats and the Discovery offers them optionally in the second row. This keeps the passengers comfortable and takes the sting out of hot seats in summer. The GLB doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats for the second row.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Land Rover Discovery has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Wireless charging costs extra on the GLB.

The Discovery will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Discovery will retain 50.7% to 50.86% of its original price after five years, while the GLB only retains 46.13% to 48.36%.