Compare the2023 Mercedes GLC CoupeVS 2023 Land Rover Discovery Sport

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

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Mercedes GLC Coupe 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 GLC Coupe’s 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 GLC Coupe 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 GLC Coupe has standard NECK-PRO front head restraints, which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the NECK-PRO front head restraints system moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Discovery Sport doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

The GLC Coupe offers an optional Post Collision Brake, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Discovery Sport doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The GLC Coupe has a standard Maneuvering Brake Function that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The Discovery Sport doesn’t offer automatic braking for stationary objects directly to the rear.

The GLC Coupe has a standard 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.

Both the GLC Coupe 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, all wheel drive, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors and available lane departure warning systems.

Warranty

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 GLC Coupe’s warranty.

Reliability

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.

Engine

The GLC Coupe’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 9 more horsepower (255 vs. 246) and 4 lbs.-ft. more torque (273 vs. 269) than the Discovery Sport’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the GLC 300 Coupe gets better fuel mileage than the Discovery Sport (20 city/26 hwy vs. 19 city/23 hwy).

Brakes and Stopping

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

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the GLC Coupe’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Discovery Sport (F:255/45R20 & R:285/40R20 vs. 245/45R21).

The GLC Coupe’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. The GLC Coupe’s optional 285/40R20 rear tires have a lower 40 series profile than the Discovery Sport’s optional 45 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the GLC Coupe has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the Discovery Sport.

Changing a flat tire near traffic can be dangerous and inconvenient. The run-flat tires standard on the GLC Coupe 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.

Suspension and Handling

The GLC Coupe’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 GLC Coupe’s wheelbase is 5.2 inches longer than on the Discovery Sport (113.1 inches vs. 107.9 inches).

Passenger Space

The GLC Coupe has 1.7 inches more front legroom and .6 inches more rear shoulder room than the Discovery Sport.

Cargo Capacity

The GLC Coupe has a much larger cargo volume than the Discovery Sport with its rear seat up (17.6 vs. 6.9 cubic feet).

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

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the GLC Coupe’s 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.

Servicing Ease

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

Ergonomics

Unlike the driver-only memory seat and mirrors in the Discovery Sport SE, the GLC Coupe offers an optional passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat, steering wheel position and outside mirror angle and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

The GLC Coupe’s standard easy entry and exit feature raises the steering wheel and 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 GLC Coupe 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.

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

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the GLC Coupe offers optional cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Discovery Sport doesn’t offer cornering lights. The GLC Coupe also offers optional 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 GLC Coupe has standard extendable sun visors. The Discovery Sport doesn’t offer extendable visors.

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

Optional air-conditioned seats in the GLC Coupe 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 GLC Coupe 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 GLC Coupe’s Active Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting and stopping automatically, with the driver only responsible for switching from reverse to drive. The Discovery Sport doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Recommendations

Motor Trend selected the GLC Coupe as their 2017 Sport Utility of the Year. The Discovery Sport has never been chosen.

The Mercedes GLC outsold the Land Rover Discovery Sport by over 10 to one during 2022.