Compare the2024 Land Rover Range RoverVS 2024 Mercedes GLS

Both the Range Rover and GLS have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The Range Rover 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 GLS’ 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’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 GLS.

Both the Range Rover and the GLS 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, blind spot warning systems, around view monitors, rear cross-path warning and driver alert monitors.

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

The Range Rover has more powerful engines than the GLS:

As tested in Car and Driver the Range Rover P530 4.4 turbo V8 is faster than the GLS 450 3.0 turbo 6-cylinder hybrid:

On the EPA test cycle the Range Rover running its gasoline engine gets better mileage than the GLS:

The Range Rover’s launch control uses engine electronics to hold engine RPM’s precisely in order to provide the most stable and rapid acceleration possible, using all of the available traction. The GLS doesn’t offer launch control.

For better stopping power the Range Rover P550e/P530/SV’s brake rotors are larger than those on the GLS:

The Range Rover offers an optional full size spare tire so a flat doesn’t interrupt your trip. A full size spare isn’t available on the GLS; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare, which limits mileage and speed before replacement.

The Range Rover offers 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 GLS doesn’t offer an active sway bar system.

For better maneuverability, the Range Rover SWB’s turning circle is 3.5 feet tighter than the GLS’ (35.9 feet vs. 39.4 feet). The Range Rover LWB’s turning circle is 1.5 feet tighter than the GLS’ (37.9 feet vs. 39.4 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Range Rover has a 1.5 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the GLS (11.6 vs. 10.1 inches), allowing the Range Rover to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Range Rover’s minimum ground clearance is .3 inch higher than on the GLS Off-Road Package (11.6 vs. 11.3 inches).

The Land Rover Range Rover may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 50 to 250 pounds less than the Mercedes GLS.

The Range Rover SWB is 6 inches shorter than the GLS 450, making the Range Rover easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The design of the Land Rover Range Rover amounts to more than styling. The Range Rover offers aerodynamic coefficients of drag from .3 to .33 Cd (depending on bodystyle and options). That is lower than the GLS (.32 to .37) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the Range Rover get better fuel mileage.

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

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Range Rover’s middle and third row seats recline. The GLS’ third row seats don’t recline.

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

The Range Rover LWB’s cargo area provides more volume than the GLS.

The Range Rover’s rear cargo window opens separately from the rest of the tailgate door to allow quicker loading of small packages. The GLS’ rear cargo window doesn’t open.

The Range Rover’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the GLS’ (8200 vs. 7716 pounds).

Trailer Stability Assist (TSA) is standard on the Range Rover, using 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. A trailer sway program costs extra on the GLS.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Range Rover has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the GLS 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 Range Rover has standard headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The GLS doesn’t offer headlight washers.

The Range Rover has a standard heated steering wheel to take the chill out of steering on extremely cold winter days before the vehicle heater warms up. A heated steering wheel costs extra on the GLS.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Range Rover first among large premium suvs in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The GLS was rated third.