Compare the2024 Mercedes GLCVS 2024 Land Rover Defender

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

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

The Mercedes GLC has a standard driver’s side knee airbag mounted low on the dashboard. The knee airbag helps prevent the driver from sliding under the seatbelts or the main frontal airbag; this keeps the driver better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. A knee airbag also helps keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Defender doesn’t offer knee airbags.

The GLC 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 Defender doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The GLC 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 Defender doesn’t offer automatic braking for stationary objects directly to the rear.

Earlier warning of stopped traffic, traffic signals, dangerous road conditions, weather, or accidents, can keep driver's safer and prevent crashes. The GLC offers optional Car-to-X Communication, a system that seamlessly communicates important warnings to the driver about impending danger, if they're available. The Defender doesn’t offer a system that can receive automated systems from infrastructure or other vehicles.

Both the GLC and the Defender 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, driver alert monitors, available all wheel drive, lane departure warning systems and around view monitors.

The Mercedes GLC achieved a “Top Safety Pick” rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for the 2024 model year. This recognition was based on its impressive performance in the small overlap frontal crash test, updated side impact crash test, headlight evaluations, and pedestrian crash prevention testing. The Defender has not yet been evaluated by the IIHS for 2024.

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’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 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 2 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.

As tested in Motor Trend the Mercedes GLC is faster than the Defender P400 3.0 turbo/supercharged 6-cylinder hybrid:

On the EPA test cycle the GLC gets better mileage than the Defender 110/130:

Regenerative brakes improve the GLC’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Defender doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Mercedes GLC higher (7 out of 10) than the Land Rover Defender (3 to 7). This means the GLC produces up to 24.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Defender every 15,000 miles.

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

The GLC stops much shorter than the Defender:

The GLC’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 60 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Defender’s standard 70 series tires. The GLC’s optional 285/40R20 rear tires have a lower 40 series profile than the Defender’s optional 45 series tires.

The GLC’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 Defender doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

The GLC 300 4MATIC handles at .88 G’s, while the Defender 110 SE pulls only .70 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The GLC 300 4MATIC executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 2.8 seconds quicker than the Defender 110 SE (27.3 seconds @ .65 average G’s vs. 30.1 seconds @ .54 average G’s).

The Mercedes GLC may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 400 to 1500 pounds less than the Land Rover Defender.

The GLC is 11.8 inches shorter than the Defender 110, making the GLC easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The GLC is 12.8 inches shorter in height than the Defender, making the GLC much easier to wash and garage and drive (lower center of gravity).

For excellent aerodynamics, the GLC has standard flush composite headlights. The Defender has recessed headlights that spoil its aerodynamic shape and create extra drag.

The GLC has a much larger cargo volume than the Defender 110 with its rear seat up (21.9 vs. 10.7 cubic feet).

The GLC’s cargo area is larger than the Defender’s in almost every dimension:

A control in the cargo area automatically lowers the GLC’s rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Defender doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

The GLC’s liftgate lifts up in one piece, completely out of the way of loading and unloading, while sheltering the cargo loading area. The Defender’s swing out door blocks loading from the driver’s side.

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier, especially for short adults, the GLC has a standard power liftgate, which opens and closes automatically by pressing a button. The Defender doesn’t offer a power cargo door.

The GLC’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. An easy entry system costs extra on the Defender.

If the windows are left open on the GLC 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 Defender can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the GLC offers optional adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The Defender doesn’t offer cornering lights.

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the GLC has standard extendable sun visors. The Defender doesn’t offer extendable visors.

The GLC’s sun-visors swivel front-to-side to block glare from the side windows. The Defender’s visors are fixed into the windshield header.

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

The GLC’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 Defender doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

The GLC is available in both rear-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Defender doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

The Mercedes GLC outsold the Land Rover Defender by 90% during 2023.