Compare the2024 Mercedes GLEVS 2024 Land Rover Range Rover Sport

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Mercedes GLE 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 Range Rover Sport doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

The Mercedes GLE 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 Range Rover Sport doesn’t offer knee airbags.

The GLE offers optional Post-Collision Brake, which automatically apply the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Range Rover 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.

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

Both the GLE and the Range Rover Sport 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, driver alert monitors and available lane departure warning systems.

The Mercedes GLE (only applies to vehicles with optional Active Brake Assist with Cross-Traffic Function) has achieved the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) highest rating of “Top Safety Pick Plus” for the 2024 model year. This distinction is based on its exceptional performance in IIHS’ rigorous battery of safety tests. Specifically, it earned a “Good” rating in the latest, more stringent moderate overlap front crash test, a “Good” result in the updated side impact test, and an “Acceptable” score in the revised pedestrian crash prevention test. The Range Rover Sport 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 GLE’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.

The GLE 580’s 4.0 turbo V8 hybrid produces 132 lbs.-ft. more torque (538 vs. 406) than the Range Rover Sport SV’s optional 4.4 turbo V8 hybrid.

As tested in Motor Trend the GLE 450e 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid is faster than the Range Rover Sport P550e 3.0 turbo/supercharged 6-cylinder hybrid:

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

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

A nine-speed automatic is standard on the Mercedes GLE, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only an eight-speed automatic is available for the Range Rover Sport.

The GLE stops much shorter than the Range Rover Sport:

Changing a flat tire near traffic can be dangerous and inconvenient. The run-flat tires available on the GLE can be driven up to 50 miles without any air pressure, allowing you to drive to a service station for a repair. The Range Rover Sport doesn’t offer run-flat tires.

The GLE’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 Range Rover Sport doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

The GLE 450 handles at .84 G’s, while the Range Rover Sport SE pulls only .81 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

As tested by Car and Driver, the interior of the GLE 450 is quieter than the Range Rover Sport SE:

The GLE offers optional seating for 7 passengers; the Range Rover Sport can only carry 5.

The GLE has 1.2 inches more front headroom and 3.1 inches more rear legroom than the Range Rover Sport.

The GLE has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Range Rover Sport with its rear seat up (33.3 vs. 31.9 cubic feet). The GLE has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Range Rover Sport with its rear seat folded (74.9 vs. 53 cubic feet).

The GLE’s cargo area is larger than the Range Rover Sport’s in every dimension:

While the Range Rover Sport P550e can only tow 6613, any GLE can tow a minimum of 7700 pounds.

The GLE’s instruments include an oil pressure gauge and a temperature gauge - which could save your engine! Often ‘idiot lights’ don’t warn you until damage has been done. The Range Rover Sport does not have an oil pressure gauge.

If the windows are left open on the GLE 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 Range Rover Sport can only close the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

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

The GLE 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 Range Rover Sport doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

Insurance will cost less for the GLE owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the GLE will cost $100 to $7827 less than the Range Rover Sport over a five-year period.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Mercedes GLE will be $26191 to $29640 less than for the Land Rover Range Rover Sport.

The Mercedes GLE outsold the Land Rover Range Rover Sport by over five to one during 2023.