Compare the2024 Mercedes GLAVS 2024 Land Rover Range Rover Velar

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

The Mercedes GLA 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 Velar doesn’t offer knee airbags.

The GLA’s standard pretensioning seatbelts also sense rear collisions and remove slack from the seatbelts to help protect the occupants from whiplash and other injuries. The Range Rover Velar doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

The GLA 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 Range Rover Velar 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.

Both the GLA and the Range Rover Velar 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.

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 GLA’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the GLA third among small premium suvs in their 2023 Initial Quality Study. The Range Rover Velar isn’t in the top three in its category.

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 Consumer Reports the Mercedes GLA is faster than the Range Rover Velar P250 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder:

On the EPA test cycle the GLA gets better mileage than the Range Rover Velar:

The GLA has a standard locking fuel door which locks and unlocks with the power locks. The fuel filler door is not lockable on the Range Rover Velar. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank.

The GLA offers a standard sequential manual gearbox (SMG). With no clutch pedal to worry about and a fully automatic mode, an SMG is much more efficient than a conventional automatic but just as easy to drive. The Range Rover Velar doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

The GLA stops shorter than the Range Rover Velar:

Changing a flat tire near traffic can be dangerous and inconvenient. The run-flat tires available on the GLA 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 Velar doesn’t offer run-flat tires.

The GLA’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 Velar doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

The GLA 250 4MATIC handles at .80 G’s, while the Range Rover Velar pulls only .77 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The GLA 250 4MATIC executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Range Rover Velar (27.8 seconds @ .61 average G’s vs. 28.6 seconds @ .57 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the GLA’s turning circle is 1.8 feet tighter than the Range Rover Velar’s (37.4 feet vs. 39.2 feet).

The Mercedes GLA may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 750 to 950 pounds less than the Land Rover Range Rover Velar.

The GLA is 1 foot, 3.3 inches shorter than the Range Rover Velar, making the GLA easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The design of the Mercedes GLA amounts to more than styling. The GLA has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .3 Cd. That is lower than the Range Rover Velar (.32) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the GLA get better fuel mileage.

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

The GLA has .7 inches more front legroom and .8 inches more rear legroom than the Range Rover Velar.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the GLA’s rear seats recline. The Range Rover Velar’s rear seats don’t recline.

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the GLA’s liftgate can be opened and closed just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Range Rover Velar doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its liftgate, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

If the windows are left open on the GLA 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 Velar can only close the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

Heated windshield washer fluid is optional on the GLA to defrost the washer nozzles and quickly clear ice and frost from the windshield without scraping. The Range Rover Velar doesn’t offer heated windshield washer fluid. Its optional heated washer nozzles will defrost the washer fluid but not the windshield.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the GLA offers optional cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Range Rover Velar doesn’t offer cornering lights. The GLA also offers optional adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle.

The GLA 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 Velar doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

The GLA is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Range Rover Velar doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

Insurance will cost less for the GLA owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the GLA will cost $5720 to $7695 less than the Range Rover Velar over a five-year period.

The GLA will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the GLA will retain 53.93% to 54% of its original price after five years, while the Range Rover Velar only retains 51.5% to 52.5%.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Mercedes GLA will be $26599 to $38235 less than for the Land Rover Range Rover Velar.

The Mercedes GLA outsold the Land Rover Range Rover Velar by 83% during 2023.