Compare the2026 Land Rover DiscoveryVS 2025 Mercedes GLS

Both the Discovery and GLS have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The Discovery 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 Land Rover Discovery’s rear backup camera has a standard washer for maintaining a clear view under various conditions. In contrast, the Mercedes GLS does not offer a rear camera washer, meaning its effectiveness relies on manual cleaning by the user when necessary.

Both the Discovery 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, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, around view monitors, rear cross-path warning and driver alert monitors.

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

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Land Rover vehicles are better in initial quality than Mercedes vehicles. With 2 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Land Rover higher than Mercedes.

On the EPA test cycle the Discovery gets better mileage than the GLS:

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Land Rover Discovery higher (6 out of 10) than the Mercedes GLS (4 to 6). This means the Discovery produces up to 12.1 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the GLS every 15,000 miles.

For better stopping power the Discovery Gemini/Tempest’s brake rotors are larger than those on the GLS:

The Discovery 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.

For greater off-road capability the Discovery has a 1.1 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the GLS (11.2 vs. 10.1 inches), allowing the Discovery to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Land Rover Discovery may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 700 to 1100 pounds less than the Mercedes GLS.

The Discovery is 9.8 inches shorter than the GLS 450, making the Discovery easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

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

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

Maximum trailer towing in the Mercedes GLS is limited to 7700 pounds. The Discovery offers up to a 8200 lbs. towing capacity.

Trailer Stability Assist (TSA) is standard on the Discovery, 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 Discovery 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 Discovery offers available headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The GLS doesn’t offer headlight washers.

The Discovery 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.