Have you heard of the Luxury Mercedes-Benz GLC or the Land Rover Discovery Sport? You probably hear the name Land Rover Discovery, but the Discovery Sport is a completely new SUV that replaces the old LR2 and the GLC is a new version of the GLK to give the C-Class more recognition than ever before. While these two vehicles are not quite household names they are similar in their size and make for a great way to compare two entry level luxury SUVs to give us something fun and interesting to talk about and review so you can understand which one of these two is the right luxury SUV for you.
Both of these SUVs make use of a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that are mated to nine-speed automatic transmissions. This would make you think they are identical in the power numbers, but the Discovery Sport offers you 240 horsepower and 250 lb.-ft. of torque while the GLC comes in with more power at 241 horsepower and 273 lb.-ft. of torque. Both vehicles are able to offer the power to all four wheels but they use the power they have in different ways. The Land Rover is actually based upon a FWD setup with the transversely mounted engine while the GLC uses a RWD layout that has the engine mounted longitudinally. This allows the GLC to be a more balanced ride and actually offers a better overall feel on the road.
The drive in the Land Rover model is a bit harder on the gears with some jerkiness while the GLC offers a smooth felling transition through each gear to offer you the ride you want to enjoy. Not only do you get a smoother ride in the GLC but you also have a faster drive to sixty mph which only takes 6.4 seconds in the GLC which does weight fifty pounds more than the Discovery Sport. Unfortunately the Discovery Sport takes 7.8 seconds to reach sixty mph, making it much slower than the GLC.
If the faster acceleration is not enough for you the fuel efficiency is much better in the GLC than in the Discovery Sport. The Discovery Sport averages around 19 mpg while the GLC reaches close to 23 mpg. And if this isn’t enough to put you over the edge when it comes to the overall performance of these SUVs the GLC offers a much quieter ride from inside the cabin to be the one you will want to enjoy on the road.
So far it sounds like the Mercedes-Benz model is much better, but when you need to head out off the road to experience some great trails or find a wonderful place to pitch a tent the Land Rover is the one you will want to have. This is even brought into the driving modes to show you off road settings for the Land Rover while the GLC had different on the road driving modes for you to take advantage of and have a great ride. This is one of the most significant differences to these otherwise similar SUVs and is one that gives you a differentiating choice.
When you look inside the cabin of the GLC you will recognize the high end luxury features that are also found in the entry level sedan of the C-Class. This SUV is full of high quality materials and a design that works great in the C-Class that carries over beautifully to the new GLC to be a wonderful SUV that offers all the right features for you and a place that feels modern and technologically advanced compared to some of the older models. This new design is outstanding for the GLC and offers us the place we want to love to drive.
Inside the Discovery Sport is a great place to sit, but the materials and features feel a bit dated and reused. For a vehicle of this price it should not feel this way and Land Rover needs to go back and see what they can upgrade. One of the parts they shouldn’t change is the infotainment system which is extremely useful even if it has a little bit of a lag. While there are all the different features you want to enjoy on the Land Rover this SUV needs more of what we love from Land Rover to be competitive with the GLC.
When it comes to cargo and passenger space the Discovery Sport does offer a third row of seats and even though the two seats in the back are small they are great to have when you need them. The headroom is better in the Discover Sport and panoramic sunroof gives the SUV more of an airy feeling to allow you to enjoy the view outside while you ride. The GLC doesn’t have a third row of seats, but the GLC does have a bit more cargo space to be better for you to enjoy carrying the gear you need in the back of the SUV.
Of course one difference we haven’t discussed is the price. The Discovery Sport comes in with a price that is nearly $5,000 less than the GLC. This leaves you with a question of whether or not the price of the GLC is worth the difference overall. Considering the GLC offers a better ride, more upgraded features, better cargo space, a faster acceleration and even better overall fuel mileage the answer is simple; it’s worth the additional cost to own the GLC.
When you consider the starting price of these two vehicles comes in around the $40,000 mark and you can load them up with features and barely reach over $60,000 they are both worth the price you would pay for them. If you need an SUV that must go off road and have a third row of seats the Land Rover Discovery Sport is the choice you should make, but if you don’t need the extra seats and want the better drive and overall upgraded features the Mercedes-Benz GLC is the choice you need to make.
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