Land Rover Defender 130 vs Mercedes-Benz GLE

The Land Rover Defender 130 starts from $114,500 before on-road costs, while the Mercedes-Benz GLE opens at $128,900. That makes the Land Rover Defender 130 the more affordable entry point by $14,400.

Once you factor in stamp duty, registration, CTP insurance, and dealer delivery, expect to add roughly 8-12% on top of the RRP depending on your state. That puts estimated driveaway prices in the ballpark of $125,950 and $141,790 respectively.

Over 5 years, the running costs favour the Land Rover Defender 130 by roughly $1,995 in fuel alone.

Both the Land Rover Defender 130 and Mercedes-Benz GLE hold a 5-star ANCAP safety rating. Adult occupant protection scored 85% for the Land Rover Defender 130 and 91% for the Mercedes-Benz GLE.

Where the two diverge is in active safety technology. Both models are evenly matched with 7 out of 10 key ADAS systems.

Both include the essentials: autonomous emergency braking, lane keep assist, adaptive cruise control, a reversing camera. Airbag count is 6 in the Land Rover Defender 130 and 9 in the Mercedes-Benz GLE.

The Land Rover Defender 130 features a 13.1-inch touchscreen, while the Mercedes-Benz GLE gets a 12.3-inch display. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard across both.

The Land Rover Defender 130 stands out with Meridian audio that you will not find on the Mercedes-Benz GLE. The Mercedes-Benz GLE counters with head-up display, panoramic roof, power tailgate and Burmester audio. Which feature set matters more depends on your daily routine and priorities.

The Land Rover Defender 130 uses a 3.0 i6 D350 Diesel Mild Hybrid producing 257kW and 700Nm of torque, sent through a 8-speed automatic to a AWD layout. It covers the 0-100km/h sprint in 6.8 seconds.

The Mercedes-Benz GLE responds with a Diesel making 195kW and 500Nm, paired to a automatic driving all four wheels. It gets to 100km/h in 7.3 seconds.

The Land Rover Defender 130 has the clear power advantage at 257kW vs 195kW. In the real-world sprint, the Land Rover Defender 130 is 0.5s quicker. For most buyers, the way each car feels day-to-day matters more than outright acceleration.

The Land Rover Defender 130 measures 5,099mm long on a 3,587mm wheelbase, 175mm longer than the Mercedes-Benz GLE at 4,924mm (2,995mm wheelbase). The longer wheelbase on the Land Rover Defender 130 generally means more rear legroom.

Boot space is 389L in the Land Rover Defender 130 and 630L in the Mercedes-Benz GLE, giving the Mercedes-Benz GLE a 241L advantage.

For towing, the Mercedes-Benz GLE leads with a 3,500kg braked capacity vs 3,000kg. That 500kg difference matters if you regularly hitch up.

Based on 15,000km of annual driving, fuel costs roughly $2,309/year for the Land Rover Defender 130 and $2,708/year for the Mercedes-Benz GLE. That is a $399 annual difference in favour of the Land Rover Defender 130.

Estimated annual total: $2,309 (Land Rover Defender 130) vs $2,708 (Mercedes-Benz GLE). The Land Rover Defender 130 saves you roughly $399 per year in total ownership costs. Use our Fuel Cost Calculator to estimate based on your driving.

Warranty: 5 years / 999,999km (Land Rover Defender 130) vs 5 years / 999,999km (Mercedes-Benz GLE). Both match on warranty length.