Land Rover Defender OCTA vs Mercedes-Benz SL-Class

The Land Rover Defender OCTA starts from $304,500 before on-road costs, while the Mercedes-Benz SL-Class opens at $386,500. That makes the Land Rover Defender OCTA the more affordable entry point by $82,000.

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 $334,950 and $425,150 respectively.

Over 5 years, the running costs favour the Land Rover Defender OCTA by roughly $1,140 in fuel alone.

ANCAP safety ratings have not been published for both models yet. We will update this section when crash test results are available.

The Land Rover Defender OCTA features a 11.4-inch touchscreen paired with a 12.3-inch digital dash, while the Mercedes-Benz SL-Class gets a 11.9-inch display and 12.3-inch instruments. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard across both.

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

Interior trim differs: the Land Rover Defender OCTA gets leather upholstery while the Mercedes-Benz SL-Class offers nappa leather. Climate control is 3-zone in the Land Rover Defender OCTA and 2-zone in the Mercedes-Benz SL-Class.

The Land Rover Defender OCTA uses a 4.4L V8 Twin-Turbo Petrol Mild Hybrid producing 467kW and 750Nm of torque, sent through a 8-speed automatic to a AWD layout. It covers the 0-100km/h sprint in 4 seconds.

The Mercedes-Benz SL-Class responds with a Petrol making 430kW and 800Nm, paired to a automatic driving all four wheels. It gets to 100km/h in 3.9 seconds.

The Land Rover Defender OCTA has the clear power advantage at 467kW vs 430kW. In the real-world sprint, the Mercedes-Benz SL-Class is 0.1s quicker. For most buyers, the way each car feels day-to-day matters more than outright acceleration.

The Land Rover Defender OCTA measures 4,813mm long on a 3,023mm wheelbase, 108mm longer than the Mercedes-Benz SL-Class at 4,705mm (2,700mm wheelbase). The longer wheelbase on the Land Rover Defender OCTA generally means more rear legroom.

Boot space is 972L in the Land Rover Defender OCTA and 213L in the Mercedes-Benz SL-Class, giving the Land Rover Defender OCTA a 759L advantage. The Land Rover Defender OCTA seats 5 vs 2.

Based on 15,000km of annual driving, fuel costs roughly $3,734/year for the Land Rover Defender OCTA and $3,962/year for the Mercedes-Benz SL-Class. That is a $228 annual difference in favour of the Land Rover Defender OCTA.

Estimated annual total: $3,734 (Land Rover Defender OCTA) vs $3,962 (Mercedes-Benz SL-Class). The Land Rover Defender OCTA saves you roughly $228 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 OCTA) vs 5 years / 999,999km (Mercedes-Benz SL-Class). Both match on warranty length.