Land Rover Defender 110 vs Mercedes-Benz GLE

The Land Rover Defender 110 starts from $100,900 before on-road costs, while the Mercedes-Benz GLE opens at $128,900. That makes the Land Rover Defender 110 the more affordable entry point by $28,000.

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 $110,990 and $141,790 respectively.

Over 5 years, the running costs favour the Mercedes-Benz GLE by roughly $1,000 in fuel alone.

Both the Land Rover Defender 110 and Mercedes-Benz GLE hold a 5-star ANCAP safety rating. Adult occupant protection scored 85% for the Land Rover Defender 110 and 91% for the Mercedes-Benz GLE.

Where the two diverge is in active safety technology. The Mercedes-Benz GLE packs more ADAS features with 7 out of 10 key systems fitted, compared to 6 in the Land Rover Defender 110.

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 110 and 9 in the Mercedes-Benz GLE. The Mercedes-Benz GLE adds a 360-degree camera that the Land Rover Defender 110 misses.

The Land Rover Defender 110 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 110 stands out with ventilated seats that you will not find on the Mercedes-Benz GLE. The Mercedes-Benz GLE counters with head-up display, panoramic roof, Burmester audio and ambient lighting. Which feature set matters more depends on your daily routine and priorities.

The Land Rover Defender 110 uses a 3.0 i6 Diesel Mild Hybrid producing 183kW and 570Nm of torque, sent through a 8-speed automatic to a AWD layout. It covers the 0-100km/h sprint in 8.3 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 Mercedes-Benz GLE has the clear power advantage at 195kW vs 183kW. In the real-world sprint, the Mercedes-Benz GLE is 1.0s quicker. For most buyers, the way each car feels day-to-day matters more than outright acceleration.

The Land Rover Defender 110 measures 4,758mm long on a 3,022mm wheelbase, 166mm shorter than the Mercedes-Benz GLE at 4,924mm (2,995mm wheelbase). The longer wheelbase on the Land Rover Defender 110 generally means more rear legroom.

Boot space is 972L in the Land Rover Defender 110 and 630L in the Mercedes-Benz GLE, giving the Land Rover Defender 110 a 342L advantage. The Mercedes-Benz GLE seats 7 vs 5.

For towing, the Mercedes-Benz GLE leads with a 3,500kg braked capacity vs 3,500kg. That 0kg 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 110 and $2,109/year for the Mercedes-Benz GLE. That is a $200 annual difference in favour of the Mercedes-Benz GLE.

Estimated annual total: $2,309 (Land Rover Defender 110) vs $2,109 (Mercedes-Benz GLE). The Mercedes-Benz GLE saves you roughly $200 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 110) vs 5 years / 999,999km (Mercedes-Benz GLE). Both match on warranty length.