Certified Benz & Beemer Compares 2017 Mercedes Benz G-Class VS 2016 Land Rover Near Phoenix, AZ

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Mercedes G-Class are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The Land Rover Range Rover Sport doesn’t offer height-adjustable rear seat belts.

The G-Class has standard NECK-PRO Front Head Restraints, which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the NECK-PRO Front Head Restraints system moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Range Rover Sport doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

Both the G-Class and the Range Rover Sport have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, height-adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, all-wheel drive, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, available blind spot warning systems and rear parking sensors.

The Mercedes G-Class weighs 438 to 2164 pounds more than the Land Rover Range Rover Sport. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

There are over 2 times as many Mercedes dealers as there are Land Rover dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the G-Class’ warranty.

The G-Class has a solid front axle with a floating power axle for durability that the Range Rover Sport’s independent front suspension and exposed front driveshafts don’t offer.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2016 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Mercedes vehicles are better in initial quality than Land Rover vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Mercedes 15th in initial quality. With 21 more problems per 100 vehicles, Land Rover is ranked 29th.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2016 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Mercedes vehicles are more reliable than Land Rover vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Mercedes 12th in reliability, above the industry average. With 63 more problems per 100 vehicles, Land Rover is ranked 29th.

The G-Class has more powerful engines than the Range Rover Sport:

As tested in Car and Driver the G65 6.0 turbo V12 is faster than the Land Rover Range Rover Sport S.C. V6:

The G-Class has 1.9 gallons more fuel capacity than the Range Rover Sport Diesel’s standard fuel tank (25.4 vs. 23.5 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The G-Class stops much shorter than the Range Rover Sport:

For better traction, the G-Class has larger standard tires than the Range Rover Sport (275/55R19 vs. 255/50R19). The G65’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Range Rover Sport (295/40R21 vs. 275/40R22).

The G-Class has a standard full size spare so your trip isn’t interrupted by a flat. A full size spare costs extra on the Range Rover Sport 5-Passenger, and isn’t available otherwise. Without the option you must depend on a temporary spare, which has mileage and speed limitations, or roadside assistance and a tow-truck.

For greater off-road capability the G550 4x4 Squared has a 6.3 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Range Rover Sport (17.2 vs. 10.9 inches), allowing the G-Class to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The G550 is 1 foot, 1.9 inches shorter than the Range Rover Sport, making the G-Class easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The G-Class has 3 inches more front headroom, 10.3 inches more front legroom, 1 inch more rear headroom and 4.9 inches more rear legroom than the Range Rover Sport.

The G-Class has a much larger cargo area with its rear seat up than the Range Rover Sport with its rear seat up (38.6 vs. 9 cubic feet). The G-Class has a much larger cargo area with its rear seat folded than the Range Rover Sport with its rear seat folded (79.5 vs. 62.2 cubic feet).

Heated windshield washer fluid is standard on the G-Class to defrost the washer nozzles and quickly clear ice and frost from the windshield without scraping. The Range Rover Sport doesn’t offer heated windshield washer fluid.

The G-Class has a 115-volt a/c outlet in the cargo area, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The Range Rover Sport doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.