2024 Land Rover Defender vs 2025 Mercedes-Benz GLE

The 2024 Land Rover Defender presented a unique blend of classic and contemporary design elements. Its exterior maintained a traditional, boxy silhouette, complemented by modern touches like angular headlights that linked it visually to other Land Rover models. Inside, the Defender diverged from its siblings, offering a rugged and adventure-ready cabin reminiscent of a Jeep Wrangler or Ford Bronco, yet with more refined materials. The interior was designed for durability, featuring soft-touch materials alongside practical elements like grip handles and rubberized floors, making it suitable for both urban and off-road adventures.

In contrast, the 2025 Mercedes-Benz GLE, last redesigned in 2020 and facelifted in 2024, showcased a more rounded profile that paid homage to its predecessors. While it shared some visual bulk with other Mercedes SUVs, its design was distinct, with squared-off wheel arches and a horizontal grille that gave it a wide stance. The GLE's interior was notable for its upscale feel, highlighted by unique colour options like Yacht Blue, although this was not available in Canada. The cabin featured luxurious elements such as chunky air vents, mesh speaker grilles, and ambient lighting, creating a sophisticated atmosphere.

The 2024 Land Rover Defender offered a range of powertrains, starting with a turbocharged four-cylinder engine in the P300, delivering 296 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. Our test model, the P400, featured a mild-hybrid turbocharged 3.0-litre inline-six engine, producing 395 hp and 406 lb-ft of torque. For those seeking more power, the Defender also offered two supercharged 5.0-litre V8 options: the P500 with 493 hp and 450 lb-ft of torque, and the P525 with 518 hp and 461 lb-ft of torque. All engines were paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission and full-time active four-wheel drive. The Defender's towing capacity varied, with the six-cylinder and eight-cylinder models capable of towing up to 3,500 kilograms, while the four-cylinder could tow up to 2,500 kilograms. The most powerful V8 could accelerate the SUV from zero to 96 km/h in 5.1 seconds, showcasing its impressive performance capabilities.

The 2025 Mercedes-Benz GLE offered five powertrain options, including a plug-in hybrid and two AMG variants. The GLE 350 featured a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine with a mild hybrid system, producing 255 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. The GLE 450 4Matic boasted a 3.0-litre turbocharged inline-six engine with 375 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque. The GLE 450e 4Matic combined a turbo-four with electric assist, delivering 381 hp and 479 lb-ft, along with an 80-kilometre electric range. The AMG GLE 53 4Matic+ offered an enhanced inline-six powertrain with 429 hp and 413 lb-ft of torque, achieving 0-100 km/h in 5.0 seconds. The AMG GLE 63 S 4Matic+ featured a hand-assembled twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8, producing 603 hp and 627 lb-ft, with a 0-100 km/h time of 3.9 seconds. Despite its powerful engines, the GLE's overall refinement was impressive, though it felt larger than its midsize classification, making it less nimble in tight spaces.

The 2024 Land Rover Defender struck a balance between luxury and practicality, offering soft-touch materials alongside functional features like grip handles and rubberized floors. Seating capacity varied, with the Defender 110 offering an optional third row best suited for children, while the Defender 130 could seat up to eight passengers. Cargo capacity depended on the model, with the Defender 130 providing 433 litres behind the third row and up to 2,155 litres with all rear seats folded. The Defender 110 offered 962 litres behind the second row in the two-row version, while the three-row configuration had 303 litres behind the third row. The two-door Defender 90 provided 441 litres of space behind the second row.

The 2025 Mercedes-Benz GLE was available in two-row, five-seat, and three-row, seven-seat configurations, though Mercedes did not publish third-row space specs. The GLE offered competitive headroom and slightly more second-row legroom than rivals like the BMW X5 and Lexus RX. Cargo space was also competitive, with 894 litres behind the second row and 1,790 litres with all seats folded. The GLE's centre console provided ample storage for small items, and its maximum towing capacity of 3,500 kilograms ensured it could handle demanding tasks.

The 2024 Land Rover Defender featured a 12.3-inch digital instrument panel and an 11.4-inch touchscreen, which, while smaller than some competitors, suited its utilitarian design. The system included navigation, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Bluetooth, satellite radio, HD radio, and a 10-speaker Meridian stereo. The straightforward setup made the interior user-friendly, with home buttons for easy access to features.

The 2025 Mercedes-Benz GLE boasted a pair of 12.3-inch screens, creating a seamless horizontal display. The MBUX system included wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and built-in navigation. Multiple access methods, including a centre console touchpad and steering wheel controls, could be overwhelming, but the voice recognition system simplified interactions. The AMG GLE 63 S Coupe offered additional settings, including six drive modes and adjustable damper firmness. Some models featured an off-road display and a "transparent hood" function for the 360-degree camera system, enhancing off-road capabilities.

The 2024 Land Rover Defender came equipped with a comprehensive suite of standard driver assistance features, including forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, adaptive cruise control, pedestrian detection, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert. Additional safety tech included traffic sign recognition, automatic high beams, rain-sensing windshield wipers, and a 360-degree parking camera system. However, the lane-departure and lane-keeping assist systems were overly sensitive, which could be disconcerting. As of the time of writing, the Defender had not been crash-tested by the IIHS or NHTSA.

The 2025 Mercedes-Benz GLE offered a wide array of driver-assist features, though some were optional. Standard features included forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, blind spot monitoring, crosswind assist, parking assist, a driver attention monitor, and a 360-degree camera system. The Pre-Safe system aimed to mitigate collision effects by tightening seatbelts and closing windows. The optional Driver Assistance Package added adaptive cruise control, evasive steering assist, and expanded driver-monitoring capabilities. The GLE received a Top Safety Pick+ rating from the IIHS, though its front-crash prevention tech received mixed ratings.