Land Rover Discovery Sport vs Mercedes-Benz GLA
A side-by-side comparison of the used Land Rover Discovery Sport and Mercedes-Benz GLA — price, real monthly finance, running costs and MOT reliability, all from live UK stock.
Reviewed by the Motoring Today Editorial team · methodology in our editorial standards.
Land Rover Discovery Sport or Mercedes-Benz GLA — which should I buy?
The Mercedes-Benz GLA starts cheaper (Land Rover Discovery Sport from £9,297, Mercedes-Benz GLA from £8,816). On MOT reliability they score 63% and 40% first-time passes. The full spec, running-cost and deal breakdown is below.
- Discovery Sport from
- £9,297
- GLA from
- £8,816
- In stock
- 7 vs 5
| From live stock | ★ Best value overall Land Rover Discovery Sport 7 in stock · from £9,297 | Mercedes-Benz GLA 5 in stock · from £8,816 |
|---|---|---|
| Cheapest in stock | £9,297 | £8,816★ lowest |
| Median price | £11,495★ lower | £12,199 |
| From (per month)Illustrative, from live stock | £257/mo (HP, 60 months, 12.9% APR) | — |
| Road tax (VED)Typical car in stock | £200/yr | £200/yr |
| Median mileage | 66,579 mi★ lower | 77,180 mi |
| Median year | 2019★ newer | 2018 |
| Median CO₂ | 150 g/km | 132 g/km★ cleaner |
| Typical power | 177 bhp★ more | 168 bhp |
| Most common fuel | Diesel | Diesel |
| Most common gearbox | Automatic | Automatic |
| MOT first-time passDVSA history | 63%★ more reliable | 40% |
| Great/good deals in stockMotoring Today price rating | 5 / 7★ more | 3 / 5 |
| View all 7 Discovery Sport → | View all 5 GLA → |
Motoring Today score
Our 0–100 vehicle-intelligence score: reliability is from real DVSA MOT pass rates, the rest from manufacturer specs (MPG/CO₂, insurance group, Euro NCAP, dimensions). Higher is better — the stronger side is highlighted.
| Score | Land Rover Discovery Sport | Mercedes-Benz GLA |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 58/100 | — |
| Reliability | 41 | 66 |
| Running costs | 67 | — |
| Family & practicality | 87 | — |
| Insurance | 40 | — |
A guide, not a guarantee — based on the sample of stock and MOT/spec records we hold for each model.
Specs, side by side
Manufacturer specifications across the Land Rover Discovery Sport and Mercedes-Benz GLA trim range. The stronger figure is highlighted where there's a clear better/worse direction (dimensions are shown for reference only).
| Spec | Land Rover Discovery Sport | Mercedes-Benz GLA |
|---|---|---|
| MPG (combined) | 25–57 mpg | — |
| CO₂ emissions | 33–216 g/km | — |
| Insurance group1 (cheapest) – 50 | Group 24–45 | — |
| Euro NCAP safety | 5 stars (2014) | — |
| 0–60mph | 6.4s | — |
| Power | 147–304 bhp | — |
| Seats | 5 | — |
| Doors | 5 | — |
| Length | 4597 mm | — |
| Width | 2173 mm | — |
| Height | 1727 mm | — |
How we compare. The “best value overall” column and the cells marked ★ are chosen from live market data, running costs, DVSA MOT history and manufacturer specs — the side that wins the most comparable rows leads. Deal ratings come from the Motoring Today price model. Our methodology →
About the finance figures
Monthly payments shown are illustrative examples drawn from real quotes on cars currently in stock — the exact rate, term and APR depend on your circumstances, the lender and a credit check. They are not an offer of finance and are not a representative example of the total cost of credit.
Motoring Today is a trading style of Motor Genius Group Ltd (FRN 960504), an appointed representative of The Compliance Guys Ltd, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN 941360).
Motoring Today is a credit broker, not a lender.
Frequently asked questions
- Is the Land Rover Discovery Sport or the Mercedes-Benz GLA cheaper to buy?
- In current stock the Mercedes-Benz GLA starts lower: the Land Rover Discovery Sport is available from £9,297 (median £11,495) and the Mercedes-Benz GLA from £8,816 (median £12,199).
- What are the monthly finance payments on the Land Rover Discovery Sport vs the Mercedes-Benz GLA?
- Illustrative finance starts from £257/mo (HP, 60 months, 12.9% APR) on the Land Rover Discovery Sport and n/a on the Mercedes-Benz GLA. These are examples from cars currently in stock, not offers of finance — the actual rate, term and APR depend on your circumstances, the lender and a credit check.
- Which is cheaper to tax, the Land Rover Discovery Sport or the Mercedes-Benz GLA?
- The most common annual road tax (VED) across Land Rover Discovery Sport stock is £200/yr, versus £200/yr for the Mercedes-Benz GLA — so the Land Rover Discovery Sport is generally cheaper to tax.
- Which is more reliable at MOT, the Land Rover Discovery Sport or the Mercedes-Benz GLA?
- Based on DVSA MOT history across our stock, the Land Rover Discovery Sport averages a 63% first-time pass rate and the Mercedes-Benz GLA 40% — the Land Rover Discovery Sport edges it on this measure.
Explore these models
- All used Land Rover Discovery Sport for sale
- All used Mercedes-Benz GLA for sale
- Land Rover Discovery Sport running costs
- Mercedes-Benz GLA running costs
- Read the Discovery Sport review
- Discovery Sport vs Hyundai Tucson
- Discovery Sport vs Jaguar E Pace
- Discovery Sport vs Kia Sportage
- Discovery Sport vs Land Rover Range Rover Evoque
- Discovery Sport vs Land Rover Range Rover Velar
- GLA vs Hyundai Tucson
- Car buying guides