Triple test: BMW X3 vs Land Rover Discovery Sport vs Mercedes-Benz GLC

Merc’s belated entry into the small SUV market puts it head to head with BMW. But however good they are, can either of these 4x4s steal the limelight from Land Rover?
BMW X3, Land Rover Discovery Sport and the Mercedes-Benz GLC compete against each other...
28 March 2016

It’s more than a decade since BMW launched the first X3. So Mercedes has taken its time about responding.

But now at last the GLC is here, and it has the X3 in its sights. Lest we forget, though, this is Britain – so while they’re fighting it out, these two German titans had better not forget that there’s a thing called Land Rover.

At last the GLC is here, and it has the X3 in its sights

Hence the appearance of the Discovery Sport to make up this trio. It’s a little more of a truck than the other two (everything’s relative), but it’s a Land Rover and that counts for a lot.

The GLC, meanwhile, is a C-Class underneath. Well, at chassis level, at least.

But at chassis level, or anywhere else, that’s a good thing to be.

The C-Class influence is instantly obvious in the cabin. Again, a good thing. It’s thoroughly classy and crafted to perfection – so much so that beside it, the X3 feels its age for the first time.

Behind the wheel of the Mercedes-Benz GLC

Both are all about class and style, though. And then you get into the Disco Sport, it’s so obviously the odd one out. Not in a bad way, but in a this-is-how-you-do-a-4x4 sort of way.

It blends luxury and utility the way only Land Rover can, and it works. If you needed to fetch a load of logs from the middle of a Welsh forest, you wouldn’t choose from these three based on their spec sheets – you’d sit in them and you’d just know.

Having said that, the X3 and GLC are both very roomy inside. So while their trim doesn’t cry out to be assaulted by the wet remnants of a recently deceased evergreen, you’d certainly fit plenty of it in there. The Disco Sport matches its peers for space, though – as well as being the only thing here that can call itself a seven-seater, even if the rear two are only suitable for kids.

Behind the wheel of the BMW X3

The feeling of truck-like utility carries through to what happens when you turn the key, though. The Disco Sport’s engine is noisy compared to the others, and it’s the poorest for vibration too.

That’s not great considering the TD4 unit is the newest weapon in Land Rover’s arsenal. By contrast, the GLC’s equally new 2.1-litre unit is the cleanest, torquiest, most powerful and least thirsty here. It’s exceptionally hushed and gets you to 62mph quicker than either of the others. It’s the best of what is a very good bunch.

Neither the Merc nor the BMW rides and handles as well as we’d hoped they would, though. Air suspension is a £1000 option on the GLC, and adaptive shocks will add £650 to the price of an X3 – and in each case, without them neither had the dynamics a sporting SUV surely should.

Behind the wheel of the Land Rover Discovery Sport

Not that the Disco Sport had them beaten here – in fact, if you like body roll this is the one for you.

But, and here’s the rub, that’s not a problem. Body roll is part of what an SUV is, and the Disco Sport merely goes with it rather than trying to hide the fact. The shifting weight doesn’t interfere with the front wheels’ grip, instead leaving the suspension well alone to do what it was made for.

The inevitable conclusion is that BMW and Mercedes are battling for one crown, while Land Rover is already wearing another. Both the X3 and the GLC are stylish, classy, fast and refined, with beautiful interiors and chassis which, albeit with the addition of some pricey options, can become the last word in SUV agility.

Neither the Merc nor the BMW rides and handles as well as we’d hoped they would

The Discovery Sport is trying to be something different, and it succeeds. That blend of luxury and workmanlike intent gives it something the others don’t, and it’s a quality no amount of body roll or diesel noise will dispel.

Let the others fight over who has the shiniest trim, it seems to be saying. Mine is shiny enough, and I know it’s me you’ll turn to when the snow arrives.

To be sure, the X3 and GLC can both do things the Discovery Sport can’t match. But while they’re squabbling over who does it best, with the sheer breadth of what it can do the Landy simply rises above it.

Land Rover Discovery Sport HSE TD4 180 auto

Price £39,400; 0-62mph 8.4sec; Top speed 117mph; Economy 53.3mpg; CO2/tax band 139g/km/25%; Kerb weight 1884kg; Engine 4 cyls, 199cc, diesel, Power 178bhp at 4000rpm; Torque 317b ft at 1750rpm; Gearbox 9-spd automatic

Mercedes-Benz GLC 250d 4Matic AMG Line

Price £39,595; 0-62mph 7.6sec; Top speed 138mph; Economy 56.5mpg; CO2/tax band 129g/km/23%; Kerb weight 1845kg; Engine 4 cyls, 2143cc, diesel; Power 201bhp at 3800rpm; Torque 369lb ft at 1600-1800rpm; Gearbox 9-spd automatic

BMW X3 xDrive20d M Sport auto

Price £39,585; 0-62mph 8.1sec; Top speed 130mph; Economy 54.3mpg; CO2/tax band 136g/km/25%; Kerb weight 1820kg; Engine 4 cyls, 1995cc, diesel; Power 188bhp at 4000rpm; Torque 295lb ft at 1750-2500rpm; Gearbox 8-spd automatic

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