Compare the2022 Acura MDXVS 2020 Land Rover Discovery Sport

The Acura MDX has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Discovery Sport doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

The MDX Advance has a standard Surround-View Camera to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Discovery Sport only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

Both the MDX and the Discovery Sport have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras and available all wheel drive.

Acura’s powertrain warranty covers the MDX 2 years and 20,000 miles longer than Land Rover covers the Discovery Sport. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 6 years or 70,000 miles. Coverage on the Discovery Sport ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are over 45 percent more Acura dealers than there are Land Rover dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the MDX’s warranty.

The engine in the MDX has a single overhead cam for simplicity. The engines in the Discovery Sport have dual overhead cams, which add to the number of moving parts and the complexity of the cylinder heads.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2020 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Acura vehicles are better in initial quality than Land Rover vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Acura 23rd in initial quality. With 43 more problems per 100 vehicles, Land Rover is ranked 33rd.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2019 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Acura vehicles are more reliable than Land Rover vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Acura 26th in reliability. With 50 more problems per 100 vehicles, Land Rover is ranked 30th.

The MDX’s 3.5 SOHC V6 produces 44 more horsepower (290 vs. 246) than the Discovery Sport’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder. The MDX’s 3.5 SOHC V6 produces 4 more horsepower (290 vs. 286) than the Discovery Sport P290’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder hybrid.

On the EPA test cycle the MDX gets better fuel mileage than the Discovery Sport:

An engine control system that can shut down some of the engine’s cylinders helps improve the MDX’s fuel efficiency. The Discovery Sport doesn’t offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Acura MDX uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended for maximum performance). The Discovery Sport requires premium, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

The MDX has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Discovery Sport doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

A 10-speed automatic is standard on the Acura MDX, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a nine-speed automatic is available for the Discovery Sport.

For better traction, the MDX has larger tires than the Discovery Sport (255/55R19 vs. 235/60R18).

The MDX’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Discovery Sport’s standard 60 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the MDX has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the Discovery Sport.

The MDX has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Discovery Sport doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the MDX’s wheelbase is 5.9 inches longer than on the Discovery Sport (113.8 inches vs. 107.9 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the MDX is 3.5 inches wider in the front and 3.2 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Discovery Sport.

The MDX uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The Discovery Sport doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

The MDX has 2.5 inches more front legroom, 4.6 inches more front shoulder room, .4 inches more rear legroom, 4.4 inches more rear shoulder room, 1.8 inches more third row headroom, 3.5 inches more third row legroom and 8.1 inches more third row shoulder room than the Discovery Sport.

The MDX’s cargo area provides more volume than the Discovery Sport.

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the MDX Advance’s cargo door can be opened just by a gesture, leaving your hands completely free. The Discovery Sport doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its liftgate, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

Maximum trailer towing in the Land Rover Discovery Sport is limited to 4409 pounds. The MDX SH-AWD offers up to a 5000 lbs. towing capacity.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Acura service is better than Land Rover. J.D. Power ranks Acura 6th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With an 85% lower rating, Land Rover is ranked 30th.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Acura MDX has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) for the front seat. Wireless charging costs extra on the Discovery Sport.

The MDX offers an optional 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The Discovery Sport doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

The MDX is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Discovery Sport doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

The Acura MDX outsold the Land Rover Discovery Sport by almost five to one during the 2020 model year.