Compare the2022 Nissan PathfinderVS 2021 Land Rover Discovery Sport

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Nissan Pathfinder 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 Discovery Sport doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Pathfinder are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Discovery Sport doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Nissan Pathfinder 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 Pathfinder Platinum has a standard front seat center airbag, which deploys between the driver and front passenger, protecting them from injuries caused by striking each other in serious side impacts. The Discovery Sport doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Pathfinder has standard Rear Automatic Braking that uses rear sensors to monitor and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a rear collision. The Discovery Sport doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The Pathfinder has a standard blind spot warning system which uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them and moves the vehicle back into its lane. A system to reveal vehicles in the Discovery Sport’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Pathfinder has a standard cross-path warning system, which uses sensors in the rear bumper to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. Cross-path warning costs extra on the Discovery Sport.

Both the Pathfinder and the Discovery Sport have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors, available all wheel drive, lane departure warning systems and around view monitors.

Nissan’s powertrain warranty covers the Pathfinder 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Land Rover covers the Discovery Sport. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the Discovery Sport ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are almost 6 times as many Nissan dealers as there are Land Rover dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Pathfinder’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2020 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Nissan vehicles are better in initial quality than Land Rover vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Nissan 13th in initial quality, above the industry average. With 67 more problems per 100 vehicles, Land Rover is ranked 33rd, below the industry average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Nissan vehicles are more reliable than Land Rover vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Nissan 21st in reliability. With 116 more problems per 100 vehicles, Land Rover is ranked 33rd.

The Pathfinder’s 3.5 DOHC V6 produces 38 more horsepower (284 vs. 246) than the Discovery Sport’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

On the EPA test cycle the Pathfinder 4WD gets better fuel mileage than the Discovery Sport (21 city/26 hwy vs. 19 city/23 hwy).

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Nissan Pathfinder uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Discovery Sport requires premium, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

The Pathfinder’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Discovery Sport are solid, not vented.

For better traction, the Pathfinder has larger tires than the Discovery Sport (255/60R18 vs. 235/60R18). The Pathfinder’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Discovery Sport (255/60R18 vs. 245/45R20).

The Pathfinder 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 Pathfinder’s wheelbase is 6.3 inches longer than on the Discovery Sport (114.2 inches vs. 107.9 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Pathfinder is 2.7 inches wider in the front and 2.4 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Discovery Sport.

For better maneuverability, the Pathfinder’s turning circle is .8 feet tighter than the Discovery Sport’s (38 feet vs. 38.8 feet).

The design of the Nissan Pathfinder amounts to more than styling. The Pathfinder has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .324 Cd. That is lower than the Discovery Sport (.34) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the Pathfinder get better fuel mileage.

The Pathfinder has standard seating for 8 passengers; the Discovery Sport can only carry up to 7.

The Pathfinder has 2.8 inches more front headroom, 5.2 inches more front legroom, 3.5 inches more front shoulder room, .9 inches more rear headroom, 3.7 inches more rear shoulder room, 3.4 inches more third row headroom, 2.4 inches more third row legroom and 11.3 inches more third row shoulder room than the Discovery Sport.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Pathfinder’s middle and third row seats recline. The Discovery Sport’s third row seats don’t recline.

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

The Pathfinder’s cargo area is larger than the Discovery Sport’s in every dimension:

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the Pathfinder. The Discovery Sport doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Pathfinder Platinum’s liftgate can be opened just by waving your foot, 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 Pathfinder offers up to a 6000 lbs. towing capacity.

The Pathfinder Platinum’s standard easy entry system glides the driver’s seat back when the door is unlocked or the ignition is switched off, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The Discovery Sport doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the Pathfinder has standard extendable sun visors. The Discovery Sport doesn’t offer extendable visors.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the Pathfinder to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Discovery Sport doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

Standard air-conditioned seats in the Pathfinder Platinum keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The Discovery Sport doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

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