Compare the2022 BMW X7VS 2021 Land Rover Discovery

The X7’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Discovery doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

For enhanced safety, the middle seat shoulder belts of the BMW X7 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 doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

The BMW X7 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 doesn’t offer knee airbags.

The X7 has standard Post-Crash Braking, which automatically apply the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Discovery doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

Both the X7 and the Discovery have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, four-wheel antilock brakes, all wheel drive, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors and available around view monitors.

The X7’s corrosion warranty is 6 years longer than the Discovery’s (12 vs. 6 years).

BMW pays for scheduled maintenance on the X7 for 3 years and 36,000 miles. BMW will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Land Rover only pays for the first scheduled maintenance visit on the Discovery.

There are over 84 percent more BMW dealers than there are Land Rover dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the X7’s warranty.

The battery on the X7 is in the trunk, which protects it from hot underhood temperatures that can degrade battery life. By keeping the X7’s battery 20 to 30 degrees cooler, its life is increased by years. The Discovery’s battery is in the hot engine compartment.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the X7’s reliability 28 points higher than the Discovery.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the X7 third among large premium suvs in their 2020 Initial Quality Study. The Discovery isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2020 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that BMW vehicles are better in initial quality than Land Rover vehicles. J.D. Power ranks BMW 18th in initial quality. With 52 more problems per 100 vehicles, Land Rover is ranked 33rd.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that BMW vehicles are more reliable than Land Rover vehicles. J.D. Power ranks BMW 10th in reliability, above the industry average. With 136 more problems per 100 vehicles, Land Rover is ranked 33rd.

The X7 has more powerful engines than the Discovery:

On the EPA test cycle the X7 gets better mileage than the Discovery:

Regenerative brakes improve the X7’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Discovery doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

Both the X7 and the Discovery have a standard automatic start/stop engine feature to stop unnecessary fuel waste and pollution at stop lights and heavy traffic. All X7s have a standard disable switch for the system, so a driver can keep the engine from shutting off when the vehicle stops temporarily. The Discovery P360 doesn’t offer a way to disable start/stop.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) certifies the BMW X7 as an “Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle” (ULEV). The Land Rover Discovery is only certified to “Low Emissions Vehicle” (LEV) standards.

The X7’s launch control uses engine electronics to hold engine RPM’s precisely in order to provide the most stable and rapid acceleration possible, using all of the available traction. The Discovery doesn’t offer launch control.

For better stopping power the X7 M Sport’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the Discovery:

For better traction, the X7 has larger standard tires than the Discovery (F:275/40R22 & R:315/35R22 vs. 255/55R20).

The X7’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Discovery’s standard 55 series tires. The Alpina XB7’s optional 285/35R23 front and 325/30R23 rear tires have a lower 35 series front and 30 series rear profile than the Discovery’s optional 40 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the X7 has standard 21-inch wheels. Smaller 20-inch wheels are standard on the Discovery. The Alpina XB7’s optional 23-inch wheels are larger than the 22-inch wheels optional on the Discovery.

Changing a flat tire near traffic can be dangerous and inconvenient. The run-flat tires available on the X7 can be driven up to 50 miles without any air pressure, allowing you to drive to a service station for a repair. The Discovery doesn’t offer run-flat tires.

The X7 Alpina has active sway bars, which help keep it flat and controlled during cornering, but disconnect at lower speeds to smooth the ride and offer greater off-road suspension articulation. This helps keep the tires glued to the road on-road and off. The Discovery doesn’t offer an active sway bar system.

The Alpina XB7 offers an available adjustable active suspension system, which counteracts cornering forces actively, limiting body roll and improving handling and stability. Land Rover doesn’t offer an active suspension on the Discovery.

The X7 has a standard driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads or off-road. The Discovery’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

The X7 has a standard automatic front and rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The X7’s height leveling suspension allows the driver to raise ride height for better off-road clearance and then lower it again for easier entering and exiting and better on-road handling. The Discovery doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the X7’s wheelbase is 7.1 inches longer than on the Discovery (122.2 inches vs. 115.1 inches).

The X7 has 1.9 inches more front headroom, .7 inches more front legroom, .9 inches more rear headroom, .2 inches more rear legroom and .7 inches more third row shoulder room than the Discovery.

The X7’s cargo area provides more volume than the Discovery.

The X7’s rear cargo window opens separately from the rest of the tailgate door to allow quicker loading of small packages. The Discovery’s rear cargo window doesn’t open.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that BMW service is better than Land Rover. J.D. Power ranks BMW 8th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 67% lower rating, Land Rover is ranked 31st.

The X7 has a standard remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The climate system will also automatically heat or cool the interior. The Discovery doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

The X7’s standard easy entry system raises the steering wheel, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. An easy entry system costs extra on the Discovery.

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the X7 has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The Discovery doesn’t offer cornering lights.

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the X7 has standard extendable sun visors. The Discovery doesn’t offer extendable visors.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the X7 to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Discovery doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

The X7 has a standard heated steering wheel to take the chill out of steering on extremely cold winter days before the vehicle heater warms up. A heated steering wheel costs extra on the Discovery.

The X7’s optional Parking Assistant Plus can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. The Discovery’s automatic parking system requires operating the brakes and transmission to safely park.

Consumer Reports® recommends the BMW X7, based on reliability, safety and performance.