Compare the2022 Land Rover Range Rover SportVS 2022 Acura MDX

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

Both the Range Rover Sport and MDX have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The Range Rover Sport has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The MDX’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the Range Rover Sport. But it costs extra on the MDX.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Range Rover Sport’s standard Hill Descent Control allow you to creep down safely. The MDX doesn’t offer Hill Descent Control.

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

The Range Rover Sport’s corrosion warranty is 1 year longer than the MDX’s (6 vs. 5 years).

A hardened steel chain, with no maintenance needs, drives the camshafts in the Range Rover Sport’s engine. A rubber cam drive belt that needs periodic replacement drives the MDX’s camshafts. If the MDX’s belt breaks, the engine could be severely damaged when the pistons hit the opened valves.

The Range Rover Sport P360’s standard 3.0 turbo/supercharged 6-cylinder hybrid produces 65 more horsepower (355 vs. 290) and 98 lbs.-ft. more torque (365 vs. 267) than the MDX’s 3.5 SOHC V6. The Range Rover Sport P400’s standard 3.0 turbo/supercharged 6-cylinder hybrid produces 105 more horsepower (395 vs. 290) and 138 lbs.-ft. more torque (405 vs. 267) than the MDX’s 3.5 SOHC V6. The Range Rover Sport’s optional 5.0 supercharged V8 produces 228 more horsepower (518 vs. 290) and 194 lbs.-ft. more torque (461 vs. 267) than the MDX’s 3.5 SOHC V6. The Range Rover Sport SVR’s standard 5.0 supercharged V8 produces 285 more horsepower (575 vs. 290) and 249 lbs.-ft. more torque (516 vs. 267) than the MDX’s 3.5 SOHC V6.

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

The Range Rover Sport has 9 gallons more fuel capacity than the MDX (27.5 vs. 18.5 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

For better stopping power the Range Rover Sport’s brake rotors are larger than those on the MDX:

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

For better traction, the Range Rover Sport’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the MDX (275/40R22 vs. 255/55R19).

The Range Rover Sport’s optional tires provide better handling because they have a lower 40 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the MDX’s optional 50 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Range Rover Sport offers optional 22-inch wheels. The MDX’s largest wheels are only 20-inches.

The Range Rover Sport has a standard full size spare (not available on 7-Passenger/P400e) so a flat doesn’t interrupt your trip. A full size spare isn’t available on the MDX; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare, which has mileage and speed limitations, or roadside assistance and a tow-truck.

The Range Rover Sport V8 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 MDX doesn’t offer an active sway bar system.

The front and rear suspension of the Range Rover Sport uses air springs for a smoother, controlled ride than the MDX, which uses coil springs. Air springs maintain proper ride height and ride more smoothly.

The Range Rover Sport offers an optional 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 MDX’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

The Range Rover Sport has a standard automatic front and rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The Range Rover Sport’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 MDX doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Range Rover Sport’s wheelbase is 1.3 inches longer than on the MDX (115.1 inches vs. 113.8 inches).

For greater off-road capability the Range Rover Sport SVR has a 3.5 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the MDX (10.8 vs. 7.3 inches), allowing the Range Rover Sport to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Range Rover Sport’s minimum ground clearance is 3.6 inches higher than on the MDX (10.9 vs. 7.3 inches).

The Range Rover Sport is 6.3 inches shorter than the MDX, making the Range Rover Sport easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Range Rover Sport has 1 inch more front headroom and 1 inch more rear headroom than the MDX.

The Range Rover Sport has a standard third row seat which folds flat into the floor. This completely clears a very large cargo area quickly. The MDX doesn’t offer seats that fold into the floor.

A control in the cargo area automatically lowers or raises the Range Rover Sport’s third row seats, to make changing between cargo and passengers easier. The MDX doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

The Range Rover Sport’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the MDX’s (7716 vs. 3500 pounds).

The Range Rover Sport has a much higher standard payload capacity than the MDX (1631 vs. 1173 lbs.).

The engine in the Range Rover Sport is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the MDX. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because there are no rear spark plugs and the accessory belts are in front.

The power windows standard on both the Range Rover Sport and the MDX have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Range Rover Sport is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The MDX prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

The Range Rover Sport’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The MDX’s standard intermittent wipers change speed with vehicle speed, but can’t turn on and off or change speed based on changing rainfall.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The Range Rover Sport has standard headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The MDX doesn’t offer headlight washers.

The Range Rover Sport’s standard rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The MDX has an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

Optional air conditioned the front and second row seats keep the Range Rover Sport’s passengers comfortable and take the sting out of hot leather in summer. The MDX doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats for the second row.

The Range Rover Sport Autobiography offers optional massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the MDX.

The Range Rover Sport’s optional Park Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, with the driver only controlling speed with the brake pedal. The MDX doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

The Range Rover Sport was selected by Petersen's 4-Wheel & Off-Road magazine as their 2014 4x4 of the Year. The MDX has never been chosen.