Compare the2022 Honda PilotVS 2022 Land Rover Discovery Sport

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Honda Pilot 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.

Using vehicle speed sensors and seat sensors, smart airbags in the Pilot deploy with different levels of force or don’t deploy at all to help better protect passengers of all sizes in different collisions. The Pilot’s side airbags will shut off if a child is leaning against the door. The Discovery Sport’s airbags don’t have smart features and will always deploy full force.

The Pilot 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. 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 Pilot has a standard rear 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. Rear cross-path warning costs extra on the Discovery Sport.

Both the Pilot and the Discovery Sport have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact 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, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, available all wheel drive and rear parking sensors.

Honda’s powertrain warranty covers the Pilot 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 over 5 times as many Honda dealers as there are Land Rover dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Pilot’s warranty.

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

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 Pilot’s reliability 28 points higher than the Discovery Sport.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Honda vehicles are better in initial quality than Land Rover vehicles. With 36 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Honda higher than Land Rover.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Honda vehicles are more reliable than Land Rover With 54 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Honda higher than Land Rover.

The Pilot’s 3.5 SOHC V6 produces 34 more horsepower (280 vs. 246) than the Discovery Sport’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

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

An engine control system that can shut down some of the engine’s cylinders helps improve the Pilot’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 Honda Pilot uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Discovery Sport requires premium, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

The Pilot has 1.8 gallons more fuel capacity than the Discovery Sport (19.5 vs. 17.7 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The Pilot 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.

For better traction, the Pilot has larger tires than the Discovery Sport (245/60R18 vs. 235/60R18).

The Pilot 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.

The Pilot (except LX)’s optional drift compensation steering can automatically compensate for road conditions which would cause the vehicle to drift from side to side, helping the driver to keep the vehicle straight more easily. The Discovery Sport doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Pilot’s wheelbase is 3.1 inches longer than on the Discovery Sport (111 inches vs. 107.9 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Pilot is 2.1 inches wider in the front and 1.8 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Discovery Sport.

The Pilot Elite 4WD handles at .83 G’s, while the Discovery Sport S pulls only .82 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

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

The Pilot has 1.8 inches more front legroom, 4.7 inches more front shoulder room, 1.2 inches more rear headroom, .3 inches more rear legroom, 6.1 inches more rear shoulder room, 4.5 inches more third row headroom, 6.3 inches more third row legroom and 10.5 inches more third row shoulder room than the Discovery Sport.

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

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

A standard locking glovebox keeps your small valuables safer in the Pilot. The Discovery Sport doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Pilot SE/Touring/Elite/Black Edition’s liftgate can be opened and closed just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, 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 Pilot 4WD offers up to a 5000 lbs. towing capacity.

The Pilot’s standard easy entry system glides the driver’s seat back, 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 Pilot has standard extendable sun visors. The Discovery Sport doesn’t offer extendable visors.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the Pilot 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 Pilot Elite/Black Edition 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 Pilot Touring/Elite/Black Edition has a 115-volt a/c outlet, 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 Pilot is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Discovery Sport doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

The Honda Pilot has won recognition from these important consumer publications:

Motor Trend performed a comparison test in its January 2016 issue and they ranked the Honda Pilot Elite 4WD higher than the Land Rover Discovery Sport S.

The Honda Pilot outsold the Land Rover Discovery Sport by almost 21 to one during the 2021 model year.