Compare the2023 Acura MDXVS 2022 Land Rover Discovery

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Acura MDX 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.

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 MDX are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Discovery doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

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 doesn’t offer knee airbags.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The MDX offers an optional Low-Speed Braking Control that use rear sensors to monitor and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a rear collision. The Discovery doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

Both the MDX and the Discovery have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, four-wheel antilock brakes, 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, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the MDX its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 81 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Discovery has not been tested, yet.

Acura’s powertrain warranty covers the MDX 2 years and 20,000 miles longer than Land Rover covers the Discovery. 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 ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

Acura pays for scheduled maintenance on the MDX for 2 years and 24,000 miles. Acura 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 36 percent more Acura dealers than there are Land Rover dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the MDX’s warranty.

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 MDX’s reliability 36 points higher than the Discovery.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 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 With 40 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Acura higher than Land Rover.

The MDX Type S’ standard 3.0 turbo V6 produces 59 more horsepower (355 vs. 296) and 59 lbs.-ft. more torque (354 vs. 295) than the Discovery’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Car and Driver the MDX Type S 3.0 turbo V6 is faster than the Discovery P360 3.0 turbo/supercharged 6-cylinder hybrid:

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

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

Both the MDX and the Discovery have a standard automatic start/stop engine feature to stop unnecessary fuel waste and pollution at stoplights and heavy traffic. All MDXs 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.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Acura MDX uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended for maximum performance). The Discovery 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 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 an eight-speed automatic is available for the Discovery.

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 doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

Having a flat tire is dangerous, inconvenient and expensive. The self-sealing tires available on the MDX can automatically seal most punctures up to 3/16 of an inch, effectively preventing most flat tires. The Discovery doesn’t offer self-sealing tires.

The MDX offers an available 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 MDX Type S has a standard automatic front and rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The MDX’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 better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the MDX is 1.1 inches wider in the front and 1.3 inches wider in the rear than on the Discovery.

The MDX Type S handles at .87 G’s, while the Discovery R-Dynamic S pulls only .79 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The MDX SH-AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Discovery R-Dynamic S (27.2 seconds @ .63 average G’s vs. 28.1 seconds @ .6 average G’s).

The Acura MDX may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 350 to 600 pounds less than the Land Rover Discovery.

The MDX is 7.2 inches shorter in height than the Discovery, making the MDX much easier to wash and garage and drive (lower center of gravity).

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 doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

The MDX has 2.5 inches more front legroom, 1.5 inches more front hip room, 1.5 inches more front shoulder room, 1.1 inches more rear legroom, 2.1 inches more rear hip room, .8 inches more rear shoulder room and 8 inches more third row shoulder room than the Discovery.

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

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 a 56% lower rating, Land Rover is ranked 30th.

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

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

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) in the center console. Wireless charging costs extra on the Discovery.

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 doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

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

Consumer Reports® recommends the Acura MDX, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Acura MDX outsold the Land Rover Discovery by over 17 to one during the 2021 model year.