Compare the2023 Land Rover DiscoveryVS 2023 Acura MDX

Both the Discovery and MDX have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The Discovery 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 Discovery. But it costs extra on the MDX.

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

Both the Discovery and the MDX 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 and driver alert monitors.

The Discovery’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 Discovery’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 Discovery’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 6 more horsepower (296 vs. 290) and 28 lbs.-ft. more torque (295 vs. 267) than the MDX’s standard 3.5 SOHC V6. The Discovery P360’s optional 3.0 turbo/supercharged 6-cylinder hybrid produces 15 lbs.-ft. more torque (369 vs. 354) than the MDX Type S’ standard 3.0 turbo V6.

As tested in Motor Trend the Discovery P360 3.0 turbo/supercharged 6-cylinder hybrid is faster than the Acura MDX V6:

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

The Discovery has 5.3 gallons more fuel capacity than the MDX (23.8 vs. 18.5 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Land Rover Discovery higher (7 out of 10) than the Acura MDX (5). This means the Discovery produces up to 8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the MDX every 15,000 miles.

The Discovery’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.

The Discovery stops much shorter than the MDX:

For better traction, the Discovery’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the MDX (285/40R22 vs. 275/40R21).

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Discovery has standard 20-inch wheels. Smaller 19-inch wheels are standard on the MDX. The Discovery’s optional 22-inch wheels are larger than the 21-inch wheels on the MDX Type S.

The Discovery offers an optional full size spare tire 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 front and rear suspension of the Discovery 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.

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

For greater off-road capability the Discovery has a 3.8 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the MDX (11.1 vs. 7.3 inches), allowing the Discovery to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Discovery’s minimum ground clearance is 1.7 inches higher than on the MDX Type S (11.1 vs. 9.4 inches).

The Discovery is 3.3 inches shorter than the MDX, making the Discovery easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The front grille of the Discovery uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The MDX doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Discovery has .9 inches more front headroom, .9 inches more rear headroom, 1.7 inches more third row headroom, 4.4 inches more third row legroom and 1.4 inches more third row hip room than the MDX.

Flexibility is maximized at the game, campground or a drive-in theatre in the Discovery when its optional tailgating rear seats are deployed, allowing people to sit facing out of the liftgate. (Do not use while vehicle is in motion.) The MDX doesn’t offer tailgating seats.

The Discovery 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.

Pressing a button automatically lowers or raises the Discovery’s second and third row seats, to make changing between cargo and passengers easier. The MDX doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

The Discovery’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the MDX’s (5925 vs. 3500 pounds). Maximum trailer towing in the Acura MDX SH-AWD is only 5000 pounds. The Discovery offers up to a 8200 lbs. towing capacity.

The engine in the Discovery 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 Discovery and the MDX have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Discovery 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 Discovery’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.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are optional on the Discovery to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The MDX doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

In poor weather, headlights can lose their effectiveness as grime builds up on their lenses. This can reduce visibility without the driver realizing. The Discovery HSE/Metropolitan offers available headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The MDX doesn’t offer headlight washers.

The Discovery’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.

The Discovery has standard heated front and optional heated second and third row seats, which keep the driver and passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Acura doesn’t offer heated seats in the third row of the MDX.

The Discovery HSE/Metropolitan has standard front air conditioned seats and the Discovery offers them optionally in the second row. This keeps the passengers comfortable and takes the sting out of hot seats in summer. The MDX doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats for the second row.

The Discovery’s 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 Discovery will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Discovery will retain 50.7% to 50.86% of its original price after five years, while the MDX only retains 45.63% to 46.51%.