Compare the2023 Land Rover DiscoveryVS 2023 BMW X5

For enhanced safety, the front and second-row seat shoulder belts of the Land Rover Discovery have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The BMW X5 doesn’t offer pretensioners for its second-row seat belts.

Both the Discovery and X5 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 X5’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 X5.

Both the Discovery and the X5 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, 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 P360’s optional 3.0 turbo/supercharged 6-cylinder hybrid produces 20 more horsepower (355 vs. 335) and 38 lbs.-ft. more torque (369 vs. 331) than the X5 40i’s standard 3.0 turbo 6-cylinder hybrid.

On the EPA test cycle the Discovery gets better mileage than the X5:

Both the Discovery and the X5 have a standard automatic start/stop engine feature to stop unnecessary fuel waste and pollution at stoplights and heavy traffic. All Discovery’s have a standard disable switch for the system, so a driver can keep the engine from shutting off when the vehicle stops temporarily. A disable switch for start/stop is only offered on the X5 M50i.

The Discovery has 1.9 gallons more fuel capacity than the X5 (23.8 vs. 21.9 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 BMW X5 (3). This means the Discovery produces up to 24.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the X5 every 15,000 miles.

The Discovery stops shorter than the X5:

For better traction, the Discovery’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the X5 (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 X5.

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 X5; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare or run-flat tires, either of which has mileage and speed limitations.

The front and rear suspension of the Discovery uses air springs for a smoother, controlled ride than the X5, which uses coil springs. Air springs maintain proper ride height and ride more smoothly.

The Discovery has a standard automatic front and rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The Discovery’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 X5 doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

For better maneuverability, the Discovery’s turning circle is .6 feet tighter than the X5’s (40.7 feet vs. 41.3 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Discovery has a 2.4 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the X5 (11.1 vs. 8.7 inches), allowing the Discovery to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The design of the Land Rover Discovery amounts to more than styling. The Discovery has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .36 Cd. That is lower than the X5 (.36 to .38). A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the Discovery get better fuel mileage.

The Discovery has .4 inches more front shoulder room, .3 inches more rear headroom and 1.4 inches more rear shoulder room than the X5.

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 X5 doesn’t offer tailgating seats.

The Discovery’s cargo area provides more volume than the X5.

The Discovery’s cargo area is larger than the X5’s in every dimension:

The Discovery’s liftgate lifts up in one piece, completely out of the way of loading and unloading, while sheltering the cargo loading area. The X5’s tailgate’s top part raises up, but the bottom part lowers, getting in the way of loading and making an uneven surface for sliding cargo.

Maximum trailer towing in the BMW X5 is limited to 7209 pounds. The Discovery offers up to a 8200 lbs. towing capacity.

Standard Trailer Stability Assist (TSA) on the Discovery uses the Dynamic Stability Control sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The X5 doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Discovery has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the X5 only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

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 X5 doesn’t offer headlight washers.

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. BMW doesn’t offer heated seats in the third row of the X5.

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 X5 doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats for the second row.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Land Rover Discovery has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Wireless charging costs extra on the X5.

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 X5 only retains 47.3% to 48.55%.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Land Rover Discovery will be $2408 to $8324 less than for the BMW X5.