Compare the2023 Land Rover DiscoveryVS 2023 Cadillac XT5

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 Cadillac XT5 doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

Both the Discovery and XT5 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 XT5’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 XT5.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Discovery’s standard Hill Descent Control allows you to creep down safely. The XT5 doesn’t offer Hill Descent Control.

The Discovery 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 and moves the vehicle back into its lane. Only the XT5 Premium Luxury/Sport offers a blind spot warning system.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Discovery 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. Only the XT5 Premium Luxury/Sport has a rear cross-path warning system.

The Discovery’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The XT5 doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Discovery and the XT5 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 and rearview cameras.

The Land Rover Discovery weighs 527 to 1245 pounds more than the Cadillac XT5. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

The Discovery’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 61 more horsepower (296 vs. 235) and 37 lbs.-ft. more torque (295 vs. 258) than the XT5’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder. The Discovery’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 24 lbs.-ft. more torque (295 vs. 271) than the XT5’s optional 3.6 DOHC V6. The Discovery P360’s optional 3.0 turbo/supercharged 6-cylinder hybrid produces 45 more horsepower (355 vs. 310) and 98 lbs.-ft. more torque (369 vs. 271) than the XT5’s optional 3.6 DOHC V6.

As tested in Car and Driver the Discovery P360 3.0 turbo/supercharged 6-cylinder hybrid is faster than the Cadillac XT5 V6:

On the EPA test cycle the Discovery P360 gets better fuel mileage than the XT5 3.6 DOHC V6 AWD (19 city/25 hwy vs. 18 city/25 hwy).

The Discovery has 4.4 gallons more fuel capacity than the XT5 FWD’s standard fuel tank (23.8 vs. 19.4 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The Discovery has 2.1 gallons more fuel capacity than the XT5 AWD’s standard fuel tank (23.8 vs. 21.7 gallons).

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Land Rover Discovery higher (7 out of 10) than the Cadillac XT5 (6 to 7). This means the Discovery produces up to 1.1 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the XT5 every 15,000 miles.

For better stopping power the Discovery’s brake rotors are larger than those on the XT5:

The Discovery stops shorter than the XT5:

For better traction, the Discovery has larger standard tires than the XT5 (255/55R20 vs. 235/65R18). The Discovery’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the XT5 (285/40R22 vs. 235/65R18).

The Discovery’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the XT5’s standard 65 series tires. The Discovery’s optional tires have a lower 40 series profile than the XT5’s optional 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Discovery has standard 20-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the XT5. The Discovery’s optional 22-inch wheels are larger than the 20-inch wheels optional on the XT5.

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 XT5; 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 XT5, 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 XT5 doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Discovery’s wheelbase is 2.6 inches longer than on the XT5 (115.1 inches vs. 112.5 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Discovery is 1.8 inches wider in the front and 1.6 inches wider in the rear than on the XT5.

For greater off-road capability the Discovery has a 3.3 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the XT5 (11.1 vs. 7.8 inches), allowing the Discovery to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Discovery has standard seating for 7 passengers; the XT5 can only carry 5.

The Discovery has 1.7 inches more front hip room, 2.1 inches more front shoulder room, .6 inches more rear headroom, .9 inches more rear hip room and 3.2 inches more rear shoulder room than the XT5.

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 XT5 doesn’t offer tailgating seats.

The Discovery’s cargo area provides more volume than the XT5.

The Discovery’s cargo area is larger than the XT5’s in every dimension:

The Discovery’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the XT5’s (5925 vs. 1000 pounds). Maximum trailer towing in the Cadillac XT5 is only 3500 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 XT5. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because there are no rear spark plugs and the accessory belts are in front.

Unlike the driver-only memory system in the XT5 Premium Luxury/Sport, the Discovery offers an optional driver and passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat, steering wheel position and outside mirror angle and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

The Discovery’s front and rear power windows all open or close with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside of the car. The XT5’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to close them fully.

The Discovery has a standard locking fuel door with a remote release located convenient to the driver. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank. The XT5 doesn’t offer a locking fuel door.

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 XT5’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

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 XT5 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 XT5 doesn’t offer headlight washers.

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 XT5 doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats in the rear.

The Discovery HSE/Metropolitan offers optional massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the XT5.

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. Only the XT5 Premium Luxury/Sport offers wireless charging.

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 XT5 only retains 42.02% to 43.14%.