Compare the2023 Land Rover DiscoveryVS 2023 GMC Acadia

Safety
Warranty
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages

Safety

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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 GMC Acadia doesn’t offer pretensioners for its second-row seat belts.

Both the Discovery and Acadia 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 Acadia’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 Acadia.

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 Acadia doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Discovery and the Acadia 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 and rear cross-path warning.

Warranty

The Discovery comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Acadia’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

The Discovery’s 6 year corrosion warranty has no mileage limitations, but the corrosion warranty on the Acadia runs out after 100,000 miles.

Engine

The Discovery’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 68 more horsepower (296 vs. 228) and 37 lbs.-ft. more torque (295 vs. 258) than the Acadia’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 Acadia’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 Acadia’s optional 3.6 DOHC V6.

Fuel Economy and Range

The Discovery has 4.4 gallons more fuel capacity than the Acadia 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 Acadia AWD’s standard fuel tank (23.8 vs. 21.7 gallons).

Environmental Friendliness

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

Brakes and Stopping

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

	Discovery P300	Discovery P360	Acadia
Front Rotors	13.8 inches	14.4 inches	12.6 inches
Rear Rotors	13.8 inches	13.8 inches	12.4 inches

The Discovery stops shorter than the Acadia:

	Discovery	Acadia
70 to 0 MPH	170 feet	173 feet	Car and Driver

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Discovery has larger standard tires than the Acadia (255/55R20 vs. 235/65R18). The Discovery’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Acadia (285/40R22 vs. 255/65R17).

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 Acadia SLE/SLT’s standard 65 series tires. The Discovery’s optional tires have a lower 40 series profile than the Acadia’s optional 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Discovery has standard 20-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Acadia AT4. The Discovery’s optional 22-inch wheels are larger than the 20-inch wheels optional on the Acadia.

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 Acadia; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare, which limits mileage and speed before replacement.

Suspension and Handling

The front and rear suspension of the Discovery uses air springs for a smoother, controlled ride than the Acadia, 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 Acadia 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 Acadia (115.1 inches vs. 112.5 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Discovery is 2.1 inches wider in the front and 1.9 inches wider in the rear than on the Acadia.

For greater off-road capability the Discovery has a 3.9 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Acadia (11.1 vs. 7.2 inches), allowing the Discovery to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Passenger Space

The Discovery has 2.1 inches more front hip room, 1 inch more front shoulder room, 2.4 inches more rear hip room, .8 inches more rear shoulder room, .7 inches more third row headroom and 3.8 inches more third row legroom than the Acadia.

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 Acadia doesn’t offer tailgating seats.

Cargo Capacity

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

	Discovery	Acadia
Third Seat Folded	45 cubic feet	41.7 cubic feet

The Discovery has a standard third row seat which folds flat into the floor. This completely clears a very large cargo area quickly. The Acadia doesn’t offer seats that fold into the floor.

Both the Discovery and the Acadia have standard second row automatic folding seats. The Discovery’s optional third row seats also fold up or down at the press of a button. The Acadia doesn’t offer automatic folding third row seats.

Towing

The Discovery’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Acadia’s (5925 vs. 1000 pounds). Maximum trailer towing in the GMC Acadia is only 4000 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 Acadia doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

Servicing Ease

The engine in the Discovery is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Acadia. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because there are no rear spark plugs and the accessory belts are in front.

Ergonomics

Unlike the driver-only memory seat and mirrors in the Acadia (except SLE), 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 fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Acadia’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open them fully. Only its driver’s window closes automatically.

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 Acadia 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 Acadia’s 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 Acadia 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 Acadia 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. GMC doesn’t offer heated seats in the third row of the Acadia.

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

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 Acadia.

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 Acadia.

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 Acadia doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Economic Advantages

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 Acadia only retains 47.29% to 50.03%.

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