Compare the2023 Land Rover DiscoveryVS 2023 Lexus GX

Safety
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages

Safety

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Both the Discovery and GX 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 GX’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.

For better protection of the passenger compartment, the Discovery uses safety cell construction with a three-dimensional high-strength frame that surrounds the passenger compartment. It provides extra impact protection and a sturdy mounting location for door hardware and side impact beams. The GX uses a body-on-frame design, which has no frame members above the floor of the vehicle.

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

Reliability

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 GX’s camshafts. If the GX’s belt breaks, the engine could be severely damaged when the pistons hit the opened valves.

Engine

The Discovery P360’s optional 3.0 turbo/supercharged 6-cylinder hybrid produces 54 more horsepower (355 vs. 301) and 40 lbs.-ft. more torque (369 vs. 329) than the GX’s 4.6 DOHC V8.

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

	Discovery	GX
Zero to 60 MPH	6.3 sec	7.4 sec
Zero to 100 MPH	16.1 sec	21.5 sec
5 to 60 MPH Rolling Start	6.9 sec	7.6 sec
Passing 50 to 70 MPH	4.5 sec	5.1 sec
Quarter Mile	14.7 sec	15.8 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	96 MPH	89 MPH
Top Speed	132 MPH	111 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

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

			MPG
Discovery
	AWD	3.0 turbo/supercharged 6-cyl. Hybrid	19 city/25 hwy
		2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	19 city/22 hwy
GX
	AWD	4.6 DOHC V8	15 city/19 hwy

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the Discovery’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. The GX doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

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 Lexus GX (3). This means the Discovery produces up to 24.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the GX every 15,000 miles.

Transmission

An eight-speed automatic is standard on the Land Rover Discovery, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a six-speed automatic is available for the GX.

Brakes and Stopping

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

	Discovery P300	Discovery P360	GX
Front Rotors	13.8 inches	14.4 inches	13.3 inches
Rear Rotors	13.8 inches	13.8 inches	12.3 inches

The Discovery stops much shorter than the GX:

	Discovery	GX
70 to 0 MPH	170 feet	184 feet	Car and Driver

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Discovery’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the GX (285/40R22 vs. 265/60R18).

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 GX’s standard 60 series tires. The Discovery’s optional tires have a lower 40 series profile than the GX’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 GX. The Discovery’s optional 22-inch wheels are larger than the 19-inch wheels optional on the GX.

Suspension and Handling

For superior ride and handling, the Land Rover Discovery has fully independent front and rear suspensions. An independent suspension allows the wheels to follow the road at the best angle for gripping the pavement, without compromising ride comfort. The Lexus GX has a solid rear axle, with a non-independent rear suspension.

The front and rear suspension of the Discovery uses air springs for a smoother, controlled ride than the GX, 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 5.3 inches longer than on the GX (115.1 inches vs. 109.8 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Discovery is 4.2 inches wider in the front and 4 inches wider in the rear than on the GX.

The Discovery R-Dynamic S handles at .79 G’s, while the GX pulls only .74 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

For greater off-road capability the Discovery has a 3 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the GX (11.1 vs. 8.1 inches), allowing the Discovery to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Chassis

The Land Rover Discovery may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 50 to 250 pounds less than the Lexus GX.

Unibody construction lowers the Discovery’s center of gravity significantly without reducing ground clearance. This contributes to better on the road handling and better off-road performance and stability. In addition, unibody construction makes the chassis stiffer, improving handling and reducing squeaks and rattles. The GX uses body-on-frame design instead.

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 GX doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

Passenger Space

The Discovery has 1.4 inches more front headroom, 1.3 inches more front hip room, 5 inches more front shoulder room, 3.3 inches more rear legroom, .5 inches more rear hip room, 2.2 inches more rear shoulder room, 2.7 inches more third row headroom and 4.2 inches more third row legroom than the GX.

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 GX doesn’t offer tailgating seats.

Cargo Capacity

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

	Discovery	GX
Second Seat Folded	74.3 cubic feet	64.7 cubic feet

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

	Discovery	GX
Length to seat (3rd/2nd/1st)	11.5”/43.4”/76.9”	9.8”/39”/75”
Max Width	55.6”	54.6”
Min Width	47.24”	43.4”
Height	33.6”	35.5”

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

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 GX’s swing out door blocks loading from the passenger’s side.

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier, especially for short adults, the Discovery has a standard power liftgate, which opens and closes automatically by pressing a button, or optionally by just kicking your foot under the back bumper, completely leaving your hands free. The GX doesn’t offer a power cargo door.

Towing

Maximum trailer towing in the Lexus GX is limited to 6500 pounds. The Discovery offers up to a 8200 lbs. towing capacity.

Ergonomics

Unlike the driver-only memory system in the GX, 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 offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The GX doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The Discovery’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The GX’s parking brake has to be released manually.

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 GX’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 GX doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

The Discovery’s power mirror controls are mounted on the door for easy access. The GX’s power mirror controls are on the dash where they are possibly hidden by the steering wheel and are awkward to manipulate.

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. Lexus doesn’t offer heated seats in the third row of the GX.

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 GX 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 GX.

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. The GX doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

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 GX 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 GX only retains 46.1% to 47.91%.

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