Compare the2023 Land Rover Discovery SportVS 2022 Buick Encore

Safety
Warranty
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Payload and Towing
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics

Safety

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Both the Discovery Sport and Encore have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The Discovery Sport 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 Encore’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.

The Discovery Sport has standard Emergency Braking, which use forward mounted sensors to warn the driver of a possible collision ahead. If the driver doesn’t react and the system determines a collision is imminent, it automatically applies the brakes at full-force in order to reduce the force of the crash or avoid it altogether. The Encore offers an available collision warning system without the automated brake feature that would prevent or reduce the collision if the driver fails to react.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the Discovery Sport. But it costs extra on the Encore.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Discovery Sport has standard Rear Traffic Monitor and Rear Traffic Braking automatically engages the brakes to help avoid a collision. Buick charges extra for Rear Cross Traffic Alert on the Encore and the Encore’s Rear Cross Traffic Alert does not include automatic braking.

The Discovery Sport’s standard lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane and gently nudges the vehicle back towards its lane. A lane departure warning system costs extra on the Encore.

The Discovery Sport’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 Encore doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Discovery Sport and the Encore have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, and blind spot warning systems.

The Land Rover Discovery Sport weighs 747 to 1043 pounds more than the Buick Encore. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

Warranty

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

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

Engine

The Discovery Sport’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 91 more horsepower (246 vs. 155) and 92 lbs.-ft. more torque (269 vs. 177) than the Encore’s 1.4 turbo 4-cylinder.

Fuel Economy and Range

Regenerative brakes improve the Discovery Sport’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Encore doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the Discovery Sport’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 Encore doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

The Discovery Sport has 3.7 gallons more fuel capacity than the Encore (17.7 vs. 14 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

Transmission

A nine-speed automatic is standard on the Land Rover Discovery Sport, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a six-speed automatic is available for the Encore.

Brakes and Stopping

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

	Discovery Sport	Encore
Front Rotors	13.7 inches	11.8 inches
Rear Rotors	11.8 inches	10.6 inches

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Discovery Sport has larger standard tires than the Encore (235/60R18 vs. 215/55R18). The Discovery Sport’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Encore (245/45R21 vs. 215/55R18).

The Discovery Sport’s optional tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Encore’s 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Discovery Sport offers optional 21-inch wheels. The Encore’s largest wheels are only 18-inches.

The Discovery Sport has a standard full size spare (not available on 7-Passenger) so a flat doesn’t interrupt your trip. A full size spare isn’t available on the Encore; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare, which limits mileage and speed before replacement.

Suspension and Handling

For superior ride and handling, the Land Rover Discovery Sport 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 Buick Encore has a rear torsion beam axle, with a semi-independent rear suspension.

The Discovery Sport has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the Discovery Sport flat and controlled during cornering. The Encore’s suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

The Discovery Sport offers an optional driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads or off-road. The Encore’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Discovery Sport’s wheelbase is 7.3 inches longer than on the Encore (107.9 inches vs. 100.6 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Discovery Sport is 3.5 inches wider in the front and 3.9 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Encore.

The Discovery Sport S handles at .82 G’s, while the Encore AWD pulls only .72 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Discovery Sport S executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 2.2 seconds quicker than the Encore AWD (27.4 seconds @ .64 average G’s vs. 29.6 seconds @ .54 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the Discovery Sport has a 2.1 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Encore (8.3 vs. 6.2 inches), allowing the Discovery Sport to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Passenger Space

The Discovery Sport offers optional seating for 7 passengers; the Encore can only carry 5.

The Discovery Sport has 3.1 inches more front shoulder room, 2.3 inches more rear legroom and 3.4 inches more rear shoulder room than the Encore.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Discovery Sport’s available middle row seats recline. The Encore’s rear seats don’t recline.

Cargo Capacity

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

	Discovery Sport	Encore
Third Seat Folded	23.2 cubic feet	n/a
Third Seat Removed	26.6 cubic feet	18.8 cubic feet
Second Seat Folded	60 cubic feet	48.4 cubic feet

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

	Discovery Sport	Encore
Length to seat (3rd/2nd/1st)	8.9”/38.5”/69.7”	n.a./28.5”/55.8”
Max Width	52”	39.5”
Min Width	43.5”	36”
Height	31.4”	31.8”

A control in the cargo area automatically lowers the Discovery Sport with 5+2 Seating’s second row seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Encore doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier, especially for short adults, the Discovery Sport has a standard power liftgate, which opens and closes automatically by pressing a button. The Encore doesn’t offer a power liftgate.

Payload and Towing

The Discovery Sport has a 4409 lbs. towing capacity. The Encore has no towing capacity.

Standard Trailer Stability Assist (TSA) on the Discovery Sport 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 Encore doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

The Discovery Sport has a much higher standard payload capacity than the Encore (1515 vs. 1018 lbs.).

The Discovery Sport has a much higher maximum payload capacity than the Encore (1670 vs. 1026 lbs.).

Servicing Ease

The Discovery Sport uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Encore uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

Ergonomics

When three different drivers share the Discovery Sport SE, the memory seats and mirrors make it convenient for all three. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat position and outside mirror angle. The Encore doesn’t offer a memory system.

The Discovery Sport SE 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 Encore doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The Discovery Sport’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The Encore has a lever-type parking brake that has to be strenuously raised to engage properly. It has to be lifted up more and a button depressed to release it.

The Discovery Sport’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 Encore’s passenger windows don’t close automatically.

On a hot day the Discovery Sport’s driver can lower all the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Encore can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Discovery Sport 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 Encore doesn’t offer a locking fuel door.

The Discovery Sport’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 Encore’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

The Discovery Sport’s LED headlights produce a whiter, brighter light (up to 3x) using five times less power than the Encore’s halogen headlights. LED lights also light instantly and last over twenty times longer than halogen.

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 Sport offers available headlight washers to keep headlight output high. The Encore doesn’t offer headlight washers.

While driving with high beams on, sensitive light sensors available for the Discovery Sport detect other vehicles which could be blinded and automatically switch to low beams. The Encore doesn’t offer automatic dimming high beams.

To better shield the driver and front passenger’s vision, the Discovery Sport has standard dual-element sun visors that can block glare from two directions simultaneously. The Encore doesn’t offer secondary sun visors.

When the Discovery Sport with available tilt-down mirrors is put in reverse, both rearview mirrors tilt from their original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirrors into their original positions. The Encore’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

The Discovery Sport’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 Encore doesn’t offer the luxury of automatic dimming mirrors.

The Discovery Sport has standard heated front and optional heated second row seats extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated seats aren’t available in the Encore.

On extremely cold winter days, the Discovery Sport’s optional heated steering wheel provides comfort, allowing the driver to steer safely and comfortably before the vehicle heater warms up. The Encore doesn’t offer a heated steering wheel.

The Discovery Sport’s standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. The Encore doesn’t offer dual zone air conditioning.

The Discovery Sport’s standard automatic temperature control maintains the temperature you set, automatically controlling fan speed, vents and temperature to maintain a consistent, comfortable environment. The Encore doesn’t offer automatic air conditioning.

Both the Discovery Sport and the Encore offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the Discovery Sport has available rear air conditioning vents to keep rear occupants cool in summer or warm in winter. The Encore doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.

To keep a safe, consistent following distance, the Discovery Sport has a standard Adaptive Cruise Control, which alters the speed of the vehicle without driver intervention. This allows the driver to use cruise control more safely without constantly having to disengage it when approaching slower traffic. The Encore doesn’t offer an adaptive cruise control.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Land Rover Discovery Sport has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The Encore doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

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