Compare the2023 Land Rover Discovery SportVS 2022 Lexus RX

Both the Discovery Sport and RX 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 RX’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 Sport. But it costs extra on the RX.

Both the Discovery Sport and the RX have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors, blind spot warning systems and rear cross-path warning.

Both the Discovery Sport and the RX 450h have a standard automatic start/stop engine feature to stop unnecessary fuel waste and pollution at stoplights and heavy traffic. All Discovery Sports have a standard disable switch for the system, so a driver can keep the engine from shutting off when the vehicle stops temporarily.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Land Rover Discovery Sport higher (7 out of 10) than the Lexus RX (5 to 7). This means the Discovery Sport produces up to 8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the RX every 15,000 miles.

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

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

For better traction, the Discovery Sport’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the RX (245/45R21 vs. 235/65R18).

The Discovery Sport’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 60 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the RX’s standard 65 series tires. The Discovery Sport’s optional tires have a lower 45 series profile than the RX’s optional 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Discovery Sport offers optional 21-inch wheels. The RX’s largest wheels are only 20-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 RX; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare, which limits mileage and speed before replacement.

The Discovery Sport S handles at .82 G’s, while the RX 450h pulls only .78 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

For greater off-road capability the Discovery Sport has a greater minimum ground clearance than the RX (8.3 vs. 8.2 inches), allowing the Discovery Sport to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Discovery Sport is 11.5 inches shorter than the RX, making the Discovery Sport easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

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

The Discovery Sport has .1 inches more front headroom and .1 inches more rear legroom than the RX.

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

The Discovery Sport’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the RX’s (4409 vs. 0 pounds).

Trailer Stability Assist (TSA) is standard on the Discovery Sport, using 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. A trailer sway program costs extra on the RX.

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 RX doesn’t offer headlight washers.

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 RX doesn’t offer secondary sun visors.

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. Wireless charging costs extra on the RX.

Insurance will cost less for the Discovery Sport owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Discovery Sport will cost $470 less than the RX over a five-year period.