Compare the2023 GMC YukonVS 2023 Land Rover Discovery

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the GMC Yukon are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The Land Rover Discovery doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Yukon are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Discovery doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Yukon (except SLE with front bench seat) has a standard front seat center airbag, which deploys between the driver and front passenger, protecting them from injuries caused by striking each other in serious side impacts. The Discovery doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Yukon Denali offers optional Reverse Automatic Braking that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The Discovery doesn’t offer automatic braking for stationary objects directly to the rear.

Both the Yukon and the Discovery have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact 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, available all wheel drive, blind spot warning systems, around view monitors and rear cross-path warning.

GMC’s powertrain warranty covers the Yukon 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Land Rover covers the Discovery. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the Discovery ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are over 8 times as many GMC dealers as there are Land Rover dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Yukon’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Yukon second among large suvs in their 2022 Initial Quality Study. The Discovery isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that GMC vehicles are better in initial quality than Land Rover vehicles. J.D. Power ranks GMC above average in initial quality. With 31 more problems per 100 vehicles, Land Rover is rated below average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that GMC vehicles are more reliable than Land Rover With 92 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks GMC higher than Land Rover.

The Yukon’s standard 5.3 V8 produces 59 more horsepower (355 vs. 296) and 88 lbs.-ft. more torque (383 vs. 295) than the Discovery’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder. The Yukon’s 5.3 V8 produces 14 lbs.-ft. more torque (383 vs. 369) than the Discovery P360’s optional 3.0 turbo/supercharged 6-cylinder hybrid. The Yukon’s optional 6.2 V8 produces 65 more horsepower (420 vs. 355) and 91 lbs.-ft. more torque (460 vs. 369) than the Discovery P360’s optional 3.0 turbo/supercharged 6-cylinder hybrid.

The Yukon’s 3.0 turbo diesel produces 165 lbs.-ft. more torque (460 vs. 295) than the Discovery’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder. The Yukon’s 3.0 turbo diesel produces 91 lbs.-ft. more torque (460 vs. 369) than the Discovery P360’s optional 3.0 turbo/supercharged 6-cylinder hybrid.

As tested in Car and Driver the GMC Yukon 6.2 V8 is faster than the Discovery P360 3.0 turbo/supercharged 6-cylinder hybrid:

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

An engine control system that can shut down some of the engine’s cylinders helps improve the Yukon V8’s fuel efficiency. The Discovery doesn’t offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the GMC Yukon uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended with the 6.2 V8 engine for maximum performance). The Discovery requires premium, which can cost on average about 82.8 cents more per gallon.

The Yukon has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Discovery doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

A 10-speed automatic is standard on the GMC Yukon, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only an eight-speed automatic is available for the Discovery.

For better traction, the Yukon has larger standard tires than the Discovery (265/65R18 vs. 255/55R20).

The GMC Yukon’s wheels have 6 lugs for longer wheel bearing life, less chance of rotor warping and greater strength. The Land Rover Discovery only has 5 wheel lugs per wheel.

The Yukon has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Discovery doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

The Yukon has a standard full size spare so a flat doesn’t interrupt your trip. A full size spare costs extra on the Discovery. Without the option you must depend on a temporary spare, which limits mileage and speed before replacement.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Yukon’s wheelbase is 5.8 inches longer than on the Discovery (120.9 inches vs. 115.1 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Yukon is 1.8 inches wider in the front and 1.7 inches wider in the rear than on the Discovery.

For better maneuverability, the Yukon’s turning circle is 2.6 feet tighter than the Discovery’s (38.1 feet vs. 40.7 feet). The Yukon w/20-22 inch wheels’ turning circle is 1 foot tighter than the Discovery’s (39.7 feet vs. 40.7 feet).

The Yukon offers optional seating for 9 passengers; the Discovery can only carry 7.

The Yukon has 2.9 inches more front headroom, 5.4 inches more front legroom, 3.7 inches more front hip room, 5.6 inches more front shoulder room, 4.6 inches more rear legroom, 5.6 inches more rear hip room, 5.3 inches more rear shoulder room, .3 inches more third row headroom, 1.4 inches more third row legroom, 7.4 inches more third row hip room and 15.6 inches more third row shoulder room than the Discovery.

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

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

A standard locking glovebox and optional locking center console keeps your small valuables safer in the Yukon. The Discovery doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

The Yukon’s minimum standard towing capacity is much higher than the Discovery’s (7700 vs. 5925 pounds). Maximum trailer towing in the Land Rover Discovery is only 8200 pounds. The Yukon offers up to a 8400 lbs. towing capacity.

The Yukon 4WD with optional equipment can be flat towed on all four wheels (dinghy towed), allowing recreational vehicle owners to bring it with them on the road. When they reach their destination, the Yukon can be unhitched and driven around locally. The Discovery can’t be towed flat on the ground.

The Yukon’s instruments include an oil pressure gauge and a temperature gauge - which could save your engine! Often ‘idiot lights’ don’t warn you until damage has been done. The Discovery does not have an oil pressure gauge.

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

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the Yukon has standard extendable sun visors. The Discovery doesn’t offer extendable visors.

The Yukon has a 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The Discovery doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

The Yukon Denali’s optional Enhanced Automatic Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. The Discovery’s automatic parking system requires operating the brakes and transmission to safely park.

The Yukon is available in both rear-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Discovery doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

Insurance will cost less for the Yukon owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Yukon will cost $2763 to $6885 less than the Discovery over a five-year period.

The Yukon will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Yukon will retain 51.37% to 52.71% of its original price after five years, while the Discovery only retains 50.7% to 50.86%.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the GMC Yukon will be $2443 to $6087 less than for the Land Rover Discovery.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Yukon third among large suvs in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The Discovery isn’t in the top three.

The GMC Yukon/Yukon XL outsold the Land Rover Discovery by almost 61 to one during 2022.