Compare the2023 Land Rover DiscoveryVS 2023 Lincoln Navigator

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 Lincoln Navigator doesn’t offer pretensioners for its second-row seat belts.

Both the Discovery and Navigator 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 Navigator’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 Navigator.

Both the Discovery and Navigator have rear cross-traffic warning, but the Discovery has Rear Traffic Braking (automatically applies the brakes) to better prevent a collision when backing near traffic. The Navigator’s Cross-Traffic Alert doesn’t automatically brake.

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 Navigator uses a body-on-frame design, which has no frame members above the floor of the vehicle.

Both the Discovery and the Navigator 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, around view monitors, rear cross-path warning and driver alert monitors.

The Discovery’s corrosion warranty is 1 year longer than the Navigator’s (6 vs. 5 years).

As tested in Motor Trend the Discovery P360 3.0 turbo/supercharged 6-cylinder hybrid is faster than the Lincoln Navigator:

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

The Discovery has a standard locking fuel door with a remote release located convenient to the driver. The fuel filler door is not lockable on the Navigator. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank.

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

For better stopping power the Discovery P360’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Navigator:

The Discovery stops much shorter than the Navigator:

The Discovery’s optional tires provide better handling because they have a lower 40 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Navigator’s optional 45 series tires.

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

The front and rear suspension of the Discovery uses air springs for a smoother, controlled ride than the Navigator, 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 Navigator doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

The Discovery R-Dynamic S handles at .79 G’s, while the Navigator Black Label 4WD pulls only .75 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

For greater off-road capability the Discovery has a 1.5 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Navigator (11.1 vs. 9.6 inches), allowing the Discovery to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Land Rover Discovery may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 700 to 800 pounds less than the Lincoln Navigator.

The Discovery is 1 foot, 2.9 inches shorter than the Navigator, making the Discovery easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

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 Navigator doesn’t use unibody construction, but a body-on-frame design.

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 Navigator doesn’t offer tailgating seats.

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 Navigator 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 Navigator doesn’t offer headlight washers.

When the Discovery 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 Navigator’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

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. Lincoln doesn’t offer heated seats in the third row of the Navigator.

Insurance will cost less for the Discovery owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Discovery will cost $465 less than the Navigator over a five-year period.

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 Navigator only retains 44.21% to 46.46%.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Land Rover Discovery will be $16705 to $26287 less than for the Lincoln Navigator.