Compare the2024 Porsche MacanVS 2024 Land Rover Discovery Sport

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Porsche Macan 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 Land Rover Discovery Sport doesn’t offer pretensioners for its second-row seat belts.

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Porsche Macan 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 Sport doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

The Porsche Macan has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Discovery Sport doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

The Macan has a standard Multi-collision Brake, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Discovery Sport doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

Both the Macan and the Discovery Sport have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, 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, rearview cameras, available blind spot warning systems and around view monitors.

The Macan’s corrosion warranty is 6 years longer than the Discovery Sport’s (12 vs. 6 years).

The battery on the Macan is in the trunk, which protects it from hot underhood temperatures that can degrade battery life. By keeping the Macan’s battery 20 to 30 degrees cooler, its life is increased by years. The Discovery Sport’s battery is in the hot engine compartment.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Macan’s reliability 33 points higher than the Discovery Sport.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Porsche vehicles are better in initial quality than Land Rover vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Porsche above average in initial quality. With 36 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 Porsche vehicles are more reliable than Land Rover vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Porsche above average in long-term dependability. With 30 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Land Rover is rated below average.

The Macan’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 15 more horsepower (261 vs. 246) and 26 lbs.-ft. more torque (295 vs. 269) than the Discovery Sport’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder. The Macan S’ standard 2.9 turbo V6 produces 129 more horsepower (375 vs. 246) and 114 lbs.-ft. more torque (383 vs. 269) than the Discovery Sport’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder. The Macan GTS’ standard 2.9 turbo V6 produces 188 more horsepower (434 vs. 246) and 136 lbs.-ft. more torque (405 vs. 269) than the Discovery Sport’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

On the EPA test cycle the Macan 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder gets better fuel mileage than the Discovery Sport (19 city/25 hwy vs. 19 city/23 hwy).

The Macan has 2.1 gallons more fuel capacity than the Discovery Sport (19.8 vs. 17.7 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The Macan offers a standard sequential manual gearbox (SMG). With no clutch pedal to worry about and a fully automatic mode, an SMG is much more efficient than a conventional automatic but just as easy to drive. The Discovery Sport doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

The Macan’s optional launch control uses engine electronics to hold engine RPM’s precisely in order to provide the most stable and rapid acceleration possible, using all of the available traction. The Discovery Sport doesn’t offer launch control.

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

The Macan’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Discovery Sport are solid, not vented.

For better traction, the Macan’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Discovery Sport (F:265/40R21 & R:295/35R21 vs. 245/45R21).

The Macan’s standard 235/55R19 front and 255/50R19 rear tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series front and 50 series rear profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Discovery Sport’s standard 60 series tires. The Macan’s optional 265/40R21 front and 295/35R21 rear tires have a lower 40 series front and 35 series rear profile than the Discovery Sport’s optional 45 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Macan has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the Discovery Sport.

The Macan has a standard automatic front and rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The Macan’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 Discovery Sport doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Macan’s wheelbase is 2.6 inches longer than on the Discovery Sport (110.5 inches vs. 107.9 inches).

For greater off-road capability the Macan has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Discovery Sport (8.9 vs. 8.3 inches), allowing the Macan to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The front grille of the Macan uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Discovery Sport doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Macan has a much larger cargo volume than the Discovery Sport with its rear seat up (17.2 vs. 6.9 cubic feet).

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the Macan. The Discovery Sport doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

The engine in the Macan is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Discovery Sport. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because the accessory belts are in front.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Porsche service is better than Land Rover. J.D. Power ranks Porsche third in service department satisfaction. With a 64% lower rating, Land Rover is ranked 30th.

Unlike the driver-only memory seat and mirrors in the Discovery Sport, the Macan offers an optional passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat, outside mirror angle, climate settings and radio stations and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

The Macan’s standard easy entry system raises the steering wheel and glides the driver’s seat back, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The Discovery Sport doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the Macan has standard cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Discovery Sport doesn’t offer cornering lights. The Macan also has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the Macan to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Discovery Sport doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

Optional air-conditioned seats in the Macan keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The Discovery Sport doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

The Macan’s optional Self Steering ParkAssist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, with the driver only controlling speed with the brake pedal. The Discovery Sport doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Porsche Macan, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Macan was chosen as a Car and Driver’s “Top Ten” for 2024 and 6 more times in the last 8 years. The Discovery Sport has never been chosen by Car and Driver in their “10Best” issue.

The Porsche Macan outsold the Land Rover Discovery Sport by almost 9 to one during 2023.