Compare the2024 Land Rover DiscoveryVS 2024 Lexus RX

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

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Discovery has standard Rear Traffic Monitor with Rear Traffic Braking, systems which detect vehicles approaching from the sides and can automatically apply the brakes to prevent a collision. Parking Support Brake costs extra on the RX.

Both the Discovery and the RX have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, 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, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and driver alert monitors.

The Discovery has more powerful engines than the RX:

As tested in Motor Trend the Discovery P360 3.0 turbo/supercharged 6-cylinder hybrid is faster than the RX 350 2.4 turbo 4-cylinder:

Both the Discovery and the RX have a standard automatic start/stop engine feature to stop unnecessary fuel waste and pollution at stoplights and heavy traffic. All Discovery’s have a standard disable switch for the system, so a driver can keep the engine from shutting off when the vehicle stops temporarily. The RX 350h/500h doesn’t offer a way to disable start/stop.

The Discovery has 9.3 gallons more fuel capacity than the RX 450+’s standard fuel tank (23.8 vs. 14.5 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The Discovery has 6 gallons more fuel capacity than the RX 350’s standard fuel tank (23.8 vs. 17.8 gallons).

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

The Discovery stops much shorter than the RX:

For better traction, the Discovery has larger standard tires than the RX (255/55R20 vs. 235/60R19). The Discovery’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the RX (285/40R22 vs. 235/60R19).

The Discovery’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the RX’s standard 60 series tires. The Discovery’s optional tires have a lower 40 series profile than the RX’s optional 50 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Discovery has standard 20-inch wheels. Smaller 19-inch wheels are standard on the RX. The Discovery’s optional 22-inch wheels are larger than the 21-inch wheels optional on the RX.

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

The Discovery has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The RX base model’s suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

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

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Discovery’s wheelbase is 2.9 inches longer than on the RX (115.1 inches vs. 112.2 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Discovery is 1.4 inches wider in the front than on the RX.

The Discovery Dynamic SE handles at .76 G’s, while the RX 350 AWD pulls only .75 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Discovery Dynamic SE executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the RX 350h (28.1 seconds @ .6 average G’s vs. 28.6 seconds @ .57 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the Discovery has a 3 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the RX 350 (11.1 vs. 8.1 inches), allowing the Discovery to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Discovery’s minimum ground clearance is 2.9 inches higher than on the RX 350h (11.1 vs. 8.2 inches).

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

The Discovery has standard seating for 7 passengers; the RX can only carry 5.

The Discovery has 1.1 inches more front hip room, 2.3 inches more front shoulder room, .4 inches more rear headroom and 3 inches more rear shoulder room than the RX.

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

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

The Discovery’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the RX’s (5925 vs. 0 pounds). Maximum trailer towing in the Lexus RX is only 3500 pounds. The Discovery offers up to a 8200 lbs. towing capacity.

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

Unlike the driver-only memory system in the RX Premium/Luxury/500h F Sport, the Discovery SE has a passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat, steering wheel position and outside mirror angle and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

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 RX doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

The Discovery Metropolitan offers optional massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the RX.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Land Rover Discovery has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Wireless charging costs extra on the RX.