Compare the2023 Acura MDXVS 2022 Land Rover Discovery Sport

For enhanced safety, the front and second-row seat shoulder belts of the Acura MDX 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 Acura MDX 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.

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 MDX are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Discovery Sport doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Acura MDX 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.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The MDX offers an optional Low-Speed Braking Control that use rear sensors to monitor and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a rear collision. The Discovery Sport doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The MDX has a standard blind spot warning system which uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. A system to reveal vehicles in the Discovery Sport’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the MDX has a standard rear cross-path warning system, which uses sensors in the rear bumper to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. Rear cross-path warning costs extra on the Discovery Sport.

Both the MDX 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, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the MDX its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 81 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Discovery Sport has not been tested, yet.

Acura’s powertrain warranty covers the MDX 2 years and 20,000 miles longer than Land Rover covers the Discovery Sport. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 6 years or 70,000 miles. Coverage on the Discovery Sport ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

Acura pays for scheduled maintenance on the MDX for 2 years and 24,000 miles. Acura will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Land Rover only pays for the first scheduled maintenance visit on the Discovery Sport.

There are over 36 percent more Acura dealers than there are Land Rover dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the MDX’s warranty.

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 MDX’s reliability 36 points higher than the Discovery Sport.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Acura vehicles are more reliable than Land Rover With 40 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Acura higher than Land Rover.

The MDX’s standard 3.5 SOHC V6 produces 44 more horsepower (290 vs. 246) than the Discovery Sport’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder. The MDX Type S’ standard 3.0 turbo V6 produces 109 more horsepower (355 vs. 246) and 85 lbs.-ft. more torque (354 vs. 269) than the Discovery Sport’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

On the EPA test cycle the MDX gets better mileage than the Discovery Sport:

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

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Acura MDX uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended for maximum performance). The Discovery Sport requires premium, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

The MDX 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 Sport doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

A 10-speed automatic is standard on the Acura MDX, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only a nine-speed automatic is available for the Discovery Sport.

For better stopping power the MDX Type S’ brake rotors are larger than those on the Discovery Sport:

For better traction, the MDX has larger standard tires than the Discovery Sport (255/55R19 vs. 235/60R18). The MDX Type S’ tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Discovery Sport (275/40R21 vs. 245/45R20).

The MDX’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 Discovery Sport’s standard 60 series tires. The MDX Type S’ tires have a lower 40 series profile than the Discovery Sport’s optional 45 series tires.

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

The MDX 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 Sport doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

Having a flat tire is dangerous, inconvenient and expensive. The self-sealing tires available on the MDX can automatically seal most punctures up to 3/16 of an inch, effectively preventing most flat tires. The Discovery Sport doesn’t offer self-sealing tires.

The MDX Type S has a standard automatic front and rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The MDX’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 MDX’s wheelbase is 5.9 inches longer than on the Discovery Sport (113.8 inches vs. 107.9 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the MDX is 3.5 inches wider in the front and 3.2 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Discovery Sport.

For greater off-road capability the MDX Type S has a 1.1 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Discovery Sport (9.4 vs. 8.3 inches), allowing the MDX to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The MDX uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The Discovery Sport doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

The MDX has 2.5 inches more front legroom, 4.6 inches more front shoulder room, .4 inches more rear legroom, 4.4 inches more rear shoulder room, 1.8 inches more third row headroom, 3.5 inches more third row legroom and 8.1 inches more third row shoulder room than the Discovery Sport.

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

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

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the MDX Advance’s liftgate can be opened and closed just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Discovery Sport doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its liftgate, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

Maximum trailer towing in the Land Rover Discovery Sport is limited to 4409 pounds. The MDX SH-AWD offers up to a 5000 lbs. towing capacity.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Acura service is better than Land Rover. J.D. Power ranks Acura 6th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 56% lower rating, Land Rover is ranked 30th.

Unlike the driver-only memory seat and mirrors optional at extra cost in the Discovery Sport, the MDX offers an optional 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.

The MDX’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.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the MDX 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 MDX 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 MDX Type S Advance has standard massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the Discovery Sport.

The MDX offers an optional 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 Sport doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

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

Consumer Reports® recommends the Acura MDX, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Acura MDX outsold the Land Rover Discovery Sport by almost 9 to one during the 2021 model year.