Which luxury SUV would you rather own, the brand-new Land Rover Discovery or the ever-capable Audi Q7?
Rover’s latest offering is fresh from the ground up, riding atop an aluminum-intensive architecture that’s helped it lose about 1,000 pounds compared to the LR4 it replaces. Of course, this materials change comes with no sacrifice in off-road capability. The Discovery is still loaded with tons of military-grade hardware, making it an absolute beast.
Two engines are available in North America and both displace 3.0-liters. The more popular option will likely be a supercharged gasoline model that’s good for 340 horsepower and 332 lb-ft of torque. A diesel is also available, providing 254 ponies and 443 lb-ft of torque along with significantly better fuel economy.
The gasoline model stickers at 16 miles per gallon city and 21 highway; the diesel will do 21 around town and 26 on highway jaunts. No matter which engine you choose, they’re both paired with a slick-shifting eight-speed automatic transmission.
The Audi Q7 is a popular luxury SUV and for good reason. Its combination of handsome styling, advanced technology and polite on-road manners are tough to top.
Behind its large grille, you’ll find one of two engines. A base 2.0-liter turbocharged four is on the menu, but the option you’ll probably want is the up-market V6. Displacing 3.0-liters, this supercharged gasoline unit is rated at 333 horsepower. Torque clocks in at 325 lb-ft. Both an eight-speed automatic transmission and quattro all-wheel drive are included with this engine.
Where Land Rover’s Discovery tends to prioritize go-anywhere capability, the Audi emphasizes technology. Just one of its segment-leading features is a digital instrument cluster, Virtual Cockpit in Ingolstadt parlance. Here, traditional gauges are replaced by an immersive, high-resolution display that’s unexpectedly customizable.
So, that’s a quick look at each of these high-end vehicles. Which one do YOU prefer? Well, compare them here and make sure to choose a favorite by voting in our poll!
