Land Rover Discovery S D350 vs Nissan Patrol Ti-L

It depends what you value. The Patrol Ti-L is the better value on equipment, opening at $117,287 driveaway, about $15,000 below the cheapest Discovery S at $132,376, and yet it is the loaded top of its range with leather, heated and ventilated seats, a sunroof and a V8. The Discovery S is the entry to its range, so the same money buys plainer trim, but you get the more efficient diesel, air suspension and a bigger boot. So the Patrol gives more cabin and power for less, while the Discovery gives more engineering and economy for more. Note the Discovery range may open a little below $132,000.

The Discovery is far cheaper to run. Its 3.0-litre inline-six diesel claims 7.8L/100km against the Patrol Ti-L V8's 14.4, close to half the fuel, and over a big annual mileage that gap dominates the ownership cost. The Patrol's 5.6-litre petrol V8 is powerful but genuinely thirsty, and its bigger tank only partly offsets the difference in range. Both carry a five-year warranty. Where the Patrol claws back ground is a lower purchase price and Nissan's stronger reliability and resale record. But on fuel alone, the diesel Discovery is dramatically the cheaper of the two to feed over any real distance.

It splits by measure. The Patrol Ti-L's 5.6-litre petrol V8 makes 298kW to the Discovery's 257kW, so it wins outright power and has the free-revving nature a big petrol V8 brings. The Discovery's 3.0-litre inline-six diesel counters with 700Nm of torque to the Patrol's 560, more pulling power low in the rev range, which suits towing and loaded touring, and it does it on far less fuel. So the Patrol is the more powerful engine, the Discovery the torquier and more efficient one. Which you prefer depends on whether you want V8 pace and character or diesel flexibility and economy.

This is a weak spot for both. Neither the Patrol nor the current Discovery holds an ANCAP safety rating: the Nissan's Y62 platform has never been tested to a current protocol, and the Discovery's 2017 five-star result lapsed at the end of 2023, leaving the on-sale car unrated. So a buyer who weighs a crash rating gets no reassurance from either. On passive equipment the Discovery has the edge, with eight airbags to the Patrol Ti-L's six, and it rides on a newer platform. Both come with autonomous emergency braking and the expected driver aids. But with no current rating on either, safety is the area where this pair is weakest.

Both seat seven, so it comes down to what your family needs. The Discovery brings the bigger boot, at 1137 litres behind its second row to the Patrol's smaller space, plus its air-suspension ride, the efficient diesel and eight airbags. The Patrol Ti-L answers with a more lavishly equipped cabin, heated and ventilated seats, a sunroof and tri-zone climate, and a lower price. For running costs and cargo the Discovery is the more sensible family choice; for cabin comfort and value the Patrol makes its case. Neither, though, carries a current safety rating, which some families will weigh heavily when choosing between them.

Both are seriously capable, but they get there differently. The Discovery rides on height-adjustable air suspension that lets it raise the body for clearance, and it clears steeper approach and departure angles than the Patrol, with terrain-response modes for varied surfaces. The Patrol Ti-L counters with a proven, simple drivetrain, a rear differential lock, low-range gearing and the low-down torque of its V8, plus a reputation for durability off the beaten track. So the Discovery is the more sophisticated and adjustable off-roader on paper, while the Patrol is the more rugged and proven one. For remote touring, some will prefer the Nissan's simplicity.

The Patrol is the lower-risk ownership choice. Nissan's big petrol V8 has a strong reputation for durability, and the Patrol holds its value well in a market where demand is high, so resale is a real part of its case. Land Rover's reliability record, by contrast, is patchy, and the Discovery's complex air suspension and electronics add potential cost as the car ages. Both carry a five-year warranty. The Discovery answers with lower running costs while it is healthy, thanks to that efficient diesel, but for predictable long-term ownership and resale the proven Patrol is the safer bet of the two.

It comes down to what your money buys. Take the Patrol Ti-L if you want a loaded flagship cabin, V8 power and seven seats for thousands less than the Discovery, and you can live with a thirsty engine and an older platform. Take the Discovery S if you want the efficient diesel, the air suspension, the bigger boot and the newer engineering, and you accept plainer base trim, a higher price and Land Rover's ownership record. One is equipment and grunt for the money; the other economy and sophistication for more. Neither carries a current safety rating, so weigh that either way.