Land Rover Discovery vs Toyota LandCruiser 300

As of mid-2026 the LandCruiser 300 is the far cheaper way into this class. Its GX opens at about $107,000 driveaway, where the Discovery starts in the mid-$120,000s to around $132,000 for the S, so the Toyota undercuts the Land Rover by roughly $20,000 to $25,000 at entry. Both are quoted driveaway. Higher up they converge: the LandCruiser climbs to about $158,000 for the Sahara ZX, while the Discovery tops out near $163,000 for the Tempest. So the LandCruiser spans a wider, lower-starting range, and the Discovery answers the price gap with more power, more efficiency and standard seven seats.

The Discovery has the power edge. Its 3.0-litre straight-six diesel with mild-hybrid assistance makes 257kW to the LandCruiser 300's 227kW, though both make the same 700Nm of torque. The Discovery is also the lighter car by about 160kg and the more efficient at 7.8L/100km to the Toyota's 8.9. In everyday driving both are strong and torquey, and the LandCruiser's twin-turbo V6 is proven and well suited to heavy touring. But on outputs and economy the Discovery edges it, which is part of what its premium buys. The gap is modest on the road but real on paper, nice to have rather than decisive for most buyers.

The LandCruiser 300 has the clear safety edge, and it is the Discovery's biggest weakness. The Toyota carries a current five-star ANCAP rating from 2022 and runs ten airbags, while the current Land Rover Discovery is unrated: its 2017 five-star rating lapsed at the end of 2023, and the model built from 2024 has not been re-tested. The Discovery still carries eight airbags and the expected driver aids, and unrated does not mean unsafe. But a current five-star result with two more airbags against no rating at all is a genuine gap, and for a safety-led buyer it is a strong reason to take the Toyota.

The Discovery gives you seven seats as standard across the range, where the LandCruiser 300 seats five or seven depending on grade: the GX, Sahara ZX and GR Sport are five-seaters, while the GXL, VX and Sahara add the third row. So if you always need seven, the Discovery is the simpler choice. On boot space the two are line-ball, both holding around 1130 litres behind the second row and just over 2400 litres folded. The Discovery's standard third row and lighter, more car-like packaging suit family duty; for pure people-moving it is the easier pick. The LandCruiser answers with proven durability and towing.

Both are seriously capable six-figure 4WDs, and the choice splits on approach. The LandCruiser 300 brings locking front and rear differentials, a proven full-time four-wheel-drive system and decades of touring pedigree, the truck the outback trusts. The Discovery answers with air suspension that raises the body for a steeper approach angle and 285mm of ground clearance, plus its Terrain Response system. On paper the Discovery has the geometry edge; in the bush the LandCruiser has the proven-hardware and parts-availability edge that matters a long way from help. Both go far off the bitumen; the LandCruiser is the safer bet remote.

The LandCruiser 300 is the far safer long-term bet, and it is the Toyota's trump card here. Its reliability record and resale strength are proven over decades, and demand routinely outstrips supply, which keeps used values high. Land Rover, by contrast, carries a reputation for higher running costs and softer resale, which is the main risk in Discovery ownership rather than any single documented fault. Both come with a five-year warranty. For a buyer keeping the truck for years or trading it on, the LandCruiser's certainty is worth real money, and it is where the Discovery's premium case is hardest to make.

They are closely matched for towing. Both are rated to 3500kg braked, the standard for a big caravan, with near-identical gross combination mass around 6750kg, so either will legally pull a big caravan. The LandCruiser's twin-turbo V6 and proven touring hardware are the known quantity for heavy, remote towing, while the Discovery's mild-hybrid six is a touch more powerful and efficient. For most towers the two are line-ball on capability, and the decision comes down to the LandCruiser's proven reliability and dealer reach against the Discovery's outputs and refinement. Neither is short of grunt for a loaded van; near the limit, the Toyota's track record reassures.

For most buyers, no; for a particular one, yes. The Discovery justifies its higher price if you value the extra power, the better economy, the standard seven-seat cabin and the air-suspension refinement, and you are comfortable with an unrated ANCAP result and Land Rover's ownership record. The LandCruiser 300 makes the stronger case for most buyers: it costs roughly $20,000 to $25,000 less to buy, holds a current five-star safety rating, carries more airbags, and holds its value like almost nothing else in the class. So a head-led buyer takes the Toyota; a buyer who prizes on-road polish and outputs takes the Land Rover.