Choices: The F-Pace SVR vs. Discovery R-Dynamic S

by Michael Satterfield - 03/29/2022

Some people face tough choices in life, like the decision between buying a 550hp Jaguar or a 355hp Land Rover for their sporty urban-focused daily driver SUV. It is a hard choice when you are looking for a vehicle that makes a statement when you pull up to the Starbucks or valet at the local fine dining establishment, but for those who have been agonizing over the choice of which high-performance British SUV to buy, I am here to help.

On paper these two SUVs are very different, the Discovery starts at over $13,000 less than the Jaguar SVR, it has 145 less horsepower, and offers more space and better fuel economy. But that starting price can be a little deceiving, with optional extras, as we are all wont to order, the Discovery can climb to over $78,510. The Jaguar is not immune to the added costs of options, our test vehicle has nearly $8,500 in options and half of that is the optional SVO paint color. The Jaguar as tested will set you back $96,229, a steal if you are cross-shopping it against a Bentley Bentayga Speed. It could also be said that the Range Rover Sport SVR is a more comparable vehicle to the Jaguar F-Pace SVR, but Land Rover didn't send the six-figure Range Rover so the R-Dynamic S will have to do.

Since most automakers are only building SUVs it is no surprise that they have become platforms for go-fast models, one could argue that the majority of SUVs are really just slightly taller station wagons so all those enthusiasts who have been begging for sports wagons for years should be ecstatic. Jaguar gets the high-performance SUV right, from the sound to the sporty handling, the F-Pace is a lot of fun to drive. The Discovery, however, as a performance platform with big wheels shod in Pirelli Scorpions seems out of character. We loved the 2019 Discovery HSE Td6 that we tested, it felt like it was a classic Land Rover family-hauling SUV that could go nearly anywhere. But the R-Dynamic seems to be struggling to compete in the sporty SUV world, as even a Lincoln Aviator outperforms the R-Dynamic in a race from 0-60 by nearly a second. If I were ordering a Discovery today, since the turbodiesel is no longer available, I would save the money on the R-Dynamic and build out a nicely equipped P300 with the four-cylinder turbo, save over $16,000, and call it a day.

While the Land Rover feels like they have dressed the Discovery in a performance costume, the Jaguar is the real athlete and its growling exhaust note is more than just a fun sound, this cat gets up and runs. While the suspension might not be as hardcore as the Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio or the BMW X3 M, its slightly softer suspension is far more comfortable as a daily driver. This balance of performance and comfort mean that the F-Pace SVR is great for commuting around town and still fun when you head to the mountains for a long weekend.

Inside both the Jaguar and Land Rover offer all the modern comforts you come to expect in a modern luxury SUV, the Jaguar's sporty bucket seats are surprisingly comfortable even on longer trips. You can see the family resemblance as a number of the buttons, knobs, and screens have come out of the same Jaguar/Land Rover parts bin. The third row in the Land Rover is there, but I would only recommend using it in case of emergency, hard to access and cramped it doesn't offer as much utility as other 3-row SUVs in this price range.

After driving both of these performance-focused SUVs for a week, it is clear that the Jaguar F-Pace is the winner if you are looking for a fun-to-drive, British, high-performance SUV. The Discovery R-Dynamic S looks great but sacrifices the Discovery's legendary off-road prowess for lackluster on-road performance. The Discovery R-Dynamic seems like a strange vehicle in the Land Rover lineup, our test vehicle as equipped is thousands more than a Range Rover Sport SE which comes with the same 355hp turbocharged six-cylinder, a sporty profile, and many of the optional features as standard.

2021 Land Rover Discovery R-Dynamic S