Land Rover Discovery (2009–2016) Review

The Land Rover Discovery is a ‘proper’ Land Rover. It’s big, weighs a huge amount and has a sharp-edged styling theme that defines ‘old’ Land Rover. Brand director Gerry McGovern wants to create a new Land Rover look, which is all about impeccable surface design and real stand-out jewelry – the replacement to the Discovery is thus likely to be a lot more fashion-conscious than this one. A good thing? You decide.

Over the years, it’s been available with several engine choices, including a meaty V8 petrol, but Land Rover has these days restricted the range to the only one that sells in any great volume – the 3.0-litre turbodiesel. Trims also reflect what people buy, so they’re upmarket and loaded with kit: to the uninitiated, prices of the Discovery aren’t far shy of what they’d expect to pay for a Range Rover. But boy, what a lot of car you get for your money…

The Jaguar Land Rover 3.0-litre SDV6 is a familiar engine that, in 2015 guise, now puts out 252bhp with a nicely pleasing hum. OK, there’s a bit of diesel clatter, but it isn’t too intrusive and the richness from this multi-cylinder engine is in keeping with the car.

It also has a superb eight-speed automatic gearbox that’s one of the best in the world. No messing about with manual gearboxes here – Land Rover simply fits the ZF-sourced automatic (complete with cool rotary shift controller) as standard and not a single person complains. It’s as good off-road as it is on it. Indeed, as we’ll see the whole vehicle is more than able when conditions get muddy…

One thing the Discovery can’t ultimately do is disguise its huge kerbweight, of almost 2.7 tonnes. 0-62mph takes 8.8 seconds, which is pretty decent for a vehicle as bluff and rugged as this, but it tops out at 112mph and, at higher speeds, it doesn’t quite have the response of a regular passenger car. Not even a very impressive 443lb ft torque figure will quite give you the punch of an executive saloon – one to be aware of if you’re trading across from, say, a Jaguar XF.

Saying that, it doesn’t only feel like it’s got the pulling power to feel like it’s virtually unstoppable no matter what the terrain it’s on, the poke of the engine ensures it probably is, too. We certainly haven’t come across any situations, both on road or off, that the mighty Discovery hasn’t failed to conquer…

The Discovery is, as we’ve said, a heavy machine and, with standard air suspension bringing further potential, this means it generally rides very well indeed. Part of this is through beating bumps into submission, but it’s nevertheless effective. There’s a security to its on-road ride that gives passengers real confidence, even if it can become a little bit floaty if the driver isn’t sumpathetic to the fact it’s such a large, heavy car.

On a high-speed motorway, there’s little for the money that can match the Discovery’s long-striding sense of relaxation – despite its advancing years, it still makes a strong case for itself.

As we’ve mentioned, it can roll around a bit if you drive it like a sports car, but Discovery drivers know not to do this, just as you shouldn’t exepct any genuine SUV to handle like a racer. Instead, most embarace the exceptional steering accuracy and precision, the control of the air suspension and the uncanny ability to place the Discovery really precisely on the road to get their rewards. It may be a 4x4 but it has the feel of a thoroughbred in surprising ways.

Oh, and it is also, well, a 4x4. A Land Rover 4x4. Off road, it’s thus incredible. We don’t say this lightly, either – the things a Discovery is able to perform in mud, on hillsides or in wintry weather will leave you dumbstruck. There’s no point in critiquing it, really. Suffice to say, you’ll struggle to find a better off-roader for the money than this.

Because it’s getting on a bit, aspects of the Discovery aren’t quite up with the class best. There’s a bit more wind rustle at speed than some may be used to, that engine hum can sometimes seem more prominent than in other cars and the tyres can thump into bumps a bit loudly (even if the ride itself is very good).

Generally though, refinement is impressive, and certainly up to the standard you’d expect of the upper-level list prices. Land Rover has constantly developed the Discovery over the years and this evolution shows in the general agreeableness of driving it. And if peace and quiet is anything but your idea of heaven, the latest Meridian stereos can pump out tunes with remarkable clarity and punch.

The Discovery is a big car and feels like it from behind the wheel. You have to climb up high and, once in the big and well-padded seats, you’ll have a panoramic view out: big, flat windows and a low dashboard to give plenty of forward vision. It’s a massive vehicle but this, and the precision of the steering, mean placing it in down isn’t anywhere near as bothersome as you fear.

The 2010 facelift of the Discovery range introduced a better quality dashboard, with nice plastics and some top-grade leather and wood. In this respect, it really is just like a junior Range Rover – the sense of luxury you get in the top-spec HSE Luxury (fitting name!) is as you’d expect for a £60,000 machine. The Discovery can certainly pull it off.

Really though, it’s the confidence and sense of impenetrability from the Discovery that has most buying one after another. You feel absolutely bulletproof behind the wheel, with all the comfort and composure you’d expect of a luxury brand, while your six passengers will be treated to a similarly rich experience. No rival seems able to quite match what Land Rover has created within the Discovery – even after all this time.

No doubt about it, the Discovery is a big machine. 4.8 metres long, nearly 1.9 metres high and two metres wide, the interior reflects these ample dimensions: all three rows have more than enough space to actually swallow passengers with long-distance comfort, rather than the short hop back from the pub some ‘seven-seat’ SUVs some in this class limit their carrying capacity to.

What makes the Discovery feel extra-commodious is the shape of the cabin. The sides are flat, the windows big and the headroom enormous. Add in the fact every row as you move rearwards is higher than the one in front of it, to ensure every single seat is flooded with light and has a great view out. The sense of wellbeing you get from it is huge.

The stats say it can carry over 2,500 litres when all the rear seats are folded, and the split tailgate ensures it’s practical and easy to use space. Then there’s the fact you can drive it anywhere, which brings further unique practicality to the mix – don’t underestimate the value of not only being able to carry things back from the DIY store, but also transport them to that house renovation project you’re building on a Welsh hillside…

There’s a downside to the Discovery when you start crunching the numbers: not only is it a little expensive to buy, it’s also a little expensive to run. Official fuel consumption, on the face of it, seems reasonable at 36.7mpg, and CO2 emissions look reasonable at 203g/km. This is very much a best case scenario though, and the reality will be low 30s or even worse in daily driving.

Servicing will reflect the complexity of it too, and you’ll be paying luxury car insurance for what’s to all intents a genuine luxury off-roader. The positive of strong retained values may also be tempered by the fact it’s going to eventually be replaced, and the arrival of a flashy new one may hit the used values of this one. Saying that, Land Rovers generally don’t suffer huge depreciation, so this should be one running cost risk that’s kept under control.

Land Rovers don’t have the best reputation for reliability and, in the past, we’ve seen many issues with them, both niggles and more major worries. When high-tech cars such as the Discovery do go wrong, they tend not to be particularly cheap to put right either.

But this is a well proven machine by now, with tried and tested mechanicals plus major JLR parts such as the turbodiesel engine that have seen plenty of service in other models. Also, Discoverys enjoy strong owner loyalty with repeat purchases proving impressive – and people wouldn’t keep buying them if they were a liability.

So, it’s a mixed message. Official surveys say one thing, the broader ownership pool says another. Go in with your eyes open, rely on the three-year warranty and support of the dealer network, and you shouldn’t go wrong with the well-proven, well-known Discovery.

The Discovery is a middle-aged design so doesn’t benefit from all the latest safety tech such as auto-braking in the city; Euro NCAP also hasn’t ever tested it so we’re not confident it would score a top-grade crash safety score. However, it is very heavy, it is very strong and the feeling of impenetrability you get within does give you a fair sense it is unlikely to come off too badly in an accident…

Security will benefit from a full suite of alarms and JLR-grade locking systems, plus the fact the Discovery is hardly an inconspicuous target. People won’t have to look too hard to spot the flashing lights and screeching sirens emanating from the big, butch Discovery…