Land Rover Discovery (04 on) - Review

The engines in this Discovery are much more sophisticated than those in previous models. It was launched in 2004 with a 189bhp 2.7 V6 turbodiesel, which is by far the most popular choice as, unlike the V8, it offers reasonable running costs and returns 31mpg. It will sprint from 0-62mph in 11.7 seconds and comes with a six-speed manual gearbox as standard, although a six-speed automatic is optional and most people prefer it. The engine itself is quiet and superbly refined, great for wafting along, but does lack punch and often struggles to provide meaningful acceleration. The V8 petrol is as thirsty as you'd expect, averaging a woeful 18mpg, but with 300bhp it does propel the Discovery from 0-62mph in just 8.5 seconds. That's even more remarkable when you consider it weights around two and half tonnes. The petrol comes with the six-speed auto as standard and it offers smooth gearshifts - almost imperceptible under normal driving - plus it adapts to suit varying driving styles. The V8 was never popular because of its thirst and was finally dropped from the line-up in 2007.

Despite its size, the Discovery will allow you to corner at higher speeds with plenty of confidence. The steering offers reasonable feedback for a big vehicle, although the brakes do seem to take an age to bring the 4x4 to rest from high speeds. The ride is extremely comfortable too and soaks up lumps and bumps with ease, insulating passengers from the road surface. On tough terrain the Discovery comes into its own and its off-road system, called Terrain Response (standard on all but the base model), is one of the best around. It's controlled by a dial on the centre console and delivers the optimum driving set-up for nine different conditions through five settings including grass, gravel, sand and snow. There's also a heavy-duty setting (for mud and ruts) which raises the ride height of the vehicle. There are three height settings for the suspension and the wading depth is up to 700mm (with air suspension). Revised models from 2009 have an improved suspension set-up and better steering, making them more agile in corners with less body roll. The steering also has better feel to it and is more precise at lower speeds. Land Rover has also upgraded the brakes which are far better at bringing the Discovery to a stop with minimal drama.