Used Land Rover Discovery 2004-2016 review

The Discovery has an unbeatable combination of practicality, off-road ability and on-road manners – and now you can have one for £3000

The hardy but handsome Land Rover Discovery 4 is one of the best second-hand 4x4s you can buy today, and its go-anywhere usability and load-lugging versatility can be yours for as little as £3000. Rather than start afresh for the fourth-generation Discovery, Land Rover took its already successful – and slightly more minimalist – Discovery 3 and evolved it into a ‘new-generation’ model.Various components were fettled to improve both on- and off-road performance, while also boosting cabin appeal. While the Discovery 4 retained the 3’s boxy, chunky aesthetic, Land Rover designers Gerry McGovern and Andy Wheel gave it a more luxurious finish, heavily influenced by the Range Rover.Purists scoffed at the notion of this no-nonsense 4×4 in an evening dress, but body-coloured bumpers and tweaks to the headlights and tail-lights helped enhance the Discovery’s look.Inside, the Range Rover-ification of the Discovery was laid bare with new soft-touch materials, chrome elements and a slick new touchscreen, giving an upmarket, premium feel to the cabin. And yet the 4 didn’t lose any of the 3’s functionality: it still came with heaps of buttons and switches for all the important controls. Being more of a heavy facelift than a totally new car, the 4 was based on the 3’s Integrated Body Frame (IBF) chassis. Early models also used the same 2.7-litre diesel V6 engine, although this was soon swapped for a twin-turbo 3.0-litre V6 that made 242bhp.We were a bit gutted that Land Rover didn’t offer the 4 with its supercharged 5.0-litre petrol V8, but the bigger V6 was more polished than the earlier Ford-derived motor, delivering plenty of pulling power but remaining hushed at a cruise. In 2011, power was boosted to 255bhp and the six-speed automatic gearbox was swapped for a more efficient ZF eight-speeder in a bid to improve efficiency. Even so, the 4 was never the last word in economy: it will average 21-35mpg in the real world and high emissions mean VED is a hefty £710 annually for early TDV6s.Land Rover focused on improving the Discovery’s composure on the road while tweaking its off-road gadgetry to enhance its capabilities in the rough.Thicker anti-roll bars and revised suspension knuckles were added, while the Terrain Response and Hill Descent systems were updated.Despite a long wheelbase and a tall body, the 4 had precision and consistency to its handling. It couldn’t match the BMW X5 for agility, but considering its weight and size, its on-road dynamics were impressive.The 4’s roadholding was helped by its reduced weight compared with the 3. The latter weighed almost three tonnes, and its engine didn’t have the zeal for getting up to speed swiftly on motorways or for overtaking. Engineers shaved 140kg and added 119lb ft of torque, and that made a dramatic difference. With less weight and more punch, the 4 had an impressive turn of speed – and it wouldn’t break a sweat if you attached a heavy trailer, either, having a towing capacity of 3500kg.You can tell a post-2014 car by its new front bumper design, LED headlights and ‘Discovery’ rather than ‘Land Rover’ bonnet badge.There were also some optional extras from the Range Rover, such as sonar wade-depth sensing and a Meridian audio system. Few SUVs rivalled the Discovery 4 for its multifaceted versatility. It was easy to drive, refined and luxurious but, crucially, it had the on-road dynamics to match its off-road ability.A used buy should serve you well, if you can stomach its higher running costs.  

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