Land Rover Discovery SUV (2009-2017) - Interior & comfort

The Land Rover Discovery's considerable weight has obvious downsides when it comes to things like fuel economy and handling, but it also gives the car an unshakable ride quality. Lumps in the road are seemingly steamrollered by the Discovery's bulk, leaving only sharp bumps to upset occupants. At speed, the Discovery gets close to the comfort of the much more expensive Range Rover, with only a hint of wallow on crests and dips upsetting the car on straight roads.

The Discovery's upright body and big wing mirrors mean that wind noise does make its way inside at speed, but tyre and engine drone are well contained, even at a cruise.

Land Rover Discovery dashboard

The original Land Rover Discovery, which was launched in 1989, promised to offer the go-anywhere ability of the Land Rover Defender in a much more usable package and that combination is still evident from behind the wheel of the latest model.

In fact, the Discovery comes close to matching a Range Rover's imposing interior design, but the company has made sure the SUV doesn't have the same amount of wood and leather as its luxurious bigger brother. Instead, there are extra cubbyholes that are bound to appeal to anyone looking for family transport.

Equipment

The Land Rover Discovery starts at just under £48,000 so you’d expect it to come with plenty of standard equipment, and it does. The Graphite model was introduced to the range at the end of 2015, and now it’s just one of two trim levels.

As the name suggests, it’s got plenty of graphite grey finishes to the exterior, including the wheels, grille, vents and mirrors, while there’s full leather, a Meridian sound system, front and rear parking sensors, a parking camera, cruise control, climate control, Bluetooth and DAB radio.

Step up to Landmark trim for around £8,000 extra, and you get larger alloy wheels, bright xenon headlights, a higher-spec Meridian stereo, sat nav, a panoramic sunroof, an extended leather pack and electric heated seats over the Graphite model.

Options

The Discovery is an excellent choice for towing a horsebox or caravan, so the Land Rover-supplied tow bar is a common option that will set you back £510 (the Discovery already comes with a trailer stability assistance system as standard), while you can add full-length roof bars for £400 to the Graphite model.

You can also add luxuries like a heated steering wheel and a cool box in the armrest, while practical options like 360-degree cameras and blind-spot monitoring are also available.