Land Rover Discovery SUV (2009-2017) - MPG, running costs & CO2

There’s no doubt that the one engine available with the Discovery does a great job in terms of performance, but you’ll have to be prepared for high running costs.

Land Rover Discovery MPG & CO2

No matter how you look at it, the Land Rover Discovery isn't a cheap car to run. All models have the same 3.0-litre diesel engine, but it's hindered by the Discovery's sizeable bulk and fuel-sapping four-wheel-drive system, so it returns just 36.7mpg. That's not great when you consider that some rivals come close to 50mpg. Unsurprisingly, CO2 emissions are also high, at 203g/km, so road tax will set you back £295 a year, as long as your Discovery is first registered before 1 April 2017. The 2017 Land Rover Discovery is available with a 2.0-litre diesel engine managing over 43mpg.

While running costs are high, the Discovery's classy image means it has strong residual values. Keep it for three years or 36,000 miles and no matter which model you go for, it should retain at least 50% of its original price. That’s impressive for a car as expensive as the Discovery, particularly when you consider some large SUVs drop below 35% of their list price over the same period.

Insurance

The Discovery is an expensive car to buy, and it’ll also be pretty expensive to insure. The Discovery Graphite sits in insurance group 42, while the higher-spec Landmark sits in group 43. Thankfully, because there’s no high-performance version, the Discovery doesn’t cost as much to cover as some of its rivals.

Servicing

For a one-off payment of £699, Land Rover's Approved Service Plan covers your car's servicing for five years or 50,000 miles, whichever comes first. It can also include AdBlue top-ups during the plan. This is available to owners for 90 days from the registration date and represents good value for such a complicated and luxurious SUV.

Warranty

Land Rover doesn't have the best reputation for reliability, especially when you consider the price of its cars, but all new Land Rovers come with a three-year/unlimited-mileage warranty. While not industry-leading – Kia offers a seven-year warranty on the Kia Sorento – Land Rover's cover should appeal to high-mileage drivers. It’s possible to extend the warranty for an additional cost, up to a maximum of 10 years or 100,000 miles from purchase.