Used Land Rover Discovery Sport 4x4 2014-present review

Time was, if you wanted a seven-seat SUV, you had to make do with something big, heavy and unwieldy. But the Land Rover Discovery Sport, which arrived in 2014, manages to cram additional seating into a body that’s more compact than a regular Land Rover Discovery, with the benefit that it's much easier to park.

The Discovery Sport was, in fact, the replacement for the highly popular Land Rover Freelander, and shared a lot of its underpinnings with the first-generation Range Rover Evoque.

A heavily updated version arrived in 2019 with changes to the interior and infotainment system, and most models got mild-hybrid technology, too.

Engines: The range of engines it offers is confusing, though. To begin with, it was diesel-only and came with a carry-over 187bhp 2.2-litre from the old Freelander. Then the 2.0-litre Ingenium engine it was supposed to get arrived in 2015 in 148bhp eD4, 178bhp TD4 and 237bhp SD4 forms. Then the world went off diesels, so two petrol engines in 237bhp and 287bhp forms were hastily added in 2018 to appease customers.

Post-facelift cars from late 2019 offered mild hybrid tech on most engines in a bid to improve economy, along with different badging and some altered power ratings. Three versions of the 2.0-litre petrol were offered: the 198bhp P200, the 248bhp P250 and 287bhp P290. There were also three 2.0-litre diesels: the 148bhp D150, 178bhp D180 and 237bhp D240, or at least that was the case until 2020. In that year, the most and least powerful options were revised again, becoming the 163bhp D165 and 204bhp D200. But that's not all; a 305bhp P300e plug-in hybrid also joined the range around the same time.

Trims & equipment: It doesn't get much less confusing differentiating between the trim levels. The range kicks off with the Pure, which gives you cruise control, rear parking sensors and a DAB radio. Upgrade to SE and you get heated front seats, a heated windscreen and dual-zone climate control. For sat-nav, you’ll need SE Technology, which also provides front parking sensors and a powered tailgate. One notch up again is the HSE, which gives you a good slug of equipment, including full leather upholstery, a panoramic roof, a rear-view camera, an upgraded sound system and keyless entry.

Further up the range sit three versions based on the HSE. HSE Black gives you an array of black styling addenda; HSE Luxury adds a host of extra toys like heated and cooled front seats, a heated steering wheel and air conditioning for the rearmost row of seats; and top-of-the-range HSE Dynamic Luxury gives you all those toys plus sportier styling.

On the post-facelift cars, you have to choose whether to go for the regular Discovery Sport or the R-Dynamic version; the latter simply adds sportier styling touches to the exterior. The new trim levels were standard, S, SE, HSE, R-Dynamic S, R-Dynamic SE and R-Dynamic HSE.

Ride & handling: On the road, we’d recommend avoiding Discovery Sports fitted with larger wheels; around town, the car's ride is a bit jittery anyway, and with anything larger than 18in wheels the suspension picks up expansion joints and potholes even more noticeably. That said, larger bumps are dealt with well, and once you’re up to speed on a long journey, the ride smoothes out admirably, meaning you probably won’t need to go to the hassle of trying to find an example fitted with the optional adaptive suspension.

You feel the softness of the suspension when you tip the Discovery Sport into a corner, though; it has a propensity to lean over, so it never feels as crisp as some of its more firmly-sprung rivals. Throw in the fact that the most popular diesel engines – the 148bhp and 178bhp versions – are decidedly lethargic, and it’s clear that this isn’t a car for the sportier driver. Still, it isn’t all bad – with direct steering and plentiful grip the Discovery Sport feels secure and connected to the road all the time, so, as long as you’re not feeling racy, you should at least feel reassured.

You can, of course, upgrade to one of the other more powerful engines on offer, but, while all of these offer more than enough shove to keep you happy, they’re also thirsty. We’d go for the nine-speed automatic gearbox over the six-speed manual, too, because it suits the Discovery Sport’s character and will make the car easier to sell on.

Interior & practicality: As far as the interior goes, there’s a true sense of quality to all the fixtures and fittings; especially pleasing, too, is the way all the major controls are clearly and logically laid out. The infotainment system is less of a success, mind you – it can be a bit of a fiddle to use.

In terms of passenger accommodation, ‘cram’ is the operative word where the rearmost seats are concerned; they aren’t as spacious as you’ll find in a larger SUV or even a similarly sized MPV. In fact, in the Discovery Sport, the third row is only really suitable for children. If space is a priority, you might be better off with the Skoda Kodiaq or Peugeot 5008, which are more spacious inside. Don’t forget, too, that that extra row of seats is optional on the Discovery Sport, so you’ll need to look for one with it fitted; by contrast, it’s standard on the 5008.

The boot’s a decent size, though, especially when the rearmost seats are folded down into the floor, while passengers in the front and middle rows will find plenty of space.

If you're interested in finding a used Discovery Sport, or any of the other large SUVs mentioned here, head over to the Used Car Buying pages to find lots of cars listed for sale at a great price.

Prices start at around £12,000, but this will only buy you a car with a higher than average mileage. Expect to pay at least £13,000 to £16,000 for a car with an average annual mileage and a full service history. This sort of money should get you a 2015 car. Up the wedge to between £18,000 and £20,000 and you'll find plenty of good 2016 cars under the same criteria.

Spend between £20,000 and £22,000 to get hold of a 2017 car with a lower mileage, while around £25,000 buys you a nice 2018 car. Spend between £25,000 and £28,000 on a 2019 car, and around £30,000 on a 2020 or 2021 model. For a 2022 or 2023 car, you'll need upwards of £34,000 in many cases, and more for a 2024 car.

Check the value of a used Land Rover Discovery Sport with What Car? Valuations

Find a used Land Rover Discovery Sport for sale here

MPG: Four-wheel drive is standard on most models and this has a detrimental effect on fuel consumption compared with some of the Discovery Sport’s rivals.

Early 2.2 diesel models managed 44.8mpg, but the later 2.0-litre ones have better fuel economy, with the most efficient being the two-wheel-drive 148bhp eD4, with a figure of 49.6mpg according to the official combined NEDC figures. Upgrade to the TD4 version with four-wheel drive and that falls to 43.5mpg. Our favourite engine, the 178bhp TD4, is less impressive still, with an overall figure of 42.8mpg. The range-topping 237bhp SD4 gets 39.2mpg.

Go for a petrol-engined variant and things are even worse: the 237bhp and 286bhp models return just 29.1mpg and 26.8mpg respectively.

From the newer and more realistic WLTP tests, the petrol P200 manage 30.1mpg combined, the 2.0 D150 2WD diesel 47.8mpg (four-wheel-drive versions get 40.9mpg), the 2.0 D180 39.6mpg, and the 2.0 D240 38.8mpg. Revised D165 and D200 models both do 41.4mpg, while the P300e plug-in hybrid should provide 36 miles of electric-only driving and 141mpg – but only if you charge the battery regularly.

CO2 emissions: CO2 emissions figures start at 123g/km for the entry-level eD4 and go up to 190g/km for the gutsiest petrol, with our preferred diesel engine coming in at 139g/km.

Road tax: Road tax on cars registered before April 2017 varies depending upon the amount of CO2 produced, while all cars registered after this date will incur a flat rate fee. This is currently £190 a year. Be aware that cars costing over £40,000 when new (and many Discovery Sports were over this threshold) will also pay a supplementary luxury car tax between years two and six. This is currently £410 a year.

Find out more about the current road tax costs, click here.

Servicing: Servicing won't be cheap; main dealer servicing costs are high, and Land Rover doesn’t operate a specific scheme for cars more than three years old, so you won’t be able to take advantage when your car hits that age. That being the case, you might be better off finding an independent Land Rover specialist, of which there are fortunately plenty.

Reliability

The Discovery Sport has a mixed reliability record, according to real-world owner reviews from our annual What Car? Reliability Survey.

Owners frequently reported issues with warning lights, electrical faults, and the infotainment system, leading to costly and repeated repairs. Many found the dealership experience frustrating, with long wait times for repairs and parts availability being common complaints.

While some owners praised courteous service and comprehensive extended warranties, the overall sentiment indicates an inconsistency in both reliability and dealer service.

Learn more about the used Land Rover Discovery Sport reliability on our dedicated reliability page.

Specification: If you can spare the cash, and ignoring the more expensive post-facelift cars, we’d go to the HSE, which gives you a good slug of equipment, including full leather upholstery, a panoramic roof, a rear-view camera, an upgraded sound system and keyless entry.

Engine: As for engines, the fuel consumption advantage and saleability of a diesel is hard to ignore, so we’d discount the petrol models even though they’re punchy. The 178bhp TD4 is the one we’d choose; it doesn’t offer the best fuel consumption, but go for the less powerful engine and you’ll constantly be aching for more get-up-and-go, while the 237bhp diesel is fast but considerably thirstier.

Our favourite Land Rover Discovery Sport: HSE TD4 180 4WD

If seven seats and an SUV body are must-haves, we’d consider looking at the Peugeot 5008. It isn’t quite as upmarket as the Land Rover, but it does have a delightfully swanky interior, and it also offers more space in the rearmost seats and in the boot. It’s also much cheaper to buy and better equipped, meaning you’ll get far more for your money.

You should also have a look at the Skoda Kodiaq, which is a similar proposition to the 5008. Or if you value the peace of mind that a long warranty provides, the Kia Sorento should be on your list.

If you can live without the extra row of seats, though, you can choose from a far wider range of alternatives. The BMW X3 is a cracking proposition and the one to go for if you want something that’s fun to drive, while the Audi Q5 is the one to choose if you want something that feels suitably swanky inside.

If you're interested in finding a used Discovery Sport, or any of the other large SUVs mentioned here, head over to the Used Car Buying pages to find lots of cars listed for sale at a great price.

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