Used Land Rover Discovery long-term test

The car Land Rover Discovery D350 35th Edition Run by Darren Moss, deputy editor

Why it’s here To show that you don’t have to buy new to enjoy big-car luxury

Needs to Be both practical and comfortable for family trips, cosseting on the motorway and unflinchingly reliable

Mileage on arrival 13,325 Mileage now 16,355 List price when new £82,925 Value on arrival £65,900 Value now £57,390 Official economy 33.4mpg Test economy 31.5mpg

15 March 2026 – A journey of Discovery

General Melchett once said to Captain Blackadder, “a total pigheaded unwillingness to look facts in the face will see us through.” And so, if I refuse to acknowledge the situation for long enough, I’m hopeful that I won’t have to give up my Land Rover Discovery. But why will I cling on to its keys even as the driver who has come to collect it tries to pry them out of my hands? Because it is, quite simply, the best company car I’ve ever run.

What endeared the Discovery to me most of all was how easy it was to drive anywhere – and I do mean anywhere. On the motorway, for example, its adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping assistance made our regular trips from London to Stoke-on-Trent to see family a breeze. On my commute, its high-up driving position and excellent visibility helped me spot gaps in traffic. And when I took it off-roading, it conquered everything I put in front of it, from deep ruts to thick mud and water-filled trenches.

My D350’s 3.0-litre diesel engine pumps out a healthy 345bhp and provides the kind of low-end muscle that makes getting this big SUV up to speed easy. Yet, despite not really driving with fuel economy in mind, the 31.5mpg that I’ve averaged is not only incredibly close to the official figure but also better than I managed when I ran a full-size Range Rover in 2023. And that car wasn’t as versatile as my Discovery, mainly because it didn’t have seven seats.

Yes, the presence of a third row meant my Discovery could easily accommodate me, my partner, our two children and two of their friends, meaning impromptu playdates became a common occurrence. Even when adults were relegated to the third row, the only comment I received was that they were surprised by how much space they had to stretch out in.

True, with bottoms on every seat, there isn’t much room in the Discovery’s boot for anything other than a few bags of shopping, but in five-seat mode – as I’ve used it most often – the load area is cavernous. Even on family days out, when the kids wanted to take bikes, scooters, blankets, toys and a full picnic, we didn’t come close to filling the available space. And since I’m now an amateur jogger, I appreciated being able to tie up my shoelaces on the lower tailgate, which is rated to support 200kg.

Given Land Rover’s poor record in the annual What Car? Reliability Survey, I chose an Approved Used Discovery, which meant my car had been through a 165-point inspection prior to me picking it up. This gave me confidence that very little would go wrong, and I’m pleased to say that my car has indeed been mostly reliable.

I say ‘mostly’ because on one occasion the car’s infotainment system refused to load up after I started the engine. Channelling my inner IT specialist, I tried turning the car off and on again, solving the problem. And it’s one that has never reoccurred.

Other niggles? Well, I could never get the wireless charging pad to conduct electricity to my phone – or my partner’s – and the electrically folding second and third-row seats were very slow-moving, but that’s it. In every other respect, the Discovery did everything I wanted it to and more.

When I started this test, I wanted to see if I could live the high life on a budget by choosing a used Discovery. And I certainly did. It placed me in the lap of luxury every time I went to go forth, and for that I’ll miss it terribly. The only thing that makes the parting easier is knowing that for the Discovery’s next owner, it’s likely to do exactly the same. Unless, of course, I can devise a cunning plan that lets me keep it.

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