The Car Connection Expert Review
Likes
- Nice cabin
- Solid infotainment tech
- Not a bad buy in base form
- Looks good inside and out
Dislikes
- Laughable third-row option
- Not an off-roader
- Uses a lot of fuel
- Extras can add up
Buying tip
features & specs
The 2025 Land Rover Discovery Sport is a relatively cheap way to net the brand’s impressive attention to detail and high-end features, though it has lousy fuel economy.
What kind of vehicle is the 2025 Land Rover Discovery Sport? What does it compare to?
The 2025 Land Rover Discovery Sport is a five-seat compact SUV that competes with the BMW X3 and Audi Q5.
Is the 2025 Land Rover Discovery Sport a good SUV?
It’s pleasant to look at outside and has a comfortable interior, plus a feature set that helps justify a price tag that exceeds many rivals. Don’t look for great fuel economy, though. The 2025 Discovery Sport scores 5.8 out of 10 on the TCC scale. (Read more about how we rate cars.)
What's new for the 2025 Land Rover Discovery Sport?
The Disco Sport carries into 2025 with no major tweaks.
This is Land Rover’s least-expensive model, undercutting the related Range Rover Evoque by an even $1,000. In contrast to the Evoque, the Discovery Sport has more conventional crossover SUV styling and a roomier interior with some high-tech touches. Squint, and it looks like a scaled-down version of the bigger Land Rover Discovery, although there are plenty of cues from the long-discontinued LR2 here, too.
The Discovery Sport’s 2.0-liter turbo-4 puts out 246 hp through a 9-speed automatic transmission. All-wheel drive is standard, though the Sport isn’t much of a serious off-roader. Its big wheels are wrapped in a narrow band of tire that's ready to cower at a curb, let alone a rock. Despite its name, the Discovery Sport isn’t too sporty, either, though it is nimble and fairly peppy.
At around 20 mpg combined, the Discovery Sport’s fuel economy isn’t great. This model could use a hybrid option, as some rivals now offer.
Sure, Land Rover offers the Discovery Sport with an exceptionally tight third row, but we suggest forgetting about those extra-cost jump seats that boost capacity to an alleged seven people. Viewed as a five-seater, the Discovery Sport is pretty comfy inside with spacious seats that offer plenty of adjustments. Synthetic leather is standard, which stands in contrast to the Evoque’s real leather. Most materials are quite nice, though.
The Discovery Sport comes quite well-equipped when it comes to safety features with front and rear parking sensors, blind-spot monitors, and a surround-view camera system in addition to automatic emergency braking and adaptive cruise control. It’s light on crash-test data, though.
How much does the 2025 Land Rover Discovery Sport cost?
Land Rover offers the Discovery Sport in S and Dynamic SE trim levels. The base Discovery Sport S starts at $50,175 this year, and we suggest trying to stick close to that point to maximize its value. It’s not a bad buy with its 11.4-inch touchscreen, Android Auto/Apple CarPlay compatibility, Meridian audio system, wireless charging pad, and heated front seats and steering wheel.
Where is the 2025 Land Rover Discovery Sport made?
In England.
2025 Land Rover Discovery Sport Styling
The 2025 Land Rover Discovery Sport has cleanly tailored styling.
Is the Land Rover Discovery Sport a good-looking SUV?
It’s not the freshest option in the Land Rover showroom, but the 2025 Discovery Sport still looks pretty good. It channels just enough of the brand’s signature styling cues inside and out to earn a 7 here.
It looks the most like its bigger Discovery sibling, though without the stepped roofline. You’ll also see some Range Rover Sport in its front end and taillights, though the chunky C-pillars just aft of the passenger cabin have more in common with the brand’s old LR2 model. (The Discovery Sport replaced it, after all.)
Inside, the big 11.4-inch touchscreen takes center stage just below a narrow strip of climate control vents. There aren’t many conventional buttons and knobs here, and even the automatic transmission lever looks a bit lost in its big plastic panel. Still, the aesthetic is neat and clean, and it can even be somewhat warm with the available woodgrain trim.
2025 Land Rover Discovery Sport Performance
Don’t look for impressive off-road performance, but the 2025 Land Rover Discovery Sport is pleasant enough to drive overall.
So long as you keep your adventures to pavement or occasional dirt roads, the 2025 Land Rover Discovery Sport is reasonably pleasant to drive. It scores a 6 here thanks to its turbo-4 engine.
Is the Land Rover Discovery Sport 4WD?
Yes, though without a low range it’s not meant for serious mud plugging. Land Rover includes a few drive modes for mucky terrain, but drivers seeking the brand’s legendary four-wheeling ability will be disappointed. It’s low to the ground and isn’t available with a locking rear differential as so many other Rovers are.
How fast is the Land Rover Discovery Sport?
The 2.0-liter turbo-4 furnishes 246 hp and 269 lb-ft of torque, though the Disco Sport weighs north of 4,000 pounds. It’s also bolted up to a 9-speed automatic transmission that can sometimes stumble its way through gears around town but is generally quite well-behaved. The result is a decent 7.1-second run to 60 mph.
Underneath, the fully independent suspension soaks up bumps well but can be somewhat choppy with wheels larger than the standard 18-inchers. We’ve not driven one with the available 21s, but test models with the optional 20s were too stiff for our taste.
The Discovery Sport’s quick-responding steering gives it a nimble, zippy feel around town. It corners confidently at speed, too, even if there’s more body lean here than we expect from something billed as a sporty model.
2025 Land Rover Discovery Sport Comfort & Quality
Skip the Discovery Sport's available third-row seats.
The 2025 Land Rover Discovery Sport has a pleasant and reasonably roomy cabin, so long as you don’t attempt to shoehorn yourself into the available third row. It’s a 7 here due to its good front seats and its big cargo area.
The Disco Sport comes standard with power-adjustable, heated front seats with memory. They offer decent support and good space. The second row is best for two, and it can slide forward and rearward to open up more legroom or cargo room. Don’t bother with the available third-row seats. They’re not suitable for adults, and even children will find them to be a tight squeeze. There’s also precious little room behind them, so passengers will wind up carrying their backpacks in their laps if you plan to use a Discovery Sport on the school run.
You’ll find a reasonable 32.2 cubic feet of space behind the second row, which grows to 60.0 cubic feet with the second-row seat backs down.
Interior materials are of good quality, if not quite as lavish as some other Land Rover products.
2025 Land Rover Discovery Sport Safety
The 2025 Land Rover Discovery Sport’s crash-test record is unknown.
How safe is the Land Rover Discovery Sport?
The 2025 Land Rover Discovery Sport has not been crash-tested, so we can’t assign it a score here. It’s not too likely that either the NHTSA or the IIHS will test it anytime soon, either.
Still, it’s fitted with a lot of crash-avoidance and driver-assistance tech, including automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitors, and active lane control, plus parking sensors and a surround-view camera system. Many of those features are optional on top competitors—and in some cases, they’re quite costly as well.
2025 Land Rover Discovery Sport Features
The 2025 Land Rover Discovery Sport is expensive, but well-equipped.
The 2025 Land Rover Discovery Sport is pretty well-equipped for $50,175, an admittedly hefty price tag compared to some of its arch rivals. Add its standard fare to rivals, though, and suddenly the Disco Sport's price is justified. It earns a 7 here thanks to its good standard equipment and its big screen.
The base S trim level has 18-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, a big fixed glass roof, synthetic leather upholstery, heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, a wireless charging pad, an 11.4-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and Meridian-branded speakers.
Its 4-year/50,000-mile warranty is luxury typical, though, and Land Rover doesn’t throw in any maintenance.
Which Land Rover Discovery Sport should I buy?
We’d add very little to the base S. Its cabin is dressed up with real wood trim, and adaptive dampers are a must-have if you’re swayed by 19-inch alloy wheels. But that’s about it.
How much is a fully loaded Land Rover Discovery Sport?
An extra $4,000 over the base price buys the Dynamic SE trim that’s mostly about style with its unique exterior trim, black roof, and 19-inch alloy wheels.
2025 Land Rover Discovery Sport Fuel Economy
The 2025 Land Rover Discovery Sport is a thirsty beast.
Is the Land Rover Discovery Sport good on gas?
It’s not great, especially since it’s fairly small. The EPA test pegs it at 19 mpg city, 23 highway, 20 combined, which is just a 2 on the TCC scale. It needs premium fuel, too. Some competitors can top 30 mpg on the highway.
On the bright side, the big fuel tank means the highway range is nearly 500 miles.
