The Car Connection Expert Review
Likes
- Pleasant cabin
- Strong turbo-6
- Good towing rating
- Capable off-roader
Dislikes
- Tiny third row
- Hefty price
- Guzzles premium
- Off-roady bits cost extra
Buying tip
features & specs
The 2025 Land Rover Discovery is an adventure-ready SUV with a comfortable cabin, but it’s no bargain.
What kind of vehicle is the 2025 Land Rover Discovery? What does it compare to?
The 2025 Discovery is a three-row SUV that competes with the Lexus GX, Volvo XC90, and even Land Rover’s own Defender.
Is the 2025 Land Rover Discovery a good SUV?
The 2025 Land Rover Discovery is an adventure-ready SUV with a comfy cabin and good off-road capability, though its hefty price and plentiful competition can make it a tough sell. It’s a 6.4 on the TCC scale. (Read more about how we rate cars.)
What's new for the 2025 Land Rover Discovery?
The Discovery is basically a carryover for 2025, which is likely this design’s last model year.
Now about a decade old, the Discovery is the elder statesSUV of the automaker’s broad lineup. It’s closely related to the more intriguing Defender, though its soft lines give it a comparatively urban vibe. Inside, the Disco has pleasant styling and reasonable comfort in rows one and two, though it’s a tight fit in the third row.
Base P300 models have a 296-hp 2.0-liter turbo-4 bolted to an 8-speed automatic transmission and permanent four-wheel drive. The better choice here is the turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-6, which belts out 355 hp through the same gearbox. So equipped, the Discovery can tow up to 8,200 pounds. Fuel economy is lousy regardless of engine; figure 19-20 mpg combined in mixed driving.
The Discovery’s independent suspension with air springs provides a composed ride, so long as you skip the biggest wheel options that can make it a bit choppy. Its vague steering and slightly tippy feel mean the Discovery lacks the sporty edge you’ll find from some of the automaker’s other models. It’s good off-road, though.
The Discovery has supportive front seats and its second row can accommodate three adults in a pinch. Behind that, you’ll find a big cargo area. The standard third-row seats are among the industry’s smallest. Consider them only for flexible kiddos who haven’t quite hit their teenage years.
Standard leather this year gives the Discovery a slightly more elevated look and feel inside, though materials and assembly are in line with pricing for the most part.
All Discovery models come with automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, active lane control, an especially crisp surround-view camera system, and parking sensors. That’s good tech for the segment. The Discovery lacks crash-test data in the U.S., however.
How much does the 2025 Land Rover Discovery cost?
The Discovery lineup starts at a hefty $61,825, though admittedly the base Disco S P300 model is pretty well-equipped from the get-go with leather upholstery, 18-way power-adjustable and heated front seats, and a big touchscreen with fairly intuitive infotainment and Apple CarPlay/Android Auto compatibility.
Where is the 2025 Land Rover Discovery made?
In England.
2025 Land Rover Discovery Styling
The 2025 Land Rover Discovery has soft lines.
Is the Land Rover Discovery a good-looking SUV?
It looks pleasant enough to earn points above average for interior and exterior style for a 7 here. The 2025 Discovery leaves retro styling cues to the automaker’s Defender. Instead, it has smooth, innocuous lines outside and a classy interior.
The Discovery looks better all shined up than it does when covered in mud. Big wheels—most Discovery models ride on at least 20-inchers—fill its wheel wells, but they’re wrapped in low-profile tires. Any hint of this model’s once-rugged nature has been softened, though we do like the off-center rear license plate that recalls the original Discovery models as well as the later LR3 and LR4.
The cabin has a big 11.4-inch touchscreen that sits up high on the dashboard. Opt for wood trim and the Discovery does a decent Range Rover-lite impression, too.
2025 Land Rover Discovery Performance
The 2025 Land Rover Discovery accelerates well and can tow up to 8,200 pounds.
The 2025 Land Rover Discovery is offered with a choice between two turbocharged powertrains, and it has a comfortable ride thanks to its standard air suspension. Those assets earn it a 7 on the TCC scale.
Is the Land Rover Discovery 4WD?
Yes, but you’ll have to pay extra for such features as a 2-speed transfer case, a locking rear differential, and the Terrain Response system with its various traction modes. The base Discovery is an all-wheel-drive model with little in the way of genuine off-road capability unless you add those options.
How fast is the Land Rover Discovery?
It’s fine in base form with the 2.0-liter turbo-4 churning out 296 hp. We prefer the turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-6, which benefits from 48-volt mild-hybrid tech to deliver 355 hp. It’s a more confident choice overall, and it unlocks an 8,200-pound maximum trailer-towing capacity. That figure is in line with bigger and bulkier SUVs like the Chevrolet Tahoe.
Regardless of engine, the 8-speed automatic transmission is a slick, well-behaved companion. Paddle shifters aid highway passing and steep descents, though the Disco is no sporty choice.
That said, it rides well on its fully independent suspension with air springs. The tall Discovery can feel tippy in fast corners. Its steering is numb, though reasonably precise. On long highway treks, you may find yourself nudging the steering wheel back to center here more than in some competitors.
2025 Land Rover Discovery Comfort & Quality
The 2025 Land Rover Discovery has a big interior for anyone not wedged into the laughable third row.
We rate the 2025 Land Rover Discovery at 8 out of 10 for its comfort and quality. It scores points for its supportive front seats, a second row that can comfortably hold two adults, and a spacious cargo area. It’s almost nice enough inside to earn a point for fit and finish, too.
The 16-way power-adjustable front seats are comfy enough, and their standard heating function can be upgraded to cooling and massaging as you work your way up the range.
Rear-seat riders have 37.4 inches of legroom, which is decent. There’s also plenty of headroom thanks to the tall roofline. Row three features a pair of bite-size seats that can only accommodate children.
There’s just 6.1 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third row, but that grows to a decent 35.0 cubes with those seats tucked away. The Discovery maxes out at 70.5 cubic feet of cargo space, all of which are useful but smaller than expected given the vehicle's size.
Interior materials impress throughout, especially now that leather is standard, though that's expected at these prices. Curiously, synthetic leather is a no-cost option, too.
2025 Land Rover Discovery Safety
The 2025 Land Rover Discovery hasn’t been tested by either the NHTSA or the IIHS.
How safe is the Land Rover Discovery?
That’s hard to say. This model has not been tested by either the IIHS or the NHTSA, so we can’t assign it a rating here.
However, Land Rover does a good job including standard crash-avoidance tech. You’ll find automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, active lane control, blind-spot monitors, front and rear parking sensors, and a sharp surround-view camera system.
2025 Land Rover Discovery Features
Land Rover fits a lot of equipment to the 2025 Discovery.
The 2025 Land Rover Discovery is a fairly pricey luxury SUV, but it is well-equipped. We rate it at 8 out of 10, granting it points above average for its decent 11.4-inch touchscreen with standard Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, its good base equipment, and its myriad optional extras.
The 4-year/50,000-mile warranty is typical for a luxury model.
The base Discovery S runs $61,825 this year, and it includes three rows of seats, leather upholstery, 18-way power adjustable and heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, and an impressive array of crash-avoidance features. It also rides on 20-inch alloy wheels.
Which Land Rover Discovery should I buy?
The base S should be suitable for most drivers, though anyone looking to tow will need to step up to the Dynamic SE with its mild-hybrid inline-6 engine. It’ll set you back about $9,000 more, though it also includes 21-icnh alloy wheels and blacked-out exterior and interior trim.
On top of that, we’d spend $2,000 or so for off-road equipment including a 2-speed transfer case, $1,100 for a trailer hitch (which is rather pricey for a hunk of metal and some wiring), $1,000 for upgraded leather upholstery and more power adjustments for the front seats, $300 for woodgrain trim, and maybe $950 for metallic paint. All in, such a Disco would set us back about $78,000. That sounds like a lot, but it’s on par with a well-equipped Lexus GX 550 Overtrail+.
How much is a fully loaded Land Rover Discovery?
The top Metropolitan Edition has a gesture-control power liftgate, 22-inch alloy wheels, cooled front seats, heated rear seats, a head-up display, and a few other nice features for around $81,000, though even then Land Rover will build you one to the tune of about $90,000 with optional extras.
2025 Land Rover Discovery Fuel Economy
The 2025 Land Rover Discovery is not a fuel-efficient choice.
Is the Land Rover Discovery good on gas?
Not really. The base turbo-4 version has EPA estimates of 19 mpg city, 24 highway, 21 combined for the 2025 model year. That’s a 2 on our scale. The turbo inline-6 has yet to be rated this year, though last year’s model was estimated at just 17/23/19 mpg, which is not very good.
