Quick Review: 2017 Land Rover Discovery

[JST]

I got a new Land Rover Discovery Sport* as a service loaner this week, and thought I'd give some impressions.



This is the new, transverse-engined, 3 row SUV that shares the same platform (and powertrain) as the Evoque. As in almost everything these days, the engine is a 2 liter turbo hooked up to a gearbox with a metric shit-ton of gears (I think 9?).



The one I had was entry-level, meaning cloth seats, no sunroof, and a pretty basic presentation. Still, the cloth was nice and the interior materials were high enough quality that they registered a very small "not bad" face.



Underway, the 2 liter makes decent power once the boost comes on, and the 9 speed transmission does a...reasonable job of keeping it in the powerband. The transmission tuning on this, in terms of holding gears on deceleration and being in the right gear at the right time, was world's better than the last BMW I drove, though that was a long time ago.



The Achilles heel is that the engine is really overwhelmed when it's not on boost, and there are plenty of moments in stop and go driving (especially right on throttle tip-in) where you feel that lag. Also, the engine grumbles more than purrs, so much so that I wonder whether LR intentionally tuned it this way to sound a little more like a truck. Getting back into the Tesla was revelatory in terms of smoothness.



Handling is decent. It doesn't drive smaller than it is, but its not a large vehicle by SUV standards, so it's nimble enough. Body roll is present, of course, but not out of control.



The third row seats are basically usable only for 6 year olds, though with them folded there's decent cargo capacity.



Overall, it's a nice enough vehicle. If I had to buy a three row vehicle, I'd try and get something like this--it's not as obnoxious and annoying as many of the other, bigger options out there (cough, Explorer, cough). But I am glad I don't have to do that.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170818/3feed1e069df34f44fe81db73937ff03.jpg

*Thanks Equ for catching this is a Discovery Sport, not a Discovery. This is a dumb naming convention and LR should be ashamed of themselves.

[equ]

Is it the Discovery or the Discovery Sport? The latter is definitely 4-cyl transvers. The former should be the follower of the LR4, big, heavy and longitudinal.

[JST]

Is it the Discovery or the Discovery Sport? The latter is definitely 4-cyl transvers. The former should be the follower of the LR4, big, heavy and longitudinal.

Sorry--Discovery Sport. You're right. It's confusing because the one I had said "D I S C O V E R Y" in big letters on the ass.

[Jeff_DML]

wow, cloth seats:cool:

Could add to my wife list but British cars(indian?) scare me

[JST]

wow, cloth seats:cool:

Could add to my wife list but British cars(indian?) scare me

I would add it. It's a really nice mix of practical and stylish; it's more usefully shaped than some of the entries in the segment.

I haven't driven an MDX, which I think is both bigger and might avoid the lag issue I noted above.

[ZBB]

Sorry--Discovery Sport. You're right. It's confusing because the one I had said "D I S C O V E R Y" in big letters on the ass.

Well... at least They moved away from the LR2, LR3, LR4 naming convention :D

[Jeff_DML]

I would add it. It's a really nice mix of practical and stylish; it's more usefully shaped than some of the entries in the segment.

I haven't driven an MDX, which I think is both bigger and might avoid the lag issue I noted above.

thanks

Yeah I am a odd ball, I like a good quality cloth interior. Leather is hot, gets sweaty and have not figure out how to maintain long term. I don't care that cloth is not consider luxury.

[ff]

Yeah I am a odd ball, I like a good quality cloth interior.

You and me both.

[Josh (PA)]

do they offer any other engine choices? 2.0T seems mighty under sized to power that thing.

[robg]

Up through the 2017 model year, the discovery sport used a Ford sourced 2 liter ecoboost motor.

For 2018 they'll be using JLR's newly developed ingenium 4 cylinder engines that come in 2 outputs (up to 300 hp). That should help.

Here's a review of the fpace 25t (with new 4 cyl). I believe it's around the same weight as a discovery sport.


https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-review/jaguar/f-pace/first-drives/jaguar-f-pace-25t-awd-r-sport-2017-review

[JST]

Up through the 2017 model year, the discovery sport used a Ford sourced 2 liter ecoboost motor.

For 2018 they'll be using JLR's newly developed ingenium 4 cylinder engines that come in 2 outputs (up to 300 hp). That should help.

The f-type is the first car in the US to get this new engine - here's a review

http://www.caranddriver.com/jaguar/f-type


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Interesting. I didn't realize they were still using the Ford mill.

It actually wasn't bad, even with the Ford engine. It wasn't a rocket ship, but then again it's not supposed to be. For normal day to day driving it had ample scoot.

[Theo]

Up through the 2017 model year, the discovery sport used a Ford sourced 2 liter ecoboost motor.

For 2018 they'll be using JLR's newly developed ingenium 4 cylinder engines that come in 2 outputs (up to 300 hp). That should help.

Here's a review of the fpace 25t (with new 4 cyl). I believe it's around the same weight as a discovery sport.


https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-review/jaguar/f-pace/first-drives/jaguar-f-pace-25t-awd-r-sport-2017-review

Noooooooooo not the F-Type toooooo!! Stop the 4 banger madness. I am officially a mudgen now.

[wdc330i]

Noooooooooo not the F-Type toooooo!! Stop the 4 banger madness. I am officially a mudgen now.

I know. Bad enough to go Turbo with everything. We now have a turbo 4; a turbo 6, and a turbo 8. All auto.

Makes me want to add some little NA toy with a stick shift. But the garage is full.

[FC]

I just realized I've only had 3 turbo cars. V70R, MCS, and Turbo. No turbo cars currently.

[robg]

Yeah - I think I'm over turbo 4 cyl cars for now as well (and I grew up driving Volvo and Saab 4 cyl turbos).

Been driving a 2008 x3 for the past few months and though it's slower on paper than the newer 4 cyl /8 speed versions it's just so much smoother and pleasant to drive.

Atleast jlr still offers a supercharged 6 or 8 cyl on most of their models (but not the discovery sport)


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[robg]

Interesting. I didn't realize they were still using the Ford mill.



It actually wasn't bad, even with the Ford engine. It wasn't a rocket ship, but then again it's not supposed to be. For normal day to day driving it had ample scoot.



I've tried that powertrain in an evoque and definitely noticed significant lag in certain cases. Also did not like the 9 speed transmission.

Too bad since, on paper, the discovery sport is my favorite CUV. Looks good, decent practicality, compact size. Nice to have the option of a 3rd row for occasional use. Will be interesting to try it with the new engine though

[lemming]

I want to see a 4 cyl turbo in the next-gen Wrangler. Also the diesel.

I'm going to get one of those engines.

The six cylinder is ill-suited to the vehicle in a lot of ways.

[JST]

I want to see a 4 cyl turbo in the next-gen Wrangler. Also the diesel.

I'm going to get one of those engines.

The six cylinder is ill-suited to the vehicle in a lot of ways.

I agree that the Pentastar six is not a great engine for a truck. Or even a big car. It's even ill-suited to the Charger.

But I don't think a turbo four is a good choice for the Wrangler. I don't off-road, but I can't imagine you'd be well served by having to let the boost build in order to get torque, even if it's available at low-ish RPMs. I think about how big a PITA it is to drive slowly up the parking garage deck in my office in our Golf, relying only on NA torque off-idle, and I can't imagine what a rock-crawler would feel like.

The Wrangler is such a porkpie these days that it needs a V8. I don't know why they resist putting one in.

[Alan]

Yeah - I think I'm over turbo 4 cyl cars for now as well (and I grew up driving Volvo and Saab 4 cyl turbos).

Been driving a 2008 x3 for the past few months and though it's slower on paper than the newer 4 cyl /8 speed versions it's just so much smoother and pleasant to drive.

Atleast jlr still offers a supercharged 6 or 8 cyl on most of their models (but not the discovery sport)


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No more 5 series ?

[robg]

No more 5 series ?



Yeah - the lease ended and I was ambivalent about what to replace it with. An opportunity to buy a relatives x3 came up so I've been using that. Maybe I'll start a perseveration thread of my own...