2022 Land Rover Discovery

The sportier trims are covered separately, so the Discovery S trim would be our recommendation and only choice for buyers opting for better value over styling. Some features like 20-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, LED tail lights, powered tailgate, and heated outside mirrors with power fold are standard. Similarly, some interior features like infotainment system with intuitive Pivi Pro interface, electronic air suspension, three-zone climate control and heated 14-way power-adjustable front seats are also standard.
 

The 2022 Land Rover Discovery is offered in three different trim configurations. The R-Dynamic trims and HSE R-Dynamic trims can be had with the more powerful 3.0-liter inline-six engine with mild-hybrid system for enhanced performance. With a standard 2.0-liter inline-four engine, the S trim might not offer the same level of performance but is a good choice for buyers looking for a more balanced package, offering good performance and value. 

The 2022 Discovery S costs $56,350 with destination charges and for that price, it offers a decent list of features. With around 9 cu-ft of space behind the third-row of seats, the cargo capacity is less but the third row can be folded to get access to 45 cu-ft of space which is more than enough for most adventure trips and load most of your camping equipment.  

Land Rover offers some optional packages like powered intelligent third row seat pack, heated and powered intelligent third row seat pack, and cold climate pack for adding features like powered and heated third row seats, heated windshield, heated steering wheel, and heated washer jets for dealing with severe climatic conditions. With available configurable terrain response, the driver can individually configure powertrain, steering wheel, differential and traction control settings. 

For a mid-size luxury SUV, the Land Rover Discovery is quite fuel-efficient and the new engines introduced for the 2021 model year strikes a perfect balance between performance and fuel economy. The modern SUV offers 19 mpg in city, 22 mpg on highway, and 21 mpg in combined conditions. The 2022 Discovery gets a big 23.8 gallons gas tank and offers some impressive driving range figures for a mid-size SUV. 

The most impressive one here is the BMW X5 with its superior fuel economy numbers despite housing the biggest motor and offering a sporty performance. The Audi Q7 offers almost similar fuel economy figures to the Discovery but the Mercedes-Benz GLE impresses with its 26 mpg of highway mileage. Despite having the smallest fuel tank, the BMW X5 offers better range on a full tank of gas as compared to its rivals. 

The Discovery's interior materials are upscale, and the design is appropriately posh- Car and Driver

With the recent 2021 model year update, the 2022 Land Rover Discovery gets no major interior design changes. The cabin is more plush and hi-tech with the 2021 refresh and offers a comfortable experience even while off-roading. The cabin is laden with premium materials and gets leather upholstery as standard. The front seats are comfortable with electronic adjustments and get a heating/cooling function depending upon the climate package chosen. The rear seats offer excellent headroom and legroom courtesy of the high roofline, a defining feature of the Discovery. 

The dashboard looks similar to the pricier Range Rover models with a centrally mounted display and controls. The center stack looks less busy than the previous models and the gear selector sits nicely on the center console along with the terrain selector. With a seating capacity of 7, the cargo space gets reduced to just 9.1 cu-ft which can be a major deal-breaker. However, with third row seats flat-down, the cargo capacity expands to 45 cu-ft. The maximum cargo capacity is 74.30 cu-ft. 

The Audi Q7 offers a 7-seat configuration but its third-row is impractical but the SUV offers an acceptable 14.8 cu-ft of cargo space with all the seats upright. The Audi Q7 and the Mercedes-Benz GLE offer better legroom across the second-row seats. The GLE can be had with the optional third-row. Considering legroom across the third-row seats, the Discovery is the clear winner.   

The 2022 Discovery S is equipped with a 11.4-inch infotainment display running on Pivi Pro interface. The interface is intuitive and offers many advanced features like traffic and weather updates in real-time, WiFi hotspot and OTA updates. Some other features like Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto are also standard. Even the premium Meridian sound system with 12-speakers and 400-watts output is offered with the base S trim. 

Some highlights of the interior features are:

• Dual-zone automatic climate control
• Full leather upholstery
• Panoramic glass roof
• Fully power-adjustable front seats
• Fade-To-Off Interior Lighting
• Navigation 
• Android Auto and Apple CarPlay
• 11.4" touchscreen PIVI Pro infotainment system. 

With the update for the 2021 model year, the Land Rover Discovery got its much-needed modern styling and looks identical to its pricier siblings from the Range Rover lineup. The design remains unchanged for the 2022 model year. The front end looks more aggressive than before with a sleek and angular headlamp design and big air intakes. The 20-inch alloy wheels (Gloss Silver- S trim and Black- R-Dynamic) accentuate the exterior styling to great extent. Land Rover offers Fuji White solid exterior color at no additional cost, while the metallic colors cost extra. 

Metallic colors like Black, White, Blue, Gray, Bronze, and Silver are also available. The front bumpers wear a smooth and curvy design unlike the boxy appeal of the previous generation Discovery. The side profile looks neat with no unnecessary lines and a curved wheel arch design. The iconic stepped roofline is retained but it is more subtle now, almost imperceptible at a glance. Surely, the Discovery looks ready to compete with its rivals in terms of exterior design. 

The Audi Q7 looks the most aggressive one here with the new design and it suits the SUV perfectly. The BMW X5 looks the weirdest with its huge kidney grille which is quite polarizing for the segment. The Mercedes-Benz GLE has one of the best exterior designs here with a perfect balance of aggressive yet smooth design language.

Some exterior features are:

• LED headlights with LED DRLs
• Heated and powered side mirrors
• 20" alloy wheels
• Powered tailgate
• Lip spoiler
• Keyless Entry. 

Even though the Discovery SUV has not gone through any crash tests, the brand has loaded the vehicle with most of the modern and advanced safety techs along with a strong aluminum monocoque construction. Some of the features include adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, lane keeping assist, 3D surround camera, traffic sign recognition and adaptive speed limiter. 

Some standout safety features include:

• Surround-view camera system
• Lane Keeping assist
• Blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert
• Automatic emergency braking 
• Parking sensors

Land Rover Discovery vs Audi Q7

The Audi Q7 gives a tough time to the Discovery both in terms of on-road practicality and performance. It is more sporty in terms of handling and offers a lot more interior features to make the experience better. The Discovery is front-heavy and the steering lacks feel. With electronic air suspension and adaptive dyanmics, the Discovery is very comfortable. 

The Q7 is slightly more expensive than the Discovery and can't match it in terms of off-road compatability. Both the SUVs offer three-rows but the Discovery has better third-row legroom. The Audi Q7 offers better cargo capacity with all the three rows in place. The Discovery would be our pick here for its versatile nature. 

Land Rover Discovery vs BMW X5

The BMW X5 turns out to be a much better vehicle than the Discovery in almost every aspect. It offers great performance, superb fuel economy, a more comfortable cabin, and good reliability. However, the Discovery comes with a lower price tag and offers better off-road dynamics with Terrain Response system. 

The BMW X5 accomodates five passengers, while the Discovery accomodates up to seven passengers. The Beemer offers better cargo capacity with all seats up, while the Discovery offers better cargo space with third-row down. The X5 handles much better than the Discovery and we would pick it over Discovery. 

Land Rover Discovery vs Mercedes-Benz GLE

The Mercedes-Benz GLE qualifies as a practical daily driver with its spacious cabin and handsome list of features on offer. Howeveer, it is more expensive and cannot beat the Discovery in off-road adventures. The Mercedes-Benz GLE gets RWD and 5-seater configuration as standard. 

The Discovery can accomodate seven passengers and offers 4WD as standard. The GLE is more fuel efficient on highways and in combined driving conditions. However, the 2023 Mercedes-Benz GLE is in the works and it might continue to be the best-selling car for Mercedes in the United States. 

The Land Rover Discovery is strictly for those who want a capable off-roader without compromising much on the riding comfort and cabin features. It gets a decent list of features and excellent off-road driving dynamics and offers acceptable fuel economy numbers as well for its size. Overall, if you can live with less fancy SUV and desire a versatile off-roader with less favorable urban manners, you can consider this SUV as a potential option.