Land Rover Discovery: 2018 Motor Trend SUV of the Year Finalist

We Like: Auto terrain response off-road; precise steering; smooth diesel

We Don’t Like: Poor third row; illogical infotainment controls

Crawling up and over the hoods of the rest of the field, the relentlessly capable Land Rover Discovery was an easy choice as finalist. We used it to smooth ruts in the deep sand so other contenders didn’t get stuck. With its air suspension, the handsome, capable Disco reduced a jump to a bump and railroad tracks to cracks in the pavement.

The fifth generation drops the body-on-frame of the LR4 for unibody architecture with aluminum-intensive bodywork. It also comes with a choice of a 254-hp 3.0-liter turbodiesel V-6 with 443 lb-ft of torque or a 340-hp 3.0-liter supercharged gas V-6 with only 332 lb-ft.

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The diesel was quieter and more refined, and the eight-speed automatic transmission shifted better, but the gas engine was quicker. Smaller tires on the Td6 made it perform better on rough roads that caused the Si6 to shake and shudder.

The Discovery handles well for a big SUV. Off-road the auto terrain response quickly felt at play in the silty sand that plagued many entrants. “It took the Land Rover a dozen or so feet to realize the terrain had changed, and all of a sudden it was like a second wind,” Christian Seabaugh said.

Inside, the Disco’s greenhouse cabin created epic sightlines. We like the comfortable seats, numerous amenities, and clever storage. But the infotainment system is from yesteryear, the stereo volume knob is a lengthy reach, and third-row seat access is a challenge.

	2017 Land Rover Discovery Td6 HSE (Luxury)	2017 Land Rover Discovery Si6 HSE (Luxury)
DRIVETRAIN LAYOUT	Front-engine, 4WD	Front-engine, 4WD
ENGINE TYPE	Turbodiesel 60-deg V-6, iron block/alum heads	Supercharged 90-deg V-6, alum block/heads
VALVETRAIN	DOHC, 4 valves/cyl	DOHC, 4 valves/cyl
DISPLACEMENT	182.6 cu in/2,993 cc	182.8 cu in/2,995 cc
COMPRESSION RATIO	16.1:1	10.5:1
POWER (SAE NET)	254 hp @ 3,750 rpm	340 hp @ 6,500 rpm
TORQUE (SAE NET)	443 lb-ft @ 1,750 rpm	332 lb-ft @ 3,500 rpm
REDLINE	4,800 rpm	6,750 rpm
WEIGHT TO POWER	22.0 lb/hp	16.1 lb/hp
TRANSMISSION	8-speed automatic	8-speed automatic
AXLE/FINAL-DRIVE RATIO	3.21:1/2.14:1/2.93:1	3.73:1/2.49:1/2.93:1
SUSPENSION, FRONT; REAR	Multilink, air springs, anti-roll bar; multilink, air springs, anti-roll bar	Multilink, air springs, anti-roll bar; multilink, air springs, anti-roll bar
STEERING RATIO	17.6:1	17.6:1
TURNS LOCK-TO-LOCK	2.7	2.7
BRAKES, F; R	14.2-in vented disc; 13.8-in vented disc, ABS	14.2-in vented disc; 13.8-in vented disc, ABS
WHEELS, F;R	8.5 x 20-in cast aluminum	9.5 x 21-in cast aluminum
TIRES, F;R	255/55R20 110W (M+S) Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric AT	275/45R21 110W (M+S) Pirelli Scorpion Verde All Season
DIMENSIONS
WHEELBASE	115.1 in	115.1 in
TRACK, F/R	66.6/66.4 in	66.6/66.4 in
LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT	195.7 x 81.6 x 71.1-75.6 in	195.7 x 81.6 x 71.1-75.6 in
GROUND CLEARANCE	9.6-14.1 in	9.6-14.1 in
APPRCH/DEPART ANGLE	26.0-34.0/25.0-30.0 deg	26.0-34.0/25.0-30.0 deg
TURNING CIRCLE	40.4 ft	40.4 ft
CURB WEIGHT	5,582 lb	5,473 lb
WEIGHT DIST, F/R	47/53%	47/53%
TOWING CAPACITY	7,716 lb	8,201 lb
SEATING CAPACITY	7	7
HEADROOM, F/M/R	39.4/39.0/37.9 in	39.4/39.0/37.9 in
LEGROOM, F/M/R	39.1/37.6/33.5 in	39.1/37.6/33.5 in
SHOULDER ROOM, F/M/R	60.4/59.5/47.1 in	60.4/59.5/47.1 in
CARGO VOLUME BEH 1st/2nd/3rd	82.7/45.0/9.1 cu ft	82.7/45.0/9.1 cu ft
TEST DATA
ACCELERATION TO MPH
0-30	2.7 sec	2.2 sec
0-40	4.4	3.3
0-50	6.3	4.5
0-60	8.7	6.1
0-70	11.6	8.0
0-80	15.1	10.2
0-90	—	13.0
0-100	—	3.1
PASSING, 45-65 MPH	4.7	14.7 sec @ 89.7 mph
QUARTER MILE	16.6 sec @ 83.6 mph	137 ft
BRAKING, 60-0 MPH	133 ft	0.69 g (avg)
LATERAL ACCELERATION	0.72 g (avg)	28.9 sec @ 0.58 g (avg)
MT FIGURE EIGHT	29.0 sec @ 0.59 g (avg)	1,740 rpm
TOP-GEAR REVS @ 60 MPH	1,400 rpm
CONSUMER INFO
BASE PRICE	$66,945	$64,945
PRICE AS TESTED	$80,150	$82,850
STABILITY/TRACTION CONTROL	Yes/Yes	Yes/Yes
AIRBAGS	7: Dual front, front side, f/r curtain, driver knee	7: Dual front, front side, f/r curtain, driver knee
BASIC WARRANTY	4 yrs/50,000 miles	4 yrs/50,000 miles
POWERTRAIN WARRANTY	4 yrs/50,000 miles	4 yrs/50,000 miles
ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE	4 yrs/50,000 miles	4 yrs/50,000 miles
FUEL CAPACITY	22.5 gal	23.5 gal
REAL MPG, CITY/HWY/COMB	23.8/32.3/27.0 mpg	15.5/21.3/17.7 mpg
EPA CITY/HWY/COMB ECON	21/26/23 mpg	16/21/18 mpg
ENERGY CONS, CITY/HWY	180/145 kW-hrs/100 miles	211/160 kW-hrs/100 miles
CO2 EMISSIONS, COMB	0.97 lb/mile	1.08 lb/mile
RECOMMENDED FUEL	Diesel	Unleaded premium

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