Used 2022 Land Rover Discovery

Price: The 2022 Land Rover Discovery SUV starts at $56,600.

The 2022 Land Rover Discovery isn’t a typical luxury midsize 7-seater SUV. It’s one of the few vehicles that can handle real off-roading challenges.

Not only does it come with all-wheel drive and a Terrain Response system as standard, it also benefits from the expertise Land Rover has gained over decades of going into the wild and coming back from it. The company has taken into account things like ground clearance, along with approach and departure angles.

Off-road credentials aside, the 2022 Discovery is a luxurious family vehicle as well. Not as seriously plush as the Range Rover lineup, but nice enough. This generation launched in 2017 and received an update last year, including new engines and a much better infotainment system.

The on-road behavior is as comfortable as a luxury SUV should be, the standard adaptive air suspension doing a fine job of soaking up the bumps while keeping body roll in check. It also raises and lowers the ride height to maximize ground clearance as well as optimize aerodynamics.

If the finances allow, our choice would be the 3.0-liter engine for its authoritative power. It has greater towing capacity — 8,200 pounds, compared with the 2.0-liter engine’s 6,613 pounds. With this engine also comes a 2-speed transfer case for the all-wheel-drive system.

For those serious about going beyond the tarmac, the Advanced Off-Road Capability package brings a more sophisticated Terrain Response system, plus All-Terrain Progress Control, which is a kind of low-speed off-roading cruise control where all the driver has to concentrate on is the steering. Incidentally, the 2022 Discovery has a wading depth of almost three feet.

Every version of the 2022 Discovery SUV has three rows of seats providing accommodation for seven occupants. How spacious is the Discovery’s third row? Headroom is 37.9 inches, legroom is 33.5 inches. Great for kids, not so much for taller types.

Up front, the clean, futuristic-looking center console and steering wheel might well be described as beautiful. The leather-covered seats, meanwhile, are comfortable and well-shaped.

Cargo space ranges from 9.1 cubic feet (about enough for a couple of golf bags) behind the third row to 74.3 cubic feet behind the first.

Ingeniously, the Land Rover Discovery SUV manages to look upscale and functional at the same time. The kind of vehicle the British aristocracy would use to go hunting and fishing, then drive to a stately home for a debutantes’ ball. If “Bridgerton” was set in contemporary times, the Discovery would feature prominently.

At the R-Dynamic level, front fog lights are added, plus black exterior details. And the top trim runs on 22-inch alloy wheels.

FULL-TIME 4-WHEEL DRIVE (4WD)
Like Jeep in the United States, Land Rover has forged an incredible reputation over the years as Britain’s off-road specialist marque. As new technology is developed, the company works it into its all-wheel drive systems. It has reached its latest pinnacle with the Terrain Response feature, handling many tricky tasks that challenge even experienced drivers.

ACTIVITY KEY
This option looks like a fitness tracker worn on the wrist, but it’s really a shockproof and waterproof key that allows the wearer to get up to all sorts of outdoorsy pursuits, comfortable in the knowledge that they won’t lose or ruin their usual Discovery keys.

As a vehicle that costs in excess of $50,000 should, the 2022 Discovery 2.0-liter S comes with a lot of standard equipment. Like an adaptive air suspension, 20-inch alloy wheels, full-time all-wheel drive with a Terrain Response system, powered tailgate, panoramic roof, self-leveling LED headlights, puddle lights, keyless entry/ignition, power-adjustable steering column, digital driver information display, 14-way power-adjustable front seats, leather upholstery, and power-reclining second-row seats.

The infotainment system is based around an 11.4-inch touchscreen. It includes Apple CarPlay/Android Auto smartphone integration, satellite radio, nine USB ports (a mix of Type-A and Type-C), navigation, and an 8-speaker/180-watt audio setup.

Among the safety features are a 360-degree camera system, wade sensing, lane-keeping assistance, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, Clear Exit Monitor, road sign recognition, and forward-collision warning with automatic emergency braking.

The S R-Dynamic trim comes standard with the 2.0-liter engine and offers the option of the 3.0-liter inline-6. Otherwise, the additions are mainly cosmetic.

The 3.0-liter HSE R-Dynamic has that larger engine and really goes to Luxury Town. Extras include 22-inch alloy wheels, high-pressure headlight washers, heated/ventilated/20-way power-adjustable front seats with memory settings, heated 2nd-row seats, upgraded leather, adaptive cruise control, hands-free tailgate operation, and a 700-watt/14-speaker Meridian surround-sound system.

Some of those features are available as options in the lower trims. The 3.0-liter models are also eligible for the Advanced Off-Road Capability and trailer towing packages. Other extras that apply to all 2022 Discovery SUV variants include the Activity Key, 3-zone or 4-zone automatic climate control, a heated windshield, cold climate and hot climate packages, wireless charging (with phone signal booster), Wi-Fi, retractable side steps, and an upgraded cabin air purification system.

At the entry level, the 2022 Discovery SUV employs a turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine generating a pretty gutsy 296 horsepower. This links to an 8-speed automatic transmission and, because it’s a Land Rover, all-wheel drive is standard.

The higher trims come with a turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-6 developing 355 horsepower for greater output with no real penalty in fuel economy. It also entails a mild hybrid arrangement with a 48-volt system that acts as a starter motor with the fuel-saving engine stop/restart feature and energizes ancillaries that would otherwise have been run by belts, incurring parasitic losses. All-wheel drive and 8-speed automatic transmission are also standard with this engine.

2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4
296 horsepower @ 5,500 rpm
295 lb-ft of torque @ 1,500-4,500 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 19/22 mpg

3.0-liter turbocharged inline-6
355 horsepower @ 5,500-6,500 rpm
365 lb-ft of torque @ 1,750-5,000 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 18/24 mpg