Land Rover Discovery HSE Luxury Diesel SUV Review: It’s All You Want and More
Shannon Entin
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It makes perfect sense that Land Rover’s tagline is “Above and Beyond.”
When you practically live in your car, you appreciate the finer details. Like rain-sensing windshield wipers and automatic high beams. And the lane keep assist and heads-up display that keeps you safe. Or a car that parks itself. Or incredibly comfortable headrests for those days when you need to nap during your daughter’s music lesson. Not that I’ve ever done that. Ahem.
The 2017 Land Rover Discovery HSE Luxury Td6, which was completely redesigned in 2017 and and now more closely resembles its more expensive and luxe Range Rover cousin, is everything I dream about in a car. From the safety features to the conveniences to the off-roading capabilities, there’s not much this car can’t handle. It truly goes above and beyond.
The 2017 Land Rover Discovery in beautiful Namib Orange. Photo by Shannon Entin.
Who This Car is For
- Families who need ample, comfortable passenger space
- Drivers who regularly need third row passenger space
- Buyers needing space for sports equipment or other cargo
- Drivers who need off-road and towing capabilities
- Buyers who want a luxury SUV
- Buyers who want a diesel SUV with its added fuel economy and longer distance range on a tank of fuel
What it Costs
The model we reviewed is the top of the line Discovery HSE Luxury Td6, weighing in at $66,945. Going down from there you have the following models:
- HSE Luxury, $65,490
- HSE Td6, $60,490
- HSE, $58,490
- SE Td6, $54,090
- SE, $52,090
Want to see how far this redesign came from the last model? Our review of the Land Rover LR4
The Little Surprise that Made Me Squee in the Supermarket Parking Lot
One of the first things I typically do when I get a car to review is go get groceries. It’s an essential part of everyday life and I need to know how the car might enhance an otherwise monotonous activity. Imagine me, squealing with delight when I opened the liftgate and saw this inner liftgate gracefully lower down.
An inner liftgate? How awesome is that? Photo by Shannon Entin.
Raised and lowered with the press of a button, the inner liftgate makes it easy to load your goods into the back of the car and gives you something clean to lean against if you have to reach far into the cargo space. How many times have you gotten your pants or shirt dirty leaning into the back of your car? And if you want to tailgate at a sporting event? The inner liftgate will hold 400 pounds!
High-Tech Safety Features to Protect You and Your Family
The Land Rover Discovery is equipped with front, front side, and side curtain airbags as well as the ISOFIX/LATCH system for child car seats. And it’s chock full of other high-tech safety features:
- Lane keep assist nudges you back in your lane if you drift.
- Adaptive cruise control automatically adjusts your speed if there is a slower car in front of you.
- Blind spot monitoring flashes an indicator light on your side-view mirror if a car is coming up in your blind spot.
- Intelligent speed limiter can be set to prevent you from going faster than a designated speed.
- 360-degree camera helps you to view obstacles anywhere around your car.
- Autonomous emergency braking detects front and rear obstacles or pedestrians and brakes if you don’t.
- Emergency brake assist boosts your brake power to maximum if sudden braking is detected.
- Heads-up display shows you the speed limit and your speed projected on the windshield in front of you so your eyes don’t need to leave the road.
A Cockpit as Comfortable as Your Couch
Well, maybe not quite as cozy as the couch, but the Discovery’s cockpit is beautiful and comfortable. I fell in love with the 16-way power adjustable driver’s seat that hugs you just where you need it, as well as the cushioned, cradling headrest.
The cup holders are perfectly sized with flexible grips that keep any size cup or bottle from rattling around. And the grips come out if you have a super-sized drink.
There is extra storage under the cupholders, under the climate control buttons and behind the climate control buttons – this last area will only open when the car is not running and it’s where you insert a DVD for your backseat passengers.
Inside the console, there is easy access to plenty of ports – two USBs, an HDMI, and a SIM card slot. And when you close the console, there is space so your cords don’t get pinched.
Yes, that’s a COOLER in the console! Photo by Shannon Entin.
Speaking of the console, that’s where you’ll find another squee-worthy feature: a cooler! Yup, you read that right! The console can be used for storage, but you can also flip a switch to cool it if you need to keep something cold. That’s a game-changer, if you ask me!
Passengers are just as Cozy in the Second and Third Rows
The seven-passenger Discovery has tons of legroom in the second row and amenities that include heated seats, 2 USB ports, 2 HDMI ports, and seat-back entertainment screens with remote control. I almost felt like my kids were in another world back there, which made my drive peaceful and enjoyable. And the panoramic double sunroof lets in all the light.
Backseat entertainment is always a good thing. Photo by Shannon Entin.
The third row is accessed by sliding the second-row seat forward and climbing in to the back. As a full-size adult, there was enough room for my legs so I didn’t feel cramped, but I did feel like the seats were a bit narrow. The third row was comfortable enough for a short ride, but sitting back there for a long road trip is probably not ideal for any adult.
Get a taste of luxury in a 7-passenger SUV: 2018 Nissan Pathfinder Review
Conveniences that Make the Land Rover Discovery Diesel SUV a Dream Car
With so many conveniences, I felt like maybe I could actually live in the Discovery diesel SUV. The cooler in the console is awesome, and then there’s the dual climate control, heated seats, heated steering wheel, heated side-view mirrors, heated windshield washer jets, and auto headlights and high-beams.
Oh, and did I mention the car parks itself? With Park Assist, just push a button and the car will search for a spot and effortlessly guide you into it. (Check out my video below to see this in action!)
The touchscreen infotainment system was responsive and intuitive. I had no problem syncing my iPhone up via Bluetooth and accessing my music and podcasts. My daughter was able to hook up her phone in the backseat and listen to her own music via headphones at the same time with no interference or confusion.
Another feature I enjoyed was the ambient lighting in the console and under foot. I especially appreciated this lighting in the backseat, where kids often drop things and have trouble finding them in the dark. Another helpful lighting option is the approach lights under the side-view mirrors. When you walk up to your car in the dark and unlock it, these nifty lights shine on the ground to give you a little added visibility and security.
Approach lights are a nice touch in the Land Rover Discovery. Photo by Shannon Entin.
New Range Rover-Inspired Design
I’ve gone on and on about the amazing features of the Discovery, but let’s also take a moment to recognize how beautiful it is. The SUV, which in prior incarnations was known as the LR4 and before that the LR3, was completely redesigned for 2017. The design is a departure from the prior design’s boxy back end and angular front; it now has a high-lifted, rounded rear and a sleeker front end with design cues that show off the brand’s relation to its pricier Range Rover cousin. Inside and out, everything about this car says luxury, from the wood detail on the dash to the Windsor leather seats to the sleek and stylish gear shift — just a simple turn of a knob to shift gears. So sexy.
Sleek and sexy driver controls, including the gear selector dial, which lies flat when the car is off and rises from the console when you turn the car on. Photo by Shannon Entin.
A Beauty but Also, a Beast
Yes, it’s beautiful, but it’s also a beast. It can haul and tow like nobody’s business. Need a car that can handle rugged terrain? The Discovery is built for off-roading and a simple turn of a dial adjusts the traction and vehicle height for maximum response in sand, mud, gravel, snow, rock, or slippery conditions. I didn’t have the opportunity to try out any of these options, but I loved knowing they were available and that the car could handle just about anything!
HAVE FUN, BE CONFIDENT, GET MUDDY: LAND ROVER DRIVING SCHOOL IS THE EXPERIENCE OF A LIFETIME
Wanna learn more about this car? I’ve got a comprehensive review video:
What We Loved
- Cooler in the console
- Heads-up display
- Automatic everything
- Park Assist
- Rear seat entertainment
- Comfortable, adjustable seats and headrests
- 4-wheel drive
- And just knowing this car can handle anything you throw at it!
What You Should Know
- Seating for seven
- Fuel economy is 23 MPG combined: 21 city and 26 highway
- Requires diesel fuel
- 22.5 gallon fuel tank , which means a range of up to 585 miles for highway driving
- 4-year / 50,000-mile limited warranty
- 6-year / Unlimited mileage corrosion warranty
- 4-year / 50,000-mile roadside assistance
- Off road drive mode options accommodate snow, sand, mud, rocks and hills
The fifth-generation Land Rover Discovery was introduced in 2017, and has some new enhancements for the 2018 production year. The 2018 Discovery adds options that include a second-generation Heads-Up Display with full color, 2.5 times more display space, and a wider level of functionality. A new InControl Remote smartphone app allows customers to raise or lower seats from their phone – for example from the store checkout line when purchasing bulky items. And Land Rover’s Emergency Braking system is now standard in the Discovery.
2017 Land Rover Discovery HSE Luxury Td6 Monroney
Disclosure: Land Rover Diesel SUV was provided the Discovery for my test drive. All opinions are my own.