Used Land Rover Discovery Sport for sale: everything you need to know

The Land Rover Discovery Sport has been around for nearly a decade now, but you’d hardly know it - like other Discovery badged models over the years, it’s ageing well, and while there are certainly more agile and involving SUVs available, and plenty which use less fuel, the Discovery Sport majors on utility and off-road ability like few others.

Don’t be fooled by the “Sport” tag as it’s no more sporty than any other Discovery. Instead, treat it as a practical and well-equipped car that’ll get you almost anywhere, and in almost any weather, will happily deal with the UK’s ever-deteriorating roads, yet won’t look out of place wherever you park it, thanks to Land Rover’s strong brand image.

As ever there are plenty of alternatives out there ready to tempt you away from the Land Rover - few of which can top the Discovery Sport off road, but may feel a little more sophisticated on it, such as the BMW X3 and Audi Q5. Land Rover’s reputation for reliability is less solid than its off-road abilities, but buy a good one and there’s a lot to like.

Should you buy a Land Rover Discovery Sport?

The Land Rover Discovery Sport launched in 2014, replacing the Freelander as Land Rover’s entry-level model. You can understand the thinking: the Discovery badge had been around since 1989 and while the Freelander was no half-effort in terms of its off-road prowess, the Discovery arguably had a more enduring, upmarket image on which to trade.

The Discovery Sport visually aped its larger counterpart, albeit without an awkward offset numberplate at the back, but naturally was a little smaller, sharing its platform with the compact Range Rover Evoque. Yet it was still practical, with a more upright body than the Evoque, and the option of a third row of seats - a layout that Land Rover calls 5+2, highlighting that the rear pair is more useful as an occasional bench than a full seven-seater.

Tasteful on the outside, the Sport is similarly appealing in the cabin. The layout is straightforward, the materials look and feel great, and on the surface at least everything feels tough. Early misgivings about slow, outdated infotainment have diminished over time, and while there are a few ergonomic issues, there’s generally a lot in here to like.

That goes for how it drives, too. The Discovery Sport features a high-set driving position, like all Land Rovers - and unlike a lot of glorified, raised hatchbacks that claim a similarly lofty driving position, this one really does sit you above the eyeline of other traffic. The ride is a little firm at lower speeds but really smooths out once you get out of town, and while a BMW or Audi might be nimbler in the corners, the Sport is hardly all at sea - there’s good grip, and body lean isn’t excessive. The steering, while not as responsive as some, has lovely weighting too, giving you confidence in the car’s abilities.

Land Rover has offered several engines over the years, including mix of petrols, diesels, and hybrids, as well as manual and automatic transmissions, and front- and four-wheel drive. These have improved over time, with strong performance and enough urge that towing isn’t a problem either, but they’re neither the smoothest nor most frugal on the market - though the plug-in hybrid P300e is impressive.

The Discovery Sport isn’t short of rivals. The Audi Q5, BMW X3 and Mercedes-Benz GLB all trade some of the Disco’s off-road ability for on-road finesse, and some of its landed-gentry image for more urban appeal. Volvo’s XC60 and the Lexus NX both offer alternatives too, while something like a Skoda Kodiaq doesn’t have the Land Rover’s image, or its chops in the rough stuff, but is hard to beat for value and likely more dependable than Land Rover’s somewhat shaky reliability record in the long term too.

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What’s the best used Land Rover Discovery Sport model to buy?

If you’re certain you can get away without four wheel drive and really don’t need seven seats, and can even forego an automatic gearbox, then there’s an argument to be made for the basic Discovery Sport, for its practicality and image - but realistically, we’d probably opt for one of the more powerful diesel models (more recently, the mild hybrids), which power all four wheels and are just a touch more relaxing thanks to automatic gearboxes. The seven-seat option though is still a take-or-leave-it deal - they may be useful on occasion, but are best suited to kids, and do take up boot space even when stowed.

In terms of trim level it’s difficult to go wrong with the current S, SE and HSE lineup, since all are very well-equipped. Among earlier models, we’d once again go one up from the very base model and into an S, as the extra equipment is welcome and on the used market, the price difference should be minimal.

Used Land Rover Discovery Sport fuel economy and performance

• Land Rover Discovery Sport D165: The entry-level Discovery Sport engine is a 2-litre turbodiesel, making 163PS and powering the front wheels alone through a manual gearbox. It’ll cover 0-62mph in 10.4 seconds, with combined economy of up to 44.8mpg.
• Land Rover Discovery Sport D165 MHEV: With the same engine as the front-drive model but mild hybrid technology, an automatic gearbox and four wheel drive, the D165 MHEV gets to 62mph in 10.2 seconds and delivers a claimed 42.2mpg.
• Land Rover Discovery Sport D200 MHEV: The D200 is mild-hybrid only, using the same 2-litre as the D165 but putting out 204PS, through an automatic gearbox to all four wheels. 0-62mph is claimed in 8.6 seconds, and up to 42.2mpg combined.
• Land Rover Discovery Sport P250 MHEV: The first of two petrol mild-hybrids, built around a 2-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine. In P250 form it makes 249PS, gets from 0-62mph in 7.8 seconds, and just pips the 30mpg mark with 30.4mpg combined economy.
• Land Rover Discovery Sport P290 MHEV: In 290PS form the same 2-litre mild hybrid is no less frugal, with 30.4mpg combined, but does offer a touch more performance than the P250, with 0-62mph in 7.4 seconds.
• Land Rover Discovery Sport P300e: The current Discovery Sport range is topped by the plug-in hybrid P300e. The engine is the smallest available, with a 1.5-litre turbocharged three-cylinder, but with an electric motor, it’s good for 309PS, divided among all four wheels. 0-62mph takes 6.6 seconds and with up to 37 miles of EV range, Land Rover claims up to 188.3mpg combined. 

What used Land Rover Discovery Sport trim levels are available?

Land Rover has offered several trim levels on the Discovery Sport since the model debuted in 2014, but broadly speaking the range can be divided into an entry-level model, a car with a more sporty and dynamic focus, and a luxurious range-topper - plus the occasional special edition model now and then, with unique colours and trim. All models are well equipped however, while Land Rover offers plenty of optional equipment and accessories, including the availability of a third row of seats, and packs aimed at pet owners and active, outdoorsy types.

• The Land Rover Discovery Sport S is where the current range starts, with a comprehensive equipment level including a heated windscreen, LED headlights, heated seats, two-zone climate control, and an 11.4-inch touchscreen with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.
• The Land Rover Discovery Sport Dynamic SE adds automatic high beams, adaptive cruise control, a unique LED signature for the daytime running lights, a powered tailgate, and keyless entry, among other features.
• The Land Rover Discovery Sport Dynamic HSE tops the current range. In addition to the equipment from the two grades below it, the HSE also comes with matrix LED headlights, a head-up display, heated and cooled front seats, and a heated steering wheel.
• Land Rover has also offered several other trim levels over the years, including a regular base model called simply the Discovery Sport, a sporty R-Dynamic, a more luxurious HSE, and special editions like the Urban Edition and Black, each of which included distinguishing features and technical upgrades like Active Driveline, which can vary between two and four-wheel drive.

Used Land Rover Discovery Sport dimensions and boot size

The Land Rover Discovery Sport’s dimensions are:

• Length: 4597mm
• Width: 2069mm (mirrors folded), 2173mm (with mirrors)
• Height: 1727mm
• Ground clearance: 212mm

The Land Rover Discovery Sport’s boot size is:

• 157 litres (seven seat mode)
• 1036-1179 litres (five seat mode)
• 1651-1794 litres (all seats folded)

Used Land Rover Discovery Sport road tax

All current Discovery Sport models attract the government’s VED or ‘road tax’ surcharge, thanks to list prices above the £40,000 mark. That means after the first year, when tax is based on CO2, you’ll then pay an elevated amount for the next five years - £570 in the case of the non-hybrid D165, and £560 for the mild hybrids and plug-in hybrid. The list price of some earlier models may just sneak under £40,000, dropping tax to £180 per year (£170 for the hybrids), while pre-April 2017 models will be based solely on their CO2 emissions.

How much is it to insure a Land Rover Discovery Sport?

As a premium product the Land Rover Discovery Sport finds itself towards the upper end of the 1-50 insurance group rating scale, though in a similar place to many of its rivals. Most recent models sit in groups 39-41, but opt for an earlier model, such as a front-wheel drive D150 in standard trim, and this can be as low as group 27.

Read our full Land Rover Discovery Sport review