Land Rover Discovery

Be under no illusions – a big, luxurious seven-seater SUV like a Discovery is never going to be a cheap car to buy or run. But the upfront purchase cost is on a par with rivals like the Audi Q7 and Volvo XC90, while the seven-seat options from BMW and Mercedes-Benz are effectively from a class above and much more expensive to buy. In terms of running costs Land Rover has introduced mild hybrid technology (or MHEV) to the new engine range in the updated Discovery, which helps a little on CO2 and mpg but can’t match the Benefit In Kind busting numbers you get with a plug-in hybrid, like the XC90 we’ve been running on long-term test. In fairness, these only really benefit company users and private buyers will be more interested in the real-world running costs, which are on a par with rivals if you compare like-for-like diesel engines they all work best with.