Before buying the 2016 Discovery Sport HSE, I had gone months of research and pricing with many dealers. I am new to the brand as I have been a BMW customer for 15 years. Strayed away from mass German brand and found the smaller production British car to be what I was looking for. I test drove: Audi Q5, Porsche Macan S, BMW X3 & X4, Jeep Grand Cherokee Summit, and Mercedes GLE300. After the test drives, I knew the car that connected me to the road: Land Rover Discovery Sport. Be aware that JLR dealers outside your "market area" may not sell to you so you have to ask before negotiating. I did all my negotiating between 2 dealers via phone, email and text. Did not have to step inside the dealer's lot - I had already test drove the 2015 model earlier.. As for the dealer, you have to find the one that matches you - they are all different - just like people. Some dealers are snobby, snooty, rude, and others are very helpful, professional and patient. If you are financing or leasing, it pays to find out what are the best bank rates before you negotiate Some dealers are forthcoming and will tell you the finance rate or lease residual/money factors. I dealt with 2 dealers that were very transparent in their sales approach. The car has a bit stiffer suspension than the other cars I test drove, but the connection to the road is more important and the suspension is not jarring - it has manners.... The most important feature standard on this car that makes the drive so good: Torque Vectoring by braking. Torque vectoring makes high speed turns, power acceleration into turns, and off road handling a must have for confidence if you are the driver type. I love the car - it makes me smile again - like I remember when I had my first 4WD BMW. The Discovery Sport is definitely for someone or a family that wants to travel almost anywhere safely and comfortably. UPDATE: 2016 - New software loaded for the Powertrain and Infotainment has changed the car entirely. Engine is now very quick to engage with no more laggy acceleration. The navigation is reliable 100% of the time. Fuel tank reading is now accurate. I LOVE THIS CAR ! UPDATE: 2017 - Updates for the seat rattles, In Touch controls, Navigation, Auto Start Stop, and service reminder all done at no cost was EXCELLENT. Good to see JLR changing their way of listening to customers and addressing issues with factory campaigns. Service dept was very receptive to customer concerns. Good followup after the service work by JLR in England via written survey returned by post. Since I have less than a year left on my lease, I am considering another JLR product to replace the Discovery Sport. Whilst at the dealer for service, I had a chance to speak to my sales advisor and he pointed towards the Range Rover Velar or the full sized Discovery that replaced the LR4. Both look very appealing and a great way to step a customer from the Discovery Sport. So far very happy with the Discovery Sport and would highly recommend to anyone looking for a driver's car (not a mushy soft car like everyone else).....
