2018 Land Rover Discovery Sport Review
2018 Land Rover Discovery Sport Review





+57
Used Discovery Sport for sale
Get More For Your Trade-In
2018 Land Rover Discovery Sport appraisal values can range from $22,257 - $26,244.
Find out what your car is really worth in minutes.
Edmunds' Expert Review

byWill Kaufman
Content Strategist and News Editor
Throughout his career, Will Kaufman has been making sure shoppers get the best car for them by creating automotive content, product news, and robust content strategies for the site and social media.Pros
- Above-average off-road and all-weather capabilities
- Available third-row seating
- Plenty of passenger and cargo space
Cons
- Below-average fuel economy
- Cabin is well-made but less luxurious than those of rivals
- Active safety features and driver aids are pricey extras
What’s new
The 2018 Discovery Sport gains a few updates. Most notably, the turbocharged four-cylinder engine is now more powerful and efficient and is available with two different output levels. Changes have also been made to front-seat adjustments and comfort. Some changes have been made to trim-level equipment and options.
Vehicle overview
The cumulative changes to the Discovery Sport over the last two years are significant. This year brings a new engine that comes in two different power-output levels, along with revisions to the front seats. Add those updates to last year's changes to the infotainment system and the addition of an optional adaptive suspension, and the Discovery Sport has changed quite a bit.
Cost to DriveCost to drive estimates for the 2018 Land Rover Discovery Sport HSE 237 HP 4dr SUV AWD (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 9A) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $5.33 per gallon for premium unleaded in Virginia.
Monthly estimates based on costs in Virginia
$292/mo
Discovery Sport HSE 237 HP
vs
$274/mo
Avg. Midsize SUV
In the past we knocked the Discovery Sport for its relatively slow acceleration, below-average fuel economy, brittle ride, overly firm seats and high cost, especially considering how much more luxurious competitors can be. The new, optional 286-horsepower turbocharged four-cylinder adds a turn of speed but is a pricey extra, and fuel economy remains the same. The optional adaptive suspension, which should improve ride quality, is a stand-alone option. As far as cost goes, the market seems to have caught up — while the Discovery Sport gets pricey quickly when you start checking options boxes, so do its European competitors. At least the revisions to the seats come standard.
Still, if the Disco Sport's optional third-row seat or trick traction control that allows for more off-road and inclement-weather capability isn't at the top of your list of priorities, there are a lot of great compact luxury SUVs to choose from. The redesigned 2018 Volvo XC60 is luxurious, modern and capable. The Audi Q5 has lots of excellent available technology and outstanding road manners. Top-tier Discovery Sports also compete with more entry-level trims of the Porsche Macan, which is a bit tight on the inside but is also one of the best-driving SUVs on the road. And that's not to mention offerings from Acura, BMW, Jaguar, Lexus, Mercedes-Benz and even Alfa Romeo. This is a crowded segment, and Land Rover has pinned its appeal on a few very specific strengths.
Edmunds' Expert Rating
The 2018 Discovery Sport sets itself apart with its off-road capability and impressive passenger and cargo space. The new engine choices and optional adaptive suspension should make it more competitive, but some rivals offer more luxury and efficiency.
Driving
We were impressed with the Discovery Sport's handling and braking performance. Our biggest issue was the lackluster engine, which should be remedied by this year's changes. While the Sport is not as rugged an off-roader as other Land Rovers, its traction system makes it competent in the dirt.
Comfort
The new seats and optional adaptive suspension for 2018 should address some of our biggest concerns. The ride on the standard suspension was sharp, brittle and out of place in this class. There's also more road noise than in some competitors.
Interior
With lots of room for passengers and easy entry and exit, the Discovery Sport is a good people mover. It also gets high points for visibility and materials quality. Unfortunately, the interior design doesn't feel especially luxurious, and the infotainment system can be laggy and too complicated.
Utility
The Discovery Sport offers a lot of cargo space for the segment, and it also has an impressively high towing capacity. But there's not a lot of storage space for small items in the cabin.
Technology
There's a lot of available technology if you're willing to spend the money to add it. Active safety features and driver aids are available but pricey. The infotainment system is a weakness; while it's customizable, it's also sluggish to start up and can be slow to respond and complicated to use.
Which Discovery Sport does Edmunds recommend?
The Discovery Sport HSE includes some extras that most luxury shoppers will be looking for, such as a power tailgate, leather seats, proximity entry, and front parking sensors. We also think a few important packages are worth considering: The Vision Assist package bundles blind-spot monitoring with a surround-view camera and upgraded headlights; the Cold Climate package adds heated and cooled front seats, heated rear seats, and a heated windscreen; and the Intelligent Dynamics package adds an adaptive suspension and a fuel-saving driveline.
2018 Land Rover Discovery Sport models
The 2018 Land Rover Discovery Sport is a compact luxury SUV that comes standard with five seats, though an optional two-person third row raises capacity to seven. There are three trim levels: SE, HSE and HSE Luxury. A more powerful engine is available for the HSE and HSE Luxury trims.
The Discovery Sport's powertrain also includes Land Rover's All-Terrain Progress Control (a low-speed off-road cruise control), hill descent control and the driver-adjustable Terrain Response system. The latter technology has four settings (General, Grass/Gravel/Snow, Mud/Ruts and Sand) that adapt accelerator and steering response, gear selection, center differential engagement, and braking and stability control systems to optimize performance in a variety of difficult driving scenarios. Unlike with other Land Rovers, there are no locking differentials, low-range gearing or adjustable suspension height.
The base engine is a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder that makes 237 horsepower and 251 pound-feet of torque. A more powerful version of this engine is available for the HSE and HSE Luxury trims and makes 286 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque. A nine-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive are standard.
Standard equipment on the SE includes automatic headlamps and wipers, power-folding and heated mirrors, a rearview camera, cruise control, dual-zone automatic climate control, rear parking sensors, rear privacy glass, 18-inch wheels, and the Land Rover Terrain Response system, which changes vehicle settings to match various surfaces. Also standard are 10-way power front seats, partial leather upholstery, a 60/40-split rear seat (folding, reclining, sliding), an 8-inch touchscreen interface, four USB charging ports (two front, two rear) and a 10-speaker sound system with a CD player, an auxiliary audio jack and a USB media player interface.
Some options are unique to the SE: The Convenience package adds proximity entry, a hands-free liftgate and an auto-dimming rearview mirror. The SE Vision Assist package adds foglights and xenon headlights with LED daytime running lights. Twelve-way power-adjustable front seats and navigation are available as stand-alone options.
The HSE includes the contents of the Convenience and SE Vision packages and adds a fixed panoramic roof, front parking sensors, full leather upholstery, and 12-way power front seats with memory functions.
Both the SE and HSE can be upgraded with the Audio Upgrade package, which adds an 11-speaker Meridian stereo and satellite radio. Smartphone-connection apps and satellite radio are available for both as stand-alone options.
The HSE Luxury adds the Audio Upgrade package, 19-inch wheels, fancier exterior trim, multicolor interior ambient lighting, upgraded leather upholstery and navigation functionality.
The HSE trims are available with a number of option packages. The Vision Assist package includes blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert systems, adaptive headlights, automatic high beams and a surround-view camera system. The Driver Assist Plus package adds the navigation functionality, lane departure warning and automatic emergency braking. The HUD & Park Assist package brings a head-up display and an automatic parking system that can handle perpendicular and parallel parking duties. The Intelligent Dynamics Pack adds an active all-wheel-drive system, which switches between front- and all-wheel drive based on conditions to save fuel, and an adaptive magnetic suspension. The Entertainment Pack adds a 17-speaker Meridian sound system and the upgraded 10-inch InControl Touch Pro touchscreen interface that includes onboard Wi-Fi and its own upgraded navigation system. Finally, the Dynamic Design package adds a variety of special exterior and trim pieces, including gloss-black 20-inch wheels.
All trims can be equipped with the Climate Comfort package, which includes a variety of heated items: windshield, steering wheel, and front and rear seats. Also available as stand-alone options are different wheels (19- or 20-inch), contrasting roof color choices, the head-up display, automatic high beams, a cargo cover and onboard Wi-Fi. For 2018, blind-spot monitoring and adaptive cruise control have both been made available as stand-alone options.
Consumer reviews
Read what other owners think about the Used 2018 Land Rover Discovery Sport.
Most helpful consumer reviews
2 out of 5 stars
Very disappointed
Roberto,11/29/2018
HSE 237 HP 4dr SUV AWD (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 9A)
I bought this car for my wife, expecting it to be a great vehicle, being a Land Rover and all. What a disappointment. It is a very expensive car for what you get in return. First off, air conditioner presented problems with just 2K miles on the odometer. Went to the shop, took 3 days to fix. Same problem at 4K miles. Back to the shop, another 3 days. Same problem at 6K. Back to the shop, … 3 days again. This is unacceptable for a brand new 50K car. Now car is at 8K and problem has not presented itself again so far. Motor is very weak, gear change is slow. Entertainment interface is poor. Trunk space is small. Forget the 3rd row seats, its cramped. Safety sensors surrounding the car go off all the time with nothing even close to the car. This car needs a major makeover to be worth the money. There are much better options out there for this price range. I can't wait for the lease to end for me to get out of this mess.
5 out of 5 stars
Love this SUV
Rdesai,08/31/2019
HSE LUX 286 HP 4dr SUV AWD (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 9A)
This is a real SUV with all the bells and whistles. I hate folks who buy a SUV and don't take it out. I've been off roading nothing serious but just fun trails. Lots of fun, great to drive with big back seats.
5 out of 5 stars
Beautiful SUV and priced to buy fast
Laura Nelson,07/10/2020
SE 4dr SUV AWD (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 9A)
The Land Rover discovery sport is a cut from a different cloth. Environmentally friendly, fast, powerful, elegant and relatively simple. The thing I love most is the comfort. It’s roomy and tons of space for driver and family. The back can seat 3 quite comfortably and there is enough cargo room for our basic needs. Also, this car comes equipt with all wheel drive and surprising 4x4 … options- there are several settings when in 4-wheel drive. Remarkable.
3 out of 5 stars
Close but no cigar.
Joe,08/13/2018
SE 4dr SUV AWD (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 9A)
We loved the style , size, and overall appearance. We were going to lease the SE version(lowest end version). We ended up getting another vehicle because most of the safety features and driver assist technology was absent on the SE model without spending very much more money to have them on this model. Even the interior was sub par unless we jumped up to the HSE model. We eventually … decided against this vehicle because we would have paid as if we were driving a Land Rover while essentially getting a shell of a Land Rover. One would expect a vehicle priced around 40K would be equipped with at least as many safety and driver assist features as a vehicle costing 10-15K less. However, my wife's Mazda CX5 Touring has far more safety/driver assist features and drives just as nicely. The Discovery Sport could be everything we wanted IF we were willing to pay in the mid 40K area. It is nice but very overpriced for what you get.
Safety
Our experts like the Discovery Sport models:
- Autonomous Emergency Braking
- Applies the brakes automatically to avoid a front collision.
- Blind-Spot Monitor
- Detects cars in adjacent lanes and warns the driver of their presence during lane-change maneuvers.
- Reverse Traffic Detection
- Alerts the driver to the presence of approaching traffic behind the vehicle when reversing.
People who viewed this also viewed
Starting at $53,900 |
See Inventory |
3.6666667 average Rating out of 3 reviews. |
Starting at $69,500 |
See Inventory |
5 average Rating out of 3 reviews. |
Starting at $47,700 |
See Inventory |
More about the 2018 Land Rover Discovery Sport
Used 2018 Land Rover Discovery Sport Overview
The Used 2018 Land Rover Discovery Sport is offered in the following submodels: Discovery Sport SUV. Available styles include HSE 237 HP 4dr SUV AWD (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 9A), SE 4dr SUV AWD (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 9A), HSE 286 HP 4dr SUV AWD (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 9A), HSE LUX 237 HP 4dr SUV AWD (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 9A), and HSE LUX 286 HP 4dr SUV AWD (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 9A). Pre-owned Land Rover Discovery Sport models are available with a 2.0 L-liter gas engine, with output up to 286 hp, depending on engine type. The Used 2018 Land Rover Discovery Sport comes with all wheel drive. Available transmissions include: 9-speed automatic. The Used 2018 Land Rover Discovery Sport comes with a 4 yr./ 50000 mi. basic warranty, a 4 yr./ 50000 mi. roadside warranty, and a 4 yr./ 50000 mi. powertrain warranty.
What's a good price on a Used 2018 Land Rover Discovery Sport?
Price comparisons for Used 2018 Land Rover Discovery Sport trim styles:
- The Used 2018 Land Rover Discovery Sport SE is priced between $26,998 and$36,998 with odometer readings between 7146 and68073 miles.
- The Used 2018 Land Rover Discovery Sport HSE 237 HP is priced between $30,998 and$39,998 with odometer readings between 14520 and69564 miles.
- The Used 2018 Land Rover Discovery Sport HSE 286 HP is priced between $35,500 and$41,990 with odometer readings between 7733 and32585 miles.
- The Used 2018 Land Rover Discovery Sport HSE LUX 237 HP is priced between $36,590 and$40,590 with odometer readings between 15710 and50289 miles.
- The Used 2018 Land Rover Discovery Sport HSE LUX 286 HP is priced between $39,990 and$39,990 with odometer readings between 31908 and31908 miles.
Shop with Edmunds for perks and special offers on used cars, trucks, and SUVs near Ashburn, VA. Doing so could save you hundreds or thousands of dollars. Edmunds also provides consumer-driven dealership sales and service reviews to help you make informed decisions about what cars to buy and where to buy them.
Which used 2018 Land Rover Discovery Sports are available in my area?
Shop Edmunds' car, SUV, and truck listings of over 6 million vehicles to find a cheap new, used, or certified pre-owned (CPO) 2018 Land Rover Discovery Sport for sale near. There are currently 71 used and CPO 2018 Discovery Sports listed for sale in your area, with list prices as low as $26,998 and mileage as low as 7146 miles. Simply research the type of car you're interested in and then select a used car from our massive database to find cheap prew-owned vehicles for sale near you. Once you have identified a used vehicle you're interested in, check the AutoCheck vehicle history reports, read dealer reviews, and find out what other owners paid for the Used 2018 Land Rover Discovery Sport.
Can't find a used 2018 Land Rover Discovery Sports you want in your area? Consider a broader search.
Find a used Land Rover Discovery Sport for sale.
Find a used Land Rover for sale.
Find a used certified pre-owned Land Rover Discovery Sport for sale.
Find a used certified pre-owned Land Rover for sale.
Should I lease or buy a 2018 Land Rover Discovery Sport?
Is it better to lease or buy a car? Ask most people and they'll probably tell you that car buying is the way to go. And from a financial perspective, it's true, provided you're willing to make higher monthly payments, pay off the loan in full and keep the car for a few years. Leasing, on the other hand, can be a less expensive option on a month-to-month basis. It's also good if you're someone who likes to drive a new car every three years or so.
Check out Land Rover lease specials
Check out Land Rover Discovery Sport lease specials
Related Used 2018 Land Rover Discovery Sport info
Shop used vehicles in your area
- Used Lincoln MKZ 2009
- Used Ford Expedition EL 2004
- Used Maserati GranTurismo 2015
- Used Buick Cascada 2016
- Used Dodge Journey 2011
- Used Cadillac ATS Coupe 2018
- Used MINI Hardtop 4 Door 2018
- Used Ram 2500 1999
- Used Cadillac Escalade ESV 2014
- Used Mitsubishi Lancer 2015
Popular new car reviews and ratings
- Dodge Challenger 2021
- 2021 Ram 2500
- 2023 Kia Seltos News
- Lexus RC 350 2021
- 2021 Sprinter
- 2024 Chevrolet Equinox EV News
- MINI Countryman 2022
- 2021 Porsche Cayenne
- 2023 Porsche Cayenne News
- 2021 BMW X6 M
Research similar vehicles
- 2022 Kia Niro EV
- 2023 Cadillac LYRIQ
- 2022 XT5
- 2022 Wrangler 4xe
- Toyota RAV4 2021
- 2021 Jeep Renegade
- Cadillac Escalade ESV 2022
- GMC Acadia 2021
- 2022 Discovery
- Lexus RX 350 2021
Recommended
- Jeep Compass 2021 Features Specs
- Nissan Frontier 2008 Features Specs
- Lincoln Mark VIII 1991 Features Specs
- Nissan Frontier 2016 Review
- Lincoln MKC 2016 Review
Other models
- New Mercedes-Benz Glc-Class for Sale in Burbank, CA
- New Mazda CX-9 for Sale in Peabody, MA
- New Hyundai Kona for Sale in Waterloo, IA
- New Nissan Altima for Sale in Framingham, MA
- New Toyota Corolla-Hybrid for Sale in Turlock, CA
- New Hyundai Kona-Electric for Sale in Grove City, OH
- New Acura MDX for Sale in Burleson, TX
- New Honda HR-V for Sale in Warner Robins, GA
- New Volvo XC90 for Sale in Glendale, AZ
- New Chevrolet Bolt-Euv for Sale in Kannapolis, NC
- New Kia Stinger for Sale in San Leandro, CA
- New Mazda Mx-5-Miata-Rf for Sale in Albany, OR
- New BMW 4-Series for Sale in Arlington Heights, IL
- New Audi A3 for Sale in Westminster, CO
- New GMC Terrain for Sale in Woonsocket, RI
- New Mazda MX-30 for Sale in Montebello, CA
- New Toyota C-HR for Sale in Nampa, ID
- New Chevrolet Silverado-1500-Limited for Sale in Auburn, AL
- New Porsche Cayenne for Sale in Rosemead, CA
- New Jaguar F-Pace for Sale in Independence, MO
- New Mercedes-Benz Sprinter for Sale in Rancho Santa Margarita, CA
- New Lexus Is-350 for Sale in Plano, TX
- New Volkswagen Golf-Gti for Sale in Terre Haute, IN
- New Audi SQ8 for Sale in Waukegan, IL
- New Audi E-Tron-Gt for Sale in Goodyear, AZ
- New Mazda CX-30 for Sale in Cupertino, CA
- Used Lexus Ux-250H in Hammond, IN
- New Jeep Wrangler-4Xe for Sale in Danbury, CT
- New Honda Insight for Sale in Conroe, TX
- New Ford Transit-Crew-Van for Sale in Hialeah, FL