2018 Land Rover Discovery Sport Review
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Edmunds' Expert Review
byWill Kaufman
Senior Editor and Content Strategist, CarMax
Will Kaufman has worked in the automotive industry since 2017. He has written hundreds of car-related articles and reviews over the course of his career. Will is a senior editor and content strategist for CarMax at Edmunds. Will has been featured in the Associated Press and a number of major outlets on the topics of infotainment and vehicle data, vehicle subscription services and autonomous vehicles. Will started his career in online publishing by writing and editing standardized test guides, but he has a lot more fun writing about cars.
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.
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.
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.