2022 Land Rover Discovery Sport Review: The Evoque Goes Grand

The Land Rover Discovery Sport has had a tough life. Meant to be a replacement for the Freelander, Land Rover couldn't afford to use that particular nomenclature again. Instead, it used the Discovery badge, which Land Rover had also ditched in the USA for the same reliability reasons. The LR badge had been used in its stead for several years, and the Discovery only went back to the original nameplate once the fifth generation was launched.

The second-generation 246 horsepower Discovery Sport only has one unique selling point setting it apart from the much better Evoque; you can have it with seven seats. Within the more significant compact luxury SUV segment, it's also one of a few that can handle a bit of light off-roading thanks to some electronic trickery. But, is that enough reason to buy it over the Audi Q5, BMW X3, or even its little brother? We're not entirely convinced as the Germans offer more luxurious interiors and generally better road manners. This doesn't mean the Discovery Sport doesn't deserve a place on your shortlist, though.

What's the Price of the Land Rover Discovery Sport?

The base Discovery Sport S has an MSRP of $42,375, increasing to $45,825 for the SE trim. The sportier R-Dynamic S retails for $44,075, while the R-Dynamic SE trim costs $47,425. These prices exclude the $1,050 destination charge. Other SUVs for sale in this segment include the BMW X3 which starts at $43,700 for a RWD model.

2022 Discovery Sport Exterior

Dimensions

2022 Discovery Sport Performance

Handling and Driving Impressions

Land Rover's Terrain Response was designed to make off-roading easier. The original system had settings for mud & ruts, sand, and rocks. Over the years, Land Rover started implementing the road-related driving settings into this system, including comfort and dynamic. The Dynamic setting is a bit of a gimmick, as the Discovery Sport's off-road biased suspension setup doesn't like being hustled. It works a lot better in suitable, old Comfort mode. Land Rover allows you to combine the comfort suspension with a more dynamic engine/gearbox setup, but the engine just feels strained.

This car is at its best when you come to terms with the fact that it's not sporty, despite its name. Once you accept this, you can just sit back and enjoy the cushy suspension and generous list of standard features. We do have one important tip. The old Discovery Sport was built on a modified platform that dates back to the 2006 Ford Fusion. The new model is built on the same architecture as the Evoque, which is much stiffer. If you go up to the 21-inch alloy wheels, you will ruin the ride quality.

When it comes to off-roading, the Discovery Sport is easily class-leading. You'd be surprised at how capable a series of codes are at getting you through the rough stuff. Still, if off-roading is your thing and you do it regularly, you'd be much better off in a base Defender 110. The price difference between a top-spec Discovery Sport and a base Defender LWB is just $3,075. And you'd be surprised how little you have to sacrifice when it comes to luxury and convenience.

2022 Discovery Sport Interior

2022 Discovery Sport Trunk and Cargo Space

Warranty

Verdict: Is the 2022 Land Rover Discovery Sport A Good SUV?

The Discovery Sport is the red-headed stepchild of the Land Rover range. If you want something semi-compact suited to daily driving, you can't go wrong with the Range Rover Evoque. And if you want something more extensive and more off-road biased, you can have either a full-size Discovery 5 or a new Defender. Then again, the Discovery Sport is more spacious than the Evoque and cheaper than the Discovery, so perhaps there is a case to be made for it.

The competition in this segment is fierce. If you want a sporty SUV, get a BMW X3 or an Alfa Stelvio. If it's comfort you seek, go for the Mercedes-Benz GLC or Volvo XC60. The Discovery Sport just feels like a forgettable, also-ran kind of SUV with no unique selling point. It uses too much fuel, and it's not particularly good value. You can make an argument that it's possibly the best off-roader out of this bunch, but in our experience, an avid 4x4 enthusiast is not going to be interested. They'd much rather buy something with an old-school ladder-frame chassis and a V8 for the same price. But what if you want something British? The Jaguar F-Pace is built by the same mothership, and it's a much better vehicle.

The Discovery Sport is fine, but you need more than just fine in a hotly contested segment like this. We can't think of a single reason why we'd have the Discovery Sport over any of the SUVs mentioned above.

What New Discovery Sport Model Should I Buy?

The top-spec R-Dynamic SE looks the best with its Black Exterior Pack and 20-inch black alloy wheels. But the larger alloys harm the ride quality, and you wouldn't want to risk damaging all that beautiful black exterior trim when off-roading.

In this case, we think the base trim is best. The standard specification is more than generous, which means you only need to add the Driver Assistance pack and a color combination that suits your personality. We think it looks superb in Namib Orange with the optional 18-inch gloss black alloy wheels. That way, you still get the contrast, but with a higher profile tire. This improves both comfort and off-road performance. The total for this build, including the options and destination charge, is $47,325, which is just $1,150 shy of the R-Dynamic SE. But this way, you get all of the driver-assistance systems, good looks, and the best possible alloy and tire combination.

2022 Land Rover Discovery Sport Comparisons

2022 Land Rover Discovery Sport vs Land Rover Discovery

The larger Land Rover Discovery has a base price of $53,900. That's just a $6,475 difference. And yes, we are comparing the top-spec to the base spec because even the base Discovery has a massive list of standard features, including 90% of Land Rover's available driver-assistance features. The larger Disco uses the same turbocharged four-pot, but it delivers a better 296 hp and 295 lb-ft, whereas Disco Sport only gets 246 horsepower and 269 lb-ft. The larger Disco's eight-speed gearbox works much better. Even though it weighs a lot more, it can get to 60 mph in 6.9 seconds.

You don't have to give anything up luxury-wise. In fact, the Discovery 5 gives you even more. It has 14-way power-adjustable front seats versus the Disco Sport's 12-way seats. Leather upholstery is also standard, as is a larger 11.4-inch touchscreen interface. The final nail in the coffin is the Discovery 5's standard seven-seat configuration. And because of the larger wheelbase, the third row is more usable, though the trunk is still laughably small with all three rows in place. In case you didn't notice yet, we'd happily spend the extra cash on the larger Discovery.

2022 Land Rover Discovery Sport vs Land Rover Range Rover Evoque

Just the name pasted to the front of the Evoque already gives it the upper hand. It's not a Land Rover, but a much fancier Range Rover. Most of the Evoque range uses the same turbocharged four-pot delivering the same 246 horsepower and 269 lb-ft. However, it weighs less than 4,000 lbs, giving it an advantage both in performance and fuel economy. The Evoque suffers from the same poor gearbox tune as the Discovery Sport, but it's much nicer to drive. The steering is responsive and accurate, but the Evoque is also more on-road biased.

Because the Evoque is a Range Rover, it comes with many features, even at the base level. It easily matches the Discovery Sport, but it has a much nicer interior. It may not be as big, but it's still an exceptionally comfortable space. You don't get the 5+2 option, but we wouldn't bother with that in any case. The Evoque has a smaller 21.6-cube trunk, though. Still, these are all compromises we'd happily live with. The Evoque is a much better compact luxury SUV.