Second-hand Sense: The recent pictures of the new Land Rover Discovery in Motors show a very determined effort indeed to create a smaller Range Rover.
In terms of selling the new model, this makes a great deal of sense on a number of levels, not least the fact that the Range Rover has a reputation for being a much-better built car than the Discovery.
For the Discovery is built in the worst-performing factory in the entire Ford network, and its managers are being re-trained in other plants in an effort to get it up to standard. If it does not improve sooner rather than later, the Solihull plant faces closure.
The Discovery suffers from a litany of build quality problems and the new car will have to represent a new start. It's a pity, because the Discovery is in its own way a fine car. It is rugged, sturdily built, practical, spacious and well-designed and since its launch in 1989 it has managed to keep the Land Rover flag flying around the world. From Manhattan to Mozambique, the Discovery is a ubiquitous presence. If it did not suffer from as many faults, ranging from ABS failure to steering rack failure, it would have seen off much competition from Japanese manufacturers.
The basic package is a full-time four-wheel-drive car with either five or seven seat layout and there is a choice of engines - the 2.5 direct injection diesel is probably the best all-rounder. It was designed for work - even if Terence Conran designed the original interior - and is a fantastically capable off-roader. I have driven the Discovery in extreme circumstances and have marvelled at its abilities, both in terms of traction and pulling power.
Although popular in the city, it is not a car designed for the city. The turning circle makes 11-point turns in suburban car parks a regular experience, and the big and heavy driving characteristics make it a poor performer in traffic. But do these drawbacks put off the urban and affluent? Not a chance, as long as the BMW X5 and the Mercedes M Class are not on the same shopping list.
The Discovery is well-equipped for big tasks. Self-levelling suspension, hill descent control, brake force distribution and active cornering enhancement have all been fitted but, again, farmers and builders are the best users of the Discovery. Many people will never even take the car off-road and the Discovery really is at its best when cruising or crawling through tough terrain. It was never designed for the kind of cornering abilities we now expect from every car and while the second generation - introduced in 1998 - improved matters, it is still subject to quite a degree of roll.
I like the Discovery, despite its flaws and design weaknesses - the tall driver will not find its fixed seat position to their liking - but the overall design is good.
The Discovery scores no better than average to good across a range of crash tests carried out internationally.
It has also been beset by a number of vehicle recalls. For example, thousands of cars built between 1998 and 2000 had to be recalled when it was discovered that a fault in the cornering enhancement system meant a possible failure in the power steering, water pump, alternator, air conditioning and the cornering enhancement system itself. Unfortunately, Land Rover recalls are not uncommon.
The Discovery does still benefit from a Land Rover cachet when it comes to second-hand prices. For example, a year 2000 seven-seat TD5 version with numerous extras and 90,000 miles on the clock, has an asking price of €29,950, while a commercial version of the same year with 37,000 on the clock has an asking price of €18,500. A year 2002 seven-seater, again with all the extras, and 42,000 on the clock has an asking price of €37,995. A 2002 commercial version with 28,500 on the clock has an asking price of 25,950. You should expect to bargain heavily here and achieve quite a saving.