Land Rover Discovery vs Land Rover Range Rover Sport
Figures updated
The Land Rover Discovery and Land Rover Range Rover Sport are two of the UK's most popular large SUVs. We compare the L462 (2017–) Discovery and the L461 (2022–) Range Rover Sport on price, size, boot space, performance, safety and running costs, plus how reliable each has been across 248,994 real MOT tests.
The short answer
Pick the Land Rover Discovery for the lower price and the bigger boot, or the Land Rover Range Rover Sport for the better MOT record and more performance.
- The Land Rover Discovery is the cheapest to buy new: from £69,540, £8,080 less than the Land Rover Range Rover Sport.
- The Land Rover Discovery has the biggest boot: 922 litres, 275 more than the Land Rover Range Rover Sport.
- The Land Rover Range Rover Sport has the better MOT record. Like for like on age and mileage, the Land Rover Discovery fails its MOT about 12% more often.
- Running costs are close: the petrol versions cost within £35 a year of each other to fuel at 7,500 miles a year.
- Watch the seat belts and airbags on a Land Rover Range Rover Sport: it fails on them 1.8 times as often as the average car.
| Figure | Land Rover DiscoveryL462 (2017–), 5-door SUV | Land Rover Range Rover SportL461 (2022–), 5-door SUV |
|---|---|---|
| Price and practicality | ||
| Price newUK list prices, across the range | £69,540 to £83,940October 2026 price list (best) | £77,620 to £126,290October 2026 price list |
| Body | 5-door SUV | 5-door SUV |
| Seats | 7 (best) | 5 |
| BootSeats up / folded | 922 litres / 1,997 (best) | 647 litres / 1,491 |
| Length | 4,956mm | 4,946mm |
| WidthWithout mirrors | 2,073mm | 2,047mm |
| Height | 1,888mm | 1,822mm |
| Performance | ||
| Power | 350 PS | 250–550 PS (best) |
| 0–62mph | 6.3 sec | 4.5–7.7 sec (best) |
| Safety | ||
| Euro NCAP ratingTests get tougher each year | ★★★★★ (2017) | ★★★★★ (2022) |
| Economy and emissions | ||
| Fuel types | Diesel, Petrol | Diesel, Petrol, Plug-in hybrid |
| Official economyVersions of this generation | 24.6–44.8 mpg | 18.9–32.0 mpg |
| CO2 | 165–269 g/km | 74–339 g/km |
| Running costs at 7,500 miles a year | ||
| Petrol or hybrid171.7p a litre, today's UK average | £2,234 (26.2 mpg) | £2,269 (25.8 mpg) |
| Diesel198.4p a litre | £2,013 (33.6 mpg) (best) | £2,114 (32 mpg) |
| Cheapest version to fuelWhichever fuel costs least | £2,013 (diesel) | £2,114 (diesel) |
| Car tax a yearCars registered from April 2017 | £200£640 in years 2–6 for versions listed over £40,000 | £200£640 in years 2–6 for versions listed over £40,000 |
| Reliability from real MOT tests | ||
| Reliability score | 132Well above average | 148Well above average (best) |
| Failed MOT first time (ages 3–20) | 25.4% | 20.3% (best) |
| Failed at 3 years old | 14.4% | 10.7% (best) |
| Failed at 5 years old | 14.1% | 12.2% (best) |
| Failed at 10 years old | 25.0% | 20.5% (best) |
| Most common MOT fault | Pins and bushes (3.9% of tests) | Brake pads (2.0% of tests) |
| Fails more than average on | Nothing stands out | Seat belts and airbags (1.8×) |
| MOT tests analysed | 131,841 | 117,153 |
| About the cars | ||
| Type | Large SUV | Large SUV |
| Owners' average miles a year | 10,300 | 9,100 |
| On sale | 2017 on | 2022 on |
Green marks the better figure where the difference is more than 3%. Reliability figures cover every version of each model tested in the year. Running costs use the typical official economy of recent versions (WLTP where available); real-world economy is usually a little worse for every car.
More comparisons
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- Land Rover Discovery vs Land Rover Range Rover
- Land Rover Range Rover Sport vs Volvo XC60
- Land Rover Range Rover Sport vs Audi Q5
- Land Rover Range Rover Sport vs BMW X3
- Land Rover Range Rover Sport vs Land Rover Range Rover
Frequently asked questions
›Is the Land Rover Discovery or the Land Rover Range Rover Sport more reliable?
The Land Rover Range Rover Sport. Like for like on age and mileage, the Land Rover Discovery fails its MOT about 12% more often (reliability scores 148 and 132, where 100 is average). 20.3% of Land Rover Range Rover Sports and 25.4% of Land Rover Discoverys failed first time in 2024.
›Which is bigger, the Land Rover Discovery or the Land Rover Range Rover Sport?
They're almost the same length (4,956mm and 4,946mm). The Land Rover Discovery has the bigger boot: 922 litres against 647.
›Which is cheaper to buy, the Land Rover Discovery or the Land Rover Range Rover Sport?
The Land Rover Discovery: new prices start at £69,540, £8,080 less than the Land Rover Range Rover Sport (from £77,620). These are manufacturer list prices; dealers and brokers often sell for less.
›Which is cheaper to run, the Land Rover Discovery or the Land Rover Range Rover Sport?
Comparing petrol versions, fuel costs are within £35 a year of each other at 7,500 miles, using typical official economy and current UK average fuel prices.
›Which is safer, the Land Rover Discovery or the Land Rover Range Rover Sport?
Euro NCAP gave the Land Rover Discovery 5 stars (2017) and the Land Rover Range Rover Sport 5 stars (2022). Euro NCAP makes its tests tougher every few years, so ratings from different years aren't directly comparable.
›Should I buy the Land Rover Discovery or the Land Rover Range Rover Sport?
Pick the Land Rover Discovery for the lower price and the bigger boot, or the Land Rover Range Rover Sport for the better MOT record and more performance. The comparison above sets out price, space, performance, safety, running costs and reliability side by side.
Sources: manufacturers' UK specifications and price lists and Euro NCAP (listed on each model's page); DVSA anonymised MOT tests 2024 (Open Government Licence v3.0); Vehicle Certification Agency car fuel data, © Crown copyright, VCA cannot accept liability for its accuracy; fuel prices from the GOV.UK Fuel Finder scheme. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited under each picture.