Road test: Land Rover Discovery

When you put 800 miles on a vehicle in a week you get to know it pretty well, and a recent drive of Land Rover’s superb Discovery reminds me what a jack-of-all-trades giant this is.

We tested the HSE Lux Spec model, which costs £59,970, on a family trip to Cornwall and its cavernous boot swallowed more clobber than we thought possible. On arrival, all we had to do was empty the boot, erect the rear seats and we had seating for seven.

The Discovery is big and feels a little bulky in central London but you do acclimatise and, with “straight” external lines, it’s easy to place in traffic. As a motorway cruiser, its superb composure and ride make it almost faultless.

It scores highly on comfort, and the three-litre V6 turbocharged diesel ensures you’re never short on power, while delivering a (claimed) combined consumption figure of 36.7mpg.

Particular likes? We did some light off-roading and — of course — it excelled. Best of all, it’s a solidly enjoyable vehicle to drive. Excepting running costs that err on the high side, what’s not to like?