Should you buy one?

The Land Rover Discovery is outstanding in many areas and as a car for large families, it’s near unbeatable. We can heartily recommend buying one if you need a seven-seater with oodles of space and near peerless off-road potential.

The elephant in the room is the presence of the brilliant Land Rover Defender 130, which does all of the above, and has a cooler image. Yes, it doesn’t have the luxury of Discovery, but its desirability might be enough to tip it for some people.

If you don’t need all of that off-roading ability, the BMW X7 is the one to choose. It’s better to drive and works just as well as a seven seater.

What we like

The superbly comfortable ride and the sheer amount of interior space. It really is also a brilliant tow car, and has genuine off-road ability.

What we don’t like

Few would argue that Land Rover quality and reliability are not what they should be, and although the firm says it’s improved in this model, this is still a facet that casts a dark shadow over the brand. It’s also not as economical or as green as its rivals, and there are only mild hybrid engine options.