Land Rover Discovery running costs aren’t going to be cheap, particularly if you’re choosing the (now discontinued) V8, for which fuel economy is under 20mpg in everyday driving.

The 3.0-litre diesels are better for fuel consumption and versions with the 8-speed automatic launched in 2011 better still, though rival 4x4s can still offer cheaper running costs.

However, Land Rover has reduced servicing costs compared with the previous model and it holds onto its value better than other similar cars, thanks to the appeal of the Land Rover badge and the strong following the Discovery has in the UK.

Improved fuel economy for 2014

For 2014, Land Rover’s engineers manage to tease greater fuel efficiency out of the SDV6 diesel engine, which now averages a claimed 35mpg. That’s aided by a stop/start system fitted as standard, which cuts the engine when stationary in traffic. Carbon dioxide emissions were improved too – see below for details.

It’s little surprise that a heavy, large 4x4 scored badly on the environmental front, not helped by the fact that it was originally available with a thirsty V8 petrol engine. This was discontinued in 2007 and the line-up was made all diesel.

On older models, the best Land Rover Discovery emissions figures belong to the 3.0 SDV6 which emits less CO2 than the 2.7-litre at 244g/km while fuel economy is 31mpg.

The 8-speed automatic version (introduced in 2011) reduce emissions further down to 230g/km while the stop/start-equipped 2014 model has seen emissions come down again to 213g/km of CO2, meaning far cheaper VED costs.

Historically, Land Rover Discovery reliability has not been that great, with many problem cars on the road. However, this model is a clean break with previous models and is proving to be very reliable. Some electrical problems have been reported in owners’ reviews on parkers.co.uk, though nothing major has cropped up.