I had to take my '21 Defender 110 in to the dealer so they can replace my steering wheel, since the heater coil went bad. I got a 2024 Discovery S P300. I had a 2017 D5 HSE Luxury Si6 for five years and I miss it. I replaced it with a 2023 Porsche Macan S, as I didn't need a full-size three-row SUV anymore and decided to get something fun, fast, and practical. I'll probably be driving this D5 for a week or so.

A few observations on this D5 after driving it around all morning, and I'll update this post it if I have any more observations while I have it:

- The P300 I4 doesn't feel as strong as the one in my Defender. The throttle response on this one isn't as responsive and it feels a little bit sluggish compared to my Defender. My guess is it feels like this because the transmission hasn't adapted to my driving style. It is still plenty adequate for the car and it is exceptionally smooth for an I4, but the P360 is the way to go. I test drove one when they came out and it is butter-smooth, genuinely quick and offers better fuel economy thanks to the MHEV system and the fact that it doesn't have to work as hard as the I4. I think the P360 I6 is objectively a better engine than the old AJ133 supercharged V6, but the I6 doesn't sound as good nor as it as responsive as the old supercharged engine despite the MHEV electric supercharger. Also, the only way to get the two-speed transfer case and rear diff is on the P360.

- The rear seat cushion redesign is so much better. It is comfortable and no longer feels like a leather-wrapped park bench.

- Still has the adjustable armrests and the Terrain Response controller, both of which are absent from the Defender and I really miss those features. (although the Defender's climate control dial acts as the TR control).

- The air suspension controls have moved to the screen. It was much better having buttons on the center console.

- This is the base model and it has about 90% of the features as my old top-trim HSE Luxury as standard.

- Interior trim on this one is the DuoLeather with the neoprene dashboard and door panels. It isn't as nice as my old D5 which had Windsor leather seats, dash and door panels - that had Range Rover levels of interior quality, but this is still plenty nice. I much prefer the satin grey center console trim to the piano gloss black that the old ones had. Piano gloss has no right to be in a car. It looks like **** five minutes after you clean it. Also, they don't offer they gloss charcoal oak trim that I had on mine. Hell, you can only get wood trim on the S and SE, not the top-trim Metropolitan Edition.

- This one has the standard 400w 12-speaker Meridian sound system. It replaces the old 380w system and now includes a center channel for surround sound, even though it doesn't have the Meridian Trifield software. It sounds good, but the bass response isn't as good as it used to be. I have bass and the subwoofer all the way up and it is only just acceptable. I had bass up a few ticks and subwoofer 3/4 up in my old D5, which had the 825w Meridian Surround. I run similar settings to my old D5 in my Defender, which also has the 400w system. The clarity of this system is a little better than mine with the 825w, but the dynamic range is inferior. Some of the Meridian systems aren't as good as they used to be, and this is one of them.

- No more powered inner tailgate. It appears that it is only available on the Metropolitan Edition. Regardless, this doesn't have it.

- There is not a switch for the EPB. It still automatically comes on, but if you want to deactivate it, you put your foot on the brake and hold down the park button next to the shifter.

- Pivi Pro is vastly superior to the old InControl Touch Pro system. The 11.4" screen is perfectly integrated into the dash, is quick to respond to inputs and has excellent graphics. The voice control is also better than in my D5. The HVAC controls are also an improvement - super easy to use and logical. The relocation of the volume dial in front of the shifter is an ergonomic nightmare. It is awkward to reach in front of the shifter to the console to change the volume. Should've kept it on the climate panel (which still opens up).

- Ride quality is also better than in my old HSE Luxury. The Adaptive Dynamics allows for better body control, and there isn't as much body roll. I didn't find this to be an issue on my old D5, but it is better in the new one. The dampers are also a bit softer, so the ride is smoother and I don't have any of the choppiness over rough pavement that I had in my old one, despite the 21" wheels. My old one had 20" wheels.

- Still has that annoying seatbelt rattle from the second row as my old one every time you go over rough pavement. Still never figured out what the root cause of that rattle was.

- No longer has the foot activated tailgate. That was a nice feature, but the sensors on the side of the rear bumper was unorthodox.


I still think the D5 is objectively the better choice for most people who cross-shop it with the Defender. I get it, the Defender looks better, is marginally more capable and, let's face it - it is just a lot cooler; but the D5 still has its place. It is a better family vehicle even compared to the Defender 130 IMO. It has more cargo space, a much more comfortable (and genuinely usable) third-row, it is noticeably quieter compared to Defender, still the most capable in the segment (excluding the Defender and as long as you have the two-speed transfer case) and has an excellent interior layout with top-notch luxurious materials. Not to mention it is an excellent tow vehicle as well and the tech is no longer from 2015. I still think the tailgate looks like its having a stroke, but with that exception, it is still a handsome design and has aged well despite being revealed over eight years ago. I always tell people to go and test drive one, but they always end up with a Defender, a Q7, an Escalade, an X7 or god forbid - a Volvo XC90. I get it - it looks too much like an Explorer, and I'm sure we all agree that the LR4 that came before was a better looking and better had better interior packaging, but I still think that's a rather dumb excuse, but people seem to only buy cars based on looks alone. I wouldn't replace my Defender with another Discovery as it fits my needs perfectly, but the Discovery is still my top choice for a three-row luxury SUV. It really is the full package and those who own or have owned one know that.


I've attached a few photos of my loaner and my old D5 below.









My old D5:

 

Think this sums it up well and what I came across in my search to replace my previous LR3. Sure a 110/130 looks better but the space efficiency and value prop is not there relative to a D5. I put much blame to Land Rover for ignoring the Discovery nameplate while introducing the new Defender around the same point in time.

 

I can tell you that this is not the case whatsoever. The Discovery most certainly wasn't ignored. They put in their full effort developing and engineering the D5. They also did a lot of marketing for it when it came out. I saw a ton of TV and internet ads when it went on sale. Plus, the design out a lot of people off. The Defender came out 3 1/2 years after the D5 went on sale, but I think everyone went for it solely based on the looks and the fact that it was a complete reboot for the model line after a four-year production hiatus. The world was eagerly-awaiting a new Defender. The hype was always going to be bigger around the Defender.

 

Thank you CincyRovers for posting this. We are still looking at around at 130s to replace out D5 since it has been down due to the bad gasoline. I do like the 130 but I agree that the D5 does seem to be a more comfortable family hauler in the long run. I have been lucky and my insurance company has agreed to cover the cost of the repair for the D5 for a new engine. The problem is we are at the threshold of costs before they decide if they will junk it or not, but they are taking into consideration all the modifications I did do the vehicle. If they fix it, we still might get the 130 just for the fact of having a v8 and towing our RV. The wife likes idea of having the D5 as her run around town car and then making our LR4 into her off road toy.

 

Great write-up and agree mostly with what you said.

I always want to like the Defender more when I'm in one, but since I don't spend weekends rock-crawling, it just doesn't make much sense to me over the D5 for daily city use, it always feels like one is compromising on something with it. whether it's cargo room, ride or cabin poshness. you have to g too a 130 to be in the same ballpark for space and that thing is huge.

I do like the look of the Defender, as my first SUV crush was a Mitsubishi Montero in the 1980's.

But the Disco for another model year appears to remain in limbo. Someone at JLR recently hinted that the future of it may be more in line with an MPV (I'm thinking M-B R-Class or Lucid Gravity). that may make sense to even more differentiate it from the Defender.

 

I'm glad you like the Disco and see how it's a bit different than the 110!
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It IS a great family hauler! Drove about 1k miles over two fall break weekends. One camping up a 15 mile gravel trail and the other to Lexington, Kentucky and back! I seem to remember the Rover sales guy couldn't even fit in the 3rd row of the 110 when we tested it out while a car seat was in the 2nd row. He had to sit across the rear seats 🤦 Disco is laid out with an actually usable 3rd row. 4 kiddos and plenty of gear. Everyone was comfortable! The truck glided up the rutted gravel road and elegantly rolled down on the way home - all the kids fell asleep it was so comfortable!

Fortunately (&#128517 it broke down after my trip and not during. Waiting to hear back from the warranty co...failed crossover coolant line dumped a lot of coolant a day after I got home and a failing high pressure gas pump. I'm glad it didn't overheat! 😬 2018, 55k miles, new to me since Nov 22, 36k miles

 

It is an excellent vehicle! Like I said, I had one for a little over five years - a 2017 HSE Luxury Si6 - and I still miss it! I had it alongside my Defender for ~2 years and it was interesting driving them back to back and noticing the differences/similarities between them. My crossover pipes went at 37k miles and I was out of warranty at that point. It cost $3k at the indy shop that I use. There are now aftermarket metal pipes that you can get, too. I have posted a list of all the parts needed in this linked thread. It is post #3: https://landroverforums.com/forum/ne...-texas-123534/

 

Thank you for that. I'm asking the Indy shop about switching to aluminum.

 

Off topic, but if you're ever in Lexington again, go to Tony's of Lexington for dinner. It is a steakhouse in downtown on Main St. across from Rupp Arena. The original Tony's is in the outskirts of Cincinnati, less than ten minutes from my house. I go there just about every week and it is by far the best steak I've ever had, and I've gotten to know Tony himself over the years. Since he is originally from Italy, he has a few Italian dishes on the menu, too. I go to Lexington a few times a year to visit my younger sister at UK and always take her and some of her friends to dinner there.

There's also a Jeff Ruby's Steakhouse in Lexington, which is another Cincinnati-based chain. It is a little more expensive and has better desserts than Tony's, and has a great atmosphere, but I prefer Tony's steaks.

 

We walked by there a few times, and it looked great and a busy atmosphere! I found a delicious ribeye with a side of bacon for $20 at Zim's Cafe across the street at the courthouse (carnivore diet win &#128513. Seemed like a more relaxed environment for the kiddos. I hope to go back -Lexington was great! Tony's next time!