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Land Rover Discovery Sport vs Range Rover Evoque: which is the better used buy?

On DVSA MOT records the Range Rover Evoque is the more reliable used buy: measured against cars of the same age, it comes out 2.9 percentage points ahead of the Land Rover Discovery Sport on first-time MOT passes. That comparison covers 32,887 real tests across every generation on the road, not a survey. A pass with rectification at the station counts as a pass here, and as a failure in DVSA's own initial-test measure.

MOT first-time pass rate

Counted from DVSA’s anonymised MOT test records. “vs age-matched” compares each model against what the national fleet scores at the same age — the only fair better-or-worse number, because an older fleet fails more whatever its build quality.

Land Rover Discovery Sport
Pass rate84.5%
Age-matched national83.4%
Difference+1.1
Tests12,812
Range Rover Evoque
Pass rate85.1%
Age-matched national81.2%
Difference+4.0
Tests20,075

These figures count every generation still on the road, not only the one described below: mostly Land Rover Discovery Sports registered 2015–2022 and Range Rover Evoques registered 2011–2022.

Source: DVSA MOT Anonymised Data 2025 (Open Government Licence v3.0). National first-time pass rate 77.3%. Class 4 tests in Great Britain, test type NT (a normal annual test), retests excluded. A pass, or a pass with rectification at the station, counts as a first-time pass; DVSA's own initial-test measure counts a rectified pass as a failure and so reports a lower figure. Testing in Northern Ireland is run separately by the DVA under its own rules. The difference is worked out before rounding, so it can be 0.1 away from the two rounded figures beside it.

Land Rover Discovery Sport

L550 (2015–2026) · A premium, five/seven-seat compact SUV positioned below the full-size Discovery in Land Rover's range, competing with the Audi Q5, BMW X3 and Volvo XC60.

The Land Rover Discovery Sport (L550, 2015–2026) is one where owners most often report air-con, engine-electric and infotainment faults. The key check is a cold start on the 2.0 Ingenium diesel: a timing-chain rattle is an early warning. Whatever the year, buy on a full service history with the recall work done: the DVSA MOT table on this page does not rate 2015–2017 cars below other cars of their age.

What goes wrong

  • Safety recall R/2024/146recall
    Security Enhancement
    87,669 vehicles of this model (DVSA’s figures added up) · built between 6 March 2015 and 10 June 2019
    Large recall — 87,669 vehicles. Check a car by registration on GOV.UK.
  • Safety recall R/2020/322recall
    An electrical overload may cause a failure of the metal ozide semiconductor field effect transistor
    45,275 vehicles in the whole recall (DVSA’s figure for every model it covers) · built between 25 May 2018 and 2 October 2020
    Large recall — 45,275 vehicles. Check a car by registration on GOV.UK.
  • Engine — timing chain (2.0 Ingenium diesel)critical
    A rattle or chain-slap noise on cold start that quietens as the engine warms up; in advanced cases, an engine warning light, rough running, or sudden loss of power. If the chain jumps timing or snaps, this can mean catastrophic engine damage.
    2015–2018, concentrated on the earliest Ingenium diesel units introduced from September 2015; isolated reports continue on later diesels · Reports from as low as 40,000–60,000 miles, though failures have occurred later — treat any cold-start rattle as urgent regardless of mileage · Roughly £1,800–£2,500 at an independent specialist for chain, tensioner, guides and seals; £4,000+ for a replacement or rebuilt engine if the fault is ignored and it fails
    Check: Listen to a cold start (ideally the car's first start of the day) for 10–15 seconds for any rattle before it settles; check the service history for any chain-related work or oil-dilution checks; check oil level and condition.
  • Transmission — 9-speed automatic gearboxmajor
    Hesitation pulling away from a standstill, jerky or delayed gearchanges, harsh kickdown, or occasionally the gearbox defaulting into neutral with a warning message.
    Reported across the range on automatic cars, 2015–2023 · Can appear from relatively low mileage; most reports come from cars beyond 30,000–40,000 miles still on original transmission fluid · Often free–£200 for a software reflash and adaptation reset at a dealer or specialist; £1,500–£3,000+ for a mechatronic unit or gearbox replacement if the fault is a wiring/sensor issue inside the unit
    Check: On the test drive, pull away from a stop several times and try a full-throttle kickdown; feel for hesitation, jerkiness or a flare before a gear engages. Ask when the transmission fluid was last changed.
Typical asking price:
£6,995–£17,990, median £11,995 (middle 80% and median, cars on Autoza on 1 October 2026)
Fuel economy:
2.0 eD4/TD4 diesel: 40–47 mpg. 2.0 Si4 petrol: 27–32 mpg. P300e PHEV: 25–35 miles electric range, 30–40 mpg once depleted.
Vehicle tax:
£200/year standard rate from the second year, hybrids included — the alternative-fuel discount ended on 1 April 2025. A car registered from April 2017 with a list price over £40,000 when new adds the £440/year Expensive Car Supplement in years 2–6 (£640 in all). Cars registered 2001–2017 pay a CO2 band, roughly £20–£790/year (2026/27 rates).
Best years:
2023
Used Land Rover Discovery Sports for saleFull Discovery Sport fault guideUsed Land Rovers

Range Rover Evoque

L538 2011–2018 and L551 2019–on · premium compact SUV

The Evoque is desirable and expensive to run, and the risk concentrates in the engine. The 2.0 Ingenium diesel timing chain and oil pump drive is the one owners and workshops report most, and it is the reason a full service history with the right oil matters more here than on most cars. There are also several DVSA recalls on the first generation, mostly around fuel lines and engine wiring — check by registration. Budget for running costs at premium-SUV level, not compact-SUV level.

What goes wrong

  • Safety recall R/2024/146recall
    Security Enhancement
    80,305 vehicles of this model (DVSA’s figures added up) · built between 13 March 2015 and 23 November 2018
    Large recall — 80,305 vehicles. Check a car by registration on GOV.UK.
  • Safety recall R/2025/252recall
    Land Rover Range Rover Evoque Inappropriate Passenger Airbag Deployment
    48,997 vehicles of this model (DVSA’s figures added up) · built between 6 September 2019 and 9 December 2024
    Large recall — 48,997 vehicles. Check a car by registration on GOV.UK.
  • Engine — 2.0 Ingenium diesel timing chain and oil pump drivecritical
    A rattle on start-up, or in the worst reported cases a chain or oil pump drive failure with major engine damage.
    Ingenium diesel · £2,500–£6,000 if it has already let go
    Check: This is the one to spend your inspection time on. Cold-start it yourself, ask for the full service record, and check the oil specification used at every service — the reported pattern links strongly to servicing. Frequency is not published and most cars never show it, so treat it as the question that decides the purchase rather than a fault the car has.
  • Engine — diesel oil dilution and DPF regenerationmajor
    Rising oil level, warning lights, or a car that never completes a regeneration.
    Diesel, short-journey use · £200–£1,500 depending on what it has done to the engine
    Check: Ask what the car is used for. A diesel Evoque doing short cold trips is the reported worst case; the same car on longer runs is usually fine. Check the oil level against the dipstick maximum.
Typical asking price:
£6,990–£20,950, median £12,995 (middle 80% and median, cars on Autoza on 1 October 2026)
Fuel economy:
38–45 mpg real-world for the 2.0 diesel; materially less for the petrol
Vehicle tax:
£200/year standard rate from the second year, hybrids included — the alternative-fuel discount ended on 1 April 2025. A car registered from April 2017 with a list price over £40,000 when new adds the £440/year Expensive Car Supplement in years 2–6 (£640 in all). Cars registered 2001–2017 pay a CO2 band, roughly £20–£790/year (2026/27 rates).
Best years:
2019, 2021
Years to avoid:
2011, 2012
Used Range Rover Evoques for saleFull Evoque fault guideUsed Land Rovers

Which one suits you

Land Rover Discovery Sport

Good for: Buyers wanting genuine 7-seat practicality and off-road ability with a premium badge, and prepared to budget for Land Rover-specific servicing. A 2019+ Ingenium-engined car with full main-dealer or specialist history is the safer buy.

Less good for: Anyone without a specialist pre-purchase inspection budgeted in — this is one of the more electrically and mechanically complex cars in this price range. A pre-2018 car without a fully stamped service history.

Range Rover Evoque

Good for: Buyers who want the badge and the driving position and who will pay for a full service history with documented oil specification.

Less good for: Short-journey diesel use, and anyone buying without the service record — on this car the history is the purchase.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is more reliable, the Land Rover Discovery Sport or the Range Rover Evoque?
The Range Rover Evoque. Measured against cars of the same age, it comes out 2.9 percentage points ahead of the Land Rover Discovery Sport on first-time MOT passes, across 32,887 DVSA-recorded tests covering every generation on the road. A pass with rectification at the station counts as a pass here, and as a failure in DVSA's own initial-test measure.
How do the MOT pass rates of the Land Rover Discovery Sport and the Range Rover Evoque compare?
84.5% of Land Rover Discovery Sports pass their MOT first time (12,812 tests in DVSA's records) and 85.1% of Range Rover Evoques pass their MOT first time (20,075 tests). The national first-time rate is 77.3%, but cars of the Land Rover Discovery Sport's age average 83.4% and cars of the Range Rover Evoque's age 81.2% — so the Land Rover Discovery Sport runs 1.1 points better than its age group and the Range Rover Evoque runs 4.0 points better than its own. A pass with rectification at the station counts as a pass here, and as a failure in DVSA's own initial-test measure.
Which years of the Land Rover Discovery Sport and Range Rover Evoque should I avoid?
Land Rover Discovery Sport: The 2015–2017 launch cars combined the least mature version of the Ingenium diesel engine (introduced partway through 2015) with first-generation InControl Touch Pro infotainment software — the two most-reported problem areas in owner forums and reliability surveys — plus DVSA recalls R/2016/302 (engine wiring harness, cars built July–October 2015) and R/2016/303 (seat-belt pretensioner, built July–October 2016). Buyers should be especially thorough checking service history and recall status on cars from this period. The DVSA MOT table on this page rates 2015, 2016 and 2017 registrations above all cars registered those years, so they are not named as years to avoid. Judge a Discovery Sport by its registration, service history and the checks below rather than by year. Range Rover Evoque: The oldest L538 cars have had the longest opportunity for deferred maintenance and the highest mileages. Recall exposure is not the reason: DVSA lists no Evoque recall covering a car built before April 2013, and the recalls named on this page cover 2015–2018 builds, so a 2011–2012 car is no more likely to have an open recall than a 2015 one.
Is the Land Rover Discovery Sport or the Range Rover Evoque cheaper to run?
On fuel it depends on the engine, and for a plug-in or electric version on whether you can charge at home. Land Rover Discovery Sport: 2.0 eD4/TD4 diesel: 40–47 mpg. 2.0 Si4 petrol: 27–32 mpg. P300e PHEV: 25–35 miles electric range, 30–40 mpg once depleted. Range Rover Evoque: 38–45 mpg real-world for the 2.0 diesel; materially less for the petrol. For cars registered from April 2017, vehicle tax works the same way for both: the £200/year standard rate from the second year, hybrids included, plus the £440/year Expensive Car Supplement in years 2–6 on a car that listed at over £40,000 new — the price when new, not what you pay for it used. Any Land Rover Discovery Sport or Range Rover Evoque registered between 1 March 2001 and 31 March 2017 pays a CO2 band instead, roughly £20–£790/year (2026/27 rates). Insurance differs mainly by driver and postcode rather than by model, so treat any model-level insurance figure with caution.

MOT figures are counted from DVSA records and are the only measured statistic here. Prices, economy and tax bands are indicative and vary by specification, condition and where the car has lived. Last reviewed: 2026-09-24 / 2026-09-24.