2016 Land Rover Discovery 4

With two previous owners and just 57,300 miles on the clock, this Land Rover Discovery 4 SDV6 Graphite Limited Edition is finished in Rhodium Silver with a black leather interior.

A late example having been built in June 2016, it has eight services and an advisory-free MoT to its name, so the fact our man reports that ‘CV66 XXM’ drives beautifully comes as little surprise.

Quite possibly the safest and most versatile vehicle you can buy for less than £20,000, we expect this glorious example of British engineering excellence to draw an awful lot of interest. 
 

The Discovery 4 is an imposing thing, isn’t it? With a frontal area that is roughly the same as the white cliffs of Dover, the Rhodium Silver colour makes it looks like it’s been carved from the world’s largest ingot of aluminium.

And this illusion is reinforced by mm-perfect shutlines that look like they’ve been drawn in with a Sharpie and a steady hand. Squat down and peer along the flanks and you’ll search in vain for ripples.

The raised rear roof and tinted rear windows hint at its vast load-carrying ability, while the sidesteps and huge alloy wheels give a sense of the Discovery’s impressive scale.

Truly a go anywhere vehicle that’ll take you from the Scottish Highlands to Harrods with consummate ease and supreme luxury, we’d be surprised if this one has ever tackled anything more challenging than a high kerb.

A vehicle this big could be forgiven the odd scuff around the edges but even these, the four corners of the bumpers and the door mirrors, are blemish-free.

The front and rear numberplates look like they could well be the ones Stratstone fitted when they did the PDI too, and a clear HPI report adds further reassurance that this isn’t a car with an, er, ‘interesting’ story to tell.

It’s the same story with the 19-inch alloy wheels, whose rims are free of serious dinks and scrapes. The wheels are cloaked in matching Bridgestone Dueler HP Sport tyres, which our seller tells us were all replaced less than three months ago, and still have plenty of tread.

We will never get tired of telling you that experience shows that matching high-quality tyres are an infallible sign of a caring and mechanically sympathetic owner who is prepared to spend the appropriate amount in maintaining their car properly.

The lamp lenses are also free of cracks and damage, the badges shine brightly, and the window glazing is free of chips and scratches.

A towbar is fitted.

Flaws, therefore, are few. The plastic door handles are discoloured, there is a small mark on both the rear of the nearside C-pillar and the top of the tailgate, and there are some dinks to the lower edge of the nearside rear door.
 

The interior sports the same purposeful luxury-vibe as the coachwork, with chunky and durable fittings sprinkled amidst soft leather seats and high-end trim. It’s a compelling combination that’s further underpinned by the presence of switches and controls for the complex four-wheel-drive system.

It too belies its age: With barely a mark to the seven leather seats – two in the front, three abreast in the middle, and two natty fold-down seats in the boot, all of which have good legroom and three-point seatbelts – it could belong to a vehicle that’s five years old rather than almost twice that.

It’s stuffed to the gunnels with toys too including heated and electrically adjustable front seats, Bluetooth connectivity as part of the comprehensive infotainment system that includes sat-nav, air-conditioning, steering wheel controls for audio and cruise control, electric windows and mirrors, and much more.

So much more in fact that Land Rover felt the need to produce a series of videos to explain it all: There are no fewer than five for Driver Aids, plus another 19 for Infotainment…

There are also various modes for tackling sand and snow and mud and goodness what else, plus adjustable height suspension, Hill Descent Control, and even live schematics on the dashboard showing you what’s happening underneath you.

It’s all very clever and the seller tells us that everything works as it should.

The headlining is clean and taut too, the carpets are free of both stains and holes thanks to the presence of some of the most heavy-duty rubber mats we’ve ever seen, and every single button on the complex dashboard still boasts vibrant white lettering.

Even the boot, whose capacity varies from Ford Ka to Ford Transit depending on how you’ve configured the seats, is pristine.

In fact, apart from some scratches to the hard plastic trim in the boot, the only job we spotted is to clean the B-pillar trim around the driver’s seat belt.
 

The printout from Land Rover that forms part of the history file records the following services:

•    12.06.2025 and 53,480 miles – service by Klassicks Motor Company including a change of cambelt, fresh brake fluid, and all new filters including pollen and fuel
•    04.10.2023 and 45,742 miles – service by Bixter Garage
•    05.09.2022 and 41,123 miles – service by Bixter Garage
•    13.09.2021 and 36,205 miles – service by Bixter Garage
•    05.10.2020 and 31,407 miles – service by Hatfields Land Rover
•    14.11.2019 and 27,553 miles – service by Hatfields Land Rover
•    07.12.2018 and 17,987 miles – service by Hatfields Land Rover
•    01.12.2017 and 8,678 miles – service by Hatfields Land Rover
•    24.06.2016 and 10 miles – pre-delivery inspection by Stratstone

As you can see, it starts with an almost imperceptible murmur, idles well, revs freely, and does it all without triggering any warning lights or making any untoward noise or smoke.

The engine bay is clean enough that we can’t see anyone feeling the need to improve it any further.

As for the underside, it too is in a good condition but there are places where the underseal has peeled away, exposing some rust. We doubt it is anything more than superficial now, but it would be prudent to get it caught and re-protected as soon as possible.

The spare wheel looks unused.

Both sidesteps are marked and corroded, with the nearside being the worst. We suspect replacements are on the cards.
 

The Discovery’s MoT, which is valid until June 2026, was issued with no advisories.

The recent Vehicle History Check is clear, it has two key fobs, the Land Rover wallet and book pack, the V5 registration document, and a print-out conforming its impressive service history. 
 

Many think the late-model Discovery 4s are the best vehicles Land Rover has built in recent years, largely because the high-tech solutions the firm adopted actually made the vehicle more effective; they were specified by engineers, not marketeers.

This one is a fine, well-maintained example of the breed too. It’s also finished in a great colour combination and is very well specified.

And yet, despite all that, we suspect the hammer will fall somewhere between £16,000 and £20,000, which is a pitifully small sum to pay for a vehicle that’ll tow 3.5 tonnes thanks to a whopping 442lb.ft of torque, sit on the motorway at three-figure speeds all day, crack the 0-62mph sprint in under ten seconds, return 30mpg in everyday use, seat seven in luxury, provide battle-tank protection, and conquer the Eiger before breakfast.

Versatile doesn’t even begin to cover it.

In fact, it might just be the only vehicle you will ever need. 

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