1999 Land Rover Discovery Series II Sport Utility Vehicle Reviews & Ratings

The interior of the Discovery has been completely redesigned for 1999, lowering British eccentricity to tolerable levels while increasing convenience and comfort. Window switches have been rearranged into a more logical layout. A new automatic climate control provides separate temperature controls for driver and passenger and is easier to reach and adjust than before. (Rear air conditioning controls are available for $750.) The steering wheel and instrument cluster have been redesigned. Optional seat heaters and windshield add warmth in the winter.

Interior stowage abounds with a center console bin, glove box, front and rear door pockets, overhead net storage units and map pockets and front-seatback storage pockets. There's a 12-volt accessory socket in the cargo area. A retractable cover hides valuables in the cargo area. Cargo nets, tie-downs, and grab-handles are everywhere.

The tall driver's position affords excellent visibility. The top of the windshield has been raised making it easier to see traffic signals overhead. There's lots of headroom. Rear-seat passengers sit higher and can view the world through expansive side windows, upper alpine windows and their own sunroof.

The Discovery comes standard with cloth, but nearly all come with the optional leather interior, which is part of the $1950 Appearance Package that includes wood trim, an 11-speaker harman/kardon stereo and special 16-inch alloy wheels.

The step up to Discovery's interior is a big one and getting into the back seats is a bit of a squeeze. Once back there, rear-seat comfort has been improved with increased legroom and a redesigned seat cushion. Optional foldaway seats provide room for two additional passengers in the cargo area; these are front-facing seats with cleverly designed head restraints and three-point seat belts with seatbelt pretensioners. They fold out of the way when not in use. With the optional rear seats, the Discovery can seat seven passengers. It's most comfortable with four.

Overall, the interior is luxurious with a leather-wrapped steering wheel, steering wheel-mounted cruise control, dual-zone climate control with outside temperature reading, power windows, mirrors and locks, keyless/remote security system, rear window washer and wiper, halogen headlamps with washers, a premium AM/FM/cassette stereo with weather band.

We drove the Discovery Series II on what Land Rover called "the world's longest new car test drive." To celebrate its 50th anniversary and to show off its capabilities, Land Rover organized a 20,000-mile trek around the globe. Automotive writers were organized into tag teams. My section was from London to Turkey, a journey of nearly 3,000 miles that us through 11 countries.

We drove down smooth highways, over busted pavement, through challenging off-road sections. We whisked down Germany's high-speed Autobahn, traversed Romania's high-altitude Carpathian Mountains and traveled along Bulgaria's single-lane dirt tracks on the first leg of this planet circumnavigation. Because this was an expedition, our Discovery was heavily loaded with cargo and gear and pulled a trailer loaded with even more equipment.

Our Discovery was a stock model right off the assembly line. It performed flawlessly -- not just on our leg, but throughout the event.

The most obvious improvements to the Series II have to do with its on-road performance. Ride quality is much closer to Land Rover's higher-priced, luxurious Range Rover models. Part of the reason for this is that some of the Discovery's new parts are based on Range Rover designs.

The new Discovery handles so well; it's a night-and-day improvement over the previous generation. Steering is more responsive with greater driver feel. We were very impressed with the optional Active Cornering Enhancement system. With the reduced body lean, driving down winding roads was pleasant with crisp response -- in spite of our heavily laden condition. (Ordered without ACE, the Discovery still offers vastly improved handling over the previous version.)

The revised engine delivers more torque than last year (251 foot-pounds at 2,600 rpm -- an 18-pound increase). There's also a noticeable improvement in braking performance, a benefit of the 4-channel ABS with Electronic Brake Distribution.

A leader in off-road prowess, the Discovery Series II offers exceptional wheel travel with excellent articulation. So when the left front wheel drops into a big hole, the right rear wheel is less likely to lift off the ground. Discovery features a high ground clearance (8.2 inches under the front axle), generous angles of approach and departure, and is capable of wading through 20 inches of water.

It can tow a 5,500-pound trailer and comes with an integral Class III tow hitch receiver. With the Self Leveling Suspension, a hand-held control gave us the ability to lower the rear of the Series II up to 4 inches, which made loading gear into the cargo area and connecting the trailer much easier. We used the SLS switch on the instrument panel to raise the rear of the Series II by 1.6 inches for off-road forays. Hill Descent Control was a Godsend on treacherous downhill sections.