It could be because of its superb flexibility that the Discovery is often subjected to demeaning minivan duties. I had to wait for nearly a month before I had the right vehicle to pick up a propane barbeque my dear Mom was tossing away. Pulling up I could see her wince at the very thought of putting the rusty old thing into this leather clad luxury truck, but after opening its rear 'barn' door and witnessing the gaping cargo area for herself, she felt like I was committing less sacrilege. The optional rear seats lift out of the way easily, needing to be strapped to both sides as they're split in two, but the space that opens up is cavernous. With the lid removed the BBQ fit in without a hitch, plus the tank and a bag of dirty old cooking utensils.
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| The optional rear seats lift out of the way easily, needing to be strapped to both sides as they're split in two, but the space that opens up is cavernous. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
Fortunately Discovery's ride is exceptionally smooth, really. Even over bumpy surfaces the BBQ didn't hop around or cause me any concern of tipping over. Land Rover has included handy tie-downs in the cargo area that made sure the latter scenario didn't occur, and I took it pretty easy as it was.
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| With a low center of gravity, a beneficial byproduct of its overwhelmingly rugged frame and lightweight aluminum body panels, the Discovery is surprisingly agile. (Photo: Shawn Pisio, Canadian Auto Press) |
Without the propane monstrosity in the cargo bay, the Discovery is surprisingly agile. Its adept handling has much to do with a low center of gravity, a beneficial byproduct of its overwhelmingly rugged frame and lightweight aluminum body panels.
At speed it punches through the air with the aerodynamic qualities of a postal van, therefore wind noise is ever present. Still, despite its blunt profile, the Discovery stays planted firmly on the tarmac, only suffering from crosswinds during storms or when traveling at extremely high speed, a truly stupid thing to do. Remember grade school science class; velocity + mass + lateral acceleration = kaboom! OK, maybe you didn't take that in high school, but it's just common sense people.
