Millennial Mom’s Review: 2021 Land Rover Discovery

With the help of fellow Girl Guides moms, I found all the secret pockets in this luxury SUV

When my seven-year-old’s friend’s mom asked if we were interested in joining Girl Guides (Brownies for her age group) with them, I was all-in without having any details, other than the fact that she would get to hang out with a friend who isn’t in her class this year (and I would get out of the house for an hour once a week).

I didn’t realize how often the kids would meet outside, and in turn, how often we’d all be eaten alive by mosquitoes — apparently mosquitoes love moms hanging out in lawn chairs in a parking lot while waiting for their kids.

Not wanting to take the chances of being bitten again or having to deal with the potential of rain, several of us moms decided we’d convene in one car. Recently I excitedly messaged in our Brownies group chat on WhatsApp: “Sit in mine! Pick it apart and tell me what you like and don’t like so I can write about it next week.”

Have you ever seen those memes about moms not being able to finish a conversation without getting distracted by something else (usually a kid)? If not, you probably don’t follow as many parent-related Instagram accounts as I do (if any at all). Well, for those who aren’t easily distracted by memes across social media platforms, I’ll just let you know it was extremely difficult for us to stay on the topic of reviewing this vehicle.

After dropping off the girls, we walked back to the parking lot. “It’s so pretty. I love the colour,” says Mom Two. I’m also a fan of this chunky-looking $92,555 SUV that’s loaded with features. It’s big and bulky but doesn’t feel big while I’m driving. I’m not really a fan of the Namib Orange paint (an extra $1,900) but it’s different and in a sea of bland-coloured cars, I can appreciate this pop of colour.

I tell Mom One and Two to sit in the front seats, as I’ve already checked it out and I’m interested in their opinions; plus it’ll give me a chance to check out the back seats.

“Oh, this isn’t for short people,” says Mom Two, and I totally agree, as we all had to climb into the tall vehicle — a pop-out step would’ve been nice, but I guess most people don’t have this issue.

As the car starts, the driver’s seat begins moving up and forward with Mom Two. I had previously set the first memory button to my preferred seat settings, and since I was the last person in the driver’s seat, it was moving back into my position. Luckily, all three of us aren’t considerably tall, so no one’s legs were squashed mid-adjustment.

Beside the front passenger’s seat are also memory buttons to save seat settings. Personally, I would save one setting for the first 30 seconds of being in a car with my family, also known as “the calm before the storm.” Then, I’d use the second setting to lock in a position where I’m as far back as possible that I’m not squishing any little legs behind me, but can also reach the kids to pass snacks, tissues, my phone, whatever is necessary in the given moment. In a sense, it’s an awesome family feature.

I often wonder about car manufacturers that claim they’ve spoken to target markets and conclude they’ve created a vehicle with families in mind. Why wasn’t I targeted? And where are these so-called family-friendly features?