IT'S hard to believe, but the Land Rover Discovery has now been pleasing country and town folk alike for thirty years.

Most drivers who use one solely on the road love the high driving position and the feeling of safety the big Disco gives.

And they have little or no idea of the amazing abilities their marvellous 4x4 has on a road covered in deep snow or when it leaves the tarmac behind to venture into the wilds.

This is a machine that can take you safely up one side of a mountain and down the other. It will conquer seemingly impossible slopes, get you through flood or river water nearly a metre deep or pull you out when you stray into serious mud.

It will tow the largest caravan or trailer weighing up to three and a half tonnes, and yet despite being so immensely capable, it will also keep you comfortable over the worst of roads or long journeys.

It combines these excellent driving abilities with seven seat versatility and loads of storage all around the cabin.

Various models have won a total of more than 300 awards around the world over the past 30 years, and have a combined sale of 1.7 million.

The traditional Discovery all-surface capability is managed by All Terrain Progress Control, which enables drivers to set and maintain a steady speed in challenging conditions.

This is available alongside the company's Terrain Response 2, which gives a range of driving modes designed to tackle the worst of conditions or weather.

The range since 2017 is pretty complicated, with about 12 different models and a total of eight power outputs - not all of which are available in every trim.

However, all have the same excellent eight speed automatic gearbox, which really suits the ambiance of such a vehicle and works beautifully.

Petrol models will return a very best of 26 miles per gallon, while the diesels will do between 32 and 39.

The diesel models are the best sellers by a big margin and will therefore be the majority on the secondhand market.

They start with the 2.0-litre SD4 turbo which has 236bhp and gets to 60miles an hour from rest in 8.4 seconds, and this is followed by a range of 3.0- litre six cylinder units.

The lowest powered of these is the 3.0 D250, which has 245bhp and covers the sprint in 7.8 seconds. This is followed by the 3.0 TDV6, which has 254bhp and gets to 60 in 7.7.

Finally comes the 3.0 D300 with 295bhp and a sprint time of 6.6 seconds.

Petrol models start with the 2.0-litre Si4 turbo, which boasts 295bhp and a zero to 60 ttime of 7.5 seconds.

Then comes the Si6 six cylinder 3.0-litre that has 335bhp and brings up the sprint in 6.9 seconds, and this is followed by another version of the same unit - the 3.0 P360 - with 354bhp and a 0 to 60 time of 6.3.

There is plenty of acceleration from any speed in all models as you can see, thanks to the smooth, powerful engines, which have loads of low speed pulling power.

The acceleration is very good, but the high driving position fools you into thinking it's not that quick.

Despite its size and heft, the Discovery is a lovely car to drive on the road, majoring on the comfortable ride, and yet with handling and roadholding that inspire confidence in the driver.

Mid-range SE spec has most of what anyone would like to have including audio remote control, voice activation, loads of airbags, traction control, premium sound system, sat nav, parking sensors, alarm and heated mirrors.

They also have big alloys, leather trim for the heated electric front seats, headlight washers, and cruise control.

Pay about £23,750 for a '19 19-reg SE SD4, or £50,000 for a '21 21-reg R-Dynamic SE P300.