Considering Purchasing a Discovery - need Help

[BrianAg95]

Hi,

i am considering purchasing a Discovery. Discovery is in my top 3. But I have never owned one, nor known anyone who has owned one so I have no first hand knowledge of these vehicles... A lot of my research is making me leary of the vehicle, so I need some hard information from those of you who own them.


1 - I have heard that these require a medium to high amount of maintanence, and tht maintanence is expensive, what's the real deal?

2 - I have read that car seats are difficult to put into the back seat due to the rear wheel well's cutting into the rear seats, true/false/other?

3 - I have read the gas milage is terrible, and that they can be underpowered, hows the engine?

4 - I wanted to only spend 7k tops on a vehicle. so this means I am looking at 97-99 Disco's. What are the differences in these year models?

5 - What else should I know?

Thanks in advance

 

[Mudquest]

There are a lot of folks here that can have some very usefull advice. I recently purchased a used Disco II about three months back because of a new arrival into the family and the infant seat wouldn't fit into the Wranger, so a few of my thoughts are:

Re: 1) Yes. These vehicles need to be maintained well, but they can also treat you well very well too. There are known issues that can be addressed from time to time, but if the engine and drive train are well maintained, you should be in good shape for the most part. Extensive engine repairs, and major mechanical work can be very expensive.

Re: 2) To some, maybe. I've had no problem at all! Like I mentioned, I have an infant seat in the back and our little girl loves the rear sunroof. It sure keeps her busy with passing clouds and things to look at. Not to mention, the dog in far-back loves the freash air and space as well...

Re: 3) Gas milage isn't good. But heck, I was coming from a modified TJ with large tires. I was used to it. Like I said, proper care of the truck does help in this area as well. Premium gas is vital - keep that in consideration.

Re: 4) There are option differences for sure, but since I own a Disco II (2000) I don't know all the differences previous. Some are just cosmetic, but there are a lot of mechanical differences. I beleive the Disco II stared late in '99. There are many Disco I experts on this forum that can be extremely helpful on this topic.

Re: 5) Look the vehicle over extremely well and make sure proper care was given and it was well maintained. Engine noises and fluid leaks are all signs to be taken into serious consideration, as are warning lights on the dash. If taken care of well, they are excellent trucks. But they are British and like thier attention, fluids, and do have occational temper tantrums

Good luck with your search. Enjoy. These trucks have far surperior off-road capabilities.. and heated seats.


Cheers,
J

 

[BrianAg95]

Thanks for the feedback, I have 2 kids in car seats, so it will be important to be able to get them both back there. I should state some other things. I will be living in Denver, and do plan on taking it off road during camping trips in mountains during the summer, though not ********* stuff. And of course ski trips in winter.

Other vehicles in my short list are the cherokee (not grand, I like the boxy classic cherokee's better) and the 4x4 Durango. Both are much less fancy/luxary than the LR, of course both I can get a year or two newer as a result of their more basicness...

What range of yearly maintanence expenses should I budget on?

Do they really require premium fuel? ouch...

 

[DirtyDisco]

Yes you need help... haha. But seriously, they are TERRIBLE on gas mileage and they need premium fuel. Second, they are slow as hell, especially uphill. I get passed by just about everything imaginable when going up the mountain. Third, I wouldn't even consider buying an old used one if you don't plan on doing the majority of the repairs and maintenance yourself. The dealership and mechanics will try charging you a fortune to do even simple stuff on these.

That being said, as much as I love my Rover, I would not suggest you get one unless there is a particular reason you really want to get one. I personally like them a lot, despite their problems, but that's just me. Honestly, for $7000 there are much better options out there than an old land rover, especially if you're on a budget. I really would suggest looking at used Toyota or Nissan SUVs if you want a truck-type car. Those are going to be much more economical and still do what you need it to do. As far as price goes, the second runner up would be getting a used Subaru station wagon or sedan or something. Those are great cars and they last forever and have all wheel drive. I would get a Subaru with turbo for sure. If you want to spend a little more, there are a few really nice Audis out there with all wheel drive and some are even turbo charged. I've seen some awesome Audi's in the $15,000 range.

 

[DirtyDisco]

That being said, if you still want to get a Discovery, I would say go for a Discovery 2, the ones made after 1999. They are coming down in price and lookswise, they are much more modern looking than the Disco 1's. I have a 97 Disco and to me it looks a little outdated but it runs well and everything so it's fine.

PS, take your time when shopping for a Land Rover and buy the one that has all the accessories and options you want because every little thing is going to cost a ton of money later if you decide you want to add something on like a brush bar or side steps or something like that. So buy a fully loaded one unless you don't care about the accessories and options.

 

[m1943]

I'm not a 100% with DirtyDisco's advice, to be honest. Land Rover Discovery II is one of the best trucks out there for the money. Meaning, you're getting a lot of truck for not a lot of money. It's one of the few real SUVs out there, it cannot be compared to Mercedes M-class, BMW X5, Lexus RX300 and the like... The SUVs that do compare in capabilities to the Disco are Toyota Landcruiser ($$$), 4runner (less $$$, but still), Mitsubishi Montero/Montero Sport (quality is not perfect there, either), and American-made Cherokee and Durango. I've driven the Durango, and the Land Rover is better. Durango can also be a pain in the butt, though repair is cheaper. Not sure about the Cherokee.
What's imperative is that you get a Discovery II, and not the Discovery I. Unless you know the person you're getting it from, and the car is exceptional. Disco IIs are far better build then the original, so you must be looking at a 1999, 2000, and 2001 models. Should you get one, remember that the dealership is better known as "stealership", avoid going there at all costs. Plenty of free advice is available on forums such as this one. Parts are readily available on eBay and otherwise on the Internet, as well as from independent suppliers. There is also a ton of used parts out there, as well. There also are repair manuals that can be purchased on eBay and such for a few dollars. Gas mileage can be as good as 18mpg on highway, but you're going to average about 15 mpg, best case scenario. It can get as bad as 11.5-12.5 miles to the gallon at times. Then again, Durango is no better. Discovery II runs better on premium fuel and synthetic oils, though low octane and minerals can be used if necessary. Land Rover is not trouble-free, but not as bad as some say they are. Some happen to be lemons, others are "lucky." So if you're going to get one, choose well.
P.S. Make sure to drive one first, they drive differently from other SUVs I've mentioned earlier.
Good luck!

 

[joey]

Lots of info on buying a Disco here http://www.landroverworld.org/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=43

 

[Eekie]

I bought an '04 Disco II back in Sept. '06 and I love the truck. It's the S model with hardly any bells and whisltes (The more bells and whistles the more there is to fix). I bought the truck after it came back from a lease and checked the carfax and all service records and I left the dealership driving the truck home. So far I have no problems. As for your concerns, it's a LR...
There not known as the most comfortable or the most economical rigs but hey, IT'S A BIG SUV. Speed is not what a LR is known for and it will dog on big hills but remember, it's an SUV not a sports car. If you only are looking at spending $7,000 you will not get a SUV with low miles and the reliability will only be as good as $7,000. Spend the 7 large on a Subaru. They will last a long time, have AWD, and you will probably get a pretty good car for the money.

 

[MightyMax]

FYI: the gas mileage is not as bad as everyone says it is. It is a v8, and you're an idiot if you think your gonna get the same mileage out of a v8 as you would from a honda element. It's an suv....you've made a choice to buy one, so you've made a choice for chewing more gas.

 

[cjqsmom]

I have 3 kids 2 in car seats a booster and a convertable. I put the carseat next to the doors and the oldest in the middle and it works out ok for me but the oldest has to buckle the booster seat for me. I have a Disco II and live in California and the fuel is only about 20 cents more a gallon so I look at it as only 5.00 more a fill up as I have a 25 gallon tank.