Any Landrover experts in the house ?

[Paullyfuzz]

Ive never owned one, but have driven them in the past whilst in the forces. Im thinking of getting one as my main vehicle, but dont really know what they are like to live with, ie fuel costs, upkeep costs etc. Im not very good with spanners, and it would need to be capable of taking 2 child seats. Its doesnt bother me too much about the interior, but my wife has stated that if i were to get one it would need to be fairly comfortable inside and warm in the winter. It would be my main vehicle so im just not sure if one would be practical as a main vehicle.

Maybe smeone could suggest something with a bit more comfort. Ive thought of a Freelander, but have been told they are always going wrong and are very unreliable.

Cheers,

Paul

 

[Lincs Bushman]

Hi there, if you are looking to carry the wife and kids in the vehicle, you'd be better off going for a Discovery, rather than something like a defender, as a few more creature comforts etc, and you'll still struggle to get it stuck anywhere.... word of warning though, once you've had one, you'll be hooked

 

[Wattle]

As above, a Disco is what you want if you have kids. The 200 and 300tdi engines are fairly good if a little noisey. They will return about 25 to 30 mpg. The TD5 engine is a lot more complicated but a nicer ride.

My 200tdi has done 155,000 now and my brother in laws has done 180,000 miles, they are good engines.

Plus a Discovery is very good off road straight out of the box, they have the same suspension, axles and transmission as the Defender.

Hope this helps Phil

 

[wingstoo]

Get some deep pockets and fill them with a lot of cash, I have one, used it for about 8 years now, last year was the first time it got through the MOT without additional costs

But I love it to bits

 

[nevetsjc80]

I have a defender and i love it. Its my main/only car, but i am single and dont mind the cold limited interior lol!! As above disco is your best bet. Not sure how defferent the defender and diso engines are as ive only had defenders but the 300tdi engine was very good in the def. I have a td5 now and as already been said its more complicated, i cant do so many of my own repairs. Which can be common with landrover but they are awesome!

Hope this helps

Steve

 

[tobes01]

As per many other threads on the forum, if you're not handy with the spanners and don't have deep pockets, then steer well clear of a Land Rover. Service intervals are short, reliability is poor, and the garage will bite you every time it needs an MoT. Problem is, they're addictive - I'm on my 5th now. Buying a Landy is something you do with your heart, not your head.

Best advice I can offer is to find a really good independent mechanic who knows his stuff, and get him to help you find one. If you've found the Landy you want, take him with you to go over it with a fine tooth comb. Spending a few hundred quid now for that help (and who knows, he might do it for free if you commit to servicing with him) will pay dividends down the line.

 

[Chris the Cat]

I am on my second,( 110 Defender,first was a Series 3 0 Love them both!
Easy to repair and parts cheap ( On Defenders or Series Landys)
Stay away from K series engined Freelanders.
Good luck!.
Chris.

 

[Chris the Cat]

P.s My experience of Landy reliabiliy is the exact opposite of tobes01
which just does to show what an inigma they can be!
C da C.

 

[TallMikeM]

can't speak for their reliability, but as far as comfort goes they are not the best car on the road. When space allows, I will buy myself a landy as a restoration job, but it will definately be a second car. For a main or only car, I personally would not consider it as IME any journey more than half an hour is like an eternity in purgatory.

 

[Damascus]

Hey Guys, I have a new series two freelander and no issues yet, its a lovely car to drive and I've had 40 plus mph on long journeys. its know as the baby Range rover and it does't cut the cost of comfort either a lovely car to drive on or off road better than the disco and has plenty of grunt. the thing is DON"T confuse it with the Mark one which was pants, the two is the business I know a few ex disc fans going over to it, I am one myself, only draw back is its a new model the cost, but cheaper than a new disco.

D

 

[Rob]

I think that you are in disco country with the wife's requirements.

Make sure you get a good one. Rot on the load area floor and the like is the real killer.

If you get a good one, all should be well. a 200tdi/300tdi should give you around 30mpg.

I think that we have had our landy (defender) for 11 years now. Nothing major gone wrong. Only breakdowns were a clutch release bearing a few years back - and the day that it would not turn off unless you turned the hazard lights on first. Everything else has been planned maintenance.

 

[Robbi]

it's dead simple......get a Suzuki Grand Vitara 2.0td manual 5 door. great wagons, instant heat, comfy on the road, excelant 4 wheel drive that has dragged me out of snow and ice this christmas, 50 mpg on a run, reliable and trouble free and very reasonably priced.

 

[coln18]

I picked up a Defender 110 a year ago in October and i have had no problems what so ever with it, it is 5 years old and runs a dream, i love it to death, it also passed its MOT first time without a problem and it really proved itself at the recent Wiston Lodge meet in the snow. As for parts, well they are dirt cheap and easy to fix with the help of an haynes maual, i broke the windscreen jet washer when i was washing it and it took me half an hour to fix it with a cost of a few pounds, also some one hit the side of the front bumer and the rubber corner was missing, cost me £11 and 2 minutes to fit it back on, can you imagine what it would cost on a modern car.

As for comfort, well thats a state of mind isnt it, each to there own and that, but this must be my 8th vehicle in life and by a country mile the best, i wouldnt swap it for the world.. But defenders are something you fall in love with or hate....

I hope this helps and i hope you join the defender gang.....

 

[tobes01]

As I mentioned earlier, I'm on my fifth Land Rover, but seeing as my tastes run to older models, my daily drive is a Subaru Forester which is just amazing. Never goes wrong, goes anywhere (had no problems in the snow last week), tough as old boots (still looks nearly new after two kids and two dogs have abused it for several years), credible anywhere (have been welcomed on posh shoots) yet not loathed when you're in town. And the best bit is the boxer engine which still sounds more fun than anything you could play on the stereo, and the handling which is more like a sports car than a 4x4. Can't recommend them highly enough.

 

[Dano]

I also have had a few

• Series I Disco V8 OWCH, just don’t even go there
• Series III ex MOD, fantastic Landy but only for working and playing in, very cold and wet, fairly reliable although seemed to tinker with it constantly
• Freelander TD4 simply one of the best cars I have ever had, not an out-and-out off roader but I drove in every terrain possible and it coped very well, good examples are probably high mileage now though
• Discovery II Td5, absolutely loved this motor, capable of anything, loads of space and nice to drive, maintenance cost were unbelievable, head gasket went and that was a thousand pounds
• Series III 88 Safari, great little motor, required a total rebuild, parts are becoming obsolete now, also very unreliable even after the rebuild

My advice would be a well maintained Disco with a good warranty or a full option 110, kids will love it…

If you want a reliable 4x4 get a Landcruiser (don’t believe I just said that…)

 

[Mike_B]

As others have said, you'll need deep pockets and/or learn to be handy with the spanners if you want any form of Landy.

Those of us who love them, love them despite all their weird and wonderful ways - I hear the latest Discos and Freelanders are somewhat better, but you'll still need deep pockets to buy one and then to run one.

I've had 3 - a LWB Series III Station Wagon and a couple of V8 Station Wagons - everyone of them had engine and gearbox problems at around 80k miles which is apalling frankly, and every one of them requried constant tinkering, fettling and general fiddling with.

All of them were cold, leaked and rattled. The new ones may be better but unless you're able to afford a new(ish) one then you're going to be getting an older one which may not necessarily been as well looked after as it might have been, given the cost of main dealers (or dealers generally). My ex-wife was desperate to get another Landy and got a MkI Freelander which was nothing but trouble.

I loved all my Landies. And in fairness, they never left me stuck or brokedown.

A friend in London has an older V8 Disco which he reckons costs him something in the region of £2,500 a year for it's dealer servicing and the associated work it requries every year.

I'd never consider a Landy as a daily drive. But I'd love another one!

Mike.

 

[jondavy]

I run a Disco 300tdi as a daily drive, done about 70 thousand miles since I got it (on and off road and in some pretty deep water), wouldn't be without it.
As said it helps alot if your happy to get the spanners out now and again and doing your own servicing will save you a fortune (and it's really easy).
Only thing that I would call a breakdown was when the clutch release fork broke (still drivable without the clutch), I replaced it and it was back on the road in a couple of days. Things like wheel bearings, universal joints and steering need checking now and then but thats just good housekeeping really.
Look for a good clean example that has been looked after, they dont like being neglected.

I'm even toying with getting an old 101 forward contol if I get the wife on side.


Jon.

 

[bigant]

hmm dont see why everyone seems to think older landys are unreliable... never seen it myself.. true they need abit more looking after than a modern soulless auto**** box thing but isnt that the point?
as has been said a old disco 1 or earlyish 2 sounds best for your needs try to avoid getting one thats been messed with to much you know badly fitted *****part* lift kits and big wheels and stuff... most of the ones out there are done badly and are unreliable...
get yourself a toolkit and the haynes manual for the one you end up with.
myself? i run a 1980 s3 109 and a 83 lightweight atm both in daily usage and both never let us down they run with minimal maintenance all done by outselfs over the years we have ran pretty much all the older landrover models up to disco 2s and freelanders and i cant see myself without one.

 

[walker]

ive owned many landrovers in my many years of driving and have driven many more go for a 200 or 300 tdi disco if its for your family everythings the same setup as the defender near enough ive never had mine stuck and i get about 28 mpg and thats with a bent valve in number one pot after 175000 miles on the clock ive had defenders rangerovers series 3 and 2a's v8's petrols 2.5 2.3/4 early turbos etc the 200tdi gemini engine as its proper name is a fantastic engine even giving better mpg than the td5 plus there a lot cheaper than td5s on parts trust me my wifes in the trade
you should be able to pick a very good 200 or 300 up for around £2500 - £3500 depending check out the landrover mags on sale in shops first for the for sale s at the back hope this of some help good luck

 

[swyn]

Hi there.

If you've never owned one!
Take your time.


Look at lots, and I mean 10 or more, be they Defender or Disco. I'm talking of 200 and 300 models here. Take them for a test drive for at least 20 minutes.
Make your choice, ie Disco, V comfy. 110, comfy and utilitarian. 90, utilitarian (even in county guise)
Have a budget of £4k all in. Full service etc.
Talk to your independant LR man, certainly not a franchised one as they have a licence to steal.
Make your choice guided on milage, history, seller. Preference being one or two owners max and real genuine miles.
Take the plunge, with AA help if you like. There are gems out there....AND DOGS!
1995 was a good year, before bells and whistles.
Enjoy......I hope.

I still have my last four!

I think the new Freelander is a v nice car. My friend has one. He also has a big '93 Land Cruiser. The Freelander is his choice of everyday car. He had a BMW, Merc and VW 4x4 on test, each for a week, before making the final choice last year. Freelander won!

I hope this helps........Ha........Way too much choice!

Swyn.