The LandRover itch.. Do I scratch it?

[fenix]

My 12 year old Kia Ceed (very boring car) is getting to the point where things keep needing to be changed, got about £1000 to spend to keep it going. Its not in the greatest state cosmetically so not really worth anything. I did have an ancient series 2A LR in the past, so I am used to the associated "fun" in owning old landies. So with a budget of under £5K I have been considering going down the old disco route. It would be used for getting to work 2 days a week (30 miles a day), driving to the range, and outdoor type stuff. I would probably remove the centre seats to extend the load bed (somewhere to kip) and fit a roof rack with an awning. Probably going to be a 300tdi S1 or TD5 S2. I have a couple of buyers check sheets with where it look for rot, electrics checks, etc. just wondered if there are any old disco owners on here? And any advice gratefully received.

Thanks

Jon

 

[Fadcode]

I think you should do well with a Disco, they have the same work pattern as you, 2 days a week and about 30 miles

 

[fenix]

I think you should do well with a Disco, they have the same work pattern as you, 2 days a week and about 30 miles

Arhh thanks for that, the other days I will use my wifes more economic car.

 

[Broch]

I have been more than impressed with the off-road capability of discos and you get a lot more car for your money than a Defender. However, having never owned one myself I can't help with advice for buying. I think I have an old LRO buyers guide somewhere but you've probably already read that.

 

[Bazzworx]

We have a TD5 Disco at the mo. Always had Defenders before but thought we'd give the Disco a try. Things I like about it are the mod cons like electric windows, remote central locking and aircon. It's also a lot quieter to drive and more comfortable on long journeys. We took one Defender to the south of France a few times and when you get there you know you've done the mileage. The things I don't like are the fact the roof leaks like most of them do, they love to rust, some parts cost a fortune (ACE system) they like to mark their territory by leaving various fluids. Also they're not as easy to fix yourself compared to the Defenders.
The conclusion I came to from being in the motor trade many years and owning a few Landrovers is that when they are newish they are a rich mans car when they are old they become affordable but cost a fortune to maintain. I've obviously generalised quite a lot here but I've seen so many people buy Discoverys and Range Rovers for what seems like a good price only to be hit with huge repair bills.

 

[C_Claycomb]

Toyota....

 

[Broch]

Toyota....

Predictable

 

[C_Claycomb]

Sorry.
I don't have either, but have quite a few friends who have tried Landrovers and come to the same conclusion Bazzworx did and have been much happier with Toyotas, citing reliability, quality and costs.

 

[Broch]

But, the question was specifically about a Discovery (actually great cars) - so any mention of any other make is unnecessary. Yep, I've found a lot of people that are not prepared to pay the price for a Land Rover cite a whole range of reasons

I teach off-road driving and have driven and used a very wide range of 4x4s, and the conclusion I have come to is there are no 'bad' 4x4s - from Fiat Pandas to Merc G Wagons - they're all designed and built to a set of compromises - there is no perfect 4x4 for all users. So, if someone says 'I fancy buying a Suzuki Vitara' I will tell them how I got on with it from personal experience (not what my mate says in the process of purchase/non-purchase justification) and won't try and persuade him to buy something else unless I know his needs do not fit the car.

Yes, old 4x4s cost money to keep in good condition (all of them); don't buy one if you can't afford it. Having said that, if they are treated well and serviced properly (many are not) they can be great vehicle to own. I have done 125K miles in my Defender since new - it's had a new clutch slave cylinder - most BMW saloon cars have had more fixed on them than that in the same mileage.

Sorry, I'm not getting at you Chris, just venting frustration at the 'myths' that abound.

 

[Bazzworx]

I couldn't agree more. I get asked all the time "is this a good vehicle (model)" and always have to say you get good and bad vehicles of all makes and models. Some have known issues that will be well documented but at the end of the day a used vehicle is an unknown quantity. For damage limitation I always suggest researching for known issues and take an experienced person to look at a potential purchase but even then the gearbox could go bang (saw it happen once) when the vehicle is driven away.

Going back to the OP the other thing about our Disco is that my wife finds the driving position awkward. She's 5ft short and finds she has to have the seat so far forward to be able to depress the clutch fully that the steering wheels to close to her body (she prefers a more upright position than laying back)

 

[MrEd]

I am a landrover fan so am biased.

I have one as a second car.

Do it.

 

[lostplanet]

I know how you feel, they seem like a great option and id love to have a disco 4 but....unless you know the history of one owned by a friend most people dont sell good cars and there are so many clauses in warranties that you could end up with no support.

My friend bought a L332 2006 range rover and has spent over 5,000?? to try and make it right. still not right. we rebuilt his automatic gearbox in his garage from scratch.

If you cant do without one do as much research on the model you like before you buy, there are endless stories of huge bills as already mentioned.

pretty much any warning light on the dash is an MOT failure these days.

I really hope you find a good one but until then check out

LandyZone - Land Rover Forum

www.landyzone.co.uk

Land Rover Forums - Land Rover Enthusiast Forum

The destination for Land Rover Discovery, Range Rover, and Freelander owners and enthusiasts.

landroverforums.com

DISCO3.CO.UK - Index

Community site dedicated to Discovery 3, 4 LR3 and LR4 Owners and Enthusiasts. Totally free to join - message boards, galleries, wiki, off road events, social meetings.

www.disco3.co.uk

 

[Broch]

It's got to the point where I would not buy a used Land Rover (or probably any other make of car) where the owner claims to have done the servicing themselves. I know so many 4x4 owners who proudly say they do all their own servicing that I wouldn't trust to change a light bulb. And I think that's part of Land Rover's problem - they're seen as easily maintained which, in too many cases, means they get no maintenance at all.

I am a chartered mechanical engineer and I've been rebuilding cars from the tyres up since I was twelve but I don't do my own servicing on the Landys - they get a professional annual service by a garage I trust to be pedantic about what needs doing.

 

[lostplanet]

I totally agree with Broch. afier a few years of owning a land/range rover unless you are a high earner and dont mind paying the labour rate at LR which i think is £120 an hour?? it simply not going to get done right. Next door neighbour had a L322 diesel and had nothing but problems with it, my sister had an brand new lease early discovery sport and it was in and out of the LR dealer for a year until they finally fixed it. I know of a brand new 2018 Range rover autobiography that went into limp mode on the way to wales and ended up with a virtual engine rebuild.

Something else to be aware of is the dreaded "Diesel Particulate Filter" problem on most modern cars. search that out as well.

 

[MartiniDave]

What Broch says makes a lot of sense. I've personally owned 14 Land Rovers of different types, including 4 Discoveries.
From what the OP says I would say look at Discovery 2 commercial, which doesn't have the second row of seats, nor the leaky sunroofs. Unfortunately they do tend to have been worked for a living. Whatever, buy the best one you can afford, it will usually work out cheaper in the long run.
Also, don't overlook the Freelander 2, we're on our 3rd, and have had precious little trouble from any of them, and get close to 40 mpg on everyday use.

My current Landy's? - a TD5 90 and a Freelander 2.

Dave

 

[fenix]

What Broch says makes a lot of sense. I've personally owned 14 Land Rovers of different types, including 4 Discoveries.
From what the OP says I would say look at Discovery 2 commercial, which doesn't have the second row of seats, nor the leaky sunroofs. Unfortunately they do tend to have been worked for a living. Whatever, buy the best one you can afford, it will usually work out cheaper in the long run.
Also, don't overlook the Freelander 2, we're on our 3rd, and have had precious little trouble from any of them, and get close to 40 mpg on everyday use.

My current Landy's? - a TD5 90 and a Freelander 2.

Dave

Good call about the freelander 2, its is something I had considered. Having had LRs in the family for years, S2, S2A, S3, 110 300tdi CSW I am aware of the upkeep, I am also aware that none of them had an engine or gearbox go bang. Maintenance was constant but cheap, with no large bills. They all lasted unlike the wifes Skoda and my Kia where the cost of parts makes repair uneconomical, same as many of the 4x4s in our shoot, which were fine until something major went then it was scrap time.

I was originally looking at a 300tdi, but have widened it to td5, they seem fairly sensible on the electronics and the air suspension can be replaced with springs. Having said that air bags aren't that bad a price, electronics is the main worry, the same as any older vehicle.

 

[Duggie Bravo]

I miss my D2 and every time I see another one I feel a little sad, luckily I’ve never seen my old one.

It reached the point where there were some big costs on the horizon and my friendly mechanic said he didn’t want to work on it anymore.

Things that were wrong with it, when it went were:

Rear passenger window seized, a friends was held in place by a piece of wood.
Excessive wiper travel at the front
Rear wiper motor seized
Front headlight washers disconnected.

The donut thingies were getting ready to be replaced.

It had had, two steering pumps (the second because the garage had used the wrong fluid)
New gear box
2 new turbo’s the second after the engine blew.
New engine
New clutch

The sunroofs didn’t leak and I had extended the roof rails. I also fitted the cruise control kit.

On the original tyres the only time I got stuck were when the tow bar got caught on stuff, with AT tyres, I never got stuck.

It was great fun to drive and could pull anything, I once towed a 59 seater coach that was blocking a junction.

I still have the roof bars and dog guard in my garage, even though I’ve been told we’re not getting another one.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[fenix]

More likely to be a D1 or D2 than a D3, and definitely not RR.
Having had to get the engine replaced on a 8 year old Skoda, odds and sodds on a LR aren't that bad. There is al local independent garage that does LRs, the bloke is LR and REME, bloke looked after my dads 110 for 10 years without any major stuff going wrong.

 

[barclay03]

D2 TD5 offers a lot of value for money if you find the right one. Almost as capable as a defender, but with much more comfort etc. Td5 has a good bit more power than the 300tdi for every day use, with the sacrifice if maybe having a few more potential issues....but it's also tunable.

The main thing to look at when you view them is the chassis, particularly at the rear, either side of the fuel tank. They're bad for rusting there. Inside front arches can also be an issue. Other than that check all the usual mechanical stuff that you would, check all electrics are working etc and tey get the best for your money. If you're used to working with your hands, great...if not and you require a garage to do all your work, any land rover might be a costly thing to run.

I've had my current one 6 years now (I think lol). Other than oil cooler, some chassis rather and rebuilding the prop shafts there hasn't really been much go wrong with it, and it wasnt particularly well looked after by previous owners tbh.

 

[Cornish Rattler]

It's got to the point where I would not buy a used Land Rover (or probably any other make of car) where the owner claims to have done the servicing themselves. I know so many 4x4 owners who proudly say they do all their own servicing that I wouldn't trust to change a light bulb. And I think that's part of Land Rover's problem - they're seen as easily maintained which, in too many cases, means they get no maintenance at all.

I am a chartered mechanical engineer and I've been rebuilding cars from the tyres up since I was twelve but I don't do my own servicing on the Landys - they get a professional annual service by a garage I trust to be pedantic about what needs doing.

Part of what you have said is right although I do all the work on mine as well but with Landys you tend to find garages shy away from them or if they do the work it's not done right so its finding a good landy garage to service your landy