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I have been offered a 2.7D Land Rover discovery at a good price. It would be a very practical car for what i need - rather than the toy I would like.
It will be 11 years old, in very good nick, and well cared for. But the running costs are slightly frightening - mpg I can cope with - but 570 gbp for road tax is salty.
Anyone had one, and what are they like?
Nightmare. I had several. The last one was long in the tooth, and I was happy to see the back of it. I got it with about 50k on the clock, it was luxurious to drive and did everything I wanted it to do, but once out of warranty they are incredibly expensive to maintain and repair. By the time I got rid it had cost me a fortune on clutches and steering/suspension/brakes. Final straw was the balance pipe between the two halves of the block. The part itself was eye watering at 600 quid plus vat, but the entire body had to be lifted off the chassis to fit it. Two days labour.
Great cars for folk who lease them and give them back after the warranty is done, but an absolute money pit to subsequent owners. It’ll go on forever (mine had over 160k on the clock) but I could have bought several more with what it eventually cost me.
Amazingly practical and a decent drive.
However, as pointed out above maintenance costs are eye watering. Suspension, brakes and steering went on mine.
As much as I like the idea of owning another, it will never happen.
My sister has an 05 plate one. She absolutely loves it BUT she freely admits they've been very lucky. They have a similar vintage petrol A6 that has been an absolute money pit compared to the Disco. They've dodged the mega-VED by a year or two.
We were seriously looking at one about this era and the below is roughly what she told me:
- they are heavy on fuel
- lots of forums etc. to help you fix them
- boot space is very good
We've chickened out and headed for taking a punt on a Galaxy or Sharan I think.
I don't really like large 4x4s but the Disco is one I could almost persuade myself to buy.
Go on buy it.... you know you want to.... the only person who will be delighted by it will be the local independent landrover specialist.
Ever thought why there is not a local Toyota landcruiser specialist?
Or a Mitsubishi shogun specialist?
but 570 gbp for road tax is salty.
its by far the smallest cost associated with ownership 🙂
I had one. It was a succession of £800 bills. Pretty much every month it went in to the local specialist for something. Half the time I knew why it had cost me £800, half the time it would go in with something I thought was reasonably trivial but it still cost me £800.
I've got a Touareg at the moment that's been faultless and free for 18+ months but I'm dumb enough to have a Disco again once the memory's faded.
Great for smashing passed cyclists with inches to spare on rural roads all around Britain. Or so it seems.
Fabulous to drive, ruinously expensive to own. However if it’s an itch you have to scratch then go for it and get shot after a year.
My brother has had one from new, it has been on the back of recovery vehicles several times. The warranty has just run out so I think he is getting rid of it.
Thanks all, well worth posting on here to get the feedback.
Whilst I like the idea of one, the faults and the issues you mention would make it non-viable for m.
I already know it has a worn suspension arm and a brake disc that is within tolerance but will need replacing ...
So it’s going to be a very sensible “no”
That model isn't well know for being called the Land Rover Recovery for any reason whatsoever...
Similar to yourself OP, I quite fancied one. My neighbour over the road has one. it's been in the garage around 3-4 times in the last 12 months and off the drive way a couple of days each time.
I would lease* one, but never own one.
*although leasing one looks like a spectacularly expensive way to drive to meetings, so I'll pass on that too.
My neighbour has his own Landrover specialist garage. He only drives Discovery 2s himself.
Isn't it bizarre how Land Rover have never been able to build a reliable car. Even proper square Land Rovers needed more than their fair share of maintenance to keep them running right; we had one and even that was a money pit. Is it because of poor design or poor manufacturing of the components? How do Toyota, for example, manage to do it so well? Maybe it's to do with the Japanese culture of not failing whereas British engineers don't give a toss.
Sat outside Keith Gott’s place the other week waiting for a mate who does stuff with the Race For Recovery team who are based there.
was interest to see that the bulk of the vehicles in the yard for service dept were D3/4.
Way to look at it is that a 5k Disco isn’t actually 5k, it’s a down payment on a 10k car.
I’d love one but not if I had to pay to run it...
The good thing about Land Rovers is people know how to fix them and there are tons of spares available!
I had to basically scrap a Honda CRV because 3 garages couldn't get to the bottom of a starting problem.
Just answering the Land Cruiser question - I have driven a few. In fact, one across South Africa to Botswana.
It was horrible and wallowy on the road, and horrible and wallowy off road.
TBH, it is going to cost more but looks like I will be BMW X3/5 buying ...
Love Land Rovers, but do the sums and get friendly with your LR indy. My justification is I've bought a very capable, expensive vehicle for not much money, but that's offset by sizeable annual bills. Plus I don't commute now, wouldn't use it for big miles.
Spares are cheap, labour is not.
Under 10 years old, car warranty plans can work in your favour if you are meticulous with the small print and stick to your guns. I had one that cost me £600 but paid out several thousand the first year I had it. And they renewed for another year at the same price no questions which surprised me.
The LR indy I use drives an Aston Martin Vanquish. Go figure.
Me on Xmas Day this year...
Thanks Santa! 🎅
(not strictly relevant - but any excuse)
Me on Xmas Day this year…
👍🏻 There's a camo one of those near us usually parked up in a Costa Coffee car park. Not sure what they're testing there.
What was it like?
My next door neighbour had one for a bit recently.
He owns an MOT garage and tends to run well-preserved older cars for a while, but the Disco only lasted a few months.
Very nice. Few wee niggles, but to be expected as it was prototype. Obviously a luxury vehicle these days, but still had something of a proper Defender feel to it.
BiL is a programme director at JLR so he had it over Christmas for "testing". Sadly I didn't get to keep it.
Most of the first early prototypes were shipped straight to the set of the Bond film!
Post number 2 has it. I've owned 2 Disco 3s and best cars I've ever had. Really comfortable to drive, acres of space, unbelievable offroad (used this capability most weeks).
Eye watering to run once out of warranty!
A lad at work was on first name terms with the garage staff as his Evoque was always in. It would seriously hiss me off visiting the garage for repairs, it's bad enough just the annual MOT (PS I do my own servicing mainly).
I'd love one, but the unreliability would really anoy me - I like things to work. Had a new company Alfa 147 Selespeed for a couple of years - always in the garage. I drive Japanese cars now (that I own).
I've got a Disco, but a newer D4 3l sdv6 - '16 plate.
Bought it 14 months ago with 38k on the clock, now on 67k
In that time, it's had a faulty rear brake shoe, a warped disc (happens to many vehicles) and the lights around the great knob went out (fixed under warranty)
Each thing would have cost around £400 (had to pay for the discs). I bought it used approved, so came with full warranty, which runs out in April 2021. Approximately 2 weeks after that, no doubt the engine will blow up
You joke, but I know of a full fat Range Rover that ate its own engine 2 months out of warranty, even with goodwill from JLR and free labour from the dealer (he has had LR products from them for years) it was a 4K bill.
My mate has an old soft top Defender, uprated suspension and bigger tyres, but he uses it for proper off road stuff (bonnet deep water wades etc). It's battered and bruised, but he keeps it going. He recently fitted a new galvanised chassis - did the whole job on his driveway - you can't do that on a modern car. I've suggested he clean up the body work a little, but nah, he likes it as it is.
If you realy want a Discovery than try and find an old 300 series that isn't rusty. I had one for years and put a hundred and fifteen thousand miles on it.All it ever had done to it other than regular servicing was a replacement pattern parts PAS pump at £60. I sold it about 4 years ago to someone local and still see it on road most days.
300 series that isn’t rusty
No such thing exists!
I have my own private garage space with a two and four post ramp and plenty of tools. I've been (until recently) a LR Defender owner. Despite a Disco 3&4 ticking all the lifestyle boxes no way would I actually buy one. Body off for numerous jobs plus the 2.7 engines reputation for snapping cranks. No chance.
Reliability aside LR’s model range is now very odd. The new Defender looks like it is very much going to occupy the same market space as the Disco. I’m also intrigued as to what the army is going to replace it’s LR’s. I wonder if Jim Ratcliffe, the Ineos man, had half an eye on a large military contract when he announced his ‘Grenadier’ vehicle...
thought why there is not a local Toyota landcruiser specialist?
Because no one in the UK appears to drive them.
The good thing about Land Rovers is people know how to fix them and there are tons of spares available!
I had to basically scrap a Honda CRV because 3 garages couldn’t get to the bottom of a starting problem.
Sorry but are you trying to say a Honda is less reliable than a Land Rover? 😂😂😂😂
5 for reading 0 for comprehension
Must try harder.
Re: the chap mentioning its 2 days labour to lift the body off, there’s a chap on YouTube, salvage rebuild UK, who has done this twice, albeit on a Range Rover Sport. A bumper, 4 wheel arch, liners a dozen multi plugs, 4 brake lines & 8 or so large bolts & the cab lifts off. I’m sure he timed it at around an hour!!! 🙂
Owning it will be a discovery. What’s gone wrong now? My brother in law has three defenders including a mk1. It’s a hobby not transport.
Buy a CRV or Land Cruiser if you really need the serious off roaring. (He has one of those too)
You joke, but I know of a full fat Range Rover that ate its own engine 2 months out of warranty,
No joke. My stepfathers did the same and it was laid up for a year as they’d run out of replacement engines. Wrote the entire cost off as a loss in the end.
TBH, it is going to cost more but looks like I will be BMW X3/5 buying …
BiL bought a 2007 x5 4lt(?) petrol with 80k on the clock for about £4k.
It had all sorts wrong like wheel bearing and diff issues, some iffy wiring too.
After a further £4k of bills in 6 months he px'd it for a newish Fiesta - for £1.2k.
With fuel that's a £1.5k a month (!) cost....
What's a mark 1 defender look like ?
Tbh lost credibility there cemented it by recommending a CRV for serious off road.
Land cruisrt a great car just complex.
Complex cars. All cost money when they go wrong . All cars go wrong in their life time
In the far east my BIL drives a Range Rover (late 70s or early 80s model) with no problem whatsoever and very reliable but it has a Toyota Camry engine in it. 😂
Well it wasn’t called a defender in 1953 was it? Meant Series 1 not mark, but those who are familiar with Defender history would understand better. He has two Series 2s as well and they are great fun. He also had a Discovery that was so unreliable he got rid of it - hence the Land Cruiser. So about as big a fan as you can imagine.
Our crv’s with their Haldex coupling have been surprisingly proficient for some simple off-roading. Where did the OP say he was going green-laning towing a horsebox?
On the reliability front, my sister also had a Freelander. After it’s third engine she gave up too. Compare the number of mark 1 CRVs with the number of mark 1 Freelanders still on the road. If you ever see such a rare beast. What an engineering masterstroke the K series engine was in that vehicle 😂
There's a good video on YouTube showing just how unproficient the haldex coupling crvs are and there's a great thread on here detailing their reliability .
Op never really clarified what he wanted it for but I'd expect suggestions to at least be of equal ability.
Oh and the defender and the series 1 share little not even a name. The defender has more parts share with a range rover. The series 1.
Man buys 50/60 year old car and decides it's crap isn't really relevent to wether to buy a disco.... Him Having had an S1 and S2 I'm not surprised he bought a land cruiser. Hell a John deere tractor would have been a better vehicle. Technology has moved on .
When your 4*4 isn't a 4*4 ... When it's fitted with a badly programmed centre differential apparently.
There was one on an early CRV which was the one I wanted of it trying to go up a snowy incline on winter tires showing clearly only front wheels spinning.
In all if I had to chose a 4x4 in place of a disco or a land cruiser it would be the decidedly loves to rot shogun not a CRV.
As for the mk1 Freelander - no one Denys they are shite - but again not a part share vehicle with the disco the op is looking at.
Man buys 50/60 year old car and decides it’s crap
Now you’re being silly. He’s restored them all and drives them for pleasure, and has a great classic car hobby. He also had a discovery for family duties. And it was crap.
If somebody offered me a Disco, I’d politely decline and look elsewhere. Our Modern Land Rover experience has frankly been dire. Our CRV experience has been excellent. Other 4x4 options are available. Ones where spare engines aren’t a necessary but rare commodity. One where electrics make French cars look reliable. Ones where crash tests reveal them to be death traps. I really would buy something else for reliable robust transport.
Again with the 20 year old technology .
That is not the disco the op is looking at.
Your right I don't deny there are better options than an aging disco 3 or 4 . But it's not a CRV.
Again with the 20 year old technology .
Just 20?
That's a disco 1 (1989ish-1998ish), which is essentially a range rover classic (1970-1996ish) with different exterior panels. It's a live axle body-on frame job, rather than the disco 3's independent suspension, monocoque on frame (yep, it's got a monocoque AND a chassis, no wonder it's 700kg heavier than the disco 1!) Totally, totally different beast.
To the OP: The D3's are absolute tanks - one of the reasons why they are so good at towing, and why they like to eat brakes and suspension components almost as fast as they drink fuel. Nice places to be, I wouldn't want to pay to run one though.
Only the latest model has no separate chassis. Which was the principal issue with that crash testing. And yes there are plenty of other options. Mostly Japanese 😉
Only the latest model has no separate chassis. Which was the principal issue with that crash testing. And yes there are plenty of other options. Mostly Japanese
D3 and D4 had a separate chassis, but they also had a monocoque. They won't behave like the D1 in the video above in a crash. I'm by no means a D3 fan, but if I was going to have a crash in a 15 year old car, I can't really think of anything else I'd rather be in.
This is somewhat derailing the thread though, soz OP.
Only the latest model has no separate chassis. Which was the principal issue with that crash testing
Really ? The ops disco in question got the same occupant ncap rating as a CRV of the same age.
And the dosco has working 4wd and a +2t tow capacity.
The D1 basically does a clown car impression in crashes....when you see how it's bolted together you'd not be surprised. It has no crumple zone save for the weakened chassis leg behind the front spring mount giving about an inch
I was thinking of buying one some time ago when the wife saw me browsing with intent on the web and remarked that she couldn't understand my interest as "there was nothing wrong with the size of my cock!".Relieved,I bought a cheaper,more reliable vehicle.
There is still nothing better for towing than a landrover. Ask any farmer.
I’d wager that a massey ferguson is better for towing.
Btw, nearly all the farmers i know use Mitsubishis or toyotas.
The ones who don’t are only farmers in the sense that they own (several) farms.
Land rovers are for people who enjoy fixing land rovers.
Superb vehicle’s when they are working though.
Btw, nearly all the farmers i know use Mitsubishis or toyotas.
Izuzu rodeos round here.
The odd jap 4x4, more Toyota saloons, vw passats and tractors round our place. I think they work on the principle that if they’re going into the field use something appropriate like a tractor. Nobody seems to use LRs of any hue.
Nobody seems to use LRs of any hue.
Brother in law is a farmer, he always has Land Rovers. Currently has a Disco 3 (workhorse) and a Disco 4 (posh one). We compare breakdown stories and bills every Christmas. Farm in the village is all Defenders/Discos too.
BIL got a Touareg for a while as their 'smart' car, wasn't the same he said, swapped it back for another Disco. There does seem to be something about them and people put up with the bills.
What is noticeable is you never see any current Land Rover product on a farm. They've left that market now.
Farmers are more concerned about how cheap they are.
Land Rovers since they became fashionable are not cheap.
Used taxdodge japanese pickups are cheap.
Why would you want a farm truck anyway?
Estate cars make far more sense for most people, unless you want to lord it up.
Recently swapped my 02 Land Cruiser with 120k for an 08 Disco3 on 167k. I wish I didn't need to bit I needed 7 seats, 4x4 and to tow 3.5t (land cruiser would only pull 2.8t legally). The disco is lovely to drive, towed a tiny house to Scotland last week and it was ace. This week it decided to throw it's aux drive belt, so it's off the road.... Parts on order were cheap enough but just praying I'm not struck with all the issues detailed above!
Loved my 57 Plate HSE, nicest car i've ever had but the costs got me down eventually.
Suspension Compressor £700
Handbrake module £700
ERG valves £300
Etc etc.