Land Rover Discovery

[Conquistador_del_mar]

Does anyone have any experience with these vehicles? I am debating getting one for offroad adventures, but I don't want one if they are temperamental with lots of typical problems. I would buy one from the mid 90s to early 2000s for the affordability. Thanks in advance, Bill

[Ghost]

Word on the street has always been bad reliability, with a concentration on electrical problems.

With the economy tanking and the recent sell-off from Ford, I would think the dealer network would shrivel here in the States, if not vanish, and parts and competent service (beyond what you can on your own) do might become both scarce and even more expensive than they are.

Speculation I admit, but seems to add up to me.

[McGary911]

I'm not really a truck person, but if I'd like to tow the boat, I gotta get one. I gave these a look. Guy I work with, lives a block away, has one. It's been parked for 3 months due to a $1200 water pump. He tells me parts are killer expensive for them. That's probably enough to keep me away from one.

[BUIZILLA]

the Rover people around here tell me if you don't lease them, don't own them...... I had to buy a drivers door mirror for a friend in the islands recently and it was just over $850....

[zelatore]

Very cool truck - not something you see every day, even here in the bay area. A good choice in 'not a jeep' category.

Very capable as well.

I wouldn't jump to assume service/parts will dry up. Didn't Tata of India buy them? I think they are very strong financially, just unknown in the US. I understand they bought them to get the established world-wide name and distribution (?)

[Ghost]

Very cool truck - not something you see every day, even here in the bay area. A good choice in 'not a jeep' category.

Very capable as well.

I wouldn't jump to assume service/parts will dry up. Didn't Tata of India buy them? I think they are very strong financially, just unknown in the US. I understand they bought them to get the established world-wide name and distribution (?)

Yes, TaTa bought them, and the reasons I heard are exactly as you describe. I heard a news report about 2 weeks ago that said TaTa was already finding them to be an unmanageable albatross of a business in this economy and was trying to figure out if they could unload them. Don't know it to be true, but I did hear it reported by a radio or TV news agency, FWIW.

[VetteLT193]

Had a friend that got T-Boned in one by a Taxi cab running a red light at 60 MPH. the cab hit his side of the Rover. Flipped 6 times and he only broke a leg. The driver walked away. If I remember right, the taxi cab driver died at the scene.

I looked at them, and even more so at the Range Rovers. Love them, good prices, but I just have to buy American if I can help it.

[Donziweasel]

Boo Boo had one. The first generation had all kind of problems. Get a "Disco II" if you are going to get one. Tow rating is pretty low, only 5000 pounds. Very capable, has locking front and rear differentials.

[CJmike]

Look at a 1994-1997 Toyota LandCruiser. Best all around offroad rig you can buy out of the box. Get one with electric lockers from the factory and you have a vehicle that can go just about anywhere. I added a ARB front bumper, Old Man Emu lift kit, and some 35" Super Swampers to mine. Couldn't be happier with it. Handles all my hunting duties, mild off roading, and spare vehicle chores with ease. Only downside is the gas mileage.

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn200/CJMikeK/IMGP1362.jpg

[blueliner]

i agree.. get a disco II if you are going to get one. i had a 2002 and virtually had no major issues of any kind. you can pick them up dirt cheap, resale sucks, trust me i know. pros: it is a great off-roading truck, roomy and has all the luxuries inside if you find one tricked out. cons: pig on gas, maintenance (is very expensive,) needs brake jobs more often then any other vehicle i have ever owned. i have 1994 defender that i have had since new and i love it. again, totally different kind of truck, but fun to drive. thats my 2 cents...
Boo Boo had one. The first generation had all kind of problems. Get a "Disco II" if you are going to get one. Tow rating is pretty low, only 5000 pounds. Very capable, has locking front and rear differentials.

[Conquistador_del_mar]

Thanks for the replies - sounds like they might be expensive maintenance-wise with parts being a possible problem. I really think they are highly cool in design, but I will hold off for now. Thanks again, Bill

[Conquistador_del_mar]

Look at a 1994-1997 Toyota LandCruiser. Best all around offroad rig you can buy out of the box. Get one with electric lockers from the factory and you have a vehicle that can go just about anywhere. I added a ARB front bumper, Old Man Emu lift kit, and some 35" Super Swampers to mine. Couldn't be happier with it. Handles all my hunting duties, mild off roading, and spare vehicle chores with ease. Only downside is the gas mileage.

http://i304.photobucket.com/albums/nn200/CJMikeK/IMGP1362.jpg

I couldn't agree more about the Landcruiser. I have a 2000 Landcruiser that I gave to my fiance last year, but I consider it much too nice for offroad use. Ours has 103,000 miles on it now and burns absolutely no oil, has had no problems, and it as quiet as the day it was made - fabulous vehicle in all regards except mileage. I will check out an older one for offroad use. Yours sounds like it has been modified for offroad. Thanks for the thought - Bill

[Ghost]

Thanks for the replies - sounds like they might be expensive maintenance-wise with parts being a possible problem. I really think they are highly cool in design, but I will hold off for now. Thanks again, Bill

If it is ANY comfort at all, I strongly agree with your decision. As someone who thinks the Land Rover line (Defender, Discovery, Range Rover) are all among the most capable off road vehicles, and as someone who has drooled over them for years and nearly bought twice, I have just barely staved off the temptation to buy one myself. I may be wrong, but I'm really glad I resisted the urge.

[CJmike]

My Landcruiser has almost 250,000 miles on it. At this point it burns some oil but not alot. Picked it up in Texas when I was down there last. It had over 200,000 on it when I got it. Ran like a top. Already had a lift kit in it when I got it. I added a few things and threw some tires on it and it has been a great vehicle. Plus the price was pretty good becuase of the high miles.

I had started looking at Land Rovers before I bought the Landcruiser. Several friends had the Landcruiser and I wanted something different. After looking at better than a dozen Land Rovers I threw in the towel. Everyone we looked at had various things wrong with them. Plus the owners always had a long list of stuff they had just fixed. Didn't take that as a good sign. When the throttle stuck wide open while test driving one and having to shut it off to keep it from taking off I had enough of Land Rovers.

My take after talking to a few owners I would steer clear of Land Rovers. Knew several people personally that got em and by the end wished they had never seen them. Tales of more time at the dealer than at home and in the garage.

[The Hedgehog]

My Landcruiser has almost 250,000 miles on it. At this point it burns some oil but not alot. Picked it up in Texas when I was down there last. It had over 200,000 on it when I got it. Ran like a top. Already had a lift kit in it when I got it. I added a few things and threw some tires on it and it has been a great vehicle. Plus the price was pretty good becuase of the high miles.

I had started looking at Land Rovers before I bought the Landcruiser. Several friends had the Landcruiser and I wanted something different. After looking at better than a dozen Land Rovers I threw in the towel. Everyone we looked at had various things wrong with them. Plus the owners always had a long list of stuff they had just fixed. Didn't take that as a good sign. When the throttle stuck wide open while test driving one and having to shut it off to keep it from taking off I had enough of Land Rovers.

My take after talking to a few owners I would steer clear of Land Rovers. Knew several people personally that got em and by the end wished they had never seen them. Tales of more time at the dealer than at home and in the garage.

35's for mild off roading. I can tell you go to some serious places.

[CJmike]

Not really but once the snow gets deep its all about tire size. Nothing like being stuck out in the middle of nowhere while hunting becuase you misjudged the snow depth.

By the way if you really want a disco here is a fixer upper.

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=761954

[Donziweasel]

Boo Boo's was a Disco I and never had any problems. I will say something about the engine. It was a V-8 from Buick that Land Rover used. It felt like it had a turbo on it. It was a slug off the line and then when you hit 3800 RPM's, hang on!

[Conquistador_del_mar]

My Landcruiser has almost 250,000 miles on it. At this point it burns some oil but not alot. Picked it up in Texas when I was down there last. It had over 200,000 on it when I got it. Ran like a top. Already had a lift kit in it when I got it. I added a few things and threw some tires on it and it has been a great vehicle. Plus the price was pretty good becuase of the high miles.

I had started looking at Land Rovers before I bought the Landcruiser. Several friends had the Landcruiser and I wanted something different. After looking at better than a dozen Land Rovers I threw in the towel. Everyone we looked at had various things wrong with them. Plus the owners always had a long list of stuff they had just fixed. Didn't take that as a good sign. When the throttle stuck wide open while test driving one and having to shut it off to keep it from taking off I had enough of Land Rovers.

My take after talking to a few owners I would steer clear of Land Rovers. Knew several people personally that got em and by the end wished they had never seen them. Tales of more time at the dealer than at home and in the garage.

Yep, the few Discovery sellers that I called had problems with their vehicles. I was questioning why anyone would sell a vehicle without fixing everything first - maybe they were tired of throwing money into them. I wish I had bought a 1994 Landcruiser that a friend of mine was selling about a year ago, but I wasn't looking then. I had the 2000 Landcruiser and a 1964 Land Rover 88" that I had restored at that point, but they are out of my use now - I sold the 1964 for about half of what it was worth - ouch! The guy doubled his money on ebay, but it was my fault for not knowing the market. With the economic situation going south by the day, I might just hold out for now unless a screamer deal comes along. Thanks again, Bill

[CJmike]

Good place to search for a Landcruiser

http://forum.ih8mud.com/vehicles-trailers-sale-wanted/

The particular truck you would be looking for is 1994 -1997 FZJ-80

Lexus is the same truck just with some plastic.

http://forum.ih8mud.com/vehicles-trailers-sale-wanted/266793-1996-lx450-fj80-factory-diff-lock.html

Make sure you get one with the factory diff lock. Makes a huge differance offroad. Picture of diff lock switch in above add. Its down and to the left of the steering wheel. Last summer when gas prices were high people couldn't give them away.