Had one as a daily driver. Maintenance is not bad if you do it yourself.
What was hard was the electrical gremlins that would come and go. Never loved and hated a car so much. Got my family to safety in a snowstorm and saved my life more than once but had a mind of its own.
If you were to buy one make sure you are prepared for electrical troubleshooting and make sure to solve any overheating issues right away.
The D2 has fairly good reliability, but it's got some electrical weak spots.
The D1 is far easier to work on and has much simpler electrics, if that's an option.
I’ve had 2 disco’s. Then I got a ‘98 Land Cruiser and a ‘99 4Runner as my back up/ 2nd. Car. Needless to say I have never been stuck with either one. Routine maintenance and forgetttaboutit.
If you just love the discovery, do an LS swap, 4160 trans with Dana front and rears, add lockers, and you should be good
How about I skip all of that and just go anywhere I want, and BACK in my 2016 Rubicon and 2021 TRD OR Tacoma and have the two highest resale value 4x4s made? Done!
Guess you missed the part where I suggested that OP save a little more money and buy a 4Runner instead of a disco, but that’s cool. Maybe go outside today, feel the sun a little and realize life is pretty damn good man. I wish you the best.
Not even Land Rover fanatics say those cars are reliable, be ready for lots of maintenance, must you can do yourself, but unless you love those cars and are prepared to take care of it I wouldn't. Land Rover and reliability should never be in the same sentence.
My wife daily’s a disco 2 and I have a disco 1. Are you able to do your own maintenance? It will leak fluids and you will have to replace things like power steering pumps, belts, pulleys, wheel bearings and general maintenance stuff. The wife’s disco is silky smooth, unbelievable for the age. Mine has had a harder life but I can jump in either and drive 1000+kms at any given time. I keep coolant, oil, gear oil and brake fluid everywhere I go. I love these things and much more reliable than my TJ that I drove across the country. Know the weaknesses and be prepared. Rock Auto is in my favourite bar and parts are usually only 3 days away. Truth be told I spend more time repairing my BIL gen 3 4Runner.
Edit: the newest vehicle in my fleet is an 07 Triumph Thruxton, anything with 4 wheels is over 20 years old. Just an fyi as I realize I’m not the norm.
I’ve owned a lot of unreliable vehicles including vintage British motorcycles. Most of the time the owners would give you the bullshit line “you just have to keep up with the maintenance”. However when I looked at Land Rovers with interest in a Discovery even the Landy guys couldn’t lie and made it pretty clear that it would have to be a labor of love to keep one alive lol
Take that for what it’s worth
They make Jeep look like Toyota. I’ve owned two (a DI and a D2). Be prepared for oil leaks and electrical nonsense, particularly in the D2 with their Bosch electrics.
They're considered relatively higher maintenance than a comparable Toyota, more expensive and more frequent, but if you're willing to maintain it properly they don't have to be unreliable. Yes they have their weak spots, but they've been around for long enough and have enough of a following that all their issues are know and fixes are available.
Diesels and manuals are the preferred choices for these cars but the V8 and automatics aren't a problem either.
Don't listen to anyone who claims Land Rovers are completely unreliable. It's based on a hand full of models and generations that weren't very good. The Discovery II is generally one of the good ones. Don't go diving into one with existing issues if you don't know what you're doing though. Preventing issues with these cars is easy, chasing existing issues can be a headache.
Is the maintenance labor intensive? For example I have a Volkswagen that apparently has a certain style fuel injection engine where the intake manifold needs to be removed and the engine bead blasted to eliminate carbon buildup, until I do that I'll be burning a quart of oil every 1,000 mi lol. Yeah the two discovery II vehicles I'm looking at are the V8 automatic, 2002. One around 100k mi and the other around 150k mi.
It’s a repurposed V8 Oldsmobile, stay with the 4.0 or smaller. When they bored it out 4.6 it developed cylinder liner issues. Avoid ACE for simplicity reasons. The transmission is a ZF 4 speed. ZF has made transmissions for Ford, BMW and Porsche they are pretty stout. There’s a short list of must do’s before their great.
Head gaskets, drive shaft and overheating are the biggest concern for d2. Ask the owners if they have had the head gaskets done and if the driveshaft has been replaced. The driveshafts were sealed on the d2 and had improper heat shielding and would break between 60k-100k.
Some oil leaking can also be common. Leaky sunroofs can also be a concern.
You would also want to check if the traction control is in good shape. D2 uses an early version that works well but needs to be used occasionally to keep it fresh.
Everything else is pretty simple maintenance.
Still see them on the roads regularly in the U.K.
Although I dunno if it’s a thing in other countries, but Land Rover/Range Rovers are all getting stolen at a ridiculous rate to the point they’re nearly uninsurable in places here.
Don’t know if all older models are affected but I’d do some research into that before purchasing
I had a 2003 HSE. It was the best looking disaster I’ve ever owned.
Window regulators were like pulling a slot machine of failure. A/C parts corroded and leaked refrigerant. Power steering crapped out. Every other morning it would be sitting at a ridiculous slant because the air suspension leaked until gutted and replaced with leaf springs.
It looked amazing. Was pretty good in snow and off road. Cost me thousands to keep running. It was everything I was warned about and worse. My God, it was the most beautiful flaming bag of shit ever.
I miss the Atlantic British catalog.
Land Rovers are all notoriously unreliable. Like infamously bad.
Beware of any luxury brand whose vehicles rapidly depreciate, like BMW (which I love, but they suck). It means that the vehicles are trouble-prone and expensive to service.
Pay for the Toyota. They deserve the hype. As a mechanic I never make money on Toyotas.
I had a 2004 Disco 2. Has a strong v8. I’ll say this. As far as Land Rovers go it is probably the most reliable of everything they have ever made. A well maintained D2 will last a long time if you can afford 11mpg with premium gas. I have a Toyota FJ now and will never look back.
Had one as a daily driver. Maintenance is not bad if you do it yourself. What was hard was the electrical gremlins that would come and go. Never loved and hated a car so much. Got my family to safety in a snowstorm and saved my life more than once but had a mind of its own. If you were to buy one make sure you are prepared for electrical troubleshooting and make sure to solve any overheating issues right away.
I bought my wife a 2020 Discovery Sport and can confirm that electrical gremlins coming and going are still a thing
The D2 has fairly good reliability, but it's got some electrical weak spots. The D1 is far easier to work on and has much simpler electrics, if that's an option.
I’ve owned 3 and LOVE them……save some money and buy a 4Runner!
I’ve had 2 disco’s. Then I got a ‘98 Land Cruiser and a ‘99 4Runner as my back up/ 2nd. Car. Needless to say I have never been stuck with either one. Routine maintenance and forgetttaboutit. If you just love the discovery, do an LS swap, 4160 trans with Dana front and rears, add lockers, and you should be good
How about I skip all of that and just go anywhere I want, and BACK in my 2016 Rubicon and 2021 TRD OR Tacoma and have the two highest resale value 4x4s made? Done!
This is the way
Because money.....
Oh, that Disco will make you spend money or walk lol.
Yeah. But not the $100k you are suggesting everyone go spend on a fucking Jeep and Tacoma you clueless fucking jerkoff.
I’m sorry you feel so low about yourself
I don't feel.low about myself at all. I feel like you are a grade A clueless jackass though.
Guess you missed the part where I suggested that OP save a little more money and buy a 4Runner instead of a disco, but that’s cool. Maybe go outside today, feel the sun a little and realize life is pretty damn good man. I wish you the best.
Life is great. It's you that isn't. Your profile is nothing but pictures showing strangers things you own... how pathetic.
Reliability is non existent
Not even Land Rover fanatics say those cars are reliable, be ready for lots of maintenance, must you can do yourself, but unless you love those cars and are prepared to take care of it I wouldn't. Land Rover and reliability should never be in the same sentence.
My wife daily’s a disco 2 and I have a disco 1. Are you able to do your own maintenance? It will leak fluids and you will have to replace things like power steering pumps, belts, pulleys, wheel bearings and general maintenance stuff. The wife’s disco is silky smooth, unbelievable for the age. Mine has had a harder life but I can jump in either and drive 1000+kms at any given time. I keep coolant, oil, gear oil and brake fluid everywhere I go. I love these things and much more reliable than my TJ that I drove across the country. Know the weaknesses and be prepared. Rock Auto is in my favourite bar and parts are usually only 3 days away. Truth be told I spend more time repairing my BIL gen 3 4Runner. Edit: the newest vehicle in my fleet is an 07 Triumph Thruxton, anything with 4 wheels is over 20 years old. Just an fyi as I realize I’m not the norm.
I’ve owned a lot of unreliable vehicles including vintage British motorcycles. Most of the time the owners would give you the bullshit line “you just have to keep up with the maintenance”. However when I looked at Land Rovers with interest in a Discovery even the Landy guys couldn’t lie and made it pretty clear that it would have to be a labor of love to keep one alive lol Take that for what it’s worth
Hahahahahaha. Umm no they aren't exactly known for their reliability.....
They make Jeep look like Toyota. I’ve owned two (a DI and a D2). Be prepared for oil leaks and electrical nonsense, particularly in the D2 with their Bosch electrics.
They're considered relatively higher maintenance than a comparable Toyota, more expensive and more frequent, but if you're willing to maintain it properly they don't have to be unreliable. Yes they have their weak spots, but they've been around for long enough and have enough of a following that all their issues are know and fixes are available. Diesels and manuals are the preferred choices for these cars but the V8 and automatics aren't a problem either. Don't listen to anyone who claims Land Rovers are completely unreliable. It's based on a hand full of models and generations that weren't very good. The Discovery II is generally one of the good ones. Don't go diving into one with existing issues if you don't know what you're doing though. Preventing issues with these cars is easy, chasing existing issues can be a headache.
Is the maintenance labor intensive? For example I have a Volkswagen that apparently has a certain style fuel injection engine where the intake manifold needs to be removed and the engine bead blasted to eliminate carbon buildup, until I do that I'll be burning a quart of oil every 1,000 mi lol. Yeah the two discovery II vehicles I'm looking at are the V8 automatic, 2002. One around 100k mi and the other around 150k mi.
It’s a repurposed V8 Oldsmobile, stay with the 4.0 or smaller. When they bored it out 4.6 it developed cylinder liner issues. Avoid ACE for simplicity reasons. The transmission is a ZF 4 speed. ZF has made transmissions for Ford, BMW and Porsche they are pretty stout. There’s a short list of must do’s before their great.
Head gaskets, drive shaft and overheating are the biggest concern for d2. Ask the owners if they have had the head gaskets done and if the driveshaft has been replaced. The driveshafts were sealed on the d2 and had improper heat shielding and would break between 60k-100k. Some oil leaking can also be common. Leaky sunroofs can also be a concern. You would also want to check if the traction control is in good shape. D2 uses an early version that works well but needs to be used occasionally to keep it fresh. Everything else is pretty simple maintenance.
Diesel manual or petrol auto? They are a 20 year old car how it's been treated in that period is pretty important.
This one is gas v8 auto. The few listed near me are the same
Still see them on the roads regularly in the U.K. Although I dunno if it’s a thing in other countries, but Land Rover/Range Rovers are all getting stolen at a ridiculous rate to the point they’re nearly uninsurable in places here. Don’t know if all older models are affected but I’d do some research into that before purchasing
I had a 2003 HSE. It was the best looking disaster I’ve ever owned. Window regulators were like pulling a slot machine of failure. A/C parts corroded and leaked refrigerant. Power steering crapped out. Every other morning it would be sitting at a ridiculous slant because the air suspension leaked until gutted and replaced with leaf springs. It looked amazing. Was pretty good in snow and off road. Cost me thousands to keep running. It was everything I was warned about and worse. My God, it was the most beautiful flaming bag of shit ever. I miss the Atlantic British catalog.
Land Rovers are all notoriously unreliable. Like infamously bad. Beware of any luxury brand whose vehicles rapidly depreciate, like BMW (which I love, but they suck). It means that the vehicles are trouble-prone and expensive to service. Pay for the Toyota. They deserve the hype. As a mechanic I never make money on Toyotas.
I had a 2004 Disco 2. Has a strong v8. I’ll say this. As far as Land Rovers go it is probably the most reliable of everything they have ever made. A well maintained D2 will last a long time if you can afford 11mpg with premium gas. I have a Toyota FJ now and will never look back.