Sunday, March 4, 2012

Should I buy a Land Rover Discovery?

My friend is selling a 2001 Land Rover Discovery in great condition for $7,000. I am in desperate need of a new car but I dont want one that is going to suck up all of my money in repairs.Should I buy a Land Rover Discovery?
It's definitely going to suck up all your money in maintenance. And if you don't let it suck up your money in maintenance, it will definitely suck up all your money and then some in repairs.



I had a 2004 Disco. It is a VERY maintenance-intensive car. It's such a heavy car the brake pads wear out after 15,000 miles. Each set costs $400 + labor to replace. The rotors require replacement every 2 brake pad changes, and will cost you $900 per set.



It's a full-time 4WD car, which means you need to get the differentials lubed every 20,000 miles, plus transmission fluid change.



The Goodyear Wranglers that came with mine went 40,000 miles before needing replacement. $250 per tire.



And it will also suck your wallet empty with fuel costs-- 12 miles per gallon of 93-octane premium (it requires premium gasoline).



I've never had any problems with mine, but that's because I spent the money to keep it in good shape. There are many other cars that cost far less to maintain and to fuel, just so you know what you are getting into here before you buy an LR.
Put it this way. If you don't want it to suck up all your money in repairs, how much will it cost if it does need a repair down the road?? Land Rover's aren't that cheap to repair. If you could find a decent Jeep Wrangler (an older one, not new) or a Jeep grand cherokee (the boxy looking one, again not new body style) it would be a great vehicle. The 4.0 liter inline 6 is a very reliable motor and these vehicles are a couple of the easiest and least expensive to do work on.Should I buy a Land Rover Discovery?
Should never buy a car from a friend or family member. If the car is terrible (which most likely it is because it's a land rover) then you might not have as good of a relationship with that person. Anyway I still wouldn't buy it.
that is not the best car to buy just because he selling it for $7,000.

the repairs on that car are really high and you need to asked yourself

do you want that kind of problems with that car.Should I buy a Land Rover Discovery?
no, you shouldn't. buy something less-old and more reliable in terms of mileage.
No.. Dont buy it. Its a peice of junk. I would rather buy a Honda with 180,000 for $800 then buy one of those.
Land Rovers are fine. If you go to the dealer, like anything, they cost a fortune to fix, but parts are readily available elsewhere for great prices, and they aren't complicated to fix.



They don't get the best fuel mileage, but there is a reason for this. Many don't know it. They are permanent four wheel drive. This means it is always in four wheel drive. Does it use more fuel? Yes, it affects fuel mileage to a great degree. It does give you great traction in bad weather on the road, though, and makes driving off pavement much smoother, as you do not have to choose between 2 wheel drive and a locked center all the time.



Reliability is a big concern with Rovers. This should not really be the case. Land Rovers are built with set service intervals in mind, and you can set your watch by them. If you take the time to know the vehicle, this will not surprise you.



If you buy it simply to drive back and forth to work, and never consider how it works, you probably won't like it.



On a vehicle based expedition, you place your life in the hands of a car. I have taken many Rovers, old and new, into places that I was not likely to walk out of if things went awry, all over the world. Never once have they let me down.



Part of it is the mandatory service intervals. Rovers have a different kind of reliability, like a firearm. You lube it up before you use it, and clean it out when you are done. Every few thousand rounds, you replace or recondition a few parts, because you know the gun will always work properly if you do so.



Most cars will run for a few hundred thousand miles, then they are useless, no matter how much attention you give them. They don't require much service, but they have a set lifespan. Rovers will run near forever with frequent service, in the harshest climates, in the harshest terrain.



I have personally driven Rovers (with the same basic engine used in your 2001) with almost 400,000 miles on the engine across Africa on long expeditions.



Is a Land Rover for you? Well, do you change the oil in your lawn mower like you are supposed to? If not, then you should look elsewhere. If you never plan to go off the beaten path, it is rather pointless, that is true.



A few myths dispelled.



Land Rovers are NOT top heavy. They can handle 45 degrees in any direction, which is more than most behinds can handle, and incidentally, more than any other utility vehicle.

Land Rovers are NOT slow.

They handle very well on the road.

They are quite safe in a real world collision

They are not unreliable if taken care of properly. Indeed, the only issues they have are for the most part designed in and planned for ahead of time, so it doesn't happen when you aren't expecting it.



Drawbacks that are indeed true.



Land Rovers do get pretty poor fuel mileage compared with a normal passenger car.

They can be difficult to own if you don't have a real reason for owning them.

They aren't the best towing vehicles due to their short wheelbase.

They aren't as fast as some people are used to.

People will hate you for it.



There is one system that is in fact unreliable on the Discovery Series II, but many owners don't like the system anyway, and end up simply disabling it. This system can be, if required, replaced at a regular interval to prevent failure, but it is not necessary to do so. If it does fail, you need do nothing to keep using the vehicle as you were before.



Much of Land Rovers bad reputation comes out of the sort of people who actually show up at the dealer. Many of their customers think they are buying their way into posterity, and simply have no idea how the thing works. This is not Land Rover's fault, as they host regular events to educate their customers, free of charge.



Another big problem was the 1980's. Britain had a very, very hard time of building anything properly during this period, and it was then that both Jaguar and Land Rover lost a lot of points in the hearts and minds of the public. Interestingly enough, though, most cars, no matter where they came from, were junk in the '80s, but the expensive cars got the bad reputation.



It is thought that almost 80 percent of Land Rovers ever produced are still in use today. It is also thought that for 40 percent of the world's population, a Land Rover is the first motor vehicle they ever saw.



On your particular car, 7 grand is a bit steep. 6 should take her.

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