i love the fact that everyone with a LR also has a spare

 

Hahahhahahaha. Nice observation! A spare rover is generally cheaper than the first few parts you take off of it.

 

Here's a Disco with a full-size spare mounted on the back!

 

Wow! I think the spare is pulling the primary there. Nice. So much for worries about towing capacity. Of course, it isn't moving...

 

No, they really aren't the best when it comes to towing for a variety of reasons including safety concerns due to the short wheelbase. As far as the above picture, hopefully the spare has a good transmission because the yellow one might need it.

 

Do some research on the Discovery models in general. Educate yourself on the history and heritage of this amazing model. Understand that these are very capable and roomy vehicles that will get you places you never imagined yourself being. But in an age of growing fuel economy concern keep in mind these vehicles get 12-15 MPG when maintained to tip top spec and without any modifications or accessories or beefy offroad tires. Yes it is true that many of the Discovery 1,2 and 3 models suffered from poor reliability reputation but many of those issues were probably "operator error". Forgetting to change your oil on time or going past the recommended oil change schedule is a big no no. Letting your old coolant deteriorate and your old brittle cooling hoses crack and leak is also another big no no. If you cant afford to keep up with the oil changes and hose changes as per the recommend specs by the manufacture then you will not benefit from this vehicle. However if you are diligent and take care of your Disco than you should experience no major issues. Of course there was a major recall for some models for the 2003 year but not all 2003's were effected. The best advice I can give you is this: take your time shopping for one of these vehicles. Do not buy a truck that has a questionable service history. A quick look at the truck, and by examining the color of the fluids, the level of brake wear etc will give you an idea of how the vehicle has been treated. Also take it for a test drive and roll the windows down and listen to the vehicle. Does it have a tick or sound like its running rough? Or does it start up beautifully and run like a champ? Its not the vehicle that is bad, its the dam idiots who bought them and did a half *** job on the maintenance. Find one that was immaculately cared for and you will be a very happy camper. Not all driveshafts blow up, not all head gaskets fail at 100k etc. Just use your best judgement.

This forum is a great resource for gathering how to info and sharing fun stories and pictures BUT there is ALOT of pessimistic crap on here. As a friend once said to me "who do you think goes online and uses forums? Mostly just the people with the problems, you do hear people with no issues at all joining these forums and shareing positive stories because they dont need to....". So take most opinions presented on here with a grain of salt.

"Opinions are like ********, everybody has one and they all stink".

Good luck mate and I hope you find what your looking for. Patience is key.

 

I note you are in Canada so get it TD5 if at all possible, far less problems and far better fuel economy. Check for frame rot particularly at the back end. Don't rush, there's plenty of D2's around and a shiny truck doesn't mean a good truck. Most of all take an OBD2 reader and check the codes out for any recurring problems. Good luck.

 

My D2 has a spare on the rear door, it's like new, never been used

(Problem is if I ditch the spare with my luck the next day I'll have a puncture. I wonder whether any normal sized woman has ever changed a wheel as they weigh an absolute 'ton' and are very awkward to change, that's if the lug nuts come off easily anyways)