Hello,

I have always loved this particular body style of the Land Rover. I am currently working in retail and need an SUV that I can use all year round to get back and forth to work. I own a 93 Corolla, but I completely restored the vehicle and I no longer consider it a daily driver. Plus, I cannot drive it in the snow to get to work in the winter.

Gas mileage is not of my concern. It's more mechanical issues. I read a few reviews on this Land Rover, and half of them were great reviews, and others were terrible.

I really, really love this vehicle, and I am thinking about getting one, but all the ones for sale in my area have 90K+ miles. Other vehicles on my list are 2002-2005 ford explorer, 1998+ chevy blazer, 94-99 tahoe, but I love the land rover the most.

I was wondering if anyone here can give me any advice on what to do. My father is a mechanic so he can help me with any issues I do have. I just don't want the truck to be extremely expensive to maintain, when I could be purchasing something more reliable. I am not one to judge just by what people say about certain cars (I do own an AMC Pacer after all haha)

I would really like to hear a bit of what members here have to say. I figure I'd get way better reviews here. I am one that believes if you properly maintain your vehicle, it shouldn't matter what it is, it should be fine. I've heard so many good things about the rover, I am hoping it cancels out the bad. Please let me know. I'd like to have an suv before October, so I want to start looking for one now

Thanks!
-Taryn

 

Greetings and welcome to the forums. You probably should have made your first post within the new member introduction section, but this will do.

The first thing to consider when thinking of a Land Rover, is which model suits your needs? See below for a list:

2002 Land Rover Freelander.
Average private party price: $3,500
Lightweight, limited cargo spade, somewhat good on gas...


2002 Land Rover Discovery Series II.
Average private party price: $4000
Perfect combination of luxury and utilitarian, excellent on and off-road, improved cargo space, capable of seating 7 passengers, somewhat easy to work on, bad on gas, unique styling etc


2002 Land Rover Range Rover.
Average private party price: $6000
High end luxury vehicle, tons of computers and gadgets, somewhat difficult to work on, more expensive to maintain, not the greatest reliability ratings but overall a very capable vehicle all round, good cargo space, less distinctive styling, hold their value very well etc


Land Rover Defender.
Average private party price: $12,000+
Uncommon in the states, very expensive to buy, probably cheaper to maintain, very utilitarian, few or no fancy gadgets computers or luxury items, easy to work on, hold their value extremely well and have a legendary reputation all round for everything ranging from farm work to extreme off-roaring....


More than likely your price range and needs will be most compatible with the Discovery models, as they have the best balance between price and reliability. A lot of active forum members here have a Discovery so there's plenty of useful information for everything from mechanical fixes to general advice on tires and mods.

The next thing to consider is weather you have the patience and the wallet to own and keep a Land Rover properly maintained? These vehicles can be very expensive to maintain, especially if you rely on mechanics, dealers or get your replacement parts locally. But they can equally be cheaper to maintain if you have the online resources, know where to get the best deals on replacement parts, and do some of the mechanical work yourself. Yes the reliability of any vehicle depends in part on how it is maintained, there are plenty of horror stories about Land Rover, and their are plenty of positive stories to - depends who you ask. If your just looking for a simple and cheap suv to get you around, then a Land Rover may not be for you, most of us are serious Land Rover enthusiasts, we know the risks and we know the sacrifices to be made in order to maintain and drive these vehicles - but we love them nevertheless. We know how to fix them, where to get the parts and we enjoy them. Take some time to read over the provided links below in order to better familiarize yourself with Land Rover and its various models to chose from. There are plenty of good people in here who will be more than willing to help you out, you heed just ask. Listen to anything Disco-Mike and Spike 555 say as they are probaly the biggestest contributors to this forum!

Here's a link to the Discovery model tips and information ranging from what to look for when buying, comparisons, mechanical repair threads and recall information. Take your time when considering a Land Rover, and if you do decide that a Rover is right for you then make sure you get one that has mechanical records and has certainly been properly maintained.

https://landroverforums.com/forum/di...section-32402/

Good luck and good hunting!

 

If at all possible, have any truck reviewed by your trusted mechanic, with emphasis on detecting strange engine noise and overheating that may happen after about 10 minutes of warm up. Use a scanner to make tests, the gauges in the truck are not too accurate, and owners have been known to block out warning lights on the dash to hide problems. Any truck treated with radiator stop leak (leaves material circulating in cooling system) is suspect for having had prior overheating problems. There is a $50ish chemical test you can buy from a parts store that tests fo exhaust gas in coolant (head gaskets), will do a dozen tests, handy if considering more than one English vehicle.

Once you have Rover Rash, it is very hard to get rid of, and you'll find yourself having more fun in a vehicle than most people. Maintenance can't be neglected, it comes with the deal.

 

I wanna see what a completely restored 93 corolla looks like.

 

As a biased owner Discoveries are awesome. But you need to be careful on which one you buy. Try to get a 1-2 owner truck, with service records and history. Make sure the vehicle is inspected before purchase. Quality 03-04's can be had for about $7,000 or less now. I wouldn't say they are necessarily expensive to maintain if you can do the work yourself and if the truck has at least had a caring owner in the past. Common issues arise at around 100k like the head gaskets. Don't trust dealers and always get a second opinion. Read the sticky's on the forum. These are the issues you MAY need to tackle during ownership if you buy:

1. Head Gaskets
2. ABS amigo
3. Headliner
4. Radiator
5. Water pump
6. Thermostat ( if not changed)
7. Coolant- Make sure you run something other than Dexcool

All of these can be affordable to do but I'm just saying to expect that, not that you will absolutely have these issues. However these are things I read about on the forum a lot and telling you about them now might help keep you from overheating the truck. BTW never let the engine overheat.

 

Never buy a Freelander. The engines are simply defective.

Never buy a 2003 Land Rover Discovery. The engines have Oil pump and cylinder sleeve issues.

If you can't do the work yourself and if you are on a budget - then buy a Chevy.
Seriously.

If your heart is set on a Discovery - get a 2000 or a 2001.
Be sure to get a carfax.
And, only get one where the owner has a LIST of all the billions of receipts for repairs.
This is called a repair history.
If they don't have that = don't buy it.

Most Discovery at 95,000 miles or so need new head gaskets and that is $2,500 at a shop.

And, they have issues with the front drive shaft.
If the previous owner has ever over heated it you could have a ruined engine which will RUIN ON your time owning it.
Just saying -
Buying one of these is the luck of the draw.

Plus the brakes go into the 3 Amigo light mode.
If you buy one - make sure the brake warning lights have not been taped over or disconnected.

Chevy - not as glam but parts cheap.

If you work in high end retail and have a closet full of shoes and clothes, then by all means - you need that Discovery - not matter what.

To own a Discovery - you get a thrill even when you are chill.

 

Read this:
https://landroverforums.com/forum/di...section-32402/
Read this too:

https://landroverforums.com/forum/di...scovery-21328/
And this:
https://landroverforums.com/forum/di...ry-i-ii-28599/
Good luck. The older D2's are getting up there in miles but are cheaper. Don't spend 5k on a 2000 D2. They are nuts. EX: I paid 2500 with no issues for a 2000 with 100k miles on it. I'm now at 180k. Key words to go by is change fluids and check fluids. You would be amazed at the amount of people that have this or that go wrong and its simply because they didn't check the oil after not driving it for a month. Duh. Get a good independent mechanic to look at whatever D2 your looking at. Also, go to autozone and have codes read to see if the check engine light is on. For the 3 amigos (hill decent, traction control, abs breaks) you need a special scanner autozone doesn't have.

 

Haha I second that.

 

Uh restored a 93 Corolla?! No longer a daily driver?

You are a perfect candidate for Land Rover ownership.

 

"Never buy a Freelander. The engines are simply defective.

Never buy a 2003 Land Rover Discovery. The engines have Oil pump and cylinder sleeve issues."

If you can't do the work yourself and if you are on a budget - drive the Pacer.
Seriously.