Hello Everyone,
I'm very new to Land Rover Discoverys and very green when it comes to deciding on one. I'm in Maryland and we have quite a few for sale, most I've seen are 03's, but there is plenty ranging from 95' to 04'. I want one for daily use and for some very light off-roading on the weekends. I thank you all for any help that you may give in this choice.

 

This question has been beaten to death, search the forum.
Basically D1 (1994~1999) have less electronics and are solid vehicles, they do well off road but are not as refined as the D2. D2 (1999~2004) have more electronics, are more refined but have more problems.

 

Like Bundu says, this topic has been beaten to death. The answer is very much dependent upon your needs/desires. I love my D2, but D1's are simpler, less refined, arguably more reliable, and smaller...what factors matter to most to you? How much time are you willing to put into maintaining your Disco every week? Before buying one, you need to understand that owning an older Rover definitely isn't for everyone. Please search for this and other topics before posting a question. I've found that there aren't a lot of questions that haven't been asked, and you'll learn a lot more by finding it yourself.

I say all of the above not to give you a hard time, but because one thing I've learned over the past few months is that all new owners need to have their expectations level set before buying one of these trucks. If you aren't familiar with Rovers, I strongly recommend that you not rush into buying one; spend a month or two reading through this forum and the forums over at discoweb.org (careful, the guys over there are brutal, but there is a huge knowledge base there too), landroversonly.com, and others...

Another recommendation is that you find a local Land Rover group/club and speak to them. They'll be able to give you pointers on locating good independent mechanics, first hand experiences, and may even know of well maintained vehicles for sale in the area...

 

It's kind of like if you were looking for a wife/girlfriend...

Would you go onto a forum and ask "What is the best year for a woman to have been born in?"

There are no bad years, just find one you love.

But, that having been said, watch out for the '03 models... them b!tches is scandalous! LOL

 

Best year for a woman would be 1993, 18 years old. Everything is still in good working order. Skin is firm... well everything is firm... less wear and tear... and well you know the rest.

I love my 04. Everything is still in good working order. Leather is perfect... well everything inside is perfect... less wear and tear... and well you know the rest.

 

Hard to compare these trucks to women!!

If you have a woman that takes this much work and is only good for one thing... never mind they are just like women.

I just bought my first Disco - 3 weeks ago. I spent 3 months looking and researching. And test drove and looked at about 20 of them along with all the other off-road capable style vehicles and came to this conclusion.

1. If you like they way they look and have good mechanical skills or a little money to pay a good mechanic then go for it.

2. If you want a daily driver that you don't have to mess with that you may or may not go off-road in - get a Toyota.

3. If you are part of this forum then the second question is mute so find one you like, be ready to work on it and be ready to say "What the **** does that piece do?". I’m 3 weeks in and have said that about 100 times already.

When you find one you like - look for the obvious - leaks, dried residue on the engine bay from something that leaked, jerry rigged wiring that doesn't look factory, jerry rigged anything, also stay away from a super clean, just been washed and scrubbed engine bays (I looked at 2 of these and after driving looked under the hood again to find leaking oil and antifreeze) and then get the service records.

Mine didn't come with service records but after months of researching and having a little mech skill I was able to determine that for the money it was a good buy. It had all the extra bits I wanted and didn't have signs of mechanical mayhem under the hood with exception to the non-working off-road lights on the rack. My mechanic took a look and hooked it up to a computer to make sure codes hadn't been cleared to sell. I got lucky - which never happens - and I have a great truck that I really enjoy driving and can't wait to start modifying.

It's a cool feeling riding in comfort and passing a jeep on the road knowing I can go further and in better style than they can in a "bumpy looks like a jeep, stripped out no comfort" vehicle.

Long post - bored at work again...

 

Both can drive you insane.

 

Thanks for the responses. All of you are right of course, I should have searched the forums better. I will let a D2 discover me and I will post some pics of her when we start our relationship. Thanks once again.

 

my brudda!!!

 

Good plan. Just be patient in your search. Believe me, I wasn't patient and I should have been. I absolutely love my '99 D2, but had to spend thousands to get it straightened out after I rushed the purchase...