Hi, I've been lurking and researching a while, so feel like I know just enough to be dangerous. Hoping y'all can help some with my dilemma. First a little background that is pertinent;

I'm looking at downsizing from a 2005 Ford Excursion, love it but recently sold a 31 foot camper that we towed a couple times per year and since I don't need the towing capacity want something that still holds my family of 5 (3 kids and 2 dogs for the occasional road trip), but is an easiser daily driver and more 'fun' to drive. The Excursion is pretty harsh on the road. I will still tow a 20 foot ski boat, about 4500 lbs loaded, which I think any of these will do.

I am trying to sell the X, but at least one of these dealers is interested in the trade 'down' meaning cash back to me in this case. Always liked the Rovers and Discovery's but never owned one. Here are my choices for now that I've found;

2004 RR HSE, black over tan, pretty but hate maintaning black paint. 92k miles, traded to a Ford dealer other side of town, so they are interested in my Excursion more than some dealers i think. They are asking $16,900 which is one of the lowest ask prices I find, but think they just want it to go away as they don't see many rovers there. I like this option because of the new body style and 4.4 bmw motor, but the new style ind suspension and air system scare me more than a little. If I got a $5 - 6k repair bill next summer it may be parked for a while!

2002 RR Rhino edition, 4.6 L rover motor with 105k miles, looks clean but for a rear bumper kink and the Traction light is on. This is at a dealer that seems to sell a good amount of Rovers and says it's probably a wheel sensor for $250 or less, but has not gotten it done yet. Guess I could verify that if got serious. he's asking $9900 but will move some if he does not invest in the bumper repair. Best guess is could purchase that for 9k even or so. Like the Rhino color and interior and that is is rare, but the old body style seems smaller and more dated althought I like the shape. Do this style have the air suspensions all around also?

2003/4 Discovery's with 4.6L motor, seem to be several for sale within a couple hours drive from me with varying mileage, 60-90k miles or so. I initially dismissed these as too small compared to what I'm coming from, but like the 3rd row seats as it may keep us from taking a second car if family is visiting, taking a friend of my kids, etc... I know they are small seats, but kids under 12 or so should be comfy I'd think. Also, the Disco only has the air suspension in the back, if at all, correct??

So, some of my questions in no particular order:
1) 4.4L bmw motor vs. 4.6L rover motor, supposed to be smoother and more powerful, but which is more reliable as the miles ad up? I'm guessing the 4.4 but is it offset by more expesive suspension to keep up with?

2) Overall reliability, electrical and suspension, and oddball stuff like sunroof leaks? Is there a winner in this group?

3) which is the best tow vehivle? Can the Disco keep up with the Range Rovers since only towing under 5k? Don't tow a lot, but when I do I need it to go well.

Sorry for the long post, thanks in advance!!
Geoff.

 

There are lots of variables here. These are all used vehicles, so saying one will be better than the other without knowledge of maintenance history is a crapshoot.

The Rangies should all have air suspension all the way around unless the prior owner has converted to coils. Wanting to tow a boat with that much weight I would certainly want to have one with a working air suspension. You are correct regarding the Disco air suspension.

Many folks on the other boards have no love for the 4.4, and I've heard a lot of gripes about the reliability of that era of Rover. Can't speak from experience though, all I can say is that the 2002 Rhino will probably have annoying issues here and there but usually nothing that will keep you from getting somewhere. Maybe a 4.4 owner will chime in and give you some insight.

The 4.6 isn't going to light the world on fire, but I've found both it and the 4.0 to be pretty adequate for towing duty, the transmission is excellent IMHO.

I'd prefer a Rangie over a Disco for towing. The Rangie has a longer wheelbase.

I'm obviously biased, but I prefer a Rangie over a Disco as a daily driver - more comfortable to me.

 

Thanks for the input Chris. Interesting you say you have heard negative things about the 4.4 motor (B-mer model)...From what I've read it's a smooth and reliable motor and later came a Jaguar motor which was also a 4.4L from memory, but maybe I need to dig a little deeper. It would be nice to hear from someone that has some time in one of these, esp with 90K + miles to get some real-world feedback.

The only thing that makes me nervous about the 4.6L in the 2002 is the cylinder liner failures I've been reading about...I'm sure it's rare but scary still. With the price differential the 2000 to 2002 model is the better bargain I guess, which would leave me more $ left over for future issues...just like that new body style. Have you ever towed with yours?

Thanks again, Geoff.

 

The 4.4L BMW engine is a great very reliable engine. I hardly hear of engine problems with them. The problems I hear with the newer markIII (L322) rovers are usually electrical, suspension, radio, immobilizer, and other random a$$ stuff .

The 1995 to 2002 RRs (P38a) have good engines in them, but they leak, are prone to head gasket failure, and liner slippage. Although, recently it seems the liners don't/can't slip because they are being held in place. Rather, the blocks crack where the head bolt screws in and reaches the outer edge of the cylinder and eventually cause overheating issues. There is plenty of debate on whether the problem is related to owner neglect or it being a design flaw. Many people have Discoveries and never have a single problem, whereas some have to replace engines, differentials, etc.

My rover has it's original head gaskets from the factory, which need to be replaced soon... Not looking forward to that .

You might consider the LR3 actually... If you are concerned about price. They are a bit cheaper than the newer RRs and you can generally get a 2005 or 2006 for a reasonable price. Plus it has that bullet proof awesome Jaguar engine in it!

 

Chris X and LR Scott have given good advice. I thought I would chime in as I have had experience with just about everything you’re looking at. I own a 02 Range Rover right now that I bought a year ago with 50,000 miles. It currently has 58,000 miles and it has not needed any repairs in the last year. I have done allot of preventative maintenance on it like changing all fluids, etc. A few quirky things pop up here and there usually electrical type things but they have always self corrected themselves.

My parents owned a 2004 Range Rover from 04-09. They had several issues with it during ownership but nothing major, towards the end they did need a new radiator and I believe that was the biggest item needed during their ownership. I did enjoy driving this car on several occasions but I actually like the way the P38's (95-02) handle better. Probably because I used to own a 98 Discovery.

My 98 Discovery was a Disco 1 and really would not compare too much to the ones you’re looking at. The 4.0 Rover V8 engine in it is related to the one in the 02 Range Rover. When I sold the Disco it had about 105,000 miles on it, biggest issue with it was oil leaks! But with a family of 5 with dogs I think the Range Rover is a better fit due to size. It is just my wife and I with two German Shepherds, but the Range Rover does fine with both in the back.

After selling my Discovery in 2007 I bought a 08 Ford Expedition to replace it thinking it would be great for a cross country move with trailer in tow. While it did that job perfectly owning a 98 Discovery from 2000-2007 I just got used to how Land Rovers and European cars handled and I never really cared for the Ford beyond how much it could tow. Thought the fit and finish was cheap and the way the vehicle handled was god awful. So that is when I found my 02 Range Rover.

In the end I would go with a Range Rover. They are expensive to fix, but if you take good care of it, it will take good care of you. You will have to drive both the 02 and 04 to see which you like better, it is really personal taste, both have their strengths and weaknesses. They really are very different SUV’s! So it will come down to personal taste between those two model years.

The newer LR3's do have those V8 Jaguar engines in them. It is an excellent engine that I had in my 99 Jag XK8. The BMW engine in the 04 I would say is smoother than the Rover V8, however if you do any repairs on your own you might find the Rover V8 easier to work on.

Good luck! Let us know what you choose.

 

Thanks for the additional replies...good tip about checking LR3's as I assumed they were out of reach price-wise since they are all newer, but there are some 2005/6 models with 70-90k miles out there for $16K +/- which is my target (or much less for p38 series market pricing). Still seems a little small from photos, but the fold-flat 3rd row is much more useful than the older disco jump seats for my family...

Also, when searching auto trader last nite, noticed another used RR popped up. It is another 2004 RR HSE similar to the one in my top post but this one has 97k miles, traded into the local Rover/Jag dealer here in Cincy asking $15,900. Says it was just traded, no photos but black over tan. Since the concensus is that the motor (4.4L bmw variety) is strong and long-living I don't worry about the miles there, but the odd-ball electrical and air-suspension stuff that seems to plague these scares me...so what I'm wondering is will the mileage (approx 100K) bring more of this stuff on sooner or is it more a factor of age? Air bags and hoses won't really die from mileage as much as dry-rot and age, or am I missing something else here, for instance? The age vs. mileage dilemma and how it affects reliability...

Since they now have both a 2004 RR as well as used LR3 at the local dealer, I will try to get there for a comparisson and see how the size difference feels.

 

I recently drove a few LR3's, I gotta say it's a nice machine and I'd probably pick that over all the rest if you can find one in your price range. A little smaller inside than a Rangie but I found it plenty big. It is really tall though - crosswinds are probably not a friend. I found the ride to be very good and the engine peppy (relatively speaking).

Be wary about the LR3 tow hitch - they don't come with them automatically from the factory, you have to buy it seperately (salesman told me this) and I understand it's expensive. Maybe the used one you found has it already.

I'll clarify my earlier statement re: Bimmer 4.4 - what i have heard it that the truck bolted to it is problematic, but the motor is ok although it can be expensive to fix (but aren't they all). That being said I'll take the Jag version anyday - more power and torque. The Bimmer 4.4 isn't much more powerful than a 4.6.

I do tow with my 4.0 (157k miles on it - all original parts) although I tow a few quads so I'm not quite up to your weight. You hardly notice they are back there. Way better than with my modified Jeep 4.0 I6 (with headers, intake)...of course it's on 33's with a 4 inch lift now so its not a tow rig...but I digress.....

After thinking about all of your choices, I come back to my basic rule of thumb: buy the lowest mileage, newest model, used car you can afford. Less time for the prior owner to botch it up, less time in the weather. As long as it's a Land Rover.....we got your back!!!

 

A traction control light is not a wheel sensor, its probably the ABS modual. SE and HSE Disco 2's have air suspension front and back. All air suspension can be troublesome.

03 and some 04 Discovery's have a possibility of oil pump failures. (The only fix is replacing the engine at $6k a crack.) There is no way to know if a truck has the problem.

if you interested in these, get a 04 Disco.

out of those options I'd take the 04 Rangie, however there are known for the dreadful reliability like all land rovers. 06+ newer LR3 have significantly higher reliability.

 

This may not help the OP at all, but a few corrections for reference.

The Disco II's had the option of REAR air suspension only, "SLS". It was an option that could be added to any model, so you can only know by looking for the air bags in back.

Also, you can search about the "death VIN range" for the '03 Disco's with the oil pump failures.

 

90k on bmw motor means alot of things about to happen. plus if you dont change the transmission fluid often on those engines the transmissions blow up.

put a few more in from trailering then from just plain driving.