Hello all, this is my first post here but i figured it was a good place to start. Ive been looking into buying my first Land Rover and wanted to get some feedback from those who have owned/currently own LRs. Ive been looking for a '96/97 Discovery 1 or a 2004 Discovery 2. It would be used as a daily driver (living in the city that consists of 5-10 miles every day or so at most) as well as a camping/off roading weekend car. Any and all feedback/opinion on these models would be greatly appreciated as im torn between which one to go with. Thanks everyone

 

I'm new here myself. Pretty sure that question will open some type of portal to the darkest depths of the underworld.

Anyway.

I bought a used D1. I liked the "fewer points of whizbang gizmo failure" option.

 

Hands down D1. A lot more simple. Easier to fix. Less costly off road parts. More stout all around.

 

Why those years only?

 

I would also suggest a D1, as there is a lot less electronics. but why not like 99 D1?

 

After all my research, I would recommend a D1 as well. The newer models can be tempting, but the issues around of the newer motors kept me away. Best to stick with simple and durable instead of trying to modify newer models to upgrade to what the D1 all ready gives you.

 

I think a good part of how satisfied the potential new Land Rover Disco owner will be ultimately comes down to a few things like: Level of committment towards their Land Rover, Mechanical skills, Financial situation (to buy parts and repair labor), Reliability expectations and Tolerance (when little and big things need to be repaired). I think this applies to all cars, not just Land Rovers. Just about any DISCO you buy is likely to have a bunch of deferred maintenance and you can expect to plunk some good money down right out of the chute to fix things the previous owner put off. Unless you get extremely lucky and find the one and only that was babied. Things like sensors, brakes, possibly head gaskets, suspension components, water pump, fan clutch, some interior electrics to sort out and so on. If you are young guy living in an apartment with little access to tools and not a whole lot of money, and expect this to be your trusty every-day daily driver that never ever fails you, I would recommend going with a different vehicle and wait until you have the time and resources to give these vehicles the attention they need. Some of the guys on this board, me included, have access to a bunch of tools not common in joe neighbor's garage and can fix just about anything that comes up. That's when these vehicle get fun!

D1's:
More 'mechanical' and easier to debug electronics when needed. Cheap and brittle interior plastics, steering isn't precise at all, I mean, I could come up with a long list, but you've probably read all the things already. Later D1's are better. D1 Motors hold up pretty well. Parts are available. Overall, I find D1's easy to work on.

D2's:
Here is when you see a greater integration of electrics and things like traction control, hill decent and so on. These can be nice WHEN THEY WORK. When they don't, and you have to pay to have someone repair, then it's going to cost a ton. And that's one problem with a lot of D2's. However, if you have the ability and desire to make the repairs to things like the 3-amigos and the engine electrics (which can be very involved), head gaskets ....and you get that stuff all sorted out, then they can be good vehicles too. 03-04 some say are the best years in terms of interior refinement and handling. But just like every rose has a thorn, these vehicles can suffer from cracked blocks a lot and AFAIK, nobody is making blocks anymore (correct me if I'm wrong guys). But if you got a good one (and it's a roll of the dice in many cases), and did the key things that guys on the DII forum suggest, then you'd have a great rig.

Overall, when you get your vehicle to the point where guys on this board have, you've got probably one of the most capable off-roaders out there! Just look underneath at how they're built. It's old-school beef and stout hardware. But they are just fun to drive around and enjoy. Once I repaired all the boogers on my vehicle, I really haven't had many problems with it. Sure, small things do come up from time to time but I take care of them and it's been a great experience.

What I would do is evaluate your needs and capabilities (budget) and get out there and test drive Discos of different years. See what turns you on.

 

I am interested in either the later year D1s or later year D2s is the reasoning behind those years, although I'm not stuck on those by any means. I have access to a wide range of tools necessary and feel i could do a good bit of small work by myself (probably more with the help of my car friends ha). It seems that the D1 would be a little bit easier to manage and have less electronic integration which would be nice. I really appreciate everyones input and help on this, its been good insight for me. Im excited to get into this world! Thanks again everyone

 

That sounds great. You might be the 'right' guy to get into Discovery ownership. I personally wouldn't be too intimidated with the DII issues either. There's enough help that if you have the right skillset (or you can develop it on the fly), you can overcome any of the issues. I kind of like the looks of the DII's. I recently looked at an 03 but didn't buy it. I kind of regret it, but really want to have the center diff lock which the '04 has. I'm keeping my eye out for an 04 if I can find one that I think has a good motor. Why limit yerself to only one Disco, I say??

Like I say, definitely test drive both generations. Bear in mind that the center differential lock went away for a few years (02-03??) but came back in 04. They applied traction control using anti-lock brakes, which works fairly well, but a CDL provides great traction front to rear and ya don't have to be spinning yer wheels before it kicks in.

 

awesome thanks again for the help and all the advice. I'm looking forward to getting my Land Rover and now feel a little more confident about what I'm looking for in each model. this has been a huge help for sure and ill keep y'all posted when i get one!