Depends on the day that sucker rolled off the line then. Sometimes the Brits & Germans didn't have the best of days. Case in point when 2 Brother LR's show up at the Dealership and are going to be on display for the 99 D2 Unveiling. Upon starting the PDI something wasn't right. The Leather trimmed high end model had cloth door panels. While it's brother a low end D2 had the suede. They had rolled off the line back to back & apparently the Brit's or Germans didn't care to read the trim packages correctly and they rolled out of the factory and onto the ship *** backwards lol.

Once the issue was discovered the door panels were just quickly swapped, but it's stories like this that give LR that human charm vs vehicles made in a 100% automated factory. It's a love/hate relationship for sure.

While I was working on my friends D2 that had only one operating window. I started with the LF as it did absolutely nothing. Pulled the door panel off slapped a meter onto the motor wiring coming from the LR and 0v. Removed the interior kick panel metered out the wires and nada zip nothing. Removed the rubber boot and both window motor wires were snapped clean in two along with one mirror wire. Apparently those 3 wires were just not given the slack the rest had, and after the years passed the wires finally snapped clean in two. It was a quick & simple repair and once fixed the window & mirror were both fully functional.

I do electronic stuff daily so I guess working on a LR wiring system is just another day at work for me. I had to chase plenty of wiring issues down on both my 05 Jeep Wranglers and they're about as basic as you can get, but OMG did they use poor connectors that just crumbled.

 

You hit the nail on the head. I knew what I was getting into, and it's more funny than annoying as although I use it a lot of days, every time I get into it, it's an adventure. I smile every time I look at it as I think they are very cool.

But as with an Italian Supermodel girlfriend, she will break your heart at some point. Ah well.

When I first got it, I thought, "I'll make it like new and get everything to work and it will be great!" I've now come to the reality that it will never be right, and that I just have to figure things out as they come. Thus it is fun toy and has excelled in its decided capacity: a kid hauler and a truck. However, I don't have the patience to have it act like a Rover in a long trip, or a hard core off road adventure (I have a reasonably well prepared Jeep for that anyway that is infinitely more reliable- which I know Bext4x4 and I disagree on). The Jeep is more powerful, gets better mileage, is INFINITELY better off road (based on lockers, disconnecting sway bars, and WAY lower gearing- all OEM), and has more electronic toys. But it just is so vanilla these days. Cruising around in the Disco is almost as cool as the vintage G Wagen we have.

 

I don't disagree that a 20011-2017 JK/JKU is better than a "stock" 99-04 D2, but the Jeep is a heck of a lot newer and they're a dime a dozen and are far from unique.

Apples to apples you'd have to compare an off road equipped LR3/LR4 to a JK/JKU and the 4x4 electronics in the LR3/LR4 are far superior with it's Terrain Settings. the LR3/LR4 would also have more HP vs the 3.6L V6 in the JK/JKU. Top Gear USA had a pretty decent off road battle with a stock FJ Cruiser, slightly modified LR4 (racks, bumpers, and winch), and a highly modified JKU AEV Brute Pickup. Of coarse the Jeep won the challenge (not for off road abilities but driving down a creek vs on a dirt road to the finish), but 120K AEV vs a 60K basically stock suspension/gears/engine LR4 kinda proves my point. The D2 vs a JK/JKU = not in the same class. It would be D2 vs Grand Cherokee & JK/JKU vs a Defender for a true comparison.

Both 05 Wranglers I owned Rubicon & LJ were far more un-reliable, got 10MPG on a good day with all the off road gear on it, they rode rough, and I'd be doing good to get up to 65MPH. In my D2 I can cruise comfortably at 80MPH all day long, with the same off road gear I get a minimum of 12MPG.

I got out of Jeeps and back into LR's for several reasons. First I was tired of them being so cheaply built. Second once the JK/JKU came out Jeep owners changed. Before it was more of an adventure and going to remote places with good friends. Then it turned into I've got more name brand bling on my Jeep than you, and it went from off road adventures to turning up on Saturday mornings to Cars & Coffee events........ Now it's all Rainbow Halo's, how many layers of wax, LED Light bars, and lifts & wheel combo's that would never even last past the first obstacle out on the trail. Then there is the whole Jeep Clubs acting more like Biker Gangs thing (even adding foot pegs to their Jeeps). It is so far from off road adventures, meeting good people, and having fun that I sold all my Jeeps ASAP and went back to the unique looking, very capable off road, fun to drive D1/D2.

I've been back into LR's for almost 4 years now and I've enjoyed them far more vs wrenching on them (unlike the Rubicon/LJ that always needed something), and yep I stand out anywhere I go vs the mall crawling JK/JKU's that never see even a dirt road.

 

Once again, you are spot on. I agree with most points- aside from the TJ being unreliable, and the LR3/4 being in the same galaxy as a body on frame, solid axle at each end machine- and the JK has been both a boon and bane to the Jeep marque. Sadly Jeep is holding on to the heritage of the "original" Jeep, but is inching towards making the same mistake that Mercedes has done with the G Wagen- turning it into a tarted up mall crawler. I priced a new JK equipped pretty much the same as our '12 and it was $55k?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?! I'd spend $20k more in a millisecond to get a new Disco. I don't really care when I get a dent or scratch on my Jeep, but when you get to the $50k range, it starts to hurt more.

In my opinion, Rover is the only company that really has not strayed from their roots too much. There were some missteps in models, and some may not agree, but I think they've done a great job of introducing technology, keep pretty good off road prowess, and addressing things like reliability over the years. My wife's RRS SC (with the "new" fire breathing motor) I think is an exceptional example as such. It does have some quirks from time to time, but we just had the 75k service done on it (I'm scared to work on it) and it has been reliable as anyone could desire. Plus, 500hp AND it will easily get 20mpg???? Honestly, when my wife gets a new car, I'm taking that thing over because the only thing that sucks about it is the infotainment system. Otherwise, it rocks.

But getting back to the Disco, you are correct you can't compare a JK to to it as there has been too much advancement. However, if I do a somewhat closer comparison to my wife's old E46 Beemer, the Disco still sucks. Cheap interior trim pieces comparatively, doesn't even have the Latch system for kid seats (I thought the Disco was to be a family vehicle?), poor lighting, and performance to economy ratings that are off base even back then.

On the JK, you couldn't be more correct on the image bit. When I'm off road, I want nothing else. When driving down the street, I'm in a Civic. The Disco is worlds different and just feels really cool while retaining much of the creature comfort afforded in the Jeep.

Bottom line, I don't think I can get away from our JKUR, but I have zero desire for a new one again. If I were to buy a new car, it would absolutely be a Rover. Top to bottom, they have unequivocally gone in the right direction. They are killing reliability (IMO), the dealer experience is as good as in Germany with German cars (after living there a few years, that is my benchmark, and everyone knows 'mercian stealers are dirt bags), and how they have embraced tech is really cool. Nah, the Jeep we have will eventually turn into a trail toy built to the hilt, but not much for daily driving.

In the mean time, the Disco will be my fun daily- until it breaks again...

 

05-06 TJ/LJ's suffered from 2 serious issues that no other TJ/LJ had. First the OPDA BS that fails very often and can leave you with no oil pump, no timing, and stuck on the side of the road. Both my 05's suffered from that issue and at the time even Jeep couldn't keep them in stock. Then no one even offered them as an aftermarket replacement leaving you on a waiting list (I was on it twice). Then the 4spd Auto that was also in the 07-10 TJ/LJ/JK/JKU was an unreliable pile of a transmission and I even engineered a fix for the OEM plastic linkage that when it failed left you with no gears, and if you knew what you were doing you had to crawl under your Jeep to manually place it into D with the E-Brake on then, get home and fix it (I should still make em and sell the kit on Ebay). It also had an OD that was useless as it was geared way to high. Then the 6spd Manual offered in 05-06 was also touchy in cooler climates and even had a recall on it for a going into reverse issue. Brake Calipers made with plastic pistons that once they heated up and warped left you once again on the side of the road with a set of locked up front calipers. There was also heat soak issues with the 03-06 TJ/LJ and injector #3 getting to hot. It had a TSB and both my 05's suffered from very rough starts after sitting for say 30min after being warmed up. The flex plate's on the 4Spd auto were also known to crack around the crank bolts leaving you stranded if it broke or a Jeep that sounded like a clucking chicken (my Rubicon suffered from this). Both my Rubicon & LJ had right at 50K on them when I sold them.

In comparison I have an 02 Kalahari with 229K on it and I've driven it for 2 years now with zero issues like either of my Wranglers with 30-50K on them. My transmission shifts and leaves me in OD with plenty of power, my brake calipers don't fail, I don't suffer from OPDA issues, heatsoak, or anything like that.

Yeah I saw a new Rubicon 4Dr JKU the other day and it was 50K easy bone stock. When my 05 Rubicon rolled out the door for 25K it was in 94-97 D90 territory, it was basic, well equipped for off roading and that's what it was made for which I was okay with as I couldn't get my hands on a 94-97 D90. Sadly the JK/JKU is trying to be a Grand Cherokee (price wise) with Red Leather Seats in a 10 year Anniversary Edition JK/JKU (which I find gross), and dealers slap a ton of poorly made chinese crap on them and yep they sell all day every day for 40K & up. I see that 2016 even offers a JK/JKU in Purple.. Must be the snowflake edition or something...

I've ridden in the back of a JKU and I've ridden in the back of a D2/LR3 and sure getting into the D2 isn't easy, but once inside the seat is supportive and comfy. The JKU backseat reminds me of a cloth covered piece of plywood.

My 06 LR3 HSE with the HD Package is an amazing vehicle. It does not have the classic lines of the RRC/D1/D2, but the interior is very well laid out, I find the 4.4L Jag V8 to be a great motor and on trips 18-20MPG isn't impossible. Remove the resonator and I swear it sounds just like a Jag F-Type if you step on it. You'd think the EAS and Independent Suspension would make it suck off road, but man can those air bags allow it to flex. Just try jacking one up lol you'll run out of jack before a tire lifts off the ground!!

One day when it's time for another LR or newer vehicle it'll be an LR4. I love a RRS, but I like the 3rd row in the LR3/LR4. LR in my book is still the king of off road vehicles. Jeep did a great job with the Rubicon in 03-06 with a truly built off the showroom floor off roader, but like you said Jeep is getting further and further away from that. Land Rover is making their vehicles fancy (LR is always years ahead of Jeep) with unheard of technology and advancements. With anything new there is always a learning curve. LR has learned a lot from it's mistakes and they continue to improve on stuff until it becomes an industry standard.

I had fun with my Jeeps when I wasn't repairing them (which was pretty darn often), but I truly got turned off of them once the JK/JKU came out. The people that bought em just changed.

I've gone wheeling with several LR groups and they're exactly how they were back in the 90's. Everyone meets up, chats, helps each other, and is out to have fun. No one is there to show off their rainbow halo's or who has the most LED light bars. I've seen LR's from Lightweights, Forward Controls, RRC, old series, D90/110/130, D1, D2, LR3/LR4, P38's, RRS, to new RR's out on the trail. Of coarse you aren't going to see the new RR go thru 4ft of mud, but they're out there like the rest of us to have fun.

When I sold my Jeep LJ and got my H3 Alpha I instantly lost 90% of my so called Jeep friends as I might as well have committed murder in their eyes.... I'd run into them in town, or at the beach and they'd refuse to talk to me or even acknowledge a wave... That kind of crowd is not something I need to hang out with.

On your D2 slap in some Silverstar ZXE's and check their aim. I also have a 99 D2 and yeah I find it silly that there isn't any child tie downs until late 01-02. However the dealers did used to sell a kit for the 99-00 models.