I currently own an 06 MINI, but I'm planning to go back to grad school very soon. I love my MINI and plan to have one again some day, but when I head off to grad school, I don't want to have a car payment or any kind of payment for that matter. If I keep the MINI, I'll be paying on it for another 3 years, and I don't want to put school off for a car. I've considered lots of things, and if I have to do away with the MINI, one thing I need is space and a towing capacity. I'll be moving, and I'll need a way to haul most of my stuff across the country. Another thing is, that if I'm getting an SUV (which I see that as my best option), I see no point in owning a 2wd version. I think it might be nice to have a little fun every now and then. I've considered the Jeep, the 4runner, the ZR-2 Blazer, and now the Discovery. I'm just not a big fan of the Jeep. I like the 4runner. They're reliable and I like the way they look. ...but I need something I can pay off quickly. The only ones in my price range have way too many miles on them. I like the price and the looks of the ZR-2 Blazer, but they're just hard to find. The Discovery is my favorite...as far as looks go (I suppose I like the European style)...as far as price goes...and as far as off-road capabilities go. The only thing that scares me is reliability. I told a friend I was considering a Land Rover, and he freaked out. He thinks I'm crazy, because he said "they're so unreliable." He also said that they're unbelievably expensive to fix too. I'm just wondering how right he is. I have a MINI, so I'm well aware that European cars seem to have lots of little quirks, and I've learned to live with the ones my MINI has. So, I would assume that the Rovers would have similar little issues. That's not a concern. I've also considered gas cost into the equation. A Rover will cost about $1000 more a year than my MINI. That's not a big concern either as long as I get something that I can pay off quickly. No payment = me happy. To get to the point, I suppose I'm wondering about how much I would end up spending in repairs if I bought a used LR with about 60,000-80,000 miles on it. I appreciate your time.

Thanks,

Seth

 

You need to start with your price range Seth, how much are you looking to spend? Where do you live?
I live in West Michigan and last April I bought a one owner 1997 with 152,000 miles on it for $4500 including tax, title and plates.
It now has 171,000 on it and we have spent $400 in unexpected repairs and that much again getting it up to snuff. I still need to spend more, but I do it as money permits.
As far as reliability goes, I think that they are just as reliable as any car. Parts are not much if any more than anything else.
Yes they have their quirks. You MUST use premium gas and you can expect to get 15-20 mpg on the highway. Depends on how well it is tuned and how you drive.
D1's (1995-1999.5) tend to get alittle better MPG than D2's. But your experiance may vary.
These trks depreciate quickly but then tend to bottom out and then hold their value really well for many years and then drop again.
I just stopped and looked at a '98 with 129k on it and they were asking $5200, they were asking $6200 for mine. With the price of gas now is a good time to buy, everybody wants to dump their trk.
As far as off-roading goes, non better. It is refered to as the best 4x4 by far for a reason.
If you can do alot of the work yourself these trks are very easy to work on. And the girls, oh man, everybody has a Jeep, or a 'Yoda. But YOU have a Rover.
I dont know your price range, but if you go to www.edmunds.com you can look and see what they are asking AND selling for in your area.
But if you get a nice used D1, spend a grand to get it up to snuff and have it paid for in under two years, you will be a happy man. Then after school keep the Rover and get your Mini again.
Good luck in your search.

 

I just bought a used discovery and i've only had it 3,000 miles and 0 problems but the gas mileage is HORRIBLE but the thing is just a monster offroad im already in love with it.I also hear people say "a land rover those are horrible so and so had one and it was always in the shop"

 

What year is your trk? What kind of mpg are you getting?

 

I am a first time Disco owner. But I have to say..I'm in love with it. I lucked out and found a very well maintained 95 Disco for $2500. The previous owner kept all the receipts and had it repainted last year. With that being said... I would never buy this vehicle to drive everyday. I had to drive it over 150 miles to get it home and it cost about $40.00 in gas. Buy this vehicle for fun..or to get home if you live in rainforest..lol..

 

Mine is a daily driver. It gets abouteight miles and 1 hour of idle time a day.
Two miles to take the kids to school in the morning, two miles home. Sits in the garage all day.
Two miles back to school, idle for 45-60 min waiting for school to let out, two miles home.
Then after I get home if we need to go to the store, 1 mile there, and 1 home.
So yes around town mpg sucks, but we get 20 mpg on the highway. And the ride, man you cannot beat the ride on the highway. It is like driving your leather Lazyboy down the road.
You either love these trks or you hate them. They are not for everybody.

 

Thank you for the replies. You've all been very helpful.

I live in Tulsa, Oklahoma. I'm looking to spend $8,000-9,000....maybe a little more if I have to. Here are some that I have found.


2001 with 88K for $7,550

1997 with 50K for $7,400

2001 with 93K - He now asking $9,350

1998 with 98K for $8,000

 

on my personal opinion the 2001 for 7550 looks shady, i encountered alot of dealerships like these when i bought my disco. All they do is buy dirt cheap discos from car auctions that other dealers took in on trade and just junked basically, it looks like one of those dealerships. i mean the guys advertisement picture is a suv with 22's. the 97 + 98 look a tad steep in price, i looked a while, but found my 97 for 4500, and im going on almost 10k miles since late august, and ive only replaced the alternator. Check around forums for an enthusiast owned car, it has its benefits

 

Seth,
I wouldn't recommend a Discovery for an only vehicle, especially to someone trying to get through grad school. Now, if you always have a wad of cash handy, and have access to tools, and are completely able to do your own wrenching, you may be able to swing it. Just realize at anytime you may need to drop up to a couple grand into your truck to keep it on the road. Also, if you intend todrive cross-country, your repair options on the road will be limited -if available at all. If I were you I would look in the domestic or Japanese direction for your truck. That's said,good luck with your decision. Personally, Ilove my Disco, but I also have two other vehicles as back-ups.

You may want to check this out ....

http://www.okoffroad.com/okrovers/main.htm

 

I think I'd go with either the 2001 with 93K, or the 1997.

I think that the D2s are much better vehicles. They have their own glitches, like the 3 amigos, and a few other gadgets that can go wrong if not properly maintained like the ACE system. The D1s have all kinds of electric problems. When I started looking at Discoverys, I really wanted a D1, cause this was the model that had me fall madly in love with Land Rovers. But the more I looked and searched, the more I saw how bad a condition they were all in. Then was at a dealership to check on a D1, and the salesman had the great idea to also get the keys to a D2 that was on the lot. I've alwaysthought that the D2 looked much better, but thought that they were much pricier. NOT!!!! So I was hooked on D2s right there and then!!

With this said, try and find an as low mileage as possible D2, and before making any move on it, get the v.i.n and call the dealership. If it had the headgaskets done in the fairly recent past, all the other stuff is minor and can be dealt with one by one, starting with the driveshaft ( if it doesn't have grease fittings on ALL the u-joints)

Unless you absolutely want a D1, and you are lucky enoughto find one real cheap and in excellent condition.

Search it well, and good luck!!!