I'm getting a 1999 with 140k miles. I assume it will initially get anywhere between 10-17mpg since it probably hasn't had decent maintenance (proper intake & TB cleaning as well as hoses, seals & emissions).

Assuming that I do all of the proper maintenance what should I expect for "normal" fuel mileage? (city/highway or just combined average type numbers)

Are there things that you guys/gals do to improve mileage? Are there aftermarket engine management systems or intake/exhaust parts that can bump the LR up even just an extra 2-3mpg?

I know what I bought and I'm not expecting 30+mpg but I'd like to be able to get better than 15ish if possible. I have a second vehicle that I use for "around town" type trips (BMW) and I plan on using the Discovery locally during bad weather and also for major trips - such as cross country trips, up to the mountains to go skiing, etc. Would be nice to get 20-25ish on the highway and I'm willing to invest in some aftermarket parts if that kind of fuel economy is possible.

 

Go through Disco Mike's high mileage service list and don't drive above 60mph. You might get close to 20 mpg.

 

You're never going to get 20-25.

 

haha ok. I figured as much.

I've read Disco Mike's high-mileage maintenance guide and I plan on doing all of it ASAP. I've got a second car so if it means putting the Disco up in the garage for a few weeks and just knocking it all out that's what I'll do.

I was just wondering about things like exhausts or intake/air filters, etc. In the car world a few things like an air filter, performance exhaust, engine management chip and proper tire selection usually gets you a bump of about 2-5mpg depending on how aggressive you go. I'd be interested in things like that as long as it doesn't take away too much from the truck.

and LOL @ don't go above 60mph. If I'm driving the thing cross-country I'm going to be going 75-80 a lot of the way. I guess I'll assume that would be ~12mpg range??

 

Probably. And make sure you have a greasable front drive shaft or you will be on the highway, your front drive shaft will fail, and then you will be looking at a new transmission...

 

I immediately thought of custom intakes and exhaust. I wonder if losing weight would make a difference. It's common with other 4x4s to strip out all the trim, carpeting and extra seats. But I think LR owners value the extra comfort. Do you need those back seats?

People used to think all the emissions tech was unnecessary and could be stripped out to improve performance and fuel efficiency. I don't think I believe that. It likely just makes your truck impossible to sell.

 

Let's look at the numbers. The Discos weigh in at 4464 pounds (D1) and 4928 pounds for an un-laden D2. Tossing out a few seats won't make much difference to something with the aerodynamics of a brick. They weigh more than my F250 pickup.

As far as mods to vastly improve mpg, if they existed (simple bolt on, magic elixer, bypass a wire, cut a belt, etc.) we would already have done them. 14 - 17 for my D1.

Pix of extreme cutaway, a good reason to value the weight, and the important thing to remember is how much fun you can have with a Rover going slow or even standing still.

 

What were you saying? I got distracted.

 

I owned a '77 International Scout II and the biggest thing for fuel economy for that was NOT jacking it up and putting a 4" lift kit on it. Also, running "pizza pie cutter" tires (thin, skinny) with lower rolling resistance made a massive difference.

I'm not going to be going crazy stripping out weight from the Disco - I like the quietness of sound deadening; the warmth of insulation and the capacity to actually put animals or passengers in the back. Taking out 200-300# of weight might improve mileage but usually the weight reduction only comes into play around the city, not highway driving.

With cars an intake, exhaust and an ECU/chip usually make the most difference. Just wasn't sure if the LR guys had things like that. Again, I'm not that concerned with economy (too bad we don't have diesel motors over here in the US) but it would be nice to get something that's a solid 20mpg around town and 20+ on the highway.

Over the course of 20,000 miles the difference between 15mpg and 25mpg (10mpg difference) is somewhat substantial but not hugely crazy.

20,000miles/25mpg=800gal #### 800gal*$4.25/gal=$3,400

20,000miles/15mpg=1,333.3gal #### 1,333.3gal*$4.25/gal=$5,666.52

So it's about $2,500 a year difference for the miles I'd probably drive it. I'd need to recoup the cost of any performance/economy improvements within year one or two (so that means spending less than $5000).

Was just wondering if there were any easy improvements/tricks that you guys did.

Understood and I agree 100%. I will be going through the whole truck in great detail. I owned a Series IIa that I intended to drive from New England down to South America 10+ years ago. I'll be going through the Discovery with similar scrutiny. It's not like a US cross-country trip is going into a 3rd world country but it's never fun to break down on long trips away from home.


+1... wow...

 

Haha! Land Rovers are known for many things. Fuel economy is not one of them.
That being the case, if you really want better mileage you could swap out your engine for a diesel. There's at least one thread on the forum by someone who has done it. I think diesels get somewhere in the 30-35 mpg range. Of course you'd have to drive the car at least ten years before your fuel savings would offset the cost of the conversion.
Or... go buy a Land Rover in Europe and ship it home. Diesels are common over there.