If you want to make it your DD that does NOT suck, prepare $10K and arrange for 2 weeks of vacation. I have done this... Not sure if I recommend that without a supporting spouse. (LR is one of my two "expensive" hobbies.)

 

Good looking truck. Plenty of pre-inspection threads. How good are you at DIY? How many tools do you have? Preventative maintenance is always cheaper than repairs and you get to do it on your schedule, not BMW/LR's crappy materials schedule. $400 in parts out of the chute and a weekend wrenching you will drive it 100k with no breakdowns.

Good luck!

 

I would never want one of these as a daily driver. The fuel mileage is horrible. 10-14mpg is realistic of what you really get. I've got 3 cars and the Disco usually stays in the garage.

 

I daily my Disco. I only drive 10 miles/ day, so fuel mileage is not a big deal. There’s also a great LR shop walking distance from my office.

I would reccomend having a second vehicle during the “sorting out” phase after you buy a Disco. Even if the PO has maintained it, you will most likely want to do a good bit of preventative maintenance before putting a lot of miles on it.

If the frame is in good shape and the motor is healthy, most of the other Disco issues all have simple solutions that you can perform and never worry about again.

I wouldn’t discourage you from it being a daily driver at all. They’re very comfortable, good size for carrying people and stuff, but are small enough to easily park anywhere.

Keeping your current car while you sort out the Disco would be ideal.

If you follow @Extinct ’s advice and you start with a solid truck, you can have a daily driveable disco for under $1k and a weekend or two of work.

Just my $0.02. It all starts with buying a good one. I’d recommend looking at 3-4 in person before pulling the trigger. Drive them all and learn what questions you need asking for researching on the forum.

 

I agree with arains. Both my D2 and P38 are DD's (with a back-up vehicle). The gas mileage is the same as any V8 4X4 of this vintage.
If you let your wife test drive one, you'll need to buy one. You may then need a second one if you want to also drive it.

 

this math doesn't make sense to me.

how is it cheaper to have three cars, one of which sits most of the time, than to have one Daily Driver that gets terrible fuel mileage?

 

Aside from registration and insurance (probably minimal cost), there is virtually no expense in having multiple vehicles. If those vehicles get much better mileage (I have bikes that easily get upwards of 60mpg), it's cheaper to use them when appropriate.

 

sure, if you don't factor in the purchase cost of the other vehicles.

it is cheaper by far to buy one vehicle and DD it regardless of fuel mileage than it is to buy one or two other vehicles to use when fuel prices get high.

if i assume $3.00/gallon for Premium fuel filling up 24 gallons once a week for a year (52 weeks) that comes out to $3,744.00.

that is still cheaper than most fuel efficient used cars and considerably cheaper than a hybrid or full electric vehicle.

to get back on topic, OP, probably best to hang on to the Camry for a while until you get the Rover sorted. but after you do that, don't be afraid to DD the Rover. i or a family member DDs all my Rovers.

 

I'm approaching a decade of Discovery ownership (eh, 8 years, who's counting). I've owned four of them, I currently own three including my first. I have tried daily driving them multiple times including one final effortthis year. It got to the point that my rusted out '86 Dodge truck I pulled from a 15 year slumber in a field was more reliable transportation, and so I proceeded to put 10k miles on that truck and about 3k on the Disco. I'll personally never daily drive another one unless it's LS swapped.

Also, on the price... I picked my most recent up for $400, driving. I personally paid $200 cause a buddy split the cost so he could have the headlights, but it was a running truck (albeit, with overheating problems). Keep the Camry and find one on the cheap. Spend $1000-1500 on one that doesn't have any major known issues and just use it for a weekend warrior/hobby vehicle.

 

You also have to factor for the $2.00/gallon for regular vs the $3.00/gallon for premium. That brings you up to $5000/year with your milage numbers, which are low in my opinion. Most people will use 1.5 tanks per week once you include running around for leisure, groceries, etc. Add on the increased cost to keep the Disco running vs something like a Camry and you've paid for the Camry in 6 months.