Major volvo fan here...

I guess I am in the opposite position of the rest on this site. I have 3 volvos and no Land Rovers...I am looking into an 01 disco so I like to see what everyone has to say.

speaking from a volvo perspective - they are real easy to repair if you stay with the 5 cylinder models.

As far as price great way to get OEM parts for cheap - check out FCPGroton.com - wish they sold land rover stuff.

My best piece of advice is to stay away from 99-01 models, they introduced a lot of new electrical parts then - and most failed.

For advice and info the volvo sites are really good and full of detailed write ups.


That being said I wish I could make up my mind about this 01 disco I am looking into. I really want but dont really need it....

either way they both seem like good vehicles as long as you take proper care of them

 

After joining this forum, I think that I may not want a disco after all. It seems that allot of you are really warning me about repairs and their costs, and that they seem to break down often. I'm also getting the impression that most of you buy cheap disco 2's for a second fun vehicle that you maybe want to dable with for some off roading. I'm looking for a dependable daily driver and I'm not mechanicaly inclined enough to do repairs on my own. So, maybe I should consider something else? It's just that I really like the body style and can't believe the features you get in a used vehicle under $5,000. I just can't stand the thought of having to settle for a cheap American car. I hate American cars, they are cheaply made, everything on the inside feels so plasticly, they don't hold their value, and to quote uk Top gear's Jeremy Clarkson, "they don't know how to go around a corner". Are there any stories of disco owners getting lucky by getting a couple of years out of them with very low repair costs?
I'm not going to be grand touring thousands of miles in the thing. I have a very small comute, and maybe once a month I would drive 2 hours to visit some family. I'm so on the fence.

 

Yeah man, with that being said you should definitely consider something else. At least your being honest with yourself. We can all definitely respect that here.

 

I bought my 99 D2 7 months with 119k miles on it for $5700. It was previously LOVED on though. So it runs like a champion atm. I do however, change out all the fluids myself, get under and inspect the truck at least once a month. I drove/modded a Jeep YJ previous to owning it though, so I do know a little about 4x4s, engines, drivetrains, brakes, maintenance, have some decent hand tools, what not etc. Also if something were to break outside of my fixing realm, I have guys I can consult with and do the work for me locally. You need both to own one of these, at least to own and drive it year around free of worry.

And that's not just a disco 2, that's any 4x4 v8 truck 10+ years old if you think about it. All parts on all vehicles have life cycles, and if not properly maintenanced, like Forest Gump's mother said - "like a box of choclottes, you never know what your gonna get" if you buy one

With that being said, you can get lucky for 5 grand and get one that is running good if you know what to look for. Perhaps one that runs for a year without any issues at all. BUT you need to be able to get your hands dirty and learn about these trucks if your going to own one. That's what you need to decide for yourself. When it comes down to it, and I will say it again - these trucks are decade+ old v8 4x4 full time 4 wheel drive farm vehicles. Don't get me wrong, they can be daily drivers, but a daily driver who knows nothing about trucks is doomed for a horrible experience in owning one. You would buy it, break it, then sell if back to a small time dealer for pennies in which he will half *** fix, put back on his lot for 5k, and start the cycle all over again...lol


The most important thing you would want as a traveling musician is dependable, good gas mileage vehicle. Unfortunately, I do not think the disco II is going to qualify (unless your gigging across Africa or something ).

Sleep on it for a few nights and really think about it.

If it were me personally (I played bass for 5 years professionally), I would shop for a good Ford v6 van.

 

I'm a brand new Disco II owner and, honestly, can't say much about the Disco other than that I love it so far. The only reason I'm posting, since I can't speak to the Disco much, is that I moved from a Saab to the Disco. I loved my Saab... but that's partly because I did all of my own work. Even with diligent maintenance and reasonably conservative driving habits (it was a turbo'd vert after all) it still crapped the bed on a somewhat regular basis.

The bottom line is if you're looking for a roughly ten year old vehicle, you're going to have to accept that it's likely going to be in the 100k mileage range. Almost regardless of manufacturer, the key there is going to be routine maintenance with quality parts, fluids and tools done by someone that cares and knows what they are doing.

Sure, you could find exceptions to the generalities I've made. You might find a highly cared-for garage queen with 30k and not a problem in the world. Then again, you'll find that it runs on unicorn tears and was built by honest politicians working for free.

 

Get a Toyota if you want a reliable daily runner.

 

get a honda civic.

 

I don't mean to be beating the same stick over and over, but for older european cars under $5,000 (which means lots of miles), what companies would you say are the most reliable? I've seen some older mercedes get up to the high 200,000's for mileage. Again It doesn't have to be an suv could be an old mercedes wagon,audio,sabb,volvo excetra. I just need something big enough that the seats will fold down to fit a full size keyboard (in its case) that is 5 feet long, a guitar amp, and a couple of guitars.

 

Get a Chrysler/Dodge van, they are cheap, parts are cheap, they are lighter on gas than a Disco and there is a lot of space. Maybe not as cool as an exotic Euro motor, but you will be better off in the long run. Get a Bentley once you have sold a million CDs.

 

My wife's uncle is into the older BMWs, Audis and Volvos. He has had a lot of luck with the Volvos. For the money, he swears up and down they are the most reliable and cheapest to maintain.