Need an opinion on what to buy.
 

Hello,

Im new here but have been browsing for a bit. Im stuck between two 2004 Land Rover Discoveries.

They are both basically equal in cleanliness and how good they run. Both look like they have been taken well care of.

Only difference - one has 77,000 original miles

the other

has 120,000 but a new engine at 80k from Land Rover themselves.

The one with 77,000 is about 1000 dollars more and I like the color better.

My question is - do you think the one with 77,000 miles is more likley to have problems?

Thanks for your response!

Yes, the 77K one has 77K on the engine. The other one has 40K on a new factory engine, and cost $1,000 less. If paperwork backs this up, you can learn to like any color, especially the green you will save now and in future.

Agreed! You could even get it painted if the color is that bad. Make sure you have paperwork to back this up. Also, make sure you have a car fax done and have an indy shop or separate land rover dealer do a pre purchase inspection.

Personally I wouldn't talk myself into something I didn't love over a difference of 37K miles. Its really a call only you can make though.

There is only one color that always looks good on a Disco - mud! But some are swayed by two-tone.....

i'd go for the one you like more. if the one you buy breaks, you'll be 2nd guessing if you made the right choice. i'd rather fix a car i love, than one i saved money on. i look at my rover as a ticking time bomb. no matter what has been fixed or maintained. but, i LOVE it and wouldn't choose another one. it has all the lack of options i wanted.
jon

If I were you, I would focus on the options (or lack of options as stated earlier) you want. 37K on a motor is not going to be a gigantic difference.However, although there is a new motor, the drive train still has those 120k miles on it so you will be behind the 8 ball for a rebuilt front drive shaft, etc.
Get an 04 without ACE and that has coils instead of air suspension and you will be good to go for anything you need to work on.

Without an ACE? What does that mean?

Automatic Cornering Enhancement - has extra parts to reduce sway by use of a hydraulic pump and valves and actuators.

IMHO the 37k difference on the motor is a larger issue than you might think. The engine was most likely replaced due to an oil pump related issue. The 77K one might have that issue, might have infrequent oil changes, etc. The engine is real costly to repair. At 120K, the drive train and other chassis issues would include the already mentioned front prop shaft (either truck) and sludged up radiator. Water pump came on new engine, so that won't be an issue. You can upgrade either to the soft dsping lower temp thermostat to hold down the heat, maybe extend life of gaskets and help prevent the slipped liner tick. But it does not matter which you buy, there will be things to do. Main thing is meet or reduce the drain interval on fluids, stop the nonsense of lifetime coolant, never change tranny fluid, 25,000 mile oil changes with wonder oil, etc.

Thanks for reply

They said the reason the Engine was replaced was due to a ticking noise - Which caused them to bring into land rover.

Land Rover then told them it was gasket rod - and the engine needed replacing. It was replaced under warranty. It was a 7000 dollar repair.

The new engine looks great. However I am aware of the regular maintenance land rovers take. I just didn't know if replacing an engine has been a cause for concern with anything else under the hood.

Thanks again.