Hello: I am contemplating the purchase of either a 2000-2002 Disco or a 99-02 Range Rover. (75k - 100k miles) My wife has always wanted a Disco or RR. We will be using it for light commuting and very limited off road use. While many of my family are members of the Rover family (Disco and LR3), this will be my first. (I am familiar with European cars and their accompanying quirks). Do you have any advice on whether the Disco or RR will be more reliable and less costly to repair/maintain? Do you have any preference on the 4.0 vs 4.6 for reliability?Thanks for any help or advice you can offer. This site is amazing and has some excellent postings. (I carbon-copied to the RR forum). Thanks.

 

Hello!

I have a 1999 disco II, I love the car !!! I use it for my commercial photography (www.ralphduke.com).
Remember!!! They are like dating a super model......high maintance, BUT, worth it!!!!!!
Good Luck!!

Ralph

 

Thanks Rphotographer. I know the best answer is "Buy which ever your wife prefers," but she is equallytorn between the two.

 

RR's tend to have more electrical problems. A computer controls all functions on a RR. You want heat, computer, you want to defrost the windshield, computer. Headlights, computer. You get my point.
Before I bought my D1 I did research for 9 mo before I made my choice. I love the interior and dash layout of the RR, but WAY to many electrical problems. A computer controls EVERYTHING. Which is fine until it fails. And it is British. So it will fail.
D2's have less electronics and are less prone to such problems. The biggest problems with D2's are ABS sensors and air suspension that fails. The air suspension is a problem on RR's as well as LR's. You can convert them to springs for under $1000 and never have that problem again.
As far as which engine is better? They are the same engine just different stroke and heads.
1999.5 engines use Bosch engine management and before that is GEMS engine management.
But both trks use pretty much the same drivetrain. Someone will let you know if I am wrong or not, but they use the same axles, transmission and engine. The only differance is the transfer case and driveshafts.
Both have a 100" wheelbase but because they use different t-case the driveshaft lenghts are different.
I really like the lift-glass/tailgate on the RR over the cargo door on the Disco.
If you really cannot decide then call your insurance agent and see how much each one will cost to insure.
Good luck and have fun test driving.

 

http://www.robisonservice.com/servic...er_advice1.asp
Read this too.

 

Thanks Spike! Great information. You all are the best.

 

I went through the same decision on my 2007 LR 3 last summer. I was at the dealership in NYC. (Great store, BTW.) And looked at and drove the RR Sport, the LR3, and the full sized Range Rover non-turbo version. The were all three great cars. I really wanted the Sport but felt I as paying more and getting less for the dollars. The RR new was just pricey. Too pricey for me. So I found my new buddy (Spencer is his name - which seemed fitting for a strapping British lad of the LR 3 that he is) and drove him off the showroom floor (literally) for my test drive. The financing incentives were great - very low interest rate from FOMOCO and Spencer and I became a team. Two days later I drove to my home in LA from NYC. And fell in love. There are moments when I see a Sport or a full sized RR and wish I'd popped for the extra $200/mo in payments. But then again, Spencer has been truly great. The advice you got about the electronics vs more manual controls are not applicable for my 2007 model years - but if I were buying used, I'd definitely go with the more manually operated units when and if I could get one. One more thought. RR's tend to be like Rolls Royces - in that not many people can tell the difference between a 2000 model year and a 2008 model year. They hold the look for a long long time and that's good. If you like the prestige, then go for a full sized RR. If maintenance is a major concern, then go for the Disco. Both are great vehicles from what I know (precious little of course) and whether it's a new one or a 14 year old one, they're still great!