I am new to land rovers I always heard bad things about them that the are poorly made they are not reliable well I just bought one month and a half ago and I love this truck even though I bought it from a college professor who was the original owner and maintained it very well this truck almost runs smoother than my wife lexus ls 400 and that car is bulletproof well back to the subject it seem's like more people on this forum have more problems with the d2 than the d1 was the d1 the better made truck than the d2?96 SE portofino red 120,000 miles and going stronger than ever.

 

I have a lot of friends that wheel pretty hard, they all like their D2's just like the D1 owners.
It is all pretty much based on who you talk to.

 

DI's are certainly easier to work on and has less bells and whistles, AKA less to go wrong. DII have things like air suspension, and a load of electrical stuff. Things like that would make the DII more prone to break down. But with both of them, if you take care of everything, your chances of having a mechanical issuego way down. I do not agree with people who say they break down alot... thats only true if you dont take care of them. And to say the are poorly make just means they havent driven one. Just as you've found out, these trucks are great.

And not to mention, they'll last FOREVER if you take care of it. 70% of every land rover EVER MADE is still in running condition today. Thats more than Toyota, honda, or nissan can say. (of course LR's are worth keeping, where as a camery... ehhh not so much)

 

It's all relative. The later the model the more electro-wizardry gets involved. It's like comparing the D1 to the D2, and the D2 to the LR3.

 

As far as used vehicles go, my 97 D1 is the best, most reliable used vehicle i've ever owned. I've had it 4 years and have knocked it around hard offroad. A number of other used cars and trucks I owned over the years were not so good including a couple of "renowned" Japanese vehicles. I thought long and hard for 2 years before I made the plunge to buy a used D1 as I had read a lot of bad stuff in things like Consumer Reports, etc. I have been very happy with my "used" D1. Not cheap to maintain but that's another story. They are far better trucks than you will read about.

 

If Rovers are so unreliable then why are they the most sought after 4x4 for around the world travel? The Red Cross, W.H.O., oil compaines looking for oil, etc?
If I am going to spend weeks in the middle of nowhere all by myself I want a reliable truck.
And that is my DI.

 

I have never driven a D2 so I don't have an opinion on the D2 but I love my D1. Just put over $2000 into repairs and I feel the truck is worth every penny. Had new head gaskets, water pump, and lower radiator hose installed along with a few other minor things. The truck really proved its worth to me when I drove through a blizzard until I reached a safe stopping place and had to stay there for 32 hours. Once I figured out to put the rear of the truck to the wind instead of the nose I had no problems. With the nose pointed into the ind the truck would still warm up but not nearly as warm. In that situation, I was actually glad to have my Rover instead of my Dodge, though I wish I had the lights off my Dodge.

I have had no reliability issues with my D1. I think the only way I would get rid of it is an even trade for a 2004 D2.

 

I spend far more time fixing my D1 than my D2, although it is a lot older, or maybe is something to do with that pain in da *** V8

 

You're running a D1 V8 in the UK? Madman! Must cost you a mint in fuel... swap it for a Tdi and you'll be tickled pink with both the economy and how much more easily it handles the offroad stuff