Hi folks-

I'm on the fence. I'm looking at a 2004 Discovery. It looks like a real gem. A little history- I owned a Jeep Cherokee for years until a kid on probation assaulted it vehicularly and it was totalled. I would have kept it for years. I "upgraded" to an 2005 Expedition. Love the vehicle's third row and size; I'm 6'5" and need the room. Mileage has racked up to around 85K and I miss the ruggedness of the Cherokee but have been somewhat babied by the Expedition so I'm looking for the right vehicle. It looks like this Land Rover has it all; refinement and performance.

Here are some vehicle details:

• 2004 LR Discovery
• 35,000 Miles
• Green
• Clean VIN
• $15,000

It looks like its in mint condition but the only problem it is a day's drive away. This vehicle will be used on long trips, everyday transporting kids, etc. but I will get it dirty on occasion. I know problems may present themselves but I'm not afraid to put a little elbow grease into fixing them. I have a couple of questions.

• How expensive is this vehicle to maintain
• Parts easily accessible
• Is it a vehicle easily worked upon
• What issues are typical to the vehicle

The Cherokee's ***** in its armour was its manifold which tended to crack; the Expy's V8 tap. Is there anything that should scare me about this vehicle?

Look. My wife think's I'm crazy; others won't view this as a gem like I do, but I DON'T CARE. I just don't want to make a fool's error so I thought I'd ask the people who own them. Please help me out.

Regards,

Bill

 

Link to the website its on for sale?

 

Rover's are quirky and sometimes unreliable, but they'll almost always get you home and if you find that they're right for you they can be addicting...

Before buying one, you have a lot to consider...
Have you driven a D2? If not, then you need to drive one to make sure you'll fit. You aren't going to have the kind of leg room you are used to in an Expedition.

The price on the '04 you describe above sounds high, but it's tough to say for sure given the low miles and not knowing where it is.

• How expensive is this vehicle to maintain? It depends on the truck and how much of the work you're willing to do yourself. If it has been well cared for since new, then it doesn't have to be an incredibly expensive vehicle to as long as you are absolute religious about completing your maintenance on time. If you're going to have someone else do the work for you, you had better have deep pockets...For example: You can do a head gasket yourself for <$1k, or pay an independent Rover shop anywhere $1500 to $2500, or pay a LR Dealer even more $$$...
• Parts easily accessible? They're not as easily accessible as a domestic brand, or more mainstream Jap parts, but I've found that things like brake pads, rotors, and even calipers have been available at local auto parts stores or could be obtained there within 24 hours. For less common parts, you can turn to a number of 'breakers' (i.e.- Will Tillery (The Rova Guy), Randy Williams (Rover Bones), and Marty Powell ('iamthedrillbit' on eBay, 'Drillbit' on Discoweb.org, or at 270-576-7922). For new parts, I would call Paul 'PT' Schram (260-804-0458, P. T. Schram Rover Repair, Indiana's Finest Land Rover repair service), Rovers North (Rovers North - The Source for Classic Land Rover Parts), or Atlantic British (Land Rover Parts & Rover Accessories From Atlantic British | Discovery, Range Rover, LR3, LR2, Defender, Freelander and Land Rover Series Parts & Accessories). Note: This is just to name a few of the suppliers...there are many others that are also very good...I just haven't had the opportunity to deal with places like British Pacific, Paul Grant, or GBR yet...
• Is it a vehicle easily worked upon? Yes. The engines, even the 4.6, are based upon a design that was introduced and quickly phased out by GM in the 1960's. (Try Googling 'Buick 215'.) These are not incredibly complicated trucks by today's standards. They are lot more complex and reliant on electrickery than the D1's and RRC's, but compared to a RR P38 or an LR3 (Disco 3) they are still pretty simple.
• What issues are typical to the vehicle? Head gaskets fail regularly, the front drive shafts fail (taking out the tranny when they go), 'the 3 Amigos' (ABS, TC, & HDC lights), door lock actuators and window regulators fail, sun roof drains clog, etc...

When you speak to them, you need to make sure the seller can provide complete service history/records for the truck, then have the truck checked out by a good, independent Rover mechanic. (Not just any mechanic, it needs to be someone who specializes in Rovers.)

Here's what I think the secret to happy Rover ownership is: You have to have realistic expectations going in to owning a Rover...it isn't like other luxury SUV's. A D2 can go just about anywhere you'd ever want to go...certainly more places than your Jeep or Expedition could, but at it's core, it is still a full frame truck with an engine that was originally designed in 1960. It will have it's problems, but don't get too excited when something goes wrong and the folks on this and other forums will help you get through them.

 

see if you can find a local D2 for sale and go and test drive it. YOu might find it uncomfortable to drive with your height. You can flip the seat rails around so you can push the seat further back but it really limits leg room in the back seat.

 

For 15k I would shop for a LR3

 

Also see https://landroverforums.com/forum/di...scovery-21328/ in the tech section of our D1 forum, also has articles on what is new and improved on the D2. Obviuosly a lot more parts out there for Jeeps and Expeditions, but you can get the Rover parts, and there is enough competition to keep the prices in line (excapt at the dealers). Seems like the D2's have more sophisticated electronics, makes them more prone to piddly issues that are sometimes cured best by a new battery. Discos are not for the oil change every 15,000 whether I need it or not group of owners. Full set of tech manuals, called the RAVE, is a free download.

 

Thanks guys. I will take a look at test driving one. Nothing can really replace that.

I'm sitting here a little disappointed. The Discovery I was looking at was a five seater. I thought the Discovery third row was standard. After reading this forum posts about installing the jump seats, its not an easy task. There is more out there and I'm going to keep an eye out.

On another note, thanks for the posts. You can tell ALOT a certain vehicle and their owners in the type of forums that are available on the internet. This forum is reminiscent of when I owned my Jeep Cherokee. The owners were passionate, knowledgable and, in a good way, a little nutty about their rides. To some it more than ownership, its a lifestyle. I dig that and thanks.

Regards,

Bill

 

installing jump seats in a D1 is easy. doing it in a D2 is not as easy.

we don't say the word jeep here.

 

Don't get discouraged over that one being a 5 seater. One of the best pieces of advice I've seen given to people looking at buying a Discovery is "be patient". There are a lot of nice Disco's out there.

If you want a 3rd row to actually use, I'd hold out for a nice D2 with SE7 or HSE7. (Kids fit OK back there.) They aren't too hard to find...just keep looking.

 

x2 on the waiting game.... I waited almost 5 years to buy in.... i kept looking doing test drives.etc... there was always one or two little things that nagged me enough not to buy. Once I did buy i had amassed enough information for what to look for and what I REALLY wanted that when it showed up i did not hesitate plus I knew the pricing ranges to also know I had a gem. And some of us are a little crazy for our trucks... but then after all we own the greatest off road vehicles in the world.