That was an error on my part. If you looked at the link that followed (as others did) you would have seen it's a 2000 model.

 

I didnt even look, I'm just being dumb.. Biggest thing to recognize in my personal experience with my 2000 Disco is are you technically able? Would you have the space to do the work, these trucks are best suited for mechanically capable people or someone with a deep pocket book. I did valve covers over the weekend probably would have run over a couple grand at the dealer.

 

I presume you speak of the gasoline engine which is well documented on many media sites as being inferior to the diesel.

 

@Zulujos that is my experience, the V8 engine is the the biggest money sink. You could try some of the Uk And Australian boards they have far more diesels. But if it helps there is a spanish LR diesel for sale not far from me , if my 04 was not running perfectly I would buy it in a heartbeat, even at 16000.00 CDN

 

As with most old cars, there's going to be an emphasis on maintenance that you're going to have to deal with. But if you keep on top of that, and potentially preemptively address certain issues, you should be fine. Is is the bulletproof beast that say, a Rav 4 might be? No. But it will definitely be a capable truck.

 

I bought mine a year ago, almost to the week, with 168k. I'm now at almost 176k - here are the repairs/maintenance that I've done in that time:
1. Oil & Filter (168k)
2. Power Steering Fluid flush (168k)
3. Wipers all around, rear wiper motor
4. Battery
5. Air filter
6. Front propshaft
7. Crankshaft position sensor
8. Oil & Filter, PCV mod, front/rear diff fluid, tcase fluid (171k)
9. Spark plugs, plug wires, thermostat, fan, fan clutch, water pump, serpentine belt (172k)
10. Idler pulley
11. Ball joints, front brake discs/pads
12. AC pipe, recharge
13. Intake flex hose
14. Oil & filter
15. Starter

Current mechanical issues:
1. Rear quarter frame rust (I'll have a post on this)
2. Drivetrain vibrations (at least two distinct ones)
3. Potential exhaust leak

 

I did ask for the good and the bad. Around here every old retired Spaniard with some land tools around in either an old beat up Patrol, Santana Defender type vehicle or a Mitsubishi Pajero/Montero. If they have a little money MAYBE a Landcruiser 100 or 150 (the beast version of the LC is not sold here). With the exception of the Mitsubishi and the Toyota, the other two are very utilitarian. Utilitarian I'm not looking for.

 

It's a 20 year old vehicle at the end of the day. I didn't intend for the list to push you away - most of those items are routine maintenance items anyway. These trucks are pretty easy to work on and I enjoy doing it - with the exception of the ball joints (PITA) and the starter (died while I was on vacation), I did all of those repairs myself, which also cuts the cost down substantially.

I'm not sure I'd recommend it as your only vehicle - if I needed to drive a similarly capable vehicle every day, I'd get a late model 4Runner (though I'm not sure if Toyota sell that in Spain). If you have the time/interest/ability to do maintenance and repairs yourself and it's not your only form of transport, then I'd recommend the Disco. There's a ton of information available online, and you're not going to run into a problem that nobody else has ever seen. Plus, it doesn't have (as many) electrical gremlins as later cars.

As others have mentioned, this board is predominantly comprised of US members with V8 trucks instead of TD5s - I'd recommend checking some other British forums as they'll have more information specific to the diesel. https://www.landyzone.co.uk/forum/la...r-discovery.8/ seems to be a good one.

 

Of course there is always some issues with a 20 y.o. 4x4, but to address boston4's post, again you are referencing the gasoline engine. I suppose my point about the old Spaniards and the cars they're running is they are diesels. These people are neither shade tree mechanics and by no means independently wealthy. I see it time and again on listings for Land Rovers, LC's and Patrols. 400k- 600k diesels that are taking a licking and keep on ticking.
Like Richard said, I need to reference those running the diesel. If it's anything like my current diesel autos, this stuff some of you are posting is moot.