We also have a Jeep G/C. It's a 1995 that will turn 200k mi. probably next month. It's been one of the best vehicles we've ever owned. Goes everywhere we point it toward, great in snow, almost no repairs other than normal maintenance and plenty of options/features. Parts are readily available and inexpensive. Like you said, the 4.0 6 cyl is a great engine. Ours doesn't use any oil even at 200k.

We recently bought a 1998 LR D1 in San Fran and drove it home. Paid $3,600 for it. Don't know if we're going to keep it or not. But I've learned a lot about them in the last couple weeks and 3,500 miles home, as we've practically lived in it.

The first thing that struck me is that like Jaguars of the era, the engineering is about 10-12 years behind it's contemporaries. But that means that they aren't all cheapend up with light plastics and light-weight axles. I've had ours up on a hoist and given it the close look-over. I am a pretty good mechanic and have been restoring and buying/selling vehicles for many years and have owned and worked on 4x4's of several makes. I was struck how robust everything was underneath. Axles like 3/4 ton trucks, etc. You'd think that the running gear would really go the long haul.

Engine-wise, I haven't had to do much with ours yet. I was dissappointed with the power especially in the mountains. For a 4.0L that takes premium gas, it should move that rig around smartly. Heck, my Cadillac with a 4.9 can spin the tires in 2nd gear and really gets up and goes! Even our Jeep has a lot more feel of power. And what's the deal withhaving an engine that revsat 2,700 rpm@ 70mph? But with steel cylinder liners it should be theoretically rebuildable an infinite number of times.

There are a bunch of quirks that are hard to figure out:
1) Windshield needs to be about 2" taller. I'm 5-11 and always looking out the shaded part with only an inch of windshield left. It's like wearing a hat around with the brim pulled down low. It's got power seats, but they don't raise/lower. That's quirky to me. Pratically every power seat since the 70's I've seen will also raise/lower the seat. This one doesn't. There was room for a taller windshield too by looks of it. The engineers should be slapped upside the head. I think they resolved that on the D2's.
2) I really miss the trip/fuel/temp computer. All our vehicles have them. You'd think a premium "luxury" off-road 1998 vehiclewould have that. It was probably an option but ours is pretty well optioned out. That should be cheap technology since a lot of cars in the early 80's even had them, even cheap ford/chevy's.
3) Ours doesn't have a oil pressure or volts gauges. Again, how can a premium off-road vehicle not come standard with them? It's not a big deal, but just a wierd quirk. I think L/R must have bought the tooling for that gauge cluster from someone else. It looks an awfully lot like a Taurus cluster. I've seen it before, but haven't figured out where yet. Some center console gauges would be nice. But the lay-out is clean and neat.
4) The center console window switches are a real PITA. I suppose they do it that way to make it cheaper for lefthand/righthand conversions for the different L/R markets, but it's not intuitive at all. Always hunting for the right switch. Placing them onone switch cluster on the door like every other manufacturer is a much better solution in my mind.
5) I saved the best quirk for last - the steering ratio is noticably different from just about any other modernSUV you'll drive. It takes an extra 20-30% turning action. And for a relatively short wheelbase vehicle, it has an unusually wide turning radius. The Jeep G/C turns really tight. Ya eventually get used to it, but when ya switch between vehicles it's definitely noticable.

There are also lots of positives:
1) Seats are much more comfortable (to me) than our Jeeps. We drove 3,500 miles and at no time did I ever feel fatigued. We took a 2,000 mile trip this summer in our Jeep and it was just awful and my back/butt hurt like heck. I know this is purely subjective, but in my mind Rover definitely got the seats right. Along the same vane, the steering wheel is nice and fat and really feels great!
2) Seating position is more truck-like whereas the Jeep is more car-like.
3) L/R is much more robust than the Jeep in terms of the frame/drivetrain. Not even in the same league. But how that translates into everyday driving is debatable. It makes the Jeep lighter.
4) I would think the L/R D1 would be great in snow given the extra weight. Haven't tried it.
5) Off road the D1 did pretty well in Moab and Alpine Loop. But our Jeep also does well off-road. It's lighter too.
6) You can just about forget about getting parts from parts stores other than some of the most common items like an alternator (then plan on waiting a while as it won't be stocked). But if you live in an area that has a L/R dealer nearby, you should be in good shape.
6) I set up a deal with our local L/R dealer to get shop rate on parts. Several things I have bought were not too out of line, comparable with GM or Toyota parts. Others were strangely expensive, like the $12 lug nut I ordered yesterday. A front fender is $370, and I bet you could go out and buy a whole aftermarket CAPA-certified front end fenders/hood/bumper for your Jeep for that amount, only because there is a robust aftermarket for those vehicles. That's what insurance is for, right?

So, in conclusion, the things I listed above are things that I noticed. The quirks (to me) may be favorable features to you.Not all the quirks really bug me that much. I think if one can do all their own maintenance and most repairs, the L/R would be a great vehicle. If ya have to rely on others to fix it and no dealer network nearby, it could be an expensive rig to own. In general, I think you can get a heck of a lot of rig for the $$ in a L/R that is fully depreciated. They're definitely built like a tank.

One very interesting thing I read the other day was that it is estimated that about 75% of L/R's are still on the road. Amazing if true. I also read that according to a Brittish study, Jeep G/C's were twice as likely to have fatalities in crashes than Land Rovers. Both stats were on Wikipedia, so you'd have to verify.

It's not like you couldn't buy another Jeep if you decided you wanted to go back.

 

Mark G:
I think you hit the nail on the head!!!!
Its funny after having my Rover I forgot what the quirks where, all
but the windshield.

 

Mark G

You nailed it on the quirks.
Really strange it don't have gauges.
The lack of power bothers me the most.

Mike

 

Thank you all for your replies! I'm sorry that's it has taken this long to get back here.

I have been looking intently on autotrader, and am trying to scope out the situation. I found the Jeep Cherokee out in Wisconsin, and it was well worth the 800 mile drive from where I am in Michigan. I spent about 3 months looking for the perfect Jeep, and that one, with a flawless black body, towing package, alloy wheels, and 51k miles was a steal at $6,900.

EXCELLENT answers though, to all of you. The windshield thing is weird though... And I noticed in the pictures I have found online that the Discos didn't have voltmeters or oil pressure gauges... I was hoping that it was just the models I was looking at.

Gentlemen... I'm torn. I have ALWAYS loved the looks of the Disco I series, and now that I have the means to get one, I've naturally been putting a LOT of thought into it. I'm looking to spend $7 or $8k. I can either get a PRISTINE Jeep Cherokee, or a decent Disco...

I will most likely not be doing any off-roading for pleasure. I am obsessed with getting a LR for the same reason I carry a pistol- in the rare event that I need it, I want it.

I am a little concerned about the lack of power talked about here. The Jeep replaced a Monte Carlo, which I really enjoyed pushing to its limits. Similarly, the Jeep can really be driven like a sports car if you really want to. It's light weight makes hard accelerating and braking feel less consequential than our heavy truck. And the straight 6 really give the little SUV a lot of power. I bought it at the close of last winter though, so I have so far been unable to test it out in that sense.

Anyway, I am sure I will only grown more into researching these things. I am in no hurry to make a purchase, and I am looking at next spring earliest, unless I come across some awesome deal.

Tough calls... I guess I just need to get out and test drive! I hate to think I'm bothered by the fact that every 5th car on the road here in MI is a Cherokee, but man... you see SO precious few Discos.

Thanks again!

I will let you know what I do! Until then, please add any more suggestions or tips!

Pat

 

You gotta test drive one for a good 45 mintes to hour and see how it feels to you. Determine what features/factors are important to you. If cost to own/reliability/power/comfort/features are the most important factors and you don't do much or any off-roading, Ihonestly don't think you'd gain anything by going to a L/R D1. In fact, you'd probably be going backwards, especially if you don't do much or any of your own repair work or have a dealer network nearby. A lot of shops may not want to even work on the L/R because it's time-consuming and they can turn over other projects faster. As far as off road capability goes, in my opinion the Jeep will goanywhere the L/R will go because it's lighter and has better approach and departure angles. If you need a little more off-road capability, or beef up the weak areas on a Jeep G/C, you can get tons of aftermarketkits and parts that will make it that much better off road. You can get kits for the Rover too, but there's a lot more support for Jeeps and cheaper. Where the L/Rprobably has the edge is in long-haul durability, but it doesn't sound like you'll be keeping any vehicle long enough to matter, or being traveling across the sahara desert. 15 years from now, most of the Jeeps will be gone but probably all the D1 on this forum will still be on the road. If you want to explore something different than a Jeep, you can get a high level of durability, off road capability, comfort(and good servicability), without the quirksin a 4Runner, Montero or Trooper (used Troopers are really cheap). Plus you might find aTrooper or 4Runnerwith a factory limited slip diff orrear locker which will make the biggest difference off road. But you won't get the Land Rover mistique or Long Life.

Now, if you like the idea of driving a Land Rover, for the sake of driving a Land Rover, which it seems a lot of L/R owners do, the cool factor can't be beat. I can tell you that after we got back and describe our vacation, as soon as ya mention Land Rover, it stops the conversation and spawns a whole bunch of other questions about the Land Rover. There's a halo of ledgend that surrounds the name Land Rover that intrigues people. They're good vehicles, but you need to see if it fits your needs/wants. So, test drive.

If you like WI vehicles, I did see apretty cleanD1 for sale about a month ago in WI Dells(actually Lake Delton). I looked like it had been sitting there for aweek or twoand it's a slow time of year, it might still be there. It was a 95 w/65k mi, $5,300. White. Pretty clean, needed to be buffed out I think. I bet a few minutes on the web and a few well-placed calls to local businesses or hotelsand you could find someone to help zero in on if it's still there and what happened to it. It was sitting right next to "Top Secret", an upside-down White House that is a haunted house kind of place (litterally looks like the White House that is toppled upside down). I was between Top Secret and a restraunt ...before yastart headingdown the hill (heading towards the bridge for WI Dells). Look on www.dells.com

Personally, I think the San Francisco Bay area is the best place to look. WI uses as much winter salt as does MI. There are a lot of them out there, and they are in great condition body-wise. Heck, our one way tickets out there were only $125 (before all the taxes)! Check Craigs list or Ebay. I may wellbe selling mine once I've had my fun. But if you like the idea of a conversation piece, the L/R would make a great vehicle for ya. All those quirks obviously aren't really deal-breakers, otherwise Land Rover and this forum wouldn't exist. Give the L/R a try and see what you think. They made millions of Jeeps, you won't have any trouble finding another.

Mark G

 

Mark, I REALLY appreciate all the time you've taken to type out this advice. It's been REALLY helpful.

I get very attached to my vehicles, and I take ULTRA good care of them, mechanically. Not too big on washing & waxing, as we live way out in the boonies on a dirt road.

My Monte Carlo had 279,000 miles on it when I got rid of it. I did NOT want to, but really needed a 4x4. Our 1/4 mile driveway gets 2-ft drifts, and our GMC barely busts through them. The Monte made me late for work MANY times last year. Still, it ran AWESOME right up until the end, when I left it sitting out there in Wisconsin. (I couldn't bare to trade it into the dealer for $100 or whatever).

Anyway, I am a mechanic-wannabe, so I at least try to do all my own mechanical work. I have a shop put ball joints and try rod ends on the Monte at one point, but mostly because I was too busy at that point to do it myself.

I'm starting a new role of marketing / research for a company through the net, so I now won't be driving the 1,000 miles per week that I used to for my computer consulting job. It'll be more like 50 miles per week, except for the once per month trip to Wisconsin that I'll be making. I'll pretty much just need to get myself and my laptop to a coffee shop in the nearest town.... too many distractions at home.


But yeah, Mark- THANKS! I will certainly go drive one, but I am very seriously considering going with another Jeep. (I'm giving our current Jeep to my wife, as she now does the most driving. I really want to make the thing like a tank- both literally and metaphorically bulletproof.

For the last several years, I've drooled over Discos, but my meager income, coupled with the fact that the wife is a full time student, kept me dreaming. Now though, I can afford it. It's not that I'm worried about always working on it- like I said, I get a HUGE sense of gratification after fixing a vehicle (biggest job yet was replacing the tranny in our GMC), but I don't know....

I'll drive one in the next month or two, and let you all know what I think.

THANKS!

Pat

 

No problem. Good luck. Like I said, give one a try and if you don't like it, get another Jeep. Try to Zero in on that one in the Dells if you can.

Mark G

 

Toyota Landcruisers are also in the same chi-chi, off road category as the Discovery, but with much better re-sale and reliability. Not as cheap, but in the long run a mid 90s Toyota FJZ80 would be pretty sweet. I almost went that route and some days really wish I had.

 

There's just something about the Discovery, that makes the driver look like he's upper class. Can't explain why, but it's like Mercedes. I have been a Jeep driver since 1986 ( first vehicle) and all the way until last July, where I sold my last Jeep which was a TJ.

All but my first Jeep ( yj), were highly intelligently modified vehicles. Even My 1996 XJ was lifted 5 inches and running 32 inch tires with the big winch and the spare tire on top. It was beautifull. But I just couldn't stop looking at every Discovery that drove by and let me tell you that they were rare, and I wished to god that I'd be driving one of these instead.
But up here, since we were in the mid 90s and the Discoveries were still recent, only doctors, lawyers and rich business people were driving them.

I decided togo ahead and purchase a 2000 D2 last December, after researching seriously and studying every year and consulting real Land Rover experts as to which model to buy, cause I wanted the opinionofexperts and not the biased one of owners that will of course vouch for what they drive. They all, without exeption, said that the D2 was the best buy and by far. Too bad cause I wanted a D1. But they were so clear that the D2 wasa much better buy for my needs ( mostly in town, family hauling vehicle, off road a few times a year)But don't say that to anyone. A lot of D1 owners will flame you and pound on you for saying that. Just like the CJ crowd with Jeep. The reason why I chose a 2000, was because most of the depreciation has hit it and you can fix it all and bring it to like new condition for half the price of a 2004 which is basically the same truck.

Let me tell you that the driving position and outlook of the roadis much superiorthan any Jeep out there. I know, the rest of my family drive Jeeps, and even the new Commander or new model GC don't even come close. The panache is absolutely amazing and to be honest, I still haven't had time to take it off road, but will do when I get the opportunity. Keep in mind, that you get a luxury vehicle for a fraction of the price of it's competitors ( Land Cruiser, Lexus 470 ) and even if you have to spend the couple of thousand dollars that you will most likely have to spend to fix the door actuators and gaskets etc.... You'll still be way below the price of buying another make.

I think it's true that in 15 years, most Jeeps will be in Junkyards and most Discoveries will be in Driveways. Cause the real downer is the fuel economy, and at the rate that the gas prices are going up, in 15 years at $7.00 a gallon, I doubt that people will be hanging on the saying that if you wanted a fuel efficient car, you should have gotten a civic!!!!

 

I have had my 98 disco I since 1999. I sold my Jeep Cherokee Larado after I purchase the L/R.
I have found the disco to be more roomy, better ride on the highway, and a much better offroad truck.
I have found the AWD to be perfect for the winters in NJ. It will drive through the snow better then the Jeep.
I take my disco on offroad trips to go camping. Have had to drive through a few small creeks, and ponds to get to where we were going.
I also have found that my disco required a lot less maint then the Jeep.
Good luck with your search.
Also, one other quirk, the windshelds tend to take a stone or two and crack. It is the design of the windshield.