Hey there everyone, I've been looking at an 05 TDV6 not sure of whether or not I should get it yet. It has the works and is Automatic.....wondering if it being an automatic defeats the purpose of it being an off road vehicle. I'm not really in to off road but do live in the country any info much appreciated

 

a girls perspective: i have a 2000 disco II. bought it last june, since then realized that they make entire websites dedicated to keeping these monsters running for a reason. my mechanic LOVES me!!! i see him almost weekly. if it isnt something broken, its a noise, or light, or smell. some people think they are worth the effort.

similar to teenage children: all the heartbreak, the worry, the money, and little love in return...

 

I've had ours for less than a week and I wouldn't do it again. The damn keys cost over $100. Overall poor quality with a big price tag. I read these vehicles are the fastest depreciating vehicles made. The only reason I like ours is that it was relatively cheap but everything is going to cost so much to fix that will be negated quickly.

Sorry I did it.

 

How much are you looking to spend for the used Disco? I've had mine just over a week and so far have not had to spend any money, but the steering track rod is a little bent and will need to be replaced. That's $200-400 depending on if I can find someone to help me replace it vs a mechanic. I'll also need new tires, alignment and new seals for the side windows in the back. I'm hoping not to spend more than $2K in the next twelve months, which means either fixing stuff that breaks or dropping in an OME HD suspension and BFG ATs if things don't break and my budget holds.

I'm enjoying the heck out of it and haven't even taken it off road. I love my other car which is a turbo sport sedan, and I haven't driven it all week nor missed it.

If you know other Rover owners in your area that's a plus. If it will be a second car vs a daily driver with a long commute to work that's a plus. If you are patient and willing to research parts online and repair information thats a plus -- vs the busy working stiff that will always take it to the dealership and willingly [:-]...

If there is limited or no rust that's a plus (on a D1). If it has dented body panels, plan to live with them or replace them. I know CARFAX isn't perfect, but definitely sign up for the $25 30-day unlimited plan when you get serious about looking. A 6+ owner Disco or one that's spent most of it's life driving salt covered roads is probably a bad sign! CARFAXing will save you valuable time and gas money driving out to check out lemons. A one or two owner D1 (many were leases) is a plus in my opinion -- its probably better taken care of than most. If you don't care about sunroofs try to find one without (the base SD model) to save some expenses and leaks down the road. Less common, especially in '98 -- but I think all of the Disco1's sold as '99s are SDs.

Take your time and find one in good shape and working order. One in great shape is pretty hard to find for under $10K, i.e. a 1-owner D1 heavily modified and maintained or a newer, lower miles D2. I found a 97 D1 with 87K original miles and everything in working order (except for the fog lights) and no CEL/ABS lights for $4,500 -- but it has a salvage title (was repaired by previous owner), so I'll need to hold onto this for a long time (I plan to). For $6,500 I could have bought a clean 2-owner '98 LSE loaded dual sunroofs, etc with 110K miles. Considering my SD sold for around $33K and the LSE sold for $38K new, most would have probably opted for the LSE, but I'd rather put the extra $2K into offroad upgrades than sunroofs and nicer audio.

My two cents, but I'm a noob so what do I know

 

I got my 03 about almost a year ago. I replaced an O2 sensor and the brakes relatively soon after I bought it and it's been great ever since. I wouldn't want to trade it for any of my previous vehicles which include Jeeps, Chevy Tahoe, Dodge truck, Ford truck, and a Suburban. It's more expensive to fix than some of my previous vehicles, but so much better overall that it's worth it. That being said, I wouldn't buy one if I didn't have a couple of thousand bucks availableat any given time for unexpected repairs.

 

Sadly, but I think wisely I have decided NOT to buy my first Disco. My father was going to drive it out to me in Minnesota next month, but after much consideration, talking to indie shop owners and Disco owners alike, and reading loads of info on message boards like this one, it is clear they are a headache. With a 2 year old and another on the way in September, I need a family vehicle I can count on, not one that is going to rob my children of some of their college education, require my time on weekends to fix annoying (and expensive) problems, and take me away from my kids and wife (who I would much rather be spending time with than the underside and engine compartment of the '99 Disco II).
I'm a bit sad about it all because it's all I've been able to think about for the past 2 months, but it's obvious from all I have learned that these vehicles are very cool looking and expensive pieces of junk.

Thanks for all of the insight and help everyone has given me. I'm sorry I won't be a part of the Land Rover community.

 

I've owned my '03 Disco for about 5 months and it's been nothing but fantastic (knock on wood). I ended up finding one with 36K miles on it. Other than changing fluids I do need 2 tires (not the vehicles fault) and I've had to change a headlight bulb. And I;ve never had a drop of fluid(s) from under the vehicle.

-.........but...........; I looked for about a year before I found the right one. Take you time, buy what you feel comfortable with, and just fully expect to drop some serious cash and be pleasantly suprised (like me) if you don't have to. AND GET AN EXTENDED WARRANTY!

-Big Ugly (that was the name of my last car, not my Disco!), -out