I really love the D2 looks and how well built it is. Been looking thru local ads and found one 2004 d2 with ~160k miles on it. Has 7-8 past owners, and the current owner had it since about 148k miles. He did all 4 brakes and new’ish tires. He says the head gasket was done previously but has no proof. The car is in pretty ok condition, when I looked there werw no leaks and the owner says ‘it runs fine’. I know its about $5k but I also dont want to end up with major repairs in the near future. ( im ok with regular upkeep etc but not another 4-10k in repairs). My use case would be to take it moderate offroad/ overlanding, use it around town ( this will be my2nd car), drive upto 500miles to hit trails/ lookouts in the mountains.

my alternative choices are lr3 or lr4. Please advice if d2 would be a good fit for me. Thank you !

 

OMG, well if you are thinking the D2 is too mechanically intensive you don't want an LR3 or 4. Guaranteed to give you automatic transmission bill of $3000+ at some point among other things.

 

second this. the D2 is by far easier and cheaper to work on and make into a solid vehicle than the LR3 or LR4. especially if you are paying someone else to do the work.

 

LR3/RRS wise = plenty of them at salvage yards for the time being. That's a plus, but Can Bus system, EAS, and programming without a GAP tool = $$$$$$ spent taking it somewhere. D1 is a breeze to work on and a D2 is pretty much the same thing with a few more computers here and there. Get a Nanocom and you'll be pretty much all set for any kind of diagnostics/tweaking.

The LR3 will run forever and the transmission is good, but you will need to service it, and get used to coming to a full stop or it'll kick you in the (_!_) if you don't. LR4 wise the 5.0L V8 is not my favorite especially after how reliable the 4.4L V8 Jag engine was. People selling them around the 100K to 125K mark = Have NOT done the timing chains and it's literally a ticking $$$$$$$ time bomb.

 

The OP has declared themselves "not mechanically inclined."

Suggesting an expensive diagnostic tool doesn't line up with that statement, IMO.

The OP is looking for a cheap 4X4 that won't incur expensive repairs.

 

Find some local Disco freak that will be willing to teach you how to repair and maintain the truck. A friend with some experience, knowledge and love of working on them is worth their weight in gold. If you're going to rely on mechanics to keep it going you better have deep pockets.

 

I never saw the word "cheap" in his post. Just sounds like he wants a good LR to start out with. You don't have to be mechanically inclined to use a Nanocom IMHO. You can use the thing for so much more vs fault codes. Program a key, change BCU settings, adaptive settings, and so on. A Nanocom pays for itself very quickly.

My advice if you're new to LR's = take it to a decent independent LR shop and have a Pre Purchase Inspection done. Depending on what all they check it could certainly save you from buying a dud. I prefer LR's with higher miles and from a fellow LR enthusiast. Avoid small used car lots for sure.

No matter what the brand 4x4 and cheap DO NOT go together. If you drive it off road no matter what brand you will eventually break something and that will cost you $$$$ unless you take the time to learn how to fix things yourself.

 

Be prepared to fix it yourself when you are on a trail.

 

Short answer is no.

 

Thank you everyone for your comments. I think its looking more like this is an opportunity for me to learn how cars work and specifically how to work on these ones. I really like the idea of finding local disco ‘freak’ to learn from. I think in the long run $4-5k isnt much and aa pointed out Im not looking for cheap but surely want to be able to get back home from the trails. So I could possibly start off with closer ones and as I improve on my skills and know the car well I could plan larger expeditions. I really feel this is a great community here and I look forward to buying my disco this week 😀