Hi guys,

I am considering upgrading to an "03 RR HSE, from a '00 Disco II, I am here looking for any questions, comments, or concerns anyone may feel the need to share.

This particular Rover has 83K on it it appears to be in "good" (a kbb term) condition. Aesthetically it is quite nice. I am hoping for input from the owners Point of View. Again, any input from you will most definitely be helpful. I have come for many questions regarding my Disco and this is definitely the best place in my opinion for my information seeking.

Thanks,

Matt in OC

 

The problem with an '03 is it is was the first production year for the MKIIIs which translates to pretty significant reliability issues compared to even '05s. Coming from a Disco should at least give you an idea of what to expect with the Rover but, unless you're looking for a vehicle that's most likely going to be fairly problematic, i'd wait for an '05 on. Just my personal opinion though...

 

I have never owned a MKIII rover, but some of my family have owned a couple, and I have seen my fair share of posts pertaining to them.

Mechanically they are usually pretty good and only have very minor problems in comparison to the disco. However, like ldivine said, since the 03s are the first production year, they tend to have more problems than the rest. Most of the problems are electronic, but can drive a person crazy when they try to fix them. Most of the problems I have seen posted are completley random and are usually unique to the specific vehicle. I would love to own an MKIII rover, I think they are gorgeous works of art. However, I have steered myself away from them because of their unpredictablility, and insurance on them is kind of high in comparison to other land rovers.

If you don't want to spend the extra cash for a newer RR (as they tend to be pretty expensive, even with a lot of miles on them) you might try looking at LR3s. I have seen many of them come down in price because of the new LR4. Hope this helps and good luck on your search!

 

I have one of that same year model. It was the last year before Ford began to make them and in my opinion, one of the better ones. With that many miles, you need to know if the air struts have been replaced yet or not. They develop leaks and will usually go out in the same year. They're $800 a pop to replace (before labor). I think I've also replaced an alternator a few years ago. Other than that, normal wear and tear is to be expected. I'm told that the air pump will be the next thing to go.

Hope this helps.

 

sysroute,

Thanks for the heads up, I actually converted the SLS bags on my Disco to springs, the job to just replace the airbags didn't seem alot more difficult though. I will definitely have them looked at though.

 

LRScott,

Thanks for the info, the only issue I have with the LR3 is that my wife wants something a bit bigger than the DII, although it is only a grocery getter. I absolutely agree on your assesment of this being a beautiful piece of machinery. Thanks for the information.

 

Idivine,

Thanks for your opinion, I actually AM looking for an extremely problematic car...haha, why else would I own a DII. Seriously though, I have heard about the electrical issues but am not completely scared away by them. Maybe the '05 on is the best way to go. Not being an owner of this particular model yr I wanted some feedback form previous owners, both good and bad. Thanks again.