I am in the market for a new SUV, finally getting rid of the Explorer.

I have settled on the Land Rover brand, right now it seems to be the only manufacture producing SUV's with any testicular fortitude.

The question is: Which one? In your opinion, Range Rover vs. the Discovery II?

This will the owners primary vehicle. That includes a daily 30 mile commute + weekend adventures on forest service roads, and eventually a trip through the Canadian backcountry. I am not really in need of a luxury vehicle, what I need is a tank. Something that will endure, not a throw away automobile. ....and most importantly something I can count on starting up and not breaking down when I am five or six hundred miles from the nearest repair shop.

 

Good question Rock,but for some of the best answers on this forumread these two post for some insight: "Rookie with several questions" - 1/21/2008 and "Disco vs RR?" - 1/31/2008

 

The answer .....a Toyota Landcruiser

I would have said get the Range Rover over the Disco b/c you mentioned taking your vehicle in the Canadian backcountry and as you might know, theRange has the EAS system to scale fallen trees and boulders in your path ....but, I changed my mind when you saidyou want something that you can count on starting up and not breaking down when you are 500-600 miles from the nearest repair shop. If that is what you need, do not buy a Land Rover. Don't get me wrong, Land Rovers are probably the coolest SUVs on the road but they are not the absolute ideal vehicle. They are high maintenace and expensive to own/operate and they are definitely not reliable. You should look into getting a Toyota Landcruiser or Lexus LX450/470 if you want a reliable tank. With one of those, you could be thousands of miles from the nearest repair shop and not have to worry. When I had my Range Rover, I would not drive it out of town w/o plotting out where all of the repair shops were along my route ...and I am not kidding. If there weren't shops that could work on Rovers along the way, we would not drive that vehicle. The new models are better I've heard so if you're looking into a 2-4 year old Rover, then you might be OK. Just be aware.

Pads Fan

 

rockanomicon- Humor me for a moment,
I believe there are (3) basic types who own a land rover product. (variations of each type allowed)

1) People w/enough money that don't care about maint. costs
2) people who try to emulate #1
3) people who want an uncompromising real SUV - generally they can fix about anything that comes up.

I fall into #3, and I make sure b/4 venturing to no man's land, I've checked my trucks over in the comfort of my garage.
If you fall into #3 or have basic mechanical skills, you can get support from sites like this.
If you fall into #2, In a couple of years someone like me will buy your Rover for 20cents on the dollar.
I'll throw a couple of grand into it and drive it for ten years.

I've had more vehicles than I remember, they ALL have something to **** you off (pathfinder $1100 timing belt, forerunner cams & head gaskets,
jeep 4.0 liter overheat) take your pick.

 

Its funny that the two very people i wanted Rock to read advice on were the first two to answer. Greg you forgot one more, 4) people who just absolutely LOVE Range Rovers! (P38,Disco, and Defendersfor me). I can tell you, im not one to emulate the #1's and cant call myself a mechanic,i just had a love for these trucks since their '96 release. Keep up the good work guys.

 

I'd call you a variation of #3, I think in my case,LOVE may be a littlestrong.

That being said, I'd have to say I bought my disco and enjoyed it more than life itself.
My wife had a pathfinder, (previously mine) she claimed to "like it a lot" - One day, she asked me to take her path for a week, as it was "idleing funny".

After the week she wouldn't give back the disco, by the end of the second week I bought my Range, which she'sdriven on trips (by herself) and she still loves the disco.

Blissfully, greg

 

..ha ha.

I amprobably like you ceven18 ...someone who loved Range Rovers from when I was a younger lad and told myself I would get one some day. I am not mechanically inclined so the repairs needed on mine had to be done by the shops and I am definitely not the #1 type who wipes my butt with $100 bills. I could do easy stuff like oil changes, light bulb changes, hose replacements, batteries, etc. ...but the stuff that required tools or equipment I didn't have and most importantly, the knowledge to know what the heck I was doing was not my cup of tea.

I will admit the Japmobiles do not have the allure and feel of the Rovers. The only good thing about them is that they are extremely reliable but I would much rather have my old 98 HSE back ...if I could have it as a 3rd vehicle, it would be ideal. At the moment, I am in a tight position ....could not sell my overpriced house in San Diego last year and my wife wanted to move back to Chicago to be around her family so we moved (to keep her happy) and we are now still paying the mortgage and some other expenses there (in SD) and rent and utilities/expenses here in Chicago (and we have a new son ...11 months) so the option of buying a 3rd "for fun" vehicle is not in the budget but if it were in the budget, I'd buy another Rover to play around with and learn to become my own mechanic on it. Maybe when we dump our house, I'll be able to get a toy Rover.

Pads Fan

 

I realize this thread is a bit dated, but I would love a bit more information if Greg or someone else would like to humor me. This thread pops up top of the list when you google Disco vs Range Rover, so first answer you get is a resounding "neither!" The next few posts make it sound like these things have a time bomb ticking I them from the time they leave the dealership, and nobody knows when they will go.

What problems exactly are we looking for when we go over these with a fine tooth comb before we head out into the great unknown? All things being equal, it's either mechanical or electrical, parts are either available or they aren't. I only ask because I live in Alaska, am looking for a good 4wd, but whatever I get I will do the work on. I have reasonable mechanical skills, but usually sell a rig when it gets to the point where I am putting it in the shop every six months, merely because that is not what I aspire to do with my life.

So are these "all show and no go" or are they poorly made, or do they rely too heavily on unproven technology that wears out prematurely? What's the skinny, from the guys that put 50k miles on them and do the work themselves. I hope you understand my confusion, as "unreliable" and "uncompromising" dont usually go hand in hand, yet this is how the Rovers are described in the above posts. Thanks!

 

Narrowrd,
Many would say its a personal preference that one would have to stand by. Me, I love the Range Rover for its looks inside and out and knowing it can go anywhere where others cannot.
The Japanese trucks out there would score higher in reliability, but if a Range Rover or Disco owner truely takes care of their truck they/you have nothing to fear.
I hopes this answers the burning question that many ask themselves.
p.s. But do take note that Land Rovers are known for having querks no matter how much you pamper them.

 

Thanks RROJ,

I wouldn't say it clears it up, but it doesn't muddy the water either. I get the personal preference thing- up here we go places NO stock rig will go, most is due to the skill of the driver, and in rigs that you would least likely suspect. Let's just say I have seen $1500 beaters pull out $40k rigs. There is no dealership, period, I would trust working on my ride, so Pads Fan would be SOL. On the other hand Greg leads me to believe these are the finest 4wds money can buy. Incidently, Rovers are known for being the most off-roaded vehicles made. I want to know what they mean by "off roaded". When I think of some of the places I have been, -40 degrees, 4 foot deep snow drifts, no cell reception and nobody for 100 miles- plug in unreliable, or querky, it doesn't add up to anything but suicide.

I am still scratching my head. Answer me this, it's a good 3000 miles to Alaska from the lower 48. Would any of you drive your Rover to AK in January through the above conditions. I've done it in an old 2wd VW, only because it was reliable. I knew even if I got stuck the engine would run for hours and so would the heater. If I thought for an instant it wasn't reliable, I wouldn't have done it. Yes it had it's quirks, the sunroof leaked, etc, but it didn't compromise the overall reliability of the car. So quirky I can deal with, unreliable is another thing.