hey. great looking site.

I have read a few post about problems with these machines.
2003-04 discovery2

I was originally in the market for an avalanche.
after some research saw that the disco around the same year, was cheaper.
and usually has less miles.
I have always liked the style of them

I see they get terrible gas mileage, which was surprising.
I don't do alot of offroad trail rides and whatnot, but I do like to play at the river once or twice a year and I think I need a 4wd for jobsite visits and such.

it looks like I would be getting into a machine around 70k-90k miles.
I've read about head gaskets and fuel pumps.

my question for you guys is:
how much of this immediate maintenance is true when you get one in this mileage range? I need a reliable DD. the gas mileage is close to enough to steer me away. a routine of problem after problem will be the straw.

thanks guys (and girls maybe)

 

you were suprised that a brick on 4 wheels has terrible gas mileage?

there is a thread "what to look for when purchasing a land rover discovery" read that than come ask questions if you have any and we will be happy to help.

 

X2 on reading the "what to look for" lots of good info there.

I'll start of by saying that I have a 2002 DII and love it, and as long as finances permit, I will own some sort of Land Rover for the rest of my life.

Now on to the negative....

If you're concerned about gas mileage and the possibility of maintenance issues, a Land Rover might not(scratch that) IS NOT the vehicle for you. The gas mileage in my DII ranges from 14-18 city/hwy combined and I have a gas saver chip installed that gave me at least a 1-2 mpg boost.

A higher mileage vehicle (especially a high mileage Rover) is bound to have issues of some sort and any immediate maintenance you would have to do will depend on the level of care the truck received before you bought it, or what was replaced before you bought it....this will hold true for ANY vehicle you buy.

Have you looked at Xterra's, Pathfinders, 4Runners, Escapes?? All of those have V-6's or 4-cyl so you'd see a few more MPG's than a V8 Rover.

 

thanks for the replies.

I want to clarify my initial concerns:

I'm not necessarily looking for a suv that gets good gas mileage. I was just surprised it was so low. I currently drive an 04 silverado truck. it's gets a tad better than 14/ 18. even my previous one that was 4wd was better. I guess I was thinking discos had an inline 6 or something like that. although the grand cherokee we used to have had an inline 6 and it didn't get much over 16 mpg either.

I also understand there will be maintenance issues with any 6-8 y/o used suv. but the track record of engines and head gaskets is not a normal issue with other makes. I have a pretty high mechanic skill level, due to my dad being a mechanic and I always did my own work, rebuild engines, lift kits, troubleshooting. but it's just not something I want to get into right now. I live in an apartment, wife in nursing school, and a 2 y/o. so I don't have the space or the time and money for something that needs that kind of attention.