Hi everyone. Been stalking around for a while, and figured I'd finally join up. I'm in the market for a used 4x4 SUV, and and think I'm getting closer to settling in on a Disco 2 (considering Durango, Xterra/Pathfinder, Grand Cherokee as well). Anyway, just sayin' hi!

 

Welcome. Be sure to have a pre-purchase inspection by mechanic if possible. Can save you a lot of problems.

 

Definitely. I've never actually purchased a used car before; how does it work out, logistically, with a non-LR dealership?

I already passed on one private purchase when they refused to take it to a dealer (later found out that they had recommended $4k in service he didn't do).

 

Dealers and private sellers vary. If they balk at "I'd like to pay for my mechanic to look at it" it makes you wonder. A LIAR ("Local Independent Auto Reseller") may also want to offer you an extended warranty, some are a good deal because Rovers can have many repairs. However, if your mechanic is not a Rover guy (or gal), he might miss things as well.

Major problem with any of the Rovers is poor maintenance and overheat of the engine. You'll find plenty of posts on here of engines that blew head gasket on the way home from auction, etc. At a minimum you'll want to let the truck idle for 20 minutes or so and test drive to check for any overheating. This can't be done with the temp gauge, you need to take a code reader scanner to plug in. Factory gauges are too "broad" in their normal readings. Above 212F is suspect. Scanner will also show "MIL Status", which should be "OFF", that is the check engine light, which sometimes is burned out, cut out, painted over. You will notice no oil PSI gauge. If having mechanic test it, pay for manual oil PSI test. This can detect cracked oil pumps (common on some VIN ranges, not fatal if caught early, but low oil PSI increases engine wear).

Rover owners "range" from avid underfunded DIY to guys that just use it to haul their groceries down to the yacht basin.