Im in the market for a new vehicle and considering any of the above, itll be my fist forray into a 4 wd but keen to hear users feedback Im looking at 2nd hand market with a budget of between £12-15k and theres a big gap between what that can get me.
I do low mileage prob 6k a year and will use it for the daily commute and fishing so it will take a bit of stick with loading gear in and out
Any pointers as to what I should be checking before purchasing Cam belt etc....
Leaning towards a Disco for the size but any users long term feedback will be appreciated
I do love driving Discoverys.... as a car they are up there as one of my favourites, I had my eye on a 3 however, I wouldn't buy one as they are constantly going wrong. I a look at the Disco forum. A colleague here has had a D3 for many years, - she can't bear to sell it because of the huge hit in depreciation she'd take (she brought it new). However, she has spent a small fortune on just keeping it on the roads, - and her story is far from unique
I've always preferred the Disco to the RRS, there is something a bit "Essex" about the RRS, whereas the Disco is more Home Counties ;-)
If you need 7 seats the Disco is the only option - though the new RRS does have a 7 seat option but out of budget.
My BiL is a life-long Land Rover fan and has had pretty much every model at some point - going by his experience, don't expect it to be particularly reliable and/or cheap to maintain. However, they are a lovely place to be, when everything is working properly.
My brother has had 2 discos. The first he had for a while then the suspension went and was very expensive. His second one was the newer one and the engine blew, £8k IIRC ! I wouldn't touch those things with a long pole.
I ran a Disco 3 for a few years. Fabulous cars but not without their problems.
Belt wise, (for both models), they are due at 7 years. There are two belts that need. One at the front of the engine, one at the back. make sure they've both been done.
FrankieFourFingers is your man on here to ask. He's the LR expert.
Appreciate the pointers thus far, I don't need 7 seats it's more the load space hence leaning towards a Disco I'm looking at the hse version
Are you dead set on a LR product? Your budget will for example get you a very decent Kia Sorento with 3yrs warranty remaining. People who would normally reject the marque out of hand tend be surprised when driving / owning them. Space, practicality and kit are generous, reliability solid. Looks smart too.
Irrelevent if you're set on one of the above of course, but I would personally choose elsewhere if costs are key and budget tight.
If its image that's important then follow your heart, otherwise Japanese or Korean, I have no experience of the new ones but the budget you mention probably means buying a good toolkit.Originally Posted by kungfugerbil
Disco 3's were/are notorious for problems, 4 is much better but have issues of bearing wear and throwing shells, re-con engine will set you back 7k. RR sports are nice but still have problems- as someone else has mentioned really depends on what you need it for, 7 seats a necessity etc... plenty of nice other 4x4's can be had for 12-14k.
I ran a Disco 3 and 2 Disco 4's, and never had a problem with any of them. The last Disco 4 I sold after 3 1/2 years and 40000 miles with less than 30% depreciation. However, I think an RRS us realistically out of budget.
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A friend has a Merc ML350 cdi which seems pretty nice, not sure how they stack up reliability/cost wise but LR products, errr....don't enjoy the best reputation!
Always fancied a Discovery 4 mind you. Maybe the new model will suppress prices of the older one a bit too...
Get a Disco 4 if you can run to it. The 4 is a lot better then the 3 ie engine and gearbox are miles better. Do not let high mileage put you off as long as its been looked after by a dealership or specialist they are fine. Cambelts need doing at 7 years old and thats a grand. Don't forget they are complex cars, and as such cost money to maintain. They are thirst beasts but you are low mileage so no bother. Get a good one and it will put a smile on your face every time you drive it. One more thing up to a point the D4 in HSE trim is as posh as a RRS
Last edited by hilly10; 27th March 2017 at 16:14.
I like your thinking and will prob push the boat out
I'm looking at a 2011 hse Thursday with precisely that sort of history
I.e high mileage 100k but well maintained throughout
Get a Disco 4 if you can run to it. The 4 is a lot better then the 3 ie engine and gearbox are miles better. Do not let high mileage put you off as long as its been looked after by a dealership or specialist they are fine. Cambelts need doing at 7 years old and thats a grand. Don't forget they are complex cars, and as such cost money to maintain. They are thirst beasts but you are low mileage so no bother. Get a good one and it will put a smile on your face every time you drive it. One more thing up to a point the D4 in HSE trim is as posh as a RRS
So...18-19K rather than 12? You budget like me
Yes my budget was 32k tops 34k ended up when I saw my car 42K yes its man budget.
My friends had a 2010 Disco...engine blew...£10k fix...they now have a new Q7!
I bought a late (09) Disco 3 HSE last year as a run about/for my clay shooting hobby. Had no issues at all with it so far, it's a bit thirsty (shock) but has been reliable over 8 months or so. I did replace some front arms/bushes which is a common thing. Overall very happy with it, great for chucking stuff in and ferrying the kids about.
Wish I still had my D4. Best car I've ever had, loved it and zero problems in 3 years / 45k.
Disco 4. Best car ever made, possibly.
As an aside I had a good look at a black Disco 5 today. They are not so ugly in the flesh, but I suspect they are quite sensitive to colour.
Appreciate the feedback for the 4 definitely leaning that way and nice to hear some positives as opposed to scaremongers elsewhere who warned me off it
It's always the same, you more often than not here the bad points on Internet forums.
Without doubt a D4 would be the better option however in the price bracket you'll be looking at higher mileage I'm pretty certain.
There are so many things you need to look out for, buyer beware is my advise. Do your homework, get an inspection done, see if you can get the vehicle inspected prior to sale by a decent Indy.
If you need help PM me.
FFF
The older RR sport is a disco with a different bodyshell. Get a RR vogue - bought mine when it was 12 years old in 2012 and never had any problems with it. Well one. A leaking radiator hose, £7 from landrover and push fit attachment. Apart from that single incident no problems at all. In fact it's still got the same battery fitted as when I bought it
Fwiw I wouldn't by any Land Rover product again if it was out of warranty ;-)
I don't blame you, I would not either
Some great feedback here and Frankie four fingers has gone above and beyond in trying to help, it's clear they are a complex piece of equipment and a warranty is definitely needei was hoping for hassle free motoring but alas seems I was somewhat optimistic but I'll take a look and report back on my decision
Thanks t-z
Get a good warranty and find a local, independent specialist. My experience of Land Rover dealers has not been positive - I've tried 2 and they are 1st and 2nd in my list of the worst dealers I have ever encountered.
I think the Disco is a much better looking car than the RRS - which has a whiff of Footballers' Wife about it...
The full-fat Range Rover is more reliable than either, though....
Bloody Brits, coming over here taking our number plates ;-)
Great value for money
The only acceptable RR/LR products are the Full Fat RR and the Defender all else are 'lifestyle' and bettered by other brands, usually crushingly on reliability.
Even the FFRR has it's issues reliability wise but they are usually owned by those well enough heeled to afford it, Defenders are simple and can therefore be repaired with a wd40 and duct tape.
If you want a reliable offroader then look to Toyota and Mitsubishi. If you want cheap look to Kia and Hyundai. If you want Luxury look to MB and Lexus and if you want 'sporty' look to BMW or Porsche.
If you are aware of a car that is better than the Disco 4 at transporting 7 adults in comfort over pretty much all terrain then do let us know.
Says you
I wanted the best all round large luxury 7 seater. A car with road presence that you turn up at a five star hotel and one you can put your gear in and toddle off to work, go fishing shooting across muddy fields, a true utility vehicle. There is only one car and that's the Discovery 4. Granted you need a warranty but with that piece of mind there is no better ALL ROUND car
Get yourself a Lexus RX450h if you don't need 7 seats.
A Landcruiser, Shogun or Patrol would all be on my radar too.
I agree 100%. They are epic.
I don't think anyone would dispute that really - incredibly talented car.
However if you're only using it for a 6000-mile a year commute in London, don't need 7 seats and have a modest budget, I can barely think of a worse car.
as per my original thread it's what I want so the alternatives are falling on deaf ears to be honest, I'll do approx 10k a year, go fishing and take the dog so it will take some stick, transport the kids but then wear a suit to work so I need something that ticks all boxes and the Disco is perfect, all I need to do now is find one with a decent history and I'll purchase a warranty separately via warranty direct which should cover me for any unforeseen issues over and above the norm
Bang on Rob it's just the car you need
Yes I agree if that one aspect you quote above was in my remit then the Disco would not be on my drive.
its quite strange for me as I see the very best and worst in this car but weighing everything up on the whole in my opinion there is nothing else that ticks all of the boxes as the D4.
You can pull up to a posh party in your dinner jacket and don't look out of place, you can chuck your kids, dogs, luggage and bog off on holiday, you can throw hay in the back and take your sheep to market (I have seen this) or you can put the seat down and take a wardrobe to the tip.
You can also tow up to 3500kg without even knowing its there.
It's basically horses for courses, you don't go in to the purchase with your eyes wide shut thinking you're going to get 40mpg and believe you're never going to get issues. They are a complicated beast, bolted together in Gaydon that weight nearly 3 tonnes, they're tough on brakes, tough on suspension and just about tough on everything. If you buy one you're in it for the long run.....but, if you're a LR lover it doesn't really bother you.
If you do you're homework, know what to look out for, get a really decent warranty then you SHOULD have one of the best cars you've ever owned. If you don't take that advise then you'll know after a few years what having your pants pulled down feels like.
Last edited by Franky Four Fingers; 28th March 2017 at 18:20.
Now let me think.... 7 seats, 4WD, comfortable, reliable and decent image but not silly money....... Volvo XC90. Next?
Soft roader, only tows 2500kg, Smaller boot space, next!
Land Cruiser,Kia if you want a later reg for same money.trust me I've been doin it 47 years. Aussie quote"if you wanna go into the desert take a Land Rover-- if you wanna come back out again take a Land Cruiser" a truer word never spoken.
You're right - the OP will definitely need to tow more than 2.5 tons on his 6K/yr London commute...
Of course none of us really need a 600M rated watch but we want them nonetheless :D
The word next kind of indicates that it's the final word, to me you need to compare like for like which the XC90 isn't.
It's credible absolutely, however I guess you've missed the part where he said he really wanted a LR and the alternatives are falling on deaf ears?
The Volvo has no where near the Kudos of the Disco. And you should know better living in Solihull, after all JLR are doing wonders for the economy in that part of the world. 😉
I see the 1st 3 words, the rest are falling on deaf ears. 😉
He didn't say "next" I did, it was meant in a jokey way.
Of course. Bear in mind that when the XC90 came along in 2002 it was revolutionary. The Series 2 Disco of the time was like a tractor (and not in a good way) in comparison. Volvo barely touched the XC90 for 12 years and it still sold well; the new one is lovely but heading waaay upmarket.
As you've said though, the OP came along wanting one thing only and that's okay. It's good to have such singular vision, I rarely do! As youve rightly pointed out, if you can live with the purchase cost, maintenance cost, warranty cost and fuel cost, do it.
Interesting thread guys and by chance I was walking around my local dealer today and was looking at a freelander 2. I don't want to hijack thread but has anyone any knowledge of these as they seemed a good size, decent kit levels and reasonably priced?
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