Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!
Options
Popular New Cars
Popular Used Sedans
Popular Used SUVs
Popular Used Pickup Trucks
Popular Used Hatchbacks
Popular Used Minivans
Popular Used Coupes
Popular Used Wagons
Comments
Even though Discoverys look high and tippy, they're quite stable. This is due to their frame on frame construction (heavy box steel frame that centers the vehicle weight a couple inches above the tires then a top frame coupled to this base frame). That and the liberal use of aluminum panels makes the vehicle quite stable. Add ACE and you've got a great mix.
In the past, I've driven Blazers and Jeeps. The Jeeps always felt relatively sure footed at higher speeds, but the Blazer felt 'whippy' and out of control when accelerating and passing someone. I don't get that feeling in the '96 Disco. And the times when I've driven a DII with ACE while mine was in for service, the feeling is even more sure footed.
http://www.highwaysafety.org/vehicle_ratings/ce/cecompoutc.asp
shows side by side crash data comparing the Explorer and Disco II while http://www.highwaysafety.org/vehicle_ratings/ce/cecompoutc.asp shows the Lexus and Disco II. This isn't rollover information, but it does show safety comparisons of the vehicles.
Thanks - wasko
Thanks.
Jeep Grand cherokee laredo.
Toyota 4Runner SR5 and Limited.
GMC yukon.
Cadilac Escalade.
We really love the land rover, and want to get it, can you give us any reasons not to seeing the competition?
For one, they are all too common, Secondly, they are all poor build quality except for the Four Runner. From all the research I've done in my quest to buy smart and capitalize on resale value and owner satisfaction, one can't go wrong with a Four-Runner or Disco II. The Infiniti QX4 is also a good option. The GrCherokeeis a Chrysler...nuff said. I had one.
A real piece after 30K. The Yukon is butt-ugly and prone to alot of small annoyances says my neighbor, and the Escalade is an absolute joke-As tacky and pimpy as they come. I'd be embarrased to be seen in one. They sure cost alot for the "horriffic build quality" that I read about in an online review. I can find the link for you if you are interested. If dad has test driven all these, I'm sure the right choice will show itself. Good Luck
we are going to start shoping in January.
As for the Defender, a recent article in Land Rover magazine stated that it won't be redesigned for at least 4 years - shattering my dreams of buying a NEW defender (instead of getting pummeled on the used ones for $40-50k) anytime real soon.
Thanks, wasko
Regards, -Bob
Also, who out there owns a classic Range Rover (93'-94')? Are they reliable?
Anyway, I was wondering about the steering. It seems that the steering wheel doesn't self center when coming out of a turn, i.e., where I'm used to letting go of the wheel and letting it spin back to center, the DII required actually manually turning the wheel back to come out of a turn. Is this intentional or does my friend have to have this checked out?
The front passenger door can't be opened from the outside. This has been a 'feature' for about 3 months now. Doesn't bother me, but sure gets my wife's bloodpressure up (when was the last time YOU sat in the passenger seat of your disco??)!
A couple of weeks ago, the exhaust was rattling a bit and I took it into Tuffy and they put her up on the stands to take a peek. Seems that the Y pipe cracked on the right side in front of the right catalytic converter. The crack in turn busted up the right catalytic converter.
Called Rover and found out that catalytic converter is covered for 8 yrs/80,000 miles but once they saw the crack in the Y-pipe, they wouldn't warranty it. Ba$t@rds!
Genuine Rover Y pipe (with both catalytic converters) was (sit down if you aren't) $1850 PLUS 2-3 hours labor for installation. Not wanting to spend that much for the repair, I pulled out the trusty Atlantic British catalog - $695 delivered for a made in the USA complete y-pipe assembly. Ordered the Y, called Rover dealer, 3 weeks before they could install. What the hell! It's a conspiracy against me, and I know it
Back to Tuffy, 3 hours later and $150, everything was installed and is working fine. So, for what would have been $2100 at the dealer, I got out of it for $850 - no cheap but better!
Next -- I remember silently chuckling at all the posts up hear a year ago. Everyone was complaining about their peeling dashes and my 96 seemed untouched by this flaw. Today I noticed it starting to peel in two places. Sigh...
Finally -- radio has been intermittently cutting out - sounds like a dirty contact or something loose as opposed to something broken. Rover said they would send it away not covered under warranty of course - for now I've just been enjoying the silence. anyone ever taken the radio out? I may clean the contacts and see if that makes a difference but I'm not sure how to get inside there...
Ah well, what are you to do? The Series II is looking better all the time Nothing has ever stranded this vehicle (except for my ignorance one time), all problems are nuisances, but still...
Thanks for listening to me rant - wasko
While at the dealer, I spoke with the parts guy after I bought my $12.00 filter, and he lamented endlessly about "I can't get no damn parts for these damn things, and I've got about 30 customers that are getting hissed", etc. I sure hope nothing ever goes wrong on my beloved vehicle, warranty or not, it seems nearly impossible to get a service appointment and god help you if you need parts!
My II so far has been perfect except for a rattle or groan now and then, and I'm very pleased with its' off-and-on-road capabilities and handling. I don't know why people keep complaining about a "lack of power", "sluggishness", etc. I find that the only shortcomings that mean anything are rear seat ingress. I love the funky ergonomics, the seats, the engine, - everything! And everyone that's ever seen, rode in, or looked at my II has made positive comments.
If my DII ever gives me the "belly up", she'll be traded for a new Toyota 4Runner (you old timers may remember I did that with my '99 DII which was a piece of crap - the 4R was perfect, but bland, so that's why I got another DII). You can always count on Toyota for reliability, and quality. My Toy truck has 155,000 absolutely trouble-free miles on it.
Happy Rovering to all of you!
3. I just replaced the old michelins and installed bilstein shocks. At first, the rover was glorious, but now she makes this awful "clunk"
when I go over the smallest bumps. It feels as though the bottom of the frame is going to collapse and the dealer is blowing me off as usual. 4. I'm not a wealthy rover owner and maybe that is the problem, but I thought I was buying a rugged vehicle and now it is proving otherwise. 5. wasko..about the catalytic converter, where did you get the information about the 8yr warranty?? and what of the rust perforation warranty, it is a 6yr..have you had problems with rust or any other similar problems as me?
I have a certified per-owned warranty, which will run out in April 01, but I am going to fight(if I have to) to have the dealer pay for another year of warranty coverage, due to all the problems I've had and due to their incompetent service.
7,500 mile $ 39.95
15,000 mile $ 89.95
22,500 mile $ 39.95
30,000 mile $ 439.95
37,500 mile $ 39.95
45,000 mile $ 89.95, etc.
The costs of maintaing my 00 DII are less than for my Toy 4x4 or Mercedes sedan. So don't tell me that it's too expensive to own a Rover (unless it's an out-of-warranty piece of crap anyway. All parts are too expensive. I became "friends" with the parts managers for each of my vehicles, so I get all mine at cost which saves a lot! I also routinely take the service managers out to lunch, so I get "discounts" for service as well.
When I bought my 2nd. DII in June of 2000, the deal included totally free maintenance for 4 years or 45,000 miles - not bad. I also got wheel locks, rubber mats, cargo nets, and light guards "thrown in" - although I'm sure that I paid for them somewhere along the line behind all the fine print. You ALWAYS get screwed at dealerships!
1. my window motor was replaced last year under warranty
2. my front door is difficult/impossible to open - it bounces between working sometimes and not at all.
3. I put original woodheads back on about 10k miles ago and no problems with them at all.
4. Same here - I had to get my 96 used at the time bec I couldn't afford a new Rover - the parts seem to eat you alive, but I also agree with rkoesler that ALL parts are too expensive these days. I will say that it is a very rugged vehicle and the majority of my problems have been fit/trim issues. If I could, I'd replace the electric seat motors with manual ones, the electric windows with manual, etc. because it's all that crap that stops working. Hell, I'd even have manual/handcrank moonroofs!
5. catalytic converter story came from the dealer. mine doesn't have hardly any rust on it (suprising for MI), and the pipe cracked instead of rusted. Only rust areas are near the A pillars on the back doors. Won't have to worry about that in WA though
Good luck on the warranty extension.
All - rkoesler brought up a good point about the oil-changes. There seems to be a 2 week backlog at my dealership as well due to parts shortages - are others seeing this at their dealerships as well? Just wondering if this is a nationwide issue or not.
Thanks - wasko
"I just test drove a friend's brand new DII. What a neat SUV. Still wouldn't trade my Montero for it though - my kids like the reclining seats in the Montero.
Anyway, I was wondering about the steering. It seems that the steering wheel doesn't self center when coming out of a turn, i.e., where I'm used to letting go of the wheel and letting it spin back to center, the DII required actually manually turning the wheel back to come out of a turn. Is this intentional or does my friend have to have this checked out?"
"I just test drove a friend's brand new DII. What a neat SUV. Still wouldn't trade my Montero for it though - my kids like the reclining seats in the Montero.
Anyway, I was wondering about the steering. It seems that the steering wheel doesn't self center when coming out of a turn, i.e., where I'm used to letting go of the wheel and letting it spin back to center, the DII required actually manually turning the wheel back to come out of a turn. Is this intentional or does my friend have to have this checked out?"
Land-Rover steering is typically very sensitive to oscillation, much like a bicycle with steep forks. To control this there's a large damper attached to the track rod. It may be his is very stiff. It may also be his swivel pins are set too tight from the factory. Or his front tire pressure could be too low. Or it may be that things are just a bit too new and snug and it has to loosen up a little. As the swivels wear you begin to feel a little slop. As the swivel seals loosen up it returns to center a bit better, and as the damper wears you may find it beginning to oscillate wildly over uneven terrain between 55-65mph.
The things that would prevent it self-centering (caster, camber, trail, etc.) are all functions of the geometry of the hard parts up front. If something was installed badly enough to prevent self centering then I'd think he would have noticed a lot worse problems before now.
I think he just has a nice, tight new truck. Check the tire pressures (28 F, 38 R) and drive it. In a month try again.
Best regards, -Bob
I did discover that landrover dealers are less forthcoming about warranty problems than you might think considering that these vehicles are or were the cream of the offroad class.
With the huge drop in sales of the Land Rover
products, you would think that they would try harder to keep customers.
Take a few minutes and go crawl under your truck. Look at the gasket between the auto trans and the sump, see if it's pooched out as if it's going to fail.
I was driving last night and after I pulled in the garage I saw a stream of ATF heading out and down the street, staining the snow red. I took a close look, and my gasket had failed, splitting lengthwise along the mating surface of the sump and trans valve body. That left a slit opening and I had lost 3 quarts of ATF. Thankfully I wasn't far from home when it failed!
If you've got several months use from a trans service then chances are the gasket is well seated and should hold fine. Mine did until I messed with it during the service... if you've had the work done recently then watch that gasket closely for awhile.
Best regards, -Bob
I have a Disco Series II and in the owner's manual it says to only put ethylene glycol based coolant with OAT inhibitors into the coolant system. My question is how do you know if there are OAT inhibitors in the coolant? (most of the brands I saw just said that it contained proprietary inhibitors) One other question: will propylene glycol based coolant in any way impair the system?
Thanks in advance.
My '96 is in for an auto trans RE-service (boy did I dodge a bullet on that problem!!!) and they gave me a spanking new Series II to drive in the interim. And, call me a heretic but I truly prefer the Series I. Better steering feel, better power, better brakes, I can see out of the thing, doors open wider, more usable room inside, and it just drives better. Partial??? Not me!!
(grin) Best regards, -Bob
Curious what kid of numbers other people are seeing.
THANKS
josh@bbnp.com
Oceandweller - You might have to buy the factory service manual to do this and to perform your own maintenance. It's spendy, about $100. There are actually several, the other most mentioned one is the electrical manual and it's another big chunk. But they quickly pay for themselves.
Uconn - What is the remaining warranty on the truck? I would be grateful the rear main seal was done... many of them leak. Rovers are hand built trucks and if poor attention is given at assembly then these problems are solved under warranty. Pay extra attention to "sticking valves" with the '97, the problem first appeared in '96 and it is a serious expense. Have the dealer explain THOROUGHLY what it is, and see if they can convince you it is not going to be a problem with the '97... it may in fact be a late '96. Not all trucks do it, but make sure before you buy. Also look at swivel seals, hub seals, springs (is it sagging on the off side?) and look for play in the swivel pins. Ask the dealer to change ALL fluids before you buy, I do so with mine every year. If that's all there is on the service history, it's a keeper.
Best regards and I hope this helps, -Bob
Find what you like, look it over good, take it to a LR tech if you can find a good one, and if it's all OK, go for it!
PS: Stay away from 95, 96, and 99 DII models as they seem to be more prone to problems. But then I've had problematic BMW's, Toyotas', and Benzes as well!
I have a 2000 Discovery II with 5700 miles which had a major problem on a cold day last month. The electronic control module in the transmission failed (started with the mode lights blinking) and the engine basically shut down. Fortunatly It was in the driveway at home. I had to have it towed (110 miles) to the dealer in Maine. They were great and replaced the part. Its been running fine since, a major change in shift patterns and smoothness. However at 7 above the Mode lights started blinking again yesterday. I let it run to warm up and re-started the engine and everything seems fine. Has anyone had this problem in the cold ?
Two weeks ago I was driving my 2000 LR Disco (only three loan payments made) in dry, clear open highway. I was cutoff and swerved to keep from hitting the guy. Next thing I know, I was sailing across the highway on the roof. I am only alive because I had my seat bealt on. I also believe that the steal frame kept the Disco from caving in more than it did. When I saw the car the following day (I walked away from the accident!), the side frame had bent in 8-10 inches inward and the roof was about 10 inches from the steering wheel. As I said, I think the Discovery and my seat belt saved my life. HOWEVER. I also firmly believe that we tipped over way too easily. I know that I would not have tipped over in a car, and I am not sure if SUVs that are not as high would have tipped as easily. Bottom line - sedans from this point forward. But if you really want the SUV - Buckle UP!
When my wife, looking for SUV after getting her lexus sedan stuck in our driveway for the third time this winter, pulled out a brochure for the 2001 DiscoII - I so overcame with joy that I openly wept!!
Of course the reason she picked out DiscoII (along with Montero) was not for the USUAL Land Rover virtues, but because she wanted the third row seat!!!
Nonetheless, I was ecstatic to test-drive 2001 DiscoII (and Montero), and is getting ready to purchase/lease.
However, reading some HORRIBLE tales on this Town Hall postings, now I am not so sure!!!
It is very apparent that the Land Rover will be more like my Saab (quirky and totally unpredictable in regards to reliability) then my wife's Lexus (so $#%& BORINGLY reliable).
Way I look at it is that even if I spend half of time in the dealership, I would look darn good going to/from there!!
Would I be smart to lease this thing rather than to purchase?? Or should I just stick with the reliable Japanese-made (Montero)???
HELP!!!!!!! (by the way, unfortunately I am what you would call a TOTAL MECHANICAL MORON).
Tim in Michigan (Go Blue)
Leasing sounds like a good idea if it provides you a tax break, otherwise I would buy. Just remember, an SUV is not a car so don't drive it like one unless you get the ACE option.
Montero is nice, but they are too complicated for what you need - everything is high tech and that is just asking for it.
I've not had or heard of cold day start problems, steering problems, or any other unusual stuff. Guess I've been lucky.
Happy Rovers!
My husband and I have been researching Disco's for a year now trying to be as educated as possible, but I still have one unanswered concern. When dealers obtain older Disco's (97 & 98) they detail them and degrease the engine. That's all fine and well, but it has made it difficult to check for oil leaks. Does anyone have any suggestions?
We thought we found a good one at a NIssan Dealer, but ended up not buying it. To make a long story short, I believe the dealer engaged in some unethical practices. I know, what's new, but how can you determine unethical from illegal? (It was that bad.)
Any help offered would be greatly appreciated. We're still looking for a 97-98 Disco if anyone out there in Detroit area has one they're parting with. knbemmons@netscape.net
Rover gasket quality control is spotty at best, but if you have an assembled piece that hasn't been messed with chances are it's not going to give you trouble. Case in point: I had zero leaks from my auto trans ('96 Disco) until I decided to bite the bullet and pay to have the 30k service done. Kent is a *great* mechanic but the gasket he got was flawed and a month later it failed, blowing ATF everywhere. It was replaced under warranty, but it seems that once it's messed with it takes awhile for parts to get happied up again to the "trustworthy" stage.
Additional note: '97 is a good starting year. There were sticking valve problems that started in '96. Pay extra attention to that when you consider buying. If someone tells you to pour through lots of upper end cleaner/carbon removing/valve cleaning goo to fix it, and they're a mechanic, DO NOT buy from them. The sticking affects the exhaust valves and that goo doesn't work. Another example: I had my valves done under warranty and it took EIGHT gasket sets before Kent found one he'd consider putting into an engine (crimped head gaskets).
Buying a Disco WILL BE a love/hate thing. Trust me on this. If you're mechanically inclined and have lots of tools then you'll love messing with it, and it will reward you with good feelings. This will be a truck you "name". People don't name their appliances, but they do name things with which they have relationships. Is this a good or a bad thing? It depends entirely on you.
There are tons of good posts in the archives here, read read read! And best luck if you do decide to take the Muddy Oval plunge!
Best regards, -Bob
I think I was just fooling myself that I will even consider Montero over Disco. Montero is NICE but can you really LOVE it like you would love a LR?????????? (I THINK NOT).
I mean here are my VISCERAL responses as I see a SUV drive by:
LR Disco: 'SWEET!!! I MUST HAVE YOU NOW!!!!'
Mitsu: 'What the ...?'
Navigator:'WHY???? O lord, WHY???'
MDX: 'Hmm, a nice looking minivan...'
4Runner: 'More CHROME please..'
So wish me luck, as we start to negotiate. (and as you can see I enter this with unshakable grip on reason, guided by undistractable rationality!)
By the way, Ms. Kemmons, I have dealt with Birmingham (MI) Lavery people in two different occasions (shopping for Infinity some years ago and now shopping for LR) - and BOTH times, I ended up going elsewhere for better deals. So far my experience at the LR dealership in Farm Hill has been very pleasant (once again, wish me luck!!!). I will let you know how I felt AFTER the negotiation is done.
And Igray, it is absolutely BS, when they tell you to pay MSRP!!!!!!!!!
Through the infamous X-plan (special deals for the "friends" of Ford employees) currently we are working on DiscoII SD7 (darn kids!) with cold weather package (MSRP total 36225 / invoice 32305) around 34760, or est. 1500 above invoice. WALK AWAY and look for another dealer.
(Almost) Happy Rovers!!
You can go to any board and find horror stories about any vehicle, not just LR. They (LR's) however grow on you, and become part family - if they get sick, you want to heal them asap. My dealer replaces all leaking gaskets (still made from cork) with "space-age" goo (form-a-gasket) with good luck.
Prices of LR have dropped dramatically since I bought my two. Where I paid $44,000, people now are paying around $38,000 for the same. Some RR's are discounted from $ 59,900 down to $ 51,000. Bad for trade-in or resale, but good for buyers.
On my '00 Disco, I didn't even try to negotiate. I made my deal and then stated my conditions: I will buy it if you include:_ _ _ etc. That way I got the little things I wanted for free (?), or at least it seemed so, and it made me feel good.
I added free wheel locks, brush & light guards, rubber mats, cargo nets, LR skid plates (which cost me an amazing $ 1800), and tire cover.
I much prefer driving my "Rovie" over my 4x4 Toy truck or my Mercedes sedan, and I never miss a dirt trail when I see it. I'm a federal agent that investigates environmental crimes, so many of my "scenes" are fields, creeks, and other places that my official "police interceptor" model Crown Victoria could never go - others have to walk in, I DRIVE. Of course I catch hell about being "overpaid" since I have a Land Rover.
Happy Rovering!