Jump to content

Discovery buying advice


Daveo26
 Share

Recommended Posts

Right lads Iv got 5 grand to buy a disco, Im thinking a disco 2???

Our lass has to use it too and she does not want to have an old disco 1

Im hearing all sorts of conflicting advice regarding what to buy.

I have been looking on auto trader and there are literally 1000's for sale.

Is high mileage a big issue? how good is the TD5 compared to the 200/300 TDIs?

Plese help

:hmm:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I would not have a Landrover as a Gift never mind using my own cash to buy one. I made that mistake a few years ago and got my self a 300 TDI. I may as well have stood on the street chucking money in the air. It was the biggest money pit i have ever had. I now own a Ford mavrick, on a 97 plate (So really its a Nissan Terrano) and that why i bought it. My dad had one and i used it to pull 44ton HGV's out of our yard and up a slight hill to the main roads. They pull like a bitch, the engines last a life time (As fitted to the london taxi black cabs.

So if your going to get one steer well clear of the 300TDI, it was the worst one they ever made, the 200TDI is far better. The TD5 again is a lot better still. But for my money Nissan all the way (The newer Ford Mavs are made by Ford and not as good as the Nissan versions)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I would not have a Landrover as a Gift never mind using my own cash to buy one. I made that mistake a few years ago and got my self a 300 TDI. I may as well have stood on the street chucking money in the air. It was the biggest money pit i have ever had. I now own a Ford mavrick, on a 97 plate (So really its a Nissan Terrano) and that why i bought it. My dad had one and i used it to pull 44ton HGV's out of our yard and up a slight hill to the main roads. They pull like a bitch, the engines last a life time (As fitted to the london taxi black cabs.

So if your going to get one steer well clear of the 300TDI, it was the worst one they ever made, the 200TDI is far better. The TD5 again is a lot better still. But for my money Nissan all the way (The newer Ford Mavs are made by Ford and not as good as the Nissan versions)

 

 

You know nothing.

 

 

 

 

The 300tdi is regarded as one of the best engines ever to be put into a landrover

Link to comment
Share on other sites

i was always told that 200TDI is beter. les electronics and stronger internals.( tip from landrover tech working with them about 35 years.)

 

best Discovery buying advice is DON'T BUY ONE.compering with any other car i ever use and repair ( even toyota soarer 2.5TT) it was the most epensive car to repair chep parts just all the time something wrong with it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

i was always told that 200TDI is beter. les electronics and stronger internals.( tip from landrover tech working with them about 35 years.)

 

best Discovery buying advice is DON'T BUY ONE.compering with any other car i ever use and repair ( even toyota soarer 2.5TT) it was the most epensive car to repair chep parts just all the time something wrong with it.

 

 

From an electrics point of view yes the 200 is simpler but from a parts point of view theres a few more complexities, the early 300's weren't great as they were ironing out kinks (its nothing like a 200, all it shares is the same displacement and general shape really) however the mid to late 300's are still simple to work on and excellent engines.

 

The military chose the 300 over the 200 due to the 300 being easier to fix in the field

 

 

Discoveries are simple to look after, just keep on top of services and when buying make sure you check for rust……as to wear and tear parts are cheap as said and for the competent home mechanic anything is do-able

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Had a 300 Tdi and have now got a TD5, prefer the TD5 as it drives better than the 300Tdi, but it has more complex electronics.

 

If you are dead set on getting a Discovery, have a good look round and buy the best one you can as something will go wrong with it.

 

Have a look at some of the dedicated Discovery Forums which will give you an idea of some of the most common problems with all the Discoverys.

 

Best of luck.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

ok...... :oops:

Alternatives please?

whats the best 4x4 for 5 grand??

Its got to take my wife to work everyday and be a family car through the week.

I will use it for shooting during the season and stalking/lamping and stuff on weekends.

It wont be used for really tough off roading just stubble fields and the like.

I heard the nissans were horrible on fuel??

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Most people who bitch about landrovers are the kind of people who just love to moan and have no idea what they are talking about .

Any car can break at any time .

Most 4x4 s have never driven down a dirty street let alone a muddy field

I have got a 97 disco 300tdi it pulls like a train . It starts every time with no smoke with my mud terrains on it will cross any field I want it to even drive through rivers in it . There are no modifications to it except a steering guard and

Insa turbo dakars .

I have green laned it and off roaded it in a quarry

It is my lamping truck and log hauler.

All this and it's also my daily drive

 

Don't listen to the muppets that think they know best

I hearby lay down a challenge to anyone with any other make of motor in standard form to drive over the Wayfarer in Wales it's an 8 mile heavily rutted flooded track that passes over 2 mountains

I have done it many times have you .........

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Most people who bitch about landrovers are the kind of people who just love to moan and have no idea what they are talking about .

Any car can break at any time .

Most 4x4 s have never driven down a dirty street let alone a muddy field

I have got a 97 disco 300tdi it pulls like a train . It starts every time with no smoke with my mud terrains on it will cross any field I want it to even drive through rivers in it . There are no modifications to it except a steering guard and

Insa turbo dakars .

I have green laned it and off roaded it in a quarry

It is my lamping truck and log hauler.

All this and it's also my daily drive

 

Don't listen to the muppets that think they know best

I hearby lay down a challenge to anyone with any other make of motor in standard form to drive over the Wayfarer in Wales it's an 8 mile heavily rutted flooded track that passes over 2 mountains

I have done it many times have you .........

 

 

I'd like to see jasmin's precious terrano manage that……..I only trust 4x4's I know

 

 

Landrovers, Discos, RR's, Hilux's, Navaras, Landcruiser Amazons, Patrols and a few of the big American beasts like the Yukon XL, Ford Superduty's, Bronco's, Suburbans, Blazers and Dodge Rams

 

 

Why ? because I've either owned, been in them, know a mate who's got one or experienced them at work (we used a Yukon XL to cross Canada in mid winter)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have a frontera and have/am looking at getting a disco,so have joined a landy forum,looked at loads on e-bay/auto trader etc,asked questions everywhere.............

Off road boys and oval lovers will tell you they are better than the rest

200s are mostly rotted to bits

300 tdi,rotted unless you buy some es models !,engine is transfered from one to another disco after the 1st one rots and are the best engine

The only rust prevention landrover did under neath was paint :lol: hence rot in cross members,arches,cills,boot floor etc

sunroofs leak,as early models had rubber gasket set that compressed to easy,there is a upgrade replacement

boot door sticks,mud gets in lock and seizes spring

rear n/side passenger door doesnt open/lock properly and needs an actuator !!!

 

The above plus other stuff has made my mind up that i want a disco,not because its better on fields than my frontera because its NOT,but because its bigger with more extras to bolt on,cheap parts,looks good etc etc.

Have now narrowed it down to a manual 2.5 300 tdi late 90s or td5 upto 03 plate,between 3-5k,es model because of being looked after (not generaly been off roaded) and gizmos,one with milage upto 100k,low owners,all mots and service stamps,one that had a lot of replacement parts with lots of history.

Low milage doesnt mean anything as its the rot that will kill it and it should have all old mots and stamps in book with different pen/stamp etc to prove milage,registered at owners address,2 key fobs.

Every time i find one of the above discos its sold or in scotland :angry:

Still.its due to snow here fri/sat/sun and my frontera will love it ,till i find a disco:D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

300 tdi's arent rotten? Ive had 2 friends scrapped theirs due to the welding needed being uneconomical, seen numerous others in my fathers garage and more recently a TD5 discovery being sent to the scrap yard as the boot floor, bulk head and parts of the chassis had rotted out.

 

For 4-5 grand any discovery around that price bracket you WILL be spending money on!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well they obviously bought bad ones, as I said I have two which have never been welded, waxoyled from new and the chassis are solid

 

 

I paid 3k for mine and 4.5 for the other, needed the low range freeing up as it had never been used and a full service, apart from that everything else has been consumables………….so again WRONG

Link to comment
Share on other sites

300 TDI's arent rotten? Ive had 2 friends send theirs to the scrap yard because the amount of welding needed made it an uneconomical repair! The last discovery which came in to my fathers garage was a late 300 on a T plate and thats now sitting in the scrap yard!

 

As is a 2000 reg TD5 disco which has rotted out around the bulk head chassis and the boot floor!

 

Any disco in the 4-5 grand bracket be prepared to spend money on, because you WILL be.

 

Have a look around and see wot else you could get for the money.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

300 TDI's arent rotten? Ive had 2 friends send theirs to the scrap yard because the amount of welding needed made it an uneconomical repair! The last discovery which came in to my fathers garage was a late 300 on a T plate and thats now sitting in the scrap yard!

 

As is a 2000 reg TD5 disco which has rotted out around the bulk head chassis and the boot floor!

 

Any disco in the 4-5 grand bracket be prepared to spend money on, because you WILL be.

 

Have a look around and see wot else you could get for the money.

 

 

As I said before you decided to re-post you are very much WRONG.

 

 

We have a 97 and a 98, both are solid, search for one and you will find……..I travelled to brum to collect my 98 and it was well worth the months I spent searching for a good one.

 

 

As to a 2000 TD5 I wouldn't touch one of them even if it was solid, the early TD5 engines are terrible but you can easily get a mint, solid and well looked after disco for 5k or less

 

 

 

 

Wrong because you've seen 3 ? I've got friends with discos and am part of a landrover forum, yes a few discos are rotten but most on the site are well looked after and solid underneath, if you go offroad clean it after use and waxoyl in summer ready for winter. 3 disco's is your experience going from your posts, I've seen and been in countless discos, our first one was bought in 1995 and lasted up until late 2000 when the engine went, chassis was still solid as a rock though

Edited by Dr_evil
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes you've had 3 bad encounters thats it

 

Welding is never un-economical its just un-economical taking one to a garage to get welded, its a simple job to do by yourself.

 

I don't trust any mechanic apart from the local who's worked on our landrovers for the last 10 years, if you want proof that not all discos of that age are rotten then get out and look but for now here's the underside and arches of my disco

 

20092011365.jpg

 

25012012542.jpg

 

20092011363.jpg

 

20092011361.jpg

Edited by Dr_evil
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Haha Land Rover boys will be out in force soon!

 

I didnt say every discovery was rotten, but from wot ive seen they seem to suffer from it a long with LOTS of other issues.

 

And seeing vehicles every day being worked on and common faults i think i had room to comment. Fact is ive seen a lot more Land Rover owners will big bills and major mechanical issues than owners which are happy with them!

 

Im not a Land Rover hater, in fact when i was younger there was a series 2A sitting on the drive, but quality in Land Rovers have declined greatly!

 

Lets just hope Tata can sort them out :good:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
 Share

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...