Land Rover Disco... to buy or not?!

[Vince Rothermund]

I am reaching out to the experts here on OB regarding Land Rover Discoverys. My wife and I are looking at selling our 2012 Armada to get something a little more "overland" worthy. We have been using our Tacoma as the camping rig, but with it only being the 2wd Prerunner model, we are limited to where we can go (and I am growing jealous of everyone's back country adventures [emoji106]). We have been researching everything within our price range... around $12k or less. I have owned Jeep Cherokees, a 95 Montero, and a Durango (all 4wd) in the past.

We have come across quite a few LR Discos within or price range. Some starting as low as $3k obo! I have always been a firm believer in "you get what you pay for", but some of these rigs seem like you get a lot of bang for the buck. My dilemma is this...we need something as reliable as the Armada, something very capable off-road, something that looks good, and something with less than 150k miles on it. Would a LR Disco meet those needs? Would a higher mileage 4 Runner be better? Any other suggestions for under $12k?

HELP!!

Thanks.
Vince #OB5962

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[jordan04gx]

Hi Vince, you might want to mention whether you do your own vehicle work or not. For older SUVs like Cherokees and Discos that can matter quite a bit. Even an XJ, for which parts are highly available and generally dirt cheap, can send a person to the poor house if they take it into the shop for every problem.

 

[Vince Rothermund]

Hi Vince, you might want to mention whether you do your own vehicle work or not. For older SUVs like Cherokees and Discos that can matter quite a bit. Even an XJ, for which parts are highly available and generally dirt cheap, can send a person to the poor house if they take it into the shop for every problem.

Thanks! I do a lot of my own work, but some of the larger jobs (transmission, major engine work) I leave to the pros.

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[Mike W]

If you can swing something newer, I highly recommend. LR3 at least. The reliability has gone up tremendously over the years.

 

[Vince Rothermund]

If you can swing something newer, I highly recommend. LR3 at least. The reliability has gone up tremendously over the years.

Thanks. I have heard from a couple different owners that anything newer than 2004 with a new head gasket would be preferred. I heard the older 4.0 motors are questionable. I will have to look up the cost if a good LR3. Thanks for the input!

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[Vince Rothermund]

They do have a reputation...

I really wanted an LR3, but ended up with a Jeep WK that was similar miles and price. Jeeps aren't known for their reliability either, but parts and work are a LOT cheaper!

True! My wife is trying to stay clear of Jeep Cherokees for now. We had a few in the past and I think both fit under the lemon category. I think it was just my luck of the pick. I really like the newer 4 door Wranglers, but anything that fits our two kids and is that new seems to be out of our price range. [emoji20]

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[jordan04gx]

Perhaps you should be considering the 4runners. They have the benefit of being reliable over number of years/generations. Such that your budget can simply slide you up and down the years (more budget = newer). Obviously, I'm an XJ person right now, but a 4runner is never far from my mind.

 

[Vince Rothermund]

Perhaps you should be considering the 4runners. They have the benefit of being reliable over number of years/generations. Such that your budget can simply slide you up and down the years (more budget = newer). Obviously, I'm an XJ person right now, but a 4runner is never far from my mind.

We are really leaving towards the 4runners. The only issue we have come across is that most models near the $12k mark have around 200k miles on them. I know from experience that Toyota's are just getting started around that mileage, but they have to be taken care of. Finding one that hasn't been abused has been our hiccup. [emoji53]

Looking for cars really sucks! Haha

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[Mike W]

Toyota's are fine. I've owned several. They don't have anywhere near the character of a Land Rover. The older I get, the less I want an appliance.

With attention paid to maintenance a land rover is every bit as reliable in my experience/opinion. But I will grant that less character could mean less cost in maintenance.

 

[jordan04gx]

Finding good 4runners and Tacomas is especially challenging. That's the mode I was in when I found my Jeep. I wish you good luck, and would love to hear how the search is going (my search was about 6 months).

 

[jordan04gx]

Toyota's are fine. I've owned several. They don't have anywhere near the character of a Land Rover. The older I get, the less I want an appliance.

With attention paid to maintenance a land rover is every bit as reliable in my experience/opinion. But I will grant that less character could mean less cost in maintenance.

So that I don't get taken the wrong way. I would absolutely LOVE a Disco I/II, and have spent many many hours drooling over them on craigslist. For me, I think they may be one of the best looking SUVs ever created (aesthetically). I could still see myself getting one, but they are so very hard to come by up where I'm at. So unless one happened to plop into my lap, it limited me to more attainable items like XJs and 4Runners. As for posts like this, I don't say much about the Discos because I have never personally taken care of one, so it wouldn't be cool for me to talk like I knew anything about them.

 

[Vince Rothermund]

Toyota's are fine. I've owned several. They don't have anywhere near the character of a Land Rover. The older I get, the less I want an appliance.

With attention paid to maintenance a land rover is every bit as reliable in my experience/opinion. But I will grant that less character could mean less cost in maintenance.

As I get older, I am a firm believer that anything can have character...if it has the right owner.[emoji6]

Any suggestions on what to look for in buying a used LR? I have heard the had gaskets are something to look at.

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[Vince Rothermund]

Finding good 4runners and Tacomas is especially challenging. That's the mode I was in when I found my Jeep. I wish you good luck, and would love to hear how the search is going (my search was about 6 months).

Thanks! I will keep you posted for sure. [emoji106][emoji109]

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[Vince Rothermund]

So that I don't get taken the wrong way. I would absolutely LOVE a Disco I/II, and have spent many many hours drooling over them on craigslist. For me, I think they may be one of the best looking SUVs ever created (aesthetically). I could still see myself getting one, but they are so very hard to come by up where I'm at. So unless one happened to plop into my lap, it limited me to more attainable items like XJs and 4Runners. As for posts like this, I don't say much about the Discos because I have never personally taken care of one, so it wouldn't be cool for me to talk like I knew anything about them.

I am in the same boat. I love LRs, but not really sure what to look for, with the exception of what the internet says. That is why I turned to the OB community. I know there are quite a few owners/past owners out there to offer advice. Thanks for the reply!

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[MichLC_2000]

Kind of funny, my wife and just sold our Armada and have a Tacoma too... 2017 TRD Pro 6 Spd, 6 cylinder, 4 door. 5 years ago I bought a 2000 Land Cruiser with 171k miles from the original owner for $9200. It’s been through 28 states and now has 254k Miles. It has proved to be much more reliable and better built than our Armada.
If you can find a well maintained Toyota, don’t worry about the mileage. I know several like new with north of 400k miles that are still running strong.


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[Vince Rothermund]

Kind of funny, my wife and just sold our Armada and have a Tacoma too... 2017 TRD Pro 6 Spd, 6 cylinder, 4 door. 5 years ago I bought a 2000 Land Cruiser with 171k miles from the original owner for $9200. It’s been through 28 states and now has 254k Miles. It has proved to be much more reliable and better built than our Armada.
If you can find a well maintained Toyota, don’t worry about the mileage. I know several like new with north of 400k miles that are still running strong.


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I would love an older Land Cruiser. My buddy had one and it was an amazing off-road rig and super comfy! [emoji4] [emoji106]

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[Vince Rothermund]

Soooo... we pulled the trigger on a 2006 LR3 SE. I was fighting for a older Disco, but my wife fell in love with the LR3. We compromised and got what she wanted.

Already ran into the LR3 plaguing air suspension issues and have our new AB +2" hd coil overs on order and on their way. Besides a few little minor issues (broken cup holder and glove box handle...both being addressed), the rig seems to be super solid.

Thanks to you guys who offered advice. It was much appreciated! I love this community!

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[Graeman]

I would love to have an LR - they are just so cool looking, solid axles, V8, cool looking, world history, and they are just so freaking cool. But, I went reliable and bought a Toyota 4Runner. Someday, I will either own a Land Cruiser or a Land Rover. Any vehicle with "Land" as the first name is awesome...

 

[Vince Rothermund]

I would love to have an LR - they are just so cool looking, solid axles, V8, cool looking, world history, and they are just so freaking cool. But, I went reliable and bought a Toyota 4Runner. Someday, I will either own a Land Cruiser or a Land Rover. Any vehicle with "Land" as the first name is awesome...

I will keep you posted on the reliability. I have heard the good and bad. I think we are tackling the biggest worry right out of the gate with removal of the air suspension. I would love to keep it, but I am not sure I could afford to. The quotes on fixing the current issues (even with me doing most of the work) were pretty steep. I can at least rest assured that my coilovers won't leave me stranded somewhere in the Sierra's.

I am really hoping this will be a fun build!

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[LR4XFAR]

Welcome to the Land Rover club! I really enjoy my LR3. I intentionally bought a project and have spent money where I needed to first and then wanted to.

LR owners are a great bunch of enthusiasts. Many of the LR3 have the same weak points and there is a lot of knowledge out there that is shared.

LR3s are very capable off-road and comfortable on road. I actually like the air suspension and the independent rear suspension. Would like more power and better fuel economy however.

Lots of LR forums and clubs....