Disco Disco!

[LustyLew]

Hey peeps,

I'm pretty sure that a number of people on here have owned or own a Discovery.

I've been looking at replacing the car and am seriously considering a Disco.

My budget would stretch to early Disco 3's, or late Disco 2's with all the gadgets.

So, I guess my question is which is the wiser option.

The Disco 2, is essentially a Disco 1 with a face lift, but most of the reliability issues should have been sorted by the later models.

The Disco 3 had issues with the air suspension, but is this as common as people seem to make out. Most should have had the more modern compressors fitted which should resolve this issue.

Anyone care to offer an opinion?
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Like a Yorkie - I'm not for the girls

[J4mes]

I have an 05 Disco 3 SE.

Its an absolutely amazing car, but not without issues. I have spent an awful lot of money on repairs, most expensive being the turbo at £1500 and glowplugs seized in head at £2000, and a host of other things including alternator, an ECU, suspension compressor, suspension arms, clutch/flywheel and other things that probably came to another £3000 on it's own over the course of the last 3 years.

BUT. It's worlds away from the D2 (I had a D1 300TDi before my D3) in terms of comfort and ability, and the fact it does just about everything I ask of it. I tow with it, go camping in it, take it on road trips when we go skiing (2500 mile round trip) and I've been off roading in the Pyrenees in it last month, another 3500 mile round trip, and I wouldn't want to do anything else. Looks and acts great ripping up the countryside, looks and acts great as a normal family vehicle.

I normally change my cars every 2 years, but I'm in to the 4th year of ownership on this one and can't see myself changing it any time soon.

It's a buyers market, there are loads about. So make sure everything works, it has been serviced properly, the major 105K mile/7 year service has been done (this is around £1000) and that perhaps some of the issues I have mentioned have already been resolved or replaced.

Listen for any strange noises from the diffs and front/rear suspension, clonks through the steering, any labouring from the gearbox if an auto or slipping if a manual.

There are a couple of discovery 3/4 owners clubs around, worth logging on to ask the members about them.

Any other questions, PM me!

[P.]

05 and you've spent so much on it

DAMN, we had a Hilux for ~7 years, that needed a window motor.

My 98 Golf has been with the 1st owner (brother) and my parents since new and has needed 1 clutch

I never want a Disco now

[doggone]

It will be a money pit but there are worse things to spend on.
Freelander II is nicer all round if you can stretch to it.
I wouldn't have one though.

[J4mes]

We have a fleet of hilux's at work and while they are reliable, they're everything I DON'T want from a daily vehicle - noisy, uncomfortable, poor ride, underpowered, shit turning circle, hard tops are not secure, poor quality interior,. they are capable off road but the ride is crashy compared to the air suspension on my disco.



Like I say, I don't keep cars particularly long, but this one does everything so well (except reliability) that I don't see myself selling it, apart from to replace it with a disco4.

[P.]

Ours was a 94 3.0 Surf, that thing just did everything

[WildGoose]

[Ariel Badger]

Love my Freelander 1, hated my mates Disco.
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[STONEY!]

dont like the disco or freelander's but my series 3 is cool as penguin piss lol

[Zen Dog]

My brother bought an earlyish Disco, to replace his perfectly functional Toyota Carina. Its cost him a fortune to keep on the road, breaks regularly, leaks randomly, terrible on diesel. It is good off road (but thats pretty much the minimum you could expect).

I didnt really have an opinion about Disco's till my brother got his. Now, given the choice, i'd rather have my balls shaved by Michael J. Fox.

Zen Dog
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Current - '94 VFR750FR, '00 VFR800FI Previous - '10 Street Triple R, '92 MZ ETZ301, '05 TTR250, NSR125R, KMX125, "Honda" Win (chinese copy of an old Honda design with a C90 engine)
My bike trip around S.E. Asia 2010/2011

[AlexW]

I like Disco's, Not so much working on them though.

I wouldn't say all disco's are unreliable, You do just get bad ones sometimes, haven't been looked after etc, as with any car IMO.

Just be prepaired that if anything does go wrong, Its unlikely to be cheap.

[stinkwheel]

I'll just leave this here
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“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[Lord Percy]

I dunno what model it is, but my dad had a Discovery TD4. That was almost 10 years ago, and at the time it seemed pretty flashy so I'll say it was a '2' model.

It was always having problems, the rear air suspension was always fucked, sometimes it would explode, letting all the pressure out so the whole back end dropped, meaning the rest of the journey was UTTERLY suspensionless, like driving in a stone-aged rock wagon, it's a wonder the frame didn't break under the stress of the journey home. Also, since the suspension was utterly gone, the rear wheels would scrape along the wheel arches at any mild bump. It also had many, many other problems, but the one I remember from my youth is the suspension thing.

I dunno what kind of machine you're after, but if it's reliability and crunchy 4x4 baddassery you want, I highly recommend a Daihatsu Fourtak. An old machine but hella reliable and as rugged and rural as you can get. A proper off-roader! Real farmer material but so fun to drive, you feel invincible. I owned one for about a year and it was always perfect. The only problem was that I crashed it!

Also, of course, the Hilux is rather renowned for it's indestructibility.

However, if you just want a 4x4 for the fun and fashion, my inner 'save the world/fuck consumerism' hippy is gonna have to recommend that you don't get one at all.

[angryjonny]

[ocatoro]

mate had one, 17mpg.... rusted to buggery, horrific.

my dad had one, was solid as a rock, but still shit on fuel.

been looking at freelander vans recently, i think the freelander is a better package all round. but there are better out there
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Current - None but shed project H100 (first bike )
Past - ER5, '93 ZZR600, '92 CB400 SF, ZZR600 (again), yellow Monster 620, Blackbird - black Monster 620ie - '96 ZZR600

[Polarbear]

I've had 2 freelanders. The three door with the removable roof and the 5 door. The 3 door was petrol, the 5 door diesel and I loved both of them. No real problems except the petrol one's clutch bearing disintegrated and it cost over £500 for a new clutch assembly.
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