Nice Truck, price doesn't look bad for the km's but maybe others have a better grip on the used Disco market. They are generally damn good value, strong off-roaders and should handle tent trailers with ease. 2004 Landrovers are still more or less welcome at dealerships for parts and service. Mechanics listed in our "Supporters" section are more than capable of fixing these vehicles. Lots of our members drive Disco II's and will likely offer comment if your patient. Fuel economy is not a strong point of any V8 but judicious use of the right foot can keep things under control. Again, hopefully some owners will dial in here.
Bill
thinking researching buying 1st land rover
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DaveB
- Defender of the World
- Posts: 1749
- Joined: Mon Feb 09, 2004 7:45 pm
- Location: Vernon, BC
Do some searching on the site. Lots of folks have asked the same question over the last couple of years. I drive a Disco II and love it. I think its as good, if not better, than any other Land Rover (OK, I'm opening myself to get flamed here!) and definitely better than all the other makes out there.
Dave
Dave
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Bill E.
- Landy Man
- Posts: 933
- Joined: Wed Mar 03, 2004 12:30 pm
- Location: Tsawwassen BC
Hey Dave, maybe you can give Jeff some sense of gas mileage. I know you had some pretty decent numbers on the Utah run. Also he will probably want to know about the center diff lock model years vs. those without that ability. I would advise but I'm not sure about the model years when they played those games.
Bill
Bill
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D2000
I was in your situation about 18 months ago, and ended up buying a 2000 Discovery. My wife uses it as a daily driver on the weekdays and I dive it on the weekends. I will try and answer your questions from my ownership experience.
Why are they so cheap? – three reasons I can see:
1) Gas mileage is on the lower side of the SUV segment. I get about 18L/100km in town and about 13.5 to 14 on the highway (highway driving has always been loaded up for camping with the family). You need to run premium fuel also. It’s heavy and you pay for it.
2) Reliability is not as strong as some of the other new vehicles on the market. I believe that these trucks will last forever, but they do have some issues. They also require proper maintenance, and some people skip this resulting in problems. If all you want to do is change the engine oil – by something else. An example is the prop shafts need to be greased, not very common these days.
3) This is a truck! Not a car that looks like a truck. Many people want to pretend they have a big bad off roader – But they don’t – they have a poor handling car. A dicso drives like a truck and some people don’t like that.
Pulling a tent trailer won’t be an issue.
Parts are cheaper than you would expect and easy to get. Not an issue. We have a number of great mechanics in the Vancouver area that specialize in Land Rovers.
You will have to watch the market to determine what is a good price. I think all used trucks have come down in price over this last year. Look for service records, accident damage as you would with any used vehicle. You could also get an inspection done on the Discovery before you buy it – by someone that knows Land Rovers!
I love driving my Discovery, and it is amazing off road. For me the few negatives are offset by the joy of ownership. If we drive to the store, my girls always want to ride in the Disco – and are disappointed if we take the VW. It is a vehicle that has a personality, and is built like a tank.
Christopher
Why are they so cheap? – three reasons I can see:
1) Gas mileage is on the lower side of the SUV segment. I get about 18L/100km in town and about 13.5 to 14 on the highway (highway driving has always been loaded up for camping with the family). You need to run premium fuel also. It’s heavy and you pay for it.
2) Reliability is not as strong as some of the other new vehicles on the market. I believe that these trucks will last forever, but they do have some issues. They also require proper maintenance, and some people skip this resulting in problems. If all you want to do is change the engine oil – by something else. An example is the prop shafts need to be greased, not very common these days.
3) This is a truck! Not a car that looks like a truck. Many people want to pretend they have a big bad off roader – But they don’t – they have a poor handling car. A dicso drives like a truck and some people don’t like that.
Pulling a tent trailer won’t be an issue.
Parts are cheaper than you would expect and easy to get. Not an issue. We have a number of great mechanics in the Vancouver area that specialize in Land Rovers.
You will have to watch the market to determine what is a good price. I think all used trucks have come down in price over this last year. Look for service records, accident damage as you would with any used vehicle. You could also get an inspection done on the Discovery before you buy it – by someone that knows Land Rovers!
I love driving my Discovery, and it is amazing off road. For me the few negatives are offset by the joy of ownership. If we drive to the store, my girls always want to ride in the Disco – and are disappointed if we take the VW. It is a vehicle that has a personality, and is built like a tank.
Christopher
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D2000
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PaavScan
04 Disco
On my 04 DII SE7 Paid the same $$ for more KM, a couple of months ago.
White colour will not show scratches as much as a dark colour, mine is dark blue!!
As for milage I'm getting over 535 KM per tank 95L, 17L/100km between Delta & Richmond as a daily driver. My DI 425KM per tank 86L. 20L/ 100km.
towing weights from owners manual:
un braked 750kg-1650 lbs
max tongue 250kg-550 lbs
Roof rack 50Kg-100lbs, off road 30kg-66lbs including roof rack.
Stuart
White colour will not show scratches as much as a dark colour, mine is dark blue!!
As for milage I'm getting over 535 KM per tank 95L, 17L/100km between Delta & Richmond as a daily driver. My DI 425KM per tank 86L. 20L/ 100km.
towing weights from owners manual:
un braked 750kg-1650 lbs
max tongue 250kg-550 lbs
Roof rack 50Kg-100lbs, off road 30kg-66lbs including roof rack.
Stuart
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DaveB
- Defender of the World
- Posts: 1749
- Joined: Mon Feb 09, 2004 7:45 pm
- Location: Vernon, BC
As far as fuel, I use either mid-grade or the higher octane regulars from Mohawk/Husky and these have been more than sufficient. No need to go overboard on full premium.
I hesitate to say it, but the Discovery is significantly more of a "truck than either a Cherokee or Tracker, so best to take one for a ride and on the freeway too to ensure its what you expect.
Dave
I hesitate to say it, but the Discovery is significantly more of a "truck than either a Cherokee or Tracker, so best to take one for a ride and on the freeway too to ensure its what you expect.
Dave
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dfritter
Well... I dunno about that! I've driven a Sidekick, and an XJ, and a Disco... and I dare say the Disco rode better than either of the other two. If you can bear the bucking of a Sidekick and the roly-poly-ness of an XJ, the Disco won't be anything unbearable.
I went through the same sort of decision myself before I bought my truck, and although I didn't go for the Disco, I certainly wondered why they were so damn cheap!
Happy hunting!
I went through the same sort of decision myself before I bought my truck, and although I didn't go for the Disco, I certainly wondered why they were so damn cheap!
Happy hunting!