Anyone know about Land Rover Discovery’s?

[Fingerpuk]

Thinking instead of a van or SUV, could get a 7 seater from 2012 as a practical family car for low yearly miles (I work from home) but can fit a tow bar and roof rack and shove bikes inside etc.

Anyone know about reliability etc?

Ta.

 

[Nicho]

Thinking instead of a van or SUV, could get a 7 seater from 2012 as a practical family car for low yearly miles (I work from home) but can fit a tow bar and roof rack and shove bikes inside etc.

Anyone know about reliability etc?

Ta.

I had a 300 series Discovery for 12 years, but had to get rid of it due to serious rusting of sills and chassis.

This is a very common problem with older Discoveries, but I am not sure about 2012 model.

I loved driving it and found it to be very reliable, and only had to replace battery and tyres and the immobiliser in the 12 years I had it.

There was not a lot of room in the back for carrying bikes though, so I had a towball mounted rack.

The problem with racks is that due to the back of the vehicle being very upright, it was difficult to stop the bike's handlebar grip from banging against the window, due to the lack of distance between the rack tyre troughs and the back door.

It would be impossible to carry my current e-bike on it, as it has even wider handlebars.

I have the same problem with my current car, a Renault Kangoo, which also has a very upright back door, but i can just get my bike inside without having to take off the wheels.

 

[Zimmerframe]

I had a defender. Loved it.

I had to change everything except for the chassis, axles, front bulkhead, windscreen and the bonnet. I loved that bonnet.

Oops, forgot, the dashboard, steering wheel, gauges and switches > they were all original too.

And the number plates. They were fine.

Other than that it was actually pretty reliable, but did turn out to be quite expensive to own.

But fun.

 

[flash]

I have a 2011 Discovery 4, 7 seater. Damn I love that car. Although I lust after a new Defender.....

In Oz the Discovery 4 comes standard with a tow package. I think in Europe as well. I can tow 3.5 tonne braked. It tows my 2 tonne Hybrid van like it's not there.

I have made a slide for the back for two bikes. With two of three rear seats folded and front wheels off 2 ebikes takes about half the boot area. Plenty of room around them for wheels and bags as well. If I wanted I could carry three people and three bikes inside the car. If I have more people I have a Thule bar rack that easily hold my two eBikes.

I had the compressor replaced under warranty for the air suspension, Apparently a newer improved unit. Currently I'm booked in to have the steering bushings replaced and new sway bar pins. But that's it after 130K kms (diesel engine) which has included much time on dirt and gravel roads. My last big trip was 6000kms of which 1000kms was on corrugations. Disco was fantastic. It's like driving a business class seat. The Jaguar engine is fantastic. It's huge inside and seats 7 adults comfortably.

Disco 4 is much more reliable than the 2 or 3. No body problems and I live on the coast. Main issues are compressors for the air suspension (AUD1700) or the turbo (AUD8000) if you don't take care of them. Downsides are the small fuel tank (82 litres) and parking the beast. I've added long range fuel tanks (190 litres total), radios, bull bar, roof racks, bluetooth adaptor, reversing camera and second battery/600W inverter (charge bikes while driving) to mine.

One of my best purchase decisions.

Gordon

 

[Doomanic]

Anyone know about reliability etc?

 

[maynard]

U can always rely on a land rover to cost you lots of money .

 

[ccrdave]

I have a discovery 2 great car but you need to be good with the spanners. Disco 3 also have lots of problems 2007 models had dogey oil pump, all have potential engine failure due to cracked crankshaft and the have electronic handbrake problems.if i was going to buy another discovery i would buy the disco 4 most of the problems have been sorted.
Any landrover will need lots of upkeep.
They say landrover for 25 years turning owners into mechanics

 

[Fingerpuk]

Ok ok! I won’t get one.

 

[qwertycube]

As above, Land Rover, making mechanics out of drivers!
I’ve had a D2 (2/10 days being fixed, but it was a fun machine), D3 (3/10 days being fixed, dreadfully underpowered), ‘12plate D4 (110k miles, very few faults, great car, quick), ’18plate D5 TD6? (horror of epic proportion, don’t buy one of these useless f.....s), now have a ’19plate D5 SD6? (fantastic machine, very quick, although starting to develop squeaks and rattles).
My experience is that when working they are fabulous. However they are now so technically complex, no dealer knows how to fix them!

 

[ccrdave]

Another alternative , we also own a freelander 2 sd4 auto, fantastic car fast ,lovely to drive, absolutely no problems since we have owned it (1 year) and with the seats down we get two ebikes in the back just with the front wheels removed

 

[Zimmerframe]

I always thought the expression was..

If you want to drive into the desert, buy a land rover...

If you want to come back, buy a Toyota..

 

[GrahamPaul]

I always thought the expression was..

If you want to drive into the desert, buy a land rover...

If you want to come back, buy a Toyota..

Let me put it this way: in 1978 we drove into the Sahara with two Range Rovers and 12 Land Rovers. After two days the Range Rovers got towed out of the desert and never left Algiers again. We had a full time mechanic as part of our team and he worked full time at keeping the Land Rovers on the "road" - there was always one of them in pieces. At the end of 12 months we were delighted to leave the vehicles with the client, never to see them again.

Our subcontractor had Toyota Landcruisers... and no mechanic...

 

[simonk]

I have a mate who’s an AA patrolman and he sees far more JLR vehicles than he does any other make... he really doesn’t have much that’s positive to say about them.
My 24 year old Land Cruiser just pounds on however, shrugging off MOT’s.

 

[speedkills]

I know they drive nice and are sexy as hell. My Levo fits in the back wheels on. Hauls a dirt bike or mountain bike on a hitch rack as well no problem. If you want the bike further from your window, just get a hitch extension. I have heard they are a hair less reliable than Toyota's, but I'm riding a Levo so clearly reliability is not my main motivator in purchasing decisions.

 

[Ripping g]

Anyone know about reliability etc?

They dont do reliability anything passed a disco2 is bad news ?

 

[Tobers]

"If you want to go into the desert, get a Land Rover. If you want to get out again, get a Land Cruiser"....said several wise people.

I had a Discovery. Fell apart. Literally something different broke every month.

 

[Trip Hazard]

They dont do reliability anything passed a disco2 is bad news ?

I had a 4 yr old Disco 3 and it was an absolute money pit.

 

[Mcharza]

Does reliability and Discovery fit in the same sentence?

 

[Trig]

My parents had a discovery, not sure which year. Their garage told them not to get one, it'd be great for him, but not them.

And he wasnt wrong, think that garage and the dealers had it longer than they did. Eventually got rid of it and got a hilux.

 

[Voluptua]

I had a Disco. The gearbox was out in the first year and again in year 3. The sideways facing rear seats (it was an early model) were useful so that spotters could keep a look out for the bits that dropped off.

But I loved it.