540ismiley
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- denver
My wife and i are thinking of getting one and keeping the Jeep of course. What can u who have owned one tell me? thanks
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land Rover Discovery- NE 1 ever own one?
- Thread starter 540ismiley
- Start date
vintagespeed
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Upland, CA
How is this a 'Modified Tech Discussion' XJ thread?
:dunno:
-jb
:dunno:
-jb
Puckhead21
NAXJA Member #935
- Location
- chicago
i drove one once, and i HATED it, regardless of off-road prowess it felt like i was driving a schoolbus
I've known a few people that had one and they all hated them. They are terrible gas hogs and they break down constantly. At least the ones that my friends had did. Thankfully they were new and under warranty, but if I spend that much money on a vehicle I'd be really pissed if it was always leaving me on the side of the road. I'm sure there are some satisfied Landrover owners out there, but I don't know any.
They are pretty sweet rides off road but are very top heavy and do ride like a school bus. Though they do look sweet set up. I had a room mate in college with OME lift, BFG Mt's, ARB bumper, winch Air Lockers, Snorkle and his dad runs a South American travel company so its set up. Really nice but I wouldn't want to drive it everyday and they are pretty under powered compaired to XJs/ZJs/TJs. Just my .02. Juice
Gil BullyKatz
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- 2003UB313 Planet ERIS
vintagespeed said:
::::
uzzled:::::read before submit?
Puckhead21
NAXJA Member #935
- Location
- chicago
juicexj24 said:
that they do.
- Location
- Redstone Canyon, Nor CO.
Well lots of "hear say" on this thread but no actual experience.
Personally I have never heard of a Disco NE1 - perhaps you mean Disco LE or LSE. I am assuming you are referring to the Disco 1's which were built from early 90's until 98. The series II disco appeared in 99.
If it is a Disco I would try to get the latest model possible, 97 or 98. They are the most reliable and are OBD2. The 94's were probably the worst of the model years. The 96's onward had the more powerful 4.0 motor rather than the 3.9. Not a lot of difference in HP but a definite improvement in useable torque. I think the 96's and later are only available with an auto.
The Disco will easily outrun a XJ or TJ, probably equal to the 4.0 ZJ, but gets beat by the V8 ZJ. Personally I prefer the Disco's handling to the XJ and TJ, but don't expect it to handle like a sportscar - it isn't. If it handles like a school bus chances are the shocks need replacing, a possibilty on any Disco with more than 50K miles. Avoid the Series II's with the automated anti-roll, they are somewhat problematic and can be $$$ if they need repair.
The comments about them being top heavy smack of ignorance on the poster's part. Stock Disco vs stock XJ, the Disco has a lower center of gravity - the aluminum roof, doors and hood help - downside is it takes an experienced body shop to make repairs.
I have a 98 Disco with over 100K miles on it and the maintenance has been no better or worse than any other SUV and probably better than most domestics. But parts are $$$ compared to Ford, Chevy or Dodge, and the Land Rover service centers are likely more $$$ than domestic dealers if major repair is needed. Repairs I have needed so far include - new alternator ($$$ at $400), holed radiator (hardly LR's fault but new they run $700, repair cost $25), vacuum lines for cruise control. LR replaced the exhaust manifold under warranty/recall - similar to the XJ problem except Jeep won't replace the manifolds. I've also replaced a fuel pump (about $200) and a wiring harness that got battery acid on, and was shorting out the alarm.
Without a doubt the dealer experience has been the best I have had with any brand. No pressure to buy, sales people who drive and love the product, excellent after sales service, superb service staff, reasonable to spendy on parts and labor. If I was in the market for a replacement the new LR3 (basically the Disco series 3) would be at the top of my list. Or a new Range Rover if the budget allowed.
Have you looked at discoweb.com?
Buying used, some words of caution. Find a LR mechanic in your area to conduct an inspection. Not any mechanic, make sure he has LR experience. As with any used vehicle it is likely to need maintenance and parts replaced. Be careful some parts are $$$, brake rotors cannot be turned and must be replaced, used parts are available but not as easily as domestic SUV's. Avoid any LR's with known electrical gremlins, have you heard the Lucas jokes?
I have never treated our Disco gently. Towed an XJ on a trailer from CO to the Rubicon, drive it on 5 miles of bad unpaved road every day, lots of winter driving, occasional snow bashing, trail duty on easier to medium trails (basically still stock, hardly mod'd). The interior is still solid and rattle free, not like the crappy interiors most other mall crawlers come with.
Aftermarket equipment is going to be $$$ if you are used to XJ prices. Much smaller market, and a more upmarket ownership group, compared to Jeep stuff.
Over 3/4 of all LR owners use their vehicles offroad, almost triple the rate Jeep owners do. I don't know recent stats but in 1985 LR claimed that 38% of the world's population saw a LR first ( the first vehicle they ever saw). Given the huge amount of LR's and Toyota Land Cruisers in African and Asian third world countries I am hardly surprised. don't see many Jeeps in the rest of the world, regardless of what Daimler Chrysler PR wants you to believe.
With the exception of the Rubicon, the LR is probably the most capable stock SUV marketed. It will get places a stock XJ could only dream about.
My criticsm's (sp?) would be poor ergonomics for tall people. I understand vehicles are designed to fit the 85th percentile, so I know I am taller than normal. But at 6'2" the top of the steering wheel covers the top of the speedo, a minor inconvenience at interstate speeds. It also covers the "bright" headlight indicator - a major inconvenience for motorists coming towards you. The header above the windshield covers most stop lights - in Europe and most of the rest of the world all stop lights are mounted at 10 to 12 feet above road level, whereas in the states there are many mounted over the intersection only not on poles at the corner. I just watch the reflection in the hood - again a minor inconvenience due to poor ergonomics, not a problem at all for my wife who is 5'5".
Any other questions?
HTH
Personally I have never heard of a Disco NE1 - perhaps you mean Disco LE or LSE. I am assuming you are referring to the Disco 1's which were built from early 90's until 98. The series II disco appeared in 99.
If it is a Disco I would try to get the latest model possible, 97 or 98. They are the most reliable and are OBD2. The 94's were probably the worst of the model years. The 96's onward had the more powerful 4.0 motor rather than the 3.9. Not a lot of difference in HP but a definite improvement in useable torque. I think the 96's and later are only available with an auto.
The Disco will easily outrun a XJ or TJ, probably equal to the 4.0 ZJ, but gets beat by the V8 ZJ. Personally I prefer the Disco's handling to the XJ and TJ, but don't expect it to handle like a sportscar - it isn't. If it handles like a school bus chances are the shocks need replacing, a possibilty on any Disco with more than 50K miles. Avoid the Series II's with the automated anti-roll, they are somewhat problematic and can be $$$ if they need repair.
The comments about them being top heavy smack of ignorance on the poster's part. Stock Disco vs stock XJ, the Disco has a lower center of gravity - the aluminum roof, doors and hood help - downside is it takes an experienced body shop to make repairs.
I have a 98 Disco with over 100K miles on it and the maintenance has been no better or worse than any other SUV and probably better than most domestics. But parts are $$$ compared to Ford, Chevy or Dodge, and the Land Rover service centers are likely more $$$ than domestic dealers if major repair is needed. Repairs I have needed so far include - new alternator ($$$ at $400), holed radiator (hardly LR's fault but new they run $700, repair cost $25), vacuum lines for cruise control. LR replaced the exhaust manifold under warranty/recall - similar to the XJ problem except Jeep won't replace the manifolds. I've also replaced a fuel pump (about $200) and a wiring harness that got battery acid on, and was shorting out the alarm.
Without a doubt the dealer experience has been the best I have had with any brand. No pressure to buy, sales people who drive and love the product, excellent after sales service, superb service staff, reasonable to spendy on parts and labor. If I was in the market for a replacement the new LR3 (basically the Disco series 3) would be at the top of my list. Or a new Range Rover if the budget allowed.
Have you looked at discoweb.com?
Buying used, some words of caution. Find a LR mechanic in your area to conduct an inspection. Not any mechanic, make sure he has LR experience. As with any used vehicle it is likely to need maintenance and parts replaced. Be careful some parts are $$$, brake rotors cannot be turned and must be replaced, used parts are available but not as easily as domestic SUV's. Avoid any LR's with known electrical gremlins, have you heard the Lucas jokes?
I have never treated our Disco gently. Towed an XJ on a trailer from CO to the Rubicon, drive it on 5 miles of bad unpaved road every day, lots of winter driving, occasional snow bashing, trail duty on easier to medium trails (basically still stock, hardly mod'd). The interior is still solid and rattle free, not like the crappy interiors most other mall crawlers come with.
Aftermarket equipment is going to be $$$ if you are used to XJ prices. Much smaller market, and a more upmarket ownership group, compared to Jeep stuff.
Over 3/4 of all LR owners use their vehicles offroad, almost triple the rate Jeep owners do. I don't know recent stats but in 1985 LR claimed that 38% of the world's population saw a LR first ( the first vehicle they ever saw). Given the huge amount of LR's and Toyota Land Cruisers in African and Asian third world countries I am hardly surprised. don't see many Jeeps in the rest of the world, regardless of what Daimler Chrysler PR wants you to believe.
With the exception of the Rubicon, the LR is probably the most capable stock SUV marketed. It will get places a stock XJ could only dream about.
My criticsm's (sp?) would be poor ergonomics for tall people. I understand vehicles are designed to fit the 85th percentile, so I know I am taller than normal. But at 6'2" the top of the steering wheel covers the top of the speedo, a minor inconvenience at interstate speeds. It also covers the "bright" headlight indicator - a major inconvenience for motorists coming towards you. The header above the windshield covers most stop lights - in Europe and most of the rest of the world all stop lights are mounted at 10 to 12 feet above road level, whereas in the states there are many mounted over the intersection only not on poles at the corner. I just watch the reflection in the hood - again a minor inconvenience due to poor ergonomics, not a problem at all for my wife who is 5'5".
Any other questions?
HTH
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Grant said:
How do you figure that a 4.0l ZJ is faster than a 4.0l XJ? My '95 4.0l/AW4 XJ will smoke a 4.0l ZJ, even when it was bone stock it would. The XJ is a lot lighter with the same engine. Hell, since I've done some mods to it, its nearly as fast 0-60 as my friend's '96 5.2l ZJ.
Oh yeah, I think NE 1 means "Any one?"
- Location
- Redstone Canyon, Nor CO.
Atl XJ said:
Well smack me in the head and call me silly. I am not up to date on IMS or SMS speak, sorry.
540ismiley
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- denver
Well thanks. That was a honest and fair judgemenl.. Disco is awesome. Drove 1 2day. We will be buying one soon enough.
- Location
- Redstone Canyon, Nor CO.
540
I did not see you are in Denver. I originally purchased our Disco from LR Denver East, located in Aurora. The saleswoman Sue is now the branch manager. They also have a dealership in highlands ranch, LR Denver South. I have also heard good things about the LR dealer in Louisville near boulder.
there is an XJ owner who is a LR mechanic locally. He frequents the CO-XJ list on yahoo groups and is starting his own 4x4 business. He would be ideal to do an inspection on the Disco for you. I think (?) he is in Golden.
HTH
I did not see you are in Denver. I originally purchased our Disco from LR Denver East, located in Aurora. The saleswoman Sue is now the branch manager. They also have a dealership in highlands ranch, LR Denver South. I have also heard good things about the LR dealer in Louisville near boulder.
there is an XJ owner who is a LR mechanic locally. He frequents the CO-XJ list on yahoo groups and is starting his own 4x4 business. He would be ideal to do an inspection on the Disco for you. I think (?) he is in Golden.
HTH
StuckXJ
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Massachusetts
I'd be willing to bet that currently mor jeep owners wheel there Jeeps more than landrovers, I dont think I'd ever seen a muddy one. They are slipping into the priccy soccer mom mobile class. Course this is my opinon and I've never driven one... call me very partial to my xj but id take it over a land rover any day. And the reason there are so many lr in third world countries is because they were formally or currently brittish teritory. Besides lr is just yet another spin off of the whilly's mb-2a. Got the idea when they saw those mb's full of US GI's saving there country in WWII. Don't mean to offend or anything just all this history is fresh in my mind from U.S. History last year.Grant said:
-Steve D
StuckXJ
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Massachusetts
I Dont even see any four wheeling tips on there web site... ya know ones like the Jeep web site has ;-)
Blackash132
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- St. Louis, MO
do you know that the original Land Rover was created on top of a Willy's frame... :lecture:
Steele
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Syracuse, NY
Well i'm new to this forum, but a buddy of mine has a '02 D2 that he has totally modified....and he loves it. This thing will go any where, well almost, it hangs on trees due to its size, has a terrible turning radius, like a school bus, but on the D2 you can lock the center diff, t-case, and run true trax, that lock it right up. He's taken it across the country 3-4 times with different rover clubs. Check out www.roxs.us that lists all the stuff that this group has been doing. I like the ride quality, and over all this thing is just a modified tractor, but it can go a little faster. over all good stuff...
sidriptide
nobody of any consequence
- Location
- western massachusetts
i have a freind who comes from a "rover family".... and as far as being purists about their breed they far exceed the jeep "crowd"... they are a whole different kind of people.. some absolutley love their stock rigs.. others have some way out modified rigs witht he full compliment of "safari gear"..... i havent crawled under anything besides an 89 range rover but i am not impressed with their workmanship/designs..... but they arent factory rock crawlers.. they are factory ALL TERRAIN vehicles.... i like the defenders with the removable hardtops and the exo-cage kinda rack thing though.... i would never own a british-made vehicle but they sure are comfy....
Ludakris
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Frederick, Maryland
I kind of like the idea of a unibody on frame design, but they are heavy pigs. the top heavy nature is a little worrysome, but I would love a D-90..
hear is a good site, my buddy is in MOAB right now with his 97' ....
www.roxs.us
hear is a good site, my buddy is in MOAB right now with his 97' ....
www.roxs.us
xuv-this
bondo afficianado
- Location
- southwest VA.
i thought it was pretty funny reading the posts where these vehicles are spoken of as reliable. anybody who thinks that they are should just look up their reliabity rating in ANY consumer reports. in the 2005 cr mag, there is a graph of this stuff, and there is the next most unreliable brand, then a SPACE, and then rovers and jags.... not very surprising when you consider that one of jags most unreliable motors and the rover 4.0 v8 are the same thing, plus their electrical is POSITIVE ground, not neg., as we use...
also, i have to call BS on the "lower cog than an xj" part, too.
also, i have to call BS on the "lower cog than an xj" part, too.
Wow... This thread had been dead for seven months.
Okay, I don't know where you're getting your information from on this, but you're way off base on three things here:
- Jaguar *never* based an engine off of the Rover V8, period. The V12 was essentially two straight-sixes stitched together, and the current V8 (Jaguar's first, I believe) is purely a Ford/Jaguar design.
- The Rover (who purchased the manufacturing rights to it from Buick) V8 is *not* an unreliable engine by any stretch of the imagination. It and its variants remained in production for over 35 years and were used in sports cars, military vehicles, and everything in-between. You may want to check this link for its history (note, however, that non-Austin/Rover marques such as Morgan, TVR, Santana, etc. are not included in the production history). British Leyland-era build quality (particularly in the fit & finish department) was always suspect, though.
- To the best of my knowledge, British-made cars haven't used positive-earth electrical systems since somewhere around the early 1960s.
xuv-this said:
Okay, I don't know where you're getting your information from on this, but you're way off base on three things here:
- Jaguar *never* based an engine off of the Rover V8, period. The V12 was essentially two straight-sixes stitched together, and the current V8 (Jaguar's first, I believe) is purely a Ford/Jaguar design.
- The Rover (who purchased the manufacturing rights to it from Buick) V8 is *not* an unreliable engine by any stretch of the imagination. It and its variants remained in production for over 35 years and were used in sports cars, military vehicles, and everything in-between. You may want to check this link for its history (note, however, that non-Austin/Rover marques such as Morgan, TVR, Santana, etc. are not included in the production history). British Leyland-era build quality (particularly in the fit & finish department) was always suspect, though.
- To the best of my knowledge, British-made cars haven't used positive-earth electrical systems since somewhere around the early 1960s.
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