>I didn't see your mail. I had a 2.5 TDi (diesel) Disco for 2 1/2 years. I
>sold it two years ago with 130,000 miles on the clock. I can honestly say it
>was one of the nicest cars I have ever owned.
In the States all Discos were sold with V8s and all the accessories that
could be crammed inside one. You didn't say what year Disco you had but
if you have one of the earlier Discos with a pre electronic 300 tdi
engine and minimum of gadgets you probably have a very nice reliable car.
When Rover brings a LR into the States they add every deluxe item they
can find resulting in jillions of parts that can and do fail. The newer
Discoveries have an electronic ignition system that does away with the
distributor. It has an electronic crank position sensor on the side of
the engine block at crank level. This sensor commonly breaks if immersed
in cold water. So the new Discovery's maximum wading depth is about 16
or 18 inches.
While quality of build has improved under BMW I have heard way too many
people complain about breakages. Rovers manual gearboxes were fine for
the light weight TR8 but are on the weak side for the much heavier
Discovery.
It is my understanding that the Discovery II is a lot more comfortable
car than the Discovery I and the active suspension greatly improves the
Discos highway handling. But I have heard that Rover's active suspension
and air suspension systems can be very expensive to repair when they
break.
Most LR V8 owners are very happy to get 13 MPG.
I own a 1960 Land Rover 109 since 1978. It is simple rugged and
reliable. There is a commercial for the Nissan Xterra that stands out in
my mind. "everything you need and nothing that you don't" I think
modern Land Rovers currently imported into the States have everything you
need plus everything else they could cram into it to make it more upscale
and raise the price.
I'm a strong believer in rugged overbuilt simplicity designed to be
rebuildable by the owner. The modern Discovery and Range Rover are the
opposite to most things I feel are important in a car.
TeriAnn
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