I'm considering purchasing a used Land Rover for my girlfriend. Possibly a 2003 Discovery SE. I am not very familiar with the vehicle but am looking for something a bit bigger than I currently have, 4 wheel drive that will handle well in snow/icy conditions. Since I generally travel with dogs instead of people, I keep the rear seeats down but like the flexibility of having fold down split rear seats so I can pop one or two up if I have an extra human. Do the rear seats split and do they fold ALL the way down? I don't wan't them angled up as it is awkward for the pups. I have also read several poor reviews on the maintenance levels of this car. Would this be a poor pick? MPG? Thanks for any info you can share.
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Land Rover Diacovery SE questions
- Thread starter dinobody
- Start date
Do the rear seats split and do they fold ALL the way down?
It's a 60/40 split and the backs fold down, and then the entire thing pivots up into the area where your feet would be if you were sitting int he back.
I have also read several poor reviews on the maintenance levels of this car. Would this be a poor pick? MPG? Thanks for any info you can share.
They can be maintenance nightmares and buying one to use like a Tahoe or Expedition (and expecting something that you just need to change the oil and be on your way) is going to lead to and empty wallet and heartbreak. They are enthusiast vehicles because they are awesome at what the were designed to do, but require a hobbiest level of maintenance.
Also, 2003 is one of the worst years due to lack of a center diff lock combined with known machining issues on the engine blocks leading to many oil pump failures. The latter can be pretty well ruled out by mileage and/or VIN.
So besides putting dogs in it.....what ELSE do you want to do? Because if it doesn't include LOTS of off road (or you've just fellen in love with them for some other reason) you aren't going to be happy with the very real possibility of the amount of required maintenance and cost/availability of parts compared to the enjoyment or utility you get out of it.
Remember, like all other luxury vehicles - the values goes down, but the cost of parts and labor does not. This $8000 truck (or whatever they are asking) still requires the maintenance of a $50+ k vehicle (adjust for inflation as of 2003 in your calculations).