Best Discovery II year?

[lwg]

For day-to-day use, a 2004 is going to burn a car payment per month in gasoline.

An FJ80 won't do you any better. They really aren't economically from a mileage standpoint at all.

As to the other points:

As for the DII reliability, I have 140K on mine and it's never left me stranded and I've never missed a trip. Basically as with any car, stay on top of maintenance and she'll treat you right. Additionally I don't think the FJ80 is any larger, I think the opposite is actually true. I don't physically fit in an FJ80 comfortably, however I fit very comfortably in my DII.

 

[Christophe Noel]

As the owner of an '02, I'll submit my vote for the '04. That said, adore my DII but can't wait to see it go away. I've spent thousands of dollars keeping it on the road. I'm not speaking to everyone's Disco, but I wouldn't trust my Rover to get me to the next time zone without fear of some sort of mechanical woe. For what it's worth, I pamper the heck out of it, and it's still a pain in the butt.

 

[yloDiscoii]

I've had my '02 for going on 2 years, put 30K+ miles on it, and the only thing I've had to replace is the thermostat and it's never left me stranded...oh but the roof is leaking, but that's what towels are for:snorkel:.

Just find one that's been taken care of (maintenance records), keep up with your own preventative maintenance, don't let it overheat, and you'll be fine.

And '04 is the oft considered the "best" of the DII's but only because of the factory CDL linkage and those fancy fancy headlights

 

[Bishops13]

Im gonna vote for '01. It's only a junkyard CDL shifter away from being just as capable as the '04 models. You won't have those goofy safety tube roof rack bars and the fancy plastic headlights that will leak and get scratched over time.

I'd spend the money saved on the purchase price and put it towards maintenance to make it more reliable and call it a day.

Stay away from '03 (oil pump failures) and '02 as they dont have the locking transfer case.

 

[ChristopherP]

If you opt for an '04 keep a "rainy day" fund handy for repairs that are sure to come, HGs being at the top of the list. '03's had oil pump failures but that's about all. For some reason the 4.6 in the '04 seems prone to several well documented assorted failures. My '04 ran flawlessly from 29K to 57K. Since then I have had the heads done, new water pump, new oil pump, new fan clutch, new timing cover and gears plus other assorted parts that failed in the last 5K miles. All on separate occasions but thankfully under an LR extended warranty. I have owned 5 previous Disco's and can say from bitter experience the '04 while looking sharp is from my experience the most un-reliable. Just a point to ponder when a poster says go for the '04 see if they drive one.

 

[Butcher54]

THANKS TO ALL FOR THE INFO
I have no problem working on my cars. Heck I build hot rods and customs for a living. (1920-1960's)
Just sold one of my projects and have some cash burning a whole in my pocket.
I like the classic look of the Discos, I dig all the Camel Trophy racing footage.
But Im leaning more to an 80

 

[LtFuzz]

But Im leaning more to an 80

If it's a just-for-fun 4x4 project, and you have the tools/capability to maintain it, then you're the perfect candidate for Disco ownership, IMO.

FJ80s are hideous compared to an '04.

Just sayin'. :ylsmoke:

 

[leeawalden]

If you're interested in an 04 let me know. I've never had any problems with it at 86k.

 

[Rocket Ship]

Im gonna vote for '01. It's only a junkyard CDL shifter away from being just as capable as the '04 models.

Is it, or is it not true that if you lock the CDL on a 99-03, the next time you start the engine, the SLABS system is inoperational? I have heard that, but I've never owned an early D2. I do know they claim to have reprogrammed the SLABS to work better with the CDL, and for sure the system is more robust to failures. You pretty much only get 3 Amigos if you have a real problem.

I have no problem working on my cars. Heck I build hot rods and customs for a living. (1920-1960's)

Then you'd have little problem with a D2 as it's almost all old-school mechanical design. Depending on your aptitude, you may or may not have headaches because of the electronics (which, really, aren't that bad).

I won't try to dissuade you from an FJ80. If you're happy with it, it's a good choice. Myself, I just can't stand to be behind the wheel of Toyotas. They're just aweful.

 

[AxeAngel]

Is it, or is it not true that if you lock the CDL on a 99-03, the next time you start the engine, the SLABS system is inoperational?

No issue on my 03

 

[Rocket Ship]

I believe the 03 is the same programming as the 04.

 

[Rocket Ship]

Yes, Rave shows that is the case. 03-04 has revised programming that comes into play when the CDL is locked. HDC and ETC is disabled on 99-02 when you lock the CDL.

It would be interesting to replace a 99-02 SLABS with a 03-04. I believe the pinouts are the same and see no reason why it wouldn't work.

 

[Bishops13]

3 amigos only show if you leave diff locked and turn off truck. When you restart, they'll light up. if forget, unlock, turn off and then back on. Its easy. Its more a PITA when your locking the tcase with a wrench by crawling up under the truck.

I can't see what other programming could be built into SLABS to see any noticeable difference in the drivers seat between the 99-02 and 03-04. My TC will kick in when I'm locked on my 01 with no problem, its less frequent as I have overall better traction but it will work. I don't like HDC so can't say there.

 

[Rocket Ship]

Reportedly the TC in the 03-04 is more effective. It activates with less wheelspin required. So you don't just have to give it skinny pedal and let the wheels sort it out, but can employ a technique more similar to rock crawling with locked diffs.

 

[onewhippedpuppy]

An FJ80 won't do you any better. They really aren't economically from a mileage standpoint at all.

As to the other points:

As for the DII reliability, I have 140K on mine and it's never left me stranded and I've never missed a trip. Basically as with any car, stay on top of maintenance and she'll treat you right. Additionally I don't think the FJ80 is any larger, I think the opposite is actually true. I don't physically fit in an FJ80 comfortably, however I fit very comfortably in my DII.

You don't buy an 80 or Disco for good MPG, my desmogged FJ80 with 33" tires got equally crappy MPG as my Disco. At least the Disco will easily cruise at 80 MPH on the highway.

The 80 is actually significantly bigger, the Disco feels bigger than it is due to the huge windows. I had three car seats across the 2nd row of my 80 without issue, I could easily adjust my front seat then sit behind myself in the 2nd row (I'm 6'1"), and the 3rd row seats would fit adults and still have a little room behind them. None of that is true in the Disco.