Decision time

[LemonLite]

I know this is the Land Rover section so I expect biased opinions, but I've always been a Yota fan boy. I'm making a return to the 4x4 community after taking a 2 year hiatus. I recently moved to Fort Sill, OK and took the scenic route through Moab and on to the Grand Canyon. During that time I asked myself why the hell have I gotten so far away from what I enjoy. Anyways, I'm interested in these two vehicles. The first one is a 1991 LC, 220K miles on the vic, and 80K on the engine. The second one is a 2004 Land Rover G4 with 86K miles, all original, one owner. I've yet to see either in person, but thought I'd ask for some opinions. Both are ready to hit the trails right now. I'm also aware of the usual hate that the Land Rovers catch for their unpredictability, or maybe that's my Yota fan side talking. Just looking for a little help. Thanks

2004 LR G4


91 LC

 

[Smksignals]

Interesting choice of 2 vehicles. If they are my only 2 options and identical in price I would purchase the 04 Disco (with records if possible). The 04 is the best year Discovery. If I was to buy a LC it would be a 93 or later (95-97 would be perfect). Just my .02 cents worth. Your gonna get a ton of different opinions. Keep in mind the LC may have 80k on the motor but the rest of the rig has 220k on it.

 

[Howski]

First, I wanted to mention the only difference between a G4 and any other 2004 Discovery is the paint and decals. While they do garner higher values its nothing significantly more than a similar non-G4 vehicle.

Concerning Rovers in general, I'd search around to see what Discovery 2 ownership is all about - this topic has been addressed ad nauseous. My .02 - D2's have their quirks and you'll certainly need your fair share of patience. It's difficult to own one if you can't or are unwilling to wrench on it yourself. I've owned two and love them. One of my favorite points is the interior fit and finish of a Discovery - superior to a Land Cruiser IMO

 

[LemonLite]

First, I wanted to mention the only difference between a G4 and any other 2004 Discovery is the paint and decals. While they do garner higher values its nothing significantly more than a similar non-G4 vehicle.

Concerning Rovers in general, I'd search around to see what Discovery 2 ownership is all about - this topic has been addressed ad nauseous. My .02 - D2's have their quirks and you'll certainly need your fair share of patience. It's difficult to own one if you can't or are unwilling to wrench on it yourself. I've owned two and love them. One of my favorite points is the interior fit and finish of a Discovery - superior to a Land Cruiser IMO

Good points. I wasn't sure if the G4 had any extras (mechanically), so thanks for clearing that up. Wrenching a vehicle isn't a big deal to me, especially considering the miles that any DII or 80 series that interest's me would have. Maybe it's a pride thing that I'm trying to overcome, because I love that DII. I guess I'm here trying to get someone to talk me into the LR world. :ylsmoke: Seriously though, I appreciate your input on the subject. And I agree completely with you regarding the interior comparison.

 

[Ray_G]

Since it is expo the answer clearly is the LC, but for the sake of discussion since you are over on the Rover corner I think the biggest difference you may notice in ownership is intangible; owning a Rover is part of a community that, having owned multiple Rovers and Toyotas, seems tighter than that side by far. Of course much of that is predicated off enjoying each other's company while we fix things...it is a community nonetheless! If you've never had one, it's worth experiencing at least once.

If you are going to get a Dii, an 04 is the way to go but be mindful of the potential for block issues.
R-
R


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Bama4door]

Like mentioned before if you're looking for an 80 series, I'd look at 95-97.

Having both a LR and a LC currently, I would opt for the Toyota for practicality and reliability, but the LR for uniqueness and comfort. I would have to disagree with Ray_G on the LR community being better, but to each his own.

 

[xCSx]

If I was going to buy a disco, i'd probably skip a D2 and get a 97-99 D1 or the latest year of an LR3, or an LR4 if you can afford it.

I wouldn't buy that LC either tbh. I would get a 93-97... one which has never been offroad, unlike that one.

 

[LR Max]

Skip both and get an LR3. Excellent off road capability and super comfortable.

Decent reliability.

 

[LemonLite]

Thanks for all of the responses, opinions, and input. I'm going to call the owner of the DII sometime this weekend. I'd like to venture out into another part of the 4x4 community and this being a DD and a travel/vacation vehicle, comfort is definitely towards the top of the list. Again thanks for all of the advice.

PS: I had a 1SG when I was in Germany a few years ago who had a Defender, not sure what year. Anyways he was a CSM when I was leaving Fort Lewis and he had gotten his hands on another defender. He brought 2 into the US. If I could have any Land Rover, it would be a Defender hands down. But I do enjoy the cosmetics of the LR3.

Merry Christmas! :victory:

 

[zelatore]

Thanks for all of the responses, opinions, and input. I'm going to call the owner of the DII sometime this weekend. I'd like to venture out into another part of the 4x4 community and this being a DD and a travel/vacation vehicle, comfort is definitely towards the top of the list. Again thanks for all of the advice.

PS: I had a 1SG when I was in Germany a few years ago who had a Defender, not sure what year. Anyways he was a CSM when I was leaving Fort Lewis and he had gotten his hands on another defender. He brought 2 into the US. If I could have any Land Rover, it would be a Defender hands down. But I do enjoy the cosmetics of the LR3.

Merry Christmas! :victory:

Most of us THINK we want a Defender, but to use one as a daily driver in today's world would be tough. While supremely cool and very capable, they're really crude by modern standards. Not saying I'd turn one down, but after riding in a few they're not at the top of my list.

The D2 you've spotted looks like a good combo of daily driver and weekend wheeler. TONS more interesting and personality than the 80, but I admit a particular bias against 'yota so I'm not such a good judge of them. Still I have to admit I hesitate to recommend a Rover as your only vehicle, and even as a second vehicle I only recommend them to the 'right' sort of person. You have to be willing to live with some issues that other people might consider problems. But the return is well worth it. They're just special vehicles to own and drive and the community is top notch.

With all that out of the way, I'll add a couple other options for you to consider. First as already mentioned the LR3 is a significant step forward in reliability, power, comfort, room, etc. And they're getting pretty inexpensive these days. They don't quite have the coolness factor of a nice D2 in my opinion but are easier to live with. My primary rig is a built LR3.

On the other side of the spectrum, don't forget the Range Rover Classic. They're appreciating so finding a nice one at a good price is getting harder. And short of the Defender it's about as high on the cool scale as it gets in the overland community. Mechanically they're pretty much the same as the the Discos, but you'll be looking at older trucks in general and there are just fewer of them to choose from. I picked one of these up this fall as the basis for my next project; one that will pick up where my LR3 leaves off on the technical scale.

 

[LemonLite]

Most of us THINK we want a Defender, but to use one as a daily driver in today's world would be tough. While supremely cool and very capable, they're really crude by modern standards. Not saying I'd turn one down, but after riding in a few they're not at the top of my list.

The D2 you've spotted looks like a good combo of daily driver and weekend wheeler. TONS more interesting and personality than the 80, but I admit a particular bias against 'yota so I'm not such a good judge of them. Still I have to admit I hesitate to recommend a Rover as your only vehicle, and even as a second vehicle I only recommend them to the 'right' sort of person. You have to be willing to live with some issues that other people might consider problems. But the return is well worth it. They're just special vehicles to own and drive and the community is top notch.

With all that out of the way, I'll add a couple other options for you to consider. First as already mentioned the LR3 is a significant step forward in reliability, power, comfort, room, etc. And they're getting pretty inexpensive these days. They don't quite have the coolness factor of a nice D2 in my opinion but are easier to live with. My primary rig is a built LR3.

On the other side of the spectrum, don't forget the Range Rover Classic. They're appreciating so finding a nice one at a good price is getting harder. And short of the Defender it's about as high on the cool scale as it gets in the overland community. Mechanically they're pretty much the same as the the Discos, but you'll be looking at older trucks in general and there are just fewer of them to choose from. I picked one of these up this fall as the basis for my next project; one that will pick up where my LR3 leaves off on the technical scale.

So after reading your post and a couple others I started browsing Craigslist for some LR3's. I found several ranging from 6K to 11K. All three have 120-140K on the odometer and the year range is 05-06. I know that amount of mileage on a 100 series is nothing, but what is considered pushing it with a Land Rover, more specifically the LR3? A huge point someone mentioned earlier was comfort in an LR is superior to an LC, which I completely agree with. But I don't want to sacrifice reliability for comfort.

Here's the three that I found within my area. I'm trying to stay at the 12K price range or less. Again, thanks for all of the help. :beer:

https://oklahomacity.craigslist.org/cto/5370110922.html
https://oklahomacity.craigslist.org/cto/5354772527.html
https://tulsa.craigslist.org/cto/5373763195.html

 

[LemonLite]

Got a reply back already about the second link. That particular LR3 is at Rover Central out of Oklahoma City. The guy said it was one of the best LR3's they've had and the previous owner had regularly taken it there for maintenance. This might be the one. Setting up an in person showing and test drive for next weekend. Here's the website of the place it's currently at. Not sure if anyone here has any experience with them? Cannot thank you guys enough for mentioning an LR3, I had never even considered one.

http://www.okcrovercentral.com/home.html

 

[zelatore]

Mechanically I wouldn't worry much about 120K+ miles on an LR3. The powertrain is generally pretty solid; reliable and leak free. (!!) Issue most often revolve around electronics and suspension. Common issues would be bad lower control arm bushings (figure that's a 60K mile job), bad roll bar bushings (similar to the LCAs), possible compressor problems or other issues with the EAS like leaks or sensor problems. If you head over to LandRoverForums and check out the LR3 sub-group you'll find a pre-purchase faq. Probably the most in-depth sites are Discoweb or D3.co.uk Discoweb has a bit of a wild west flavor some don't care for, similar to Pirate I think, but there's solid tech there. D3 has tons of info but of course it's primarily going to be about diesel being UK based however those guys have pretty much seen every issue at one time or another.

 

[KMET]

Not sure I'd choose either one as DD/travel/vacation vehicle.

Maybe a newer 4wd Tacoma with a shell? Later on pick up an older Jeep YJ/TJ and with quality parts, build it up over time (Better aftermarket support & fewer electronics).

Just can't bring myself to suggest/recommend an LR3, unless you have plenty of free time, tools, patience, AAA, and another vehicle.

 

[Bama4door]

My gf (soon to be fiancé) is in a similar sitation looking at getting a LR3, 100 Series LC or GX470. I've been on the above LR forums for about a year now and there's just too many similar and common postings about LR3 issues (brake light switch, hitachi compressor, EAS issues, LCA bushings) that steer me away from getting one with over 100k miles and out of warranty. I love the look and feel of them, but do not feel comfortable telling her to get one because I don't think the reliability will be there for her.

What gets me is the multiple LR guys on here in different threads saying they wouldn't even recommend one for your first vehicle, even a second vehicle. Don't get me wrong, i wouldnt mind getting an lr3 for myself as I'm mechanically inclined and don't mind the work if it arises, however if you're one that has to take it to the dealer or an INDY shop for every repair, I would consider something else.

Also FYI, if you are dead set on a LR3, opt out of any 2005 as they reportedly have the most issues. Look for a 07-09 if you can find one in your price/mileage range.