1996 Land Rover Discovery S review from UK and Ireland
"Outstandingly solid and well designed machine for bumpy places. Don't waste it on the high street!"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Virtually nothing, despite hammering on dirt roads all around the Andes and the Egyptian desert.
Extreme heat caused LCD clock to fail (an old BL one cost £5 at a breaker's).
Shock absorbers replaced at 29,000 miles due to extensive off road use. Occasionally after very heavy rain the driver's door lock won't work.
People say the Discovery is unreliable. Not in this case.
General comments?
A slow, heavy, likeable, durable workhorse.
Very easy to service and anyone, anywhere can do it - mechanicals very similar to Defender. Main parts available in farthest corners of globe.
Immense ground clearance and impressively low bottom gears. Towing a doddle, including really big trailers.
Will go up almost any hill and along most tracks. Even high altitudes cause no problems (4,000M!). Limited only by driver courage!
Extremely comfortable, spacious and durable inside. Can hose inside out to remove mud.
Air conditioning rather feeble for size of car.
Noisy at motorway speeds (80 MPH is practical limit).
Suspension designed for straight lines at speed, definitely not curves.
Rear side facing seats for tiny kids only. (Take sick bags).
Fuel consumption not terrific (but in most places, diesel is cheap).
A map reading light would be nice...
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| Very versatile, economical to run fuel wise, but repairs a little expensive at main dealers |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Year of manufacture | 1996 |
| First year of ownership | 1996 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2001 |
| Engine and transmission | 2.5 TDi Manual |
| Performance marks | 5 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 10 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 9 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 4 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 5 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 0 miles |
| Most recent distance | 30000 miles |
| Previous car | Jeep Cherokee |
| Date of Entry | 3rd July, 2001 |