1997 Land Rover Discovery SE-7 review from North America

If one more thing with this car goes wrong... I have been saying that for the last four years. When I bought my Disco in 2000, it still had a few remaining miles left on the manufacturer warranty and thank heavens for that! Unfortunately, it has now exceeded the mileage coverage for the extended warranty and has been very costly. I have had to have the head gasket replaced twice! The first time occurred at 94,000 miles and was covered under the extended warranty. The second time happened at 110,000 and was not! The cost of this repair was $1,825 and most of that was labor, (The part is only $42.75 at the local dealer!) and the car was in the shop for five days. The radiator has been replaced ($925), exhaust manifold gasket ($500), new drivers seat- (lumbar and motor quit working) $950, and countless small items.

It seems like if the car has a loose bolt, the check engine light comes on and is at the dealer for at least two days for them to find the problem. The check engine lights on British cars have a mind of their own. The check engine light is always coming on and although it is a nice warning feature, it gets old having to pay $125 to hook the car up to the computer for it to tell you that the gas cap is defective or that the spark plugs are failing.

Tires and brakes for this Rover's are not cheap either! I have put two sets of Michelin's on the Rover since I bought it four years ago, and a good set of tires will run you about $1,000 and more depending upon how much off roading you do. My Disco has never even seen dirt and I can only imagine my repair bills had it. I'll just take everybody's word that they perform great off road. Breaks will cost you about $1200 to do front and back.

My overall opinion of the Disco is that I love the car. Although it is not my best car I have ever owned, it is by far my favorite. My last car was a Mercedes E-320 and I never had a problem with it mechanically, but the room and the ride quality of the Land Rover is comparable. When driving around town in the Disco or on the Freeway doing 90mph, you feel as though you are floating on air. The ride is exceptionally smooth for such a heavy SUV. This is also why you will want to pay the extra money for a good set of tires!

I am 6'3 and am very comfortable in the front seats of the Disco. The back seats however are a little hard for me to get in and out of since you have to "scoot" over the rear tire compartment to get in and forget the ones in the very back. Those flip downs are for very short trips around the corner and for looks only! Children or short people should have no problem.

Even though the car is seven years old, it is still an eye catcher. I never hesitate parking in the front row or valeting the car and when I do, it gets people's attention. I have a black on tan with full brush guards and running boards. All and all, I love this Rover, but hate the cost of maintaining it. Labor cost at the Land Rover dealer are much higher than most European dealers and you may want to consider finding an alternative repair shop to save money. Never buy a used Disco or any Land Rover for that matter without purchasing an extended warranty! Good Luck!