2003 Land Rover Discovery XS review from United Arab Emirates
"Solidly built, comfortable and roomy 4x4 with a luxurious skin covering a utilitarian body"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
When I bought the car, the Passenger Electric Seat was not working.
After about a week of owning the car, the Passenger Electric Window experienced problems. It made the most frightful noise and would refuse to go up or down and was stuck half-open. The dealer did not have the necessary parts to fix it so it was secured permanently closed.
It is difficult to see out the rear view mirror effectively when the headrest for the center seat is up. Even if it is down, the rear view visibility is a bit on the bad side and takes a bit of getting used to.
General comments?
This is my first 4x4 and I am extremely happy with it. It is extremely comfortable and I love the high ride-height. It has plenty of power on tap (for a huge beast), and I would be stupid to compare it with the 325bhp 5.7l V8 car I owned prior to it. I mainly bought it for my wife and it more than adequately serves it's purpose.
I was completely aware of what I was getting myself into buying the Discovery, and one of the things you should consider will be the higher running costs. Although I have not had any yet, repairs will cost you on the higher side. I understand that brake pads wear out fairly quickly and will cost a fair amount to replace.
If you are moving from a sedan to a 4x4, then you may take a bit longer to adjust to it's size, especially when parking or moving around small spaces. The park-distance control sensors help very much in this, though.
I have not taken the car off-road yet, but will be doing so soon. I will either update this review or add a new one when I take it off road.
Recommended reviews
| Excellent quality, solid and safe -a quirky British alternative to the Lexus' of the world |
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| This is a piece of crap vehicle |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Model year | 2004 |
| Year of manufacture | 2003 |
| First year of ownership | 2005 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2005 |
| Engine and transmission | 4.0 V8 petrol Automatic |
| Performance marks | 6 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 8 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 9 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 9 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 4 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 23000 kilometres |
| Most recent distance | 27000 kilometres |
| Previous car | Chevrolet Lumina |
| Date of Entry | 13th November, 2005 |