Hello From Me (A Newby) And What to buy?

Hi there all, I'm Tom and live in the Oxfordshire area and am looking to purchase a Landy in the next few months and this seemed like the place to go!

I need the car for a 20mile trip to work (40miles a day) and to house our dog!!

Have a budget of £4k maximum. 5 doors preferable.

So I have looked at options and have worked out what I can afford:
1) A pre 1999 Disco with post 100k on the clock in average condition
2) A post 2003 / 2004 Freelander 1.8petrol with 40k on the clock in good condition
3) A pre 2003 Freelander with 40k on the clock petrol or diesel.

My favorite being the disco - but am put off by high milage coupled with older = more £££ on repairs.

I like the new look (04) freelander but have heard some bad things about the engines! If i get one with head gasket etc and full service hist. complete would it be such a bad buy? Would love a freelander td4 but sadly out of reach *

Any advise appreciated. I am 23 with 4 yrs no claims so hopefully insurance wont be too horrendous!

you need to check out your insurance first, i would think at 23 with only 4 year no claims might be high, as for the choice with disco or gaylander, well i think that said enough, its always a personal choice. Welcome and enjoy

Welcome
Had a 1998 Freelander (rover Diesel engine) had that five years until I needed to upgrade, Mpg was good on that

I think the Head gasket thing was just the Petrol one probley wrong and will be corrected if I am.

Did offroad mine and it coped with most of the stuff I aimed it at lol

You seem to be looking in expensive places as far as I can see.... Maybe that's just Oxfordshire for you.

My last 200tdi Disco had 250000 on it when I sold it, if it's been well maintained the mileage shouldn't be too much of a problem.

Don't spend more than a couple of hundred quid on a petrol FL - certainly nothing like your budget!

There are TD4 s around in your price range (and lower to be fair) but shop around. They are a good engine but as with any vehicle, maintenance history is the key. If you go for a FL then make sure that EVERYTHING that should have been done has been done at the correct intervals - it'll save you money in the long run.

Insurance will be the killer as already mentioned, but with your budget I'd be buying a Disco - we didn't have your budget, not even half of it, so bought a 51 plate TD4 FL with high mileage but good history (told you they were around ) You're also buying at the wrong time of year what with all this talk of snow coming etc, everybody thinks they need one.

Good Luck, whatever you decide