Questions from a new guy

Hi all, I am thinking about making the plunge into a LR Disco 3 and I have a few questions. Please go easy on me if they are daft but I have looked and been given so much conflicting advice that I dont know which way to turn!!!
Although I am new to the world of 4x4 I hav driven Defenders in the past. I am thinking about buying a Disco 3 prob 05/06 around 70k mileage. I am not a mechanic and have little knowledge in this area beyond changing tyres and the like .
Am I being stupid and buying a moneypit. A friend who worked for LR said he wouldnt touch this with a a bargepole (Disco 3 in general not a specific one). Others have said only buy if you can fix it yourself or have a ton of money to spend when it goes wrong.
Are they right or are these more reliable than they are given credit for? Is there anything simple I can look out for if buying that would indicate good or bad?

Aprreciate these are noob questions but I would be really grateful for any advice or experiences

Thanks

If you cannot DIY, be prepared to spend £3K a year on fixing it. All LR products have their problems, you may be lucky, you may not, but it's an expensive motor to fix when it does go wrong.
Diesel or petrol?

Thanks for the reply. I am looking at 2.7 diesel probably an automatic. I want to use it for a bit of offroading too so not just a road car!

mj77 said:

Thanks for the reply. I am looking at 2.7 diesel probably an automatic. I want to use it for a bit of offroading too so not just a road car!

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IMO if you are not able to spend a lot fixing it, cannot DIY and you want reliability, you would be better looking at another marque.
Not sure if its the LR3 or 4 but for any serious work, it's a body off job

Thank you for the honest replies they sit with what a few others have told me, but hyearing them from an experinced owner adds more weight. Perhaps I will have a look at a Pathfinder or a Shogun. How far will I be left behind in those or will they keep up with all but the worst terrain?

I was thinking of a D3 but decided against it as the early ones I could afford were likely to be troublesome and on principle I would not buy a later one where the road tax is nearly £500 per year (registered after 23/3/2006).

Also be aware that at 7 years or 105k miles, the TDV6 needs a cam belt change which is a body off job (according to Land Rover) and can cost around £1k. I believe some independents do it cheaper without removing the body though.

Thanks, was there a particular year for the D3 that was a bad model or are they all likely to be unreliable? I was looking at an 05 HSE that had had the cambelt change done.

mj77 said:

Thank you for the honest replies they sit with what a few others have told me, but hyearing them from an experinced owner adds more weight. Perhaps I will have a look at a Pathfinder or a Shogun. How far will I be left behind in those or will they keep up with all but the worst terrain?

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If I had the cash, I would be in a Shogun or a Toyota, not a P38, they will go anywhere a Landrover will go IMO despite what some on here say.

mj77 said:

Thanks, was there a particular year for the D3 that was a bad model or are they all likely to be unreliable? I was looking at an 05 HSE that had had the cambelt change done.

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Look at all the different models, they are variable, good and bad. Unfortunately the bad tends to outweigh the good. Don't forget a forum like this will always have the bad ones.

Datatek said:

If I had the cash, I would be in a Shogun or a Toyota, not a P38, they will go anywhere a Landrover will go IMO despite what some on here say.

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Had a Toyota. It was brilliant off-road (on mud tyres) but the parts were eye-wateringly expensive.

Sorry if this is ignorant but P38?? Is this a Pathfinder?

mj77 said:

Sorry if this is ignorant but P38?? Is this a Pathfinder?

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Wash yer mouth out with soap,!!!!,p38 is a Range Rover.

Consider it washed!

Anyone had any experience with said Pathfinder? Will it be ok with some AT tyres or again will I be left behind on the more challenghig terrain. Would a shogun fair better or are they much of a much?

I have been told its the lr3 that is body off for all big jobs, I was thinking of getting one myself but kind of maintenance issue scared me off the idea

KeepDigging said:

Had a Toyota. It was brilliant off-road (on mud tyres) but the parts were eye-wateringly expensive.

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But the parts are not often needed.

mj77 said:

Consider it washed!

Anyone had any experience with said Pathfinder? Will it be ok with some AT tyres or again will I be left behind on the more challenghig terrain. Would a shogun fair better or are they much of a much?

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Shogun/Pajero is smaller than a Toyota and will go pretty much anywhere with the right tyres and a good driver. Either will do what a Disco will do, look at what they use for the UN, it aint Disco's.

I was also considering changing my D2 for a D3 but my mechanic who is a LR specialist indeed told me they are a never ending money pit so i have reluctantly changed my mind, however i am now considering a FL2 2.2 which he suggests is a much better bet! Any thoughts?

td5essex said:

I was also considering changing my D2 for a D3 but my mechanic who is a LR specialist indeed told me they are a never ending money pit so i have reluctantly changed my mind, however i am now considering a FL2 2.2 which he suggests is a much better bet! Any thoughts?

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Get a P38 the last of the easy to fix LR products.

I had a Shogun 05 plate SWB 3.2 diesel. It was really good. Leather seats, climate control towed the horse trailer 1000's of miles with no problem whatsoever. The only problem was that it did not have a Land Rover badge on it. I drive a disco 1 now, very contented and smile with the cost if cheap parts!