Hi folks,
I am looking at buying a used SUV for $13,000 or less (emphasis on or less). I have been mostly looking into used Landcruisers (FJ-62 and FZJ-80). My preference would be a 62 with <150,000 miles, little to no rust, but are hard to find. The FZJ-80 cruisers are pretty expensive. One day for the hell of it i looked in the classifieds for Discoveries and was supprised to find that there are several 95-97 Disco I's in my price range and even saw a couple '99s that were barely over. The idea of owning a Disco scares me a little, however. I have heard that their reliability is poor and parts are very expensive. I have also noticed that the rear cargo are of the Disco looking significantly smaller that both the 62 and 80 cruisers.

My question is if my fears of reliability and expensive parts as well as my perception of cargo space are based in reality or not? Whatever I get will be primarily a daily driver, it would also be used to get to my fishing holes and to haul the family camping. I currently drive a 1999 Tacoma and have gotten very used to having a dependable, virtually trouble-free vehicle.

I am a Toyota owner also and just bought a 1996 Disco. I was also shopping FZJ80s and 96+ 4Runners. I had the exact same concerns as you re: reliability, Toyota really spoils you.

I couldn't find an 80 or 4R for anywhere near what I paid for my Disco.

Rather than writing a novel here, I will say the Discos have had issues. I prayed the previous owner resolved them and for the most that seems to be true.

They get awful gas mileage, about the same as the Cruisers. 14city/18-19highway.

I find the interior much more comfortable than the 80s I drove. Rear space is small but very tall, I find it plenty adequate for my needs (which are minimal).

These things are simple to work on - they are built off the Defender chassis which is a working truck. The "fiddly bits" can be troublesome, but the major systems are tough and easy to access. Parts prices don't seem to be any different than other makes, it all depends on where you shop.

There is one thing this truck has in abundance and that is character. You can't really be ambivalent about owning one, they will get a rise out of you one way or another. My experience has been great so far!

Things to watch for: rust on door jambs, inner door, rear door, roof esp around the alpine windows, firewall; leaking sunroofs and alpine windows; all PS boxes leak, but check to see how bad; they tend to leak from just about everywhere else but nothing too serious; exhaust manifold cracks (exhaust leaks); vehicle speed sensors ($60) seem to go bad quickly and the stepper motor (idle control) requires maintenance.

Also check www.discoweb.org, that was an invaluable resource for me when I was shopping.

I kept my Toyota so I'd always have at least one running vehicle. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="images/icons/wink.gif" /> This Rover really is a blast so far!

Thank you for the info Joe. I think I am still going to look primarily at Cruisers but will not rule out the Discovery. I think the Discoveries are the best looking SUVs built in the 90's except maybe a 1990 FJ-62 (my wife doesn't quite agree however). Unfortunately, I will have to sell my Tacoma to be able to purchase whatever I purchase to avoid car payments. I love that truck, but it isn't very compatible with kids. Thanks again.

Sorry to hear you have to get rid of your Taco to fund a new vehicle. That was one luxury I had that made me more at ease w/ the Disco - having a Toyota in the drive = always having something dependable.

If you like to tinker and don't mind working on it, a Discovery would be great. I will never argue that they're as reliable as a Toyota (they can still be very reliable), the Cruisers just run forever and may be a better fit for hassle-free family trips.

I'm with Joe on the Disco - get one if you like them, but shop carefully and look for one with service records from the previous owner.

I just traded my Trooper for a Disco and while I have no doubt the Trooper would be more reliable over the long haul, the Disco makes up for it in character and comfort. (FYI, I have an 8-month-old, so if I thought the Disco would leave me stranded on the highway, or anywhere else I might take her, I wouldn't have done the trade.)

My Trooper was a fine truck, but something was missing in my relationship with it. It just lacked personality ... I've had the Disco for a month now and have absolutely no regrets. The consensus among Disco owners is after about 50K, most of the big, expensive fixes have been dealt with (if taken proper care of by the previous owner).

The thing is made to work on (I haven't had to yet), but everything is easy to get to. Discoweb, that Joe mentioned, is a great resource and any questions you have about things are quickly answered, well, mostly answered ...

Test drive one and get a feel for it, have fun shopping,

jeff

Hey Joe,

Newer LR's aren't really my bag, but isn't the Disco built off of the previous generation Range Rover chassis, rather than the Defender?

-jbb