Land Rover Discovery Series II (from 1998 to 2002)

If it aint broke then don’t fix it seemed to be Land Rover’s design philosophy when approaching the Series II Discovery. Owners BMW knew that the Disco’s boxy looks were well received amongst buyers looking for a no-nonsense 4x4 of the ‘proper’ variety, but a number of other aspects were, if not broken, then could best be described as no-longer box fresh. In a rapidly developing market, changes were necessary. Although it bears more than a superficial resemblance to the Series I, the later model was virtually a completely new car. As a used buy, does the ‘tough as old boots’ image translate into bulletproof reliability?

The Series II Discovery range was launched in autumn 1998. Despite looking the same as the earlier car, the only common body panel was the rear tailgate pressing. There was an all-new Td5 in-line, five-cylinder 2.5-litre turbodiesel engine and a 4.0-litre V8 in place of the 3.9 – the slow-selling two-litre Mpi petrol model was dropped. Trim levels were S, GS, XS and ES. Much more impressive road manners came courtesy of Self-Levelling Suspension (SLS) and Active Cornering Enhancement (ACE) but these were standard only on plusher variants. Other driving aids included Four Wheel Electronic Traction Control (ETC), Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD) and, most notably, the Hill Descent Control (HDC) first introduced on the Freelander. There was also a new dashboard layout and much more supportive seats with the third row now forward, rather than side-facing, together with improved security, safety and nice touches like a 'curry hook' on which to hang your takeaways. The body was made longer and wider to free up more room inside and the ladder-framed chassis was beefed up with six cross-members instead of five. In every respect the Series II Discovery was a superior beast to the original. June 2002 saw the apparently premature introduction of the 2003 Discovery, with changes to the suspension and brakes, some tweaks to the equipment levels, the option of a centre differential lock and some detail changes to the front and rear styling to bring it closer to the Range Rover ’family’ look. Autumn 2003 saw more incremental changes with a centre locking differential fitted to plusher models and ISOFIX seats and Automatic Drive-Away Locking fitted across the range. Standard equipment levels also got a tweak. In early 2004, new trim designations were brought in as the all-new series 3 model loomed. Buyers could purchase Pursuit, Landmark or ES premium models with the aging V8 restricted to the top level and priced the same as the Td5 diesel. Unless you want to opt for the markedly more agricultural Defender series, it’s doubtful whether you’ll happen upon a better four-wheel drive tool for heavy going. The Discovery has coil springs at the front and air suspension at the back, all marshalled by Active Cornering Enhancement for on-road refinement plus Hill Descent Control and four-wheel electronic traction control ETC for when the going gets tough. The tall body may feel initially precarious, but the Discovery Series II has an admirably low centre of gravity and can negotiate steep gullies and deep potholes with ease. Bear in mind too that the Discovery has permanent four-wheel drive, not the selectable systems used by most of its Japanese alternatives (who spend most of their lives in 2WD). Though this leads to extra tyre wear, it does mean that you're always prepared for the worst. There's seating for seven inside, thanks to a foldout pair of occasional side seats in the estate compartment but note that they were not fitted to every car as standard. Rear legroom isn’t as generous as you may expect, though comfort for front seat occupants has been notably improved over earlier cars. Likewise the Conran-designed dash that looked chic for about six months has been ditched in favour of a less adventurous, but ergonomically cleverer affair. The Td5 turbo-diesel engine makes more sense in this land of soaring fuel prices which means that V8 owners may be susceptible to some aggressive bargaining, and you will get a bargain of a used car!

The used market has recognised the superiority of the Series II Discovery and has afforded it comparatively higher residual values than its predecessor ever enjoyed. Having said that, the bottom is starting to sag from beneath the used 4x4 market due to oversupply and even an immaculate 1998 S-registered Discovery TD5 GS five seater will only fetch £12,400 of its £27,675 new price. Opt for the entry-level 4.0-litre V8 model and the prohibitive fuel consumption wreaks havoc with the residual value. The same vintage seven seat GS retailed new at £28,145 but would now be worth £10,750. The range-topping V8 ES Auto takes an even bigger hit; its 1998 sticker price of £36,930 has crumbled to £13,400. With the steepest part of their depreciation curve conveniently taken care of by somebody else, this makes the Discovery a prestigious and attractively priced used alternative to something like a new Toyota RAV4. Insurance will be Group 13 for the base Td5 models, Group 14 for the base V8 models and Group 15 for the range-topping ES variants, regardless of engine. The Series I was plagued by niggling build quality issues and although the Series II is far better screwed together it still suffers more than its fair share of annoying faults. Both mechanical and electronic gremlins have surfaced, and owners who harry their Discoveries through city streets using engine braking to decelerate on a regular basis often find themselves with a gearbox that feels like running a hot knife through bitumen. Always insist on a full service history. Be careful too if the car you're looking at has a towbar fitted, for this may mean that it has had a hard life dragging horse boxes out of muddy fields. The engines and the transmissions used are robust but expensive to repair if they do go wrong, so watch out for rattles and ensure that all the electrics work perfectly. Check too, that the heavy-swinging rear door has not dropped on its hinges. The car is a favourite target for thieves, so ensure on an HPI check to ensure it isn’t a stolen/recovered or an insurance total loss. Know what you’re looking at, insist on a service record and test drive a few. If you want the best on/off-roader then the Discovery Series II has a reasonable claim to that crown. Reliability isn’t as bulletproof as the branding would suggest, but it’s now a relatively affordable used bet that oozes cosmopolitan kudos. Unless you’ve got genuinely deep pockets it’s probably best to give the profligate V8 a miss and try to land an early upspec Td5. Go anywhere, do anything? The Discovery should be your weapon of choice…

(approx exc. VAT) A clutch assembly will be around £180, a starter motor around £200 and a radiator around £330, Brake pads will be around the £45 mark. A replacement headlamp (offside) is close to £30 and an alternator should be close to £260.

This is the are where the Series II really differentiates itself from the original Disco. Active Cornering Enhancement was standard on the XS and SE models and an option on the others and it genuinely transforms the Discovery from a wallowing barge that at times felt positively life-threatening into a reasonably tidy handler. Whilst it won’t be about to show a Subaru Impreza a clean set of exhaust pipes a Series II Discovery fitted with ACE at least removes the need for passenger sick bags during spirited driving. Though cars like the BMW X5 have subsequently moved the 4x4 handling genre forward another few steps, at the time of its launch the Discovery wasn’t too far shy of the large 4x4 class leader, the Mercedes M-class. Performance from the V8 engine is suitably lusty, requiring little over ten seconds to hit 60mph, although you will pay for such exuberance at the pumps, the petrol-powered car struggling to average 17mpg. Go gorilla with the right foot in town and you’ll see your fuel consumption dip well into single figures. The Td5 is a different proposition altogether. Whilst a sprint to 60 mph takes over 14 seconds, it has more pulling power than George Clooney and can even return a laudable 30mpg average. That could be why over 70% of UK buyers favoured it over the V8. What hasn’t changed is the car's height which can make many multi-storey car parks no-go areas. Likewise, you may get greeted by stony-faced officials at Dover when you try to board Le Shuttle. The Discovery joins a list that includes explosives, drugs and Albanian stowaways in not being welcome sur le train…

Land Rover Discovery Series 1 (from 1989 to 1998)

Land Rover were late in recognising the potential of the mid-sized sector of the four-wheel drive market. For years, the Solihull company's Range Rover and Land Rover products catered only for luxury sector and utilitarian buyers; if you simply wanted a spacious 4x4 for the family, you were out of luck. When it was launched in 1989, the Discovery changed all that. Since then, the car has consistently been one of the off-road market's strongest sellers - which means that there are plenty to choose from for the used buyer. Few will have seen any serious off road use and all are built stoutly. It has to be a recipe for a sensible buy - doesn't it?

The Discovery was launched in November 1989 to universal press acclaim. The early choice was limited to the three-door bodyshell with either a 2.5-litre turbo diesel engine or a 3.5-litre V8. Over 90% of buyers then (and now) opted for diesel power - the petrol unit was prohibitively thirsty. The market had to wait until the autumn of 1990 before the five-door bodyshell was also made available; this came to account for the vast majority of Discovery sales. A 2.0-litre 16v petrol MPi version was announced in June 1993 (it was not to prove a great success) and, in September of that year, the old 3.5-litre V8 was replaced by the 3.9-litre V8 from the old-shape Range Rover. The major event in the Discovery's history occurred in March 1994. Keen to sell the car in the United States, Rover took the opportunity to develop twin airbags. At the same time, the Sir Terence Conran designed interior was changed and modernised and the front grille given a facelift to include larger, flush-fitting headlamps. The diesel engine too, was made more refined. At the same time, a flagship ‘ES’ model with leather and air conditioning was added to the top of the range. In 1995, a new mid-range XS trim level was announced, while a run of 700 Argyll special edition versions appeared in summer 1997. At the same time, new GS trim level versions joined the range. The Series II Discovery range was launched in autumn 1998. There was an all-new Td5 in-line, five-cylinder 2.5-litre turbodiesel engine and a 4.0-litre V8 in place of the 3.9 – the slow-selling two-litre Mpi petrol model was dropped. Trim levels were S, GS, XS and ES. Much more impressive road manners came courtesy of Self-Levelling Suspension (SLS) and Active Cornering Enhancement (ACE) but these were standard only on plusher variants. Other driving aids included Four Wheel Electronic Traction Control (ETC), Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD) and, most notably, the Hill Descent Control (HDC) first introduced on the Freelander. You wouldn't think so to look at it but not a single body panel was carried over from the previous version. There was also a new dashboard layout and much more supportive seats with the third row now forward, rather than side-facing, together with improved security, safety and nice touches like a 'curry hook' on which to hang your takeaways. Undisputedly the best four-wheel drive tool for heavy going. The Discovery has coil springs where many competitors have less advanced suspension set-ups. This means that it negotiates steep gullies and deep potholes with ease. Bear in mind too that the Discovery has permanent four-wheel drive, not the selectable systems used by most of its Japanese alternatives (who spend most of their lives in 2WD). Though this leads to extra tyre wear, it does mean that you're always prepared for the worst. There's seating for seven inside, thanks to a fold-out pair of occasional side seats in the estate compartment but note that they were not fitted to every car as standard.

An early 1990 tdi three-door should cost about £3,500, about £400 more than the 3.5-litre V8 alternative. Pay from £3,700 for the first of the facelifted Discoveries. Prices start from about £4,000 for the rather breathless 2.0-litre petrol-engined Mpi; the last of which are on 97P plates at about £6,000 to £7,000. Build quality on early models tended to be a little patchy, so if you're looking in that direction, it's best to talk to a franchised dealership so that they can weed out dubious examples for you. Sunroof leaks for example, were commonplace. Always insist on a full service history. Be careful too if the car you're looking at has a towbar fitted, for this may mean that it has had a hard life dragging horse boxes out of muddy fields. The engines and the transmissions used are robust but expensive to repair if they do go wrong, so watch out for rattles and ensure that all the electrics work perfectly. Check too, that the heavy-swinging rear door has not dropped on its hinges. The car is a favourite target for thieves, so a good alarm and preferably an immobiliser are a must; the latter wasn’t made standard until June 1995. Tread carefully. If you get a good one, it's a great used car.

(approx exc. VAT) A clutch assembly will be around £180, a starter motor around £200 and a radiator around £330, Brake pads will be around the £45 mark. A replacement headlamp (offside) is close to £30 and an alternator should be close to £260.

Don’t expect too much here. The Second generation Discovery launched in autumn 1998 handles very well but original models roll a lot on country back roads if you try and push along. Motorway behaviour isn’t too bad – though there’s plenty of wind noise. In town, the car's height makes many multi-storey carparks no-go areas (and you can't get on Le Shuttle either).