Disco 1 or 2?

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Aveling11956

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Ok I'm looking to buy a disco to go with my freelander, my question is which one should I get which one is better off road and which one is more reliable?

Thanks
 
Looking at all the problems people have with the electrickery of the D2 on here I am even happier that I bought a D1 300tdi, so that's my vote!
 
Mods I'm not to worried about just yet, looking for a good engine that won't cost me the earth, I like the 300tdi engine and at 26mpg it's not far off my l series. Bit worried about the body roll on disco 1 but don't like the air springs on disco 2 plus was talking to a chap who had a 2 the other day and it had cost him a small fortune to fix everything that had gone wrong.
 
Aveling11956 said:
Mods I'm not to worried about just yet, looking for a good engine that won't cost me the earth, I like the 300tdi engine and at 26mpg it's not far off my l series. Bit worried about the body roll on disco 1 but don't like the air springs on disco 2 plus was talking to a chap who had a 2 the other day and it had cost him a small fortune to fix everything that had gone wrong.
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1. So why are u buying a vehicle that must be at least 14 years old, I don't think there many one owner low mileage D1s left now.
2. They didn't when new, so if it does now just buy the parts and restore the suspension back to new, simples :)
 
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I have a late Disco 1, V8i, 3.9

Absolutely love it! I was after the D2 but I couldn't fork out the cash for one at the time. As has been said, glad I went for the D1 it is such a surprisingly nice car to drive and plenty of power with the V8.

D2's are said to have a few issues with electrics, I have known plenty of people with issues but to be fair, some of them are alright. If you can afford it and would be using the car for every day use, go for the D2, much more refined, nicer interior, generally better condition as obviously they are younger than the D1, few more added gizmos (but then that could be more things to go wrong!) Then again if you are using the Disco as an off-roader/ work horse and the Freebie for general driving, I would go for a D1, much easier to work on, less electrics to go bust, just make sure you check EVERY INCH of any car you go to view. I learnt the hard way, there are plenty of threads around which tell you all the major parts to check for rust and holes take note of them :)

Oh and also, for an off-roader, you can pick D1's up for pennies! Mine was £650, best money I have ever spent on a car!
 
D1's are simpler but body rust is an issue.

D2's are more complex, chassis rusts but body is very good.

The electronics on late D1's are getting on to be quite complicated, especially the EDC control of the 300TDi, but overall the D1 is easier to look after.

Having had a D2 for nearly 5 years, the only electronics issues I have had was when when a leaking sunroof allowed water onto the back of one of the volumetric alarm sensors, other than that and a loose headlight bulb connection it has been fine.

In both cases, D1 or D2, whichever you buy, sort out any problems properly then you'll have a decent car. Don't try to run them on the cheap, they will turn and bite you.

Peter
 
I have had 2 Disco 1s and have just got a TD5 and I absolutely love it. A Low mileage Disco 1 is almost impossible to find now but will still be subject to rust so I would go for a Td5. It depends on how much spannering you can do yourself of course.
 
Good advice in here I reckon.

Personally I think if you just want an offroad toy to smash about, get a D1. If you want to use it as a car as well, get a D2.

I'd happily have one of each if I could :D
 
Blimey, I would be very concerned if your L series was only getting 26mpg. All my previous L series hippo's pulled well into the 30mpg's average, and 42mpg on a run.
 
Mudron said:
Blimey, I would be very concerned if your L series was only getting 26mpg. All my previous L series hippo's pulled well into the 30mpg's average, and 42mpg on a run.
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Fair point- I find I often get 20+ MPG out of the V8, I would expect a diesel, even on an old battered D1 to get 30 odd!

As has been said, another good point to mention is if you look after the Disco, the Disco would look after you, if you get one with a few issues, don't make a half arsed job of it get it done properly and spend the money now, then just keep up a decent service routine. Will save you a fortune in the long run and will probably run indefinitely!
 
300AJC said:
I have had 2 Disco 1s and have just got a TD5 and I absolutely love it. A Low mileage Disco 1 is almost impossible to find now but will still be subject to rust so I would go for a Td5. It depends on how much spannering you can do yourself of course.
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It depends what you call "low" I suppose?
I picked my D1 up last year with 71k on the clock. Which, I suppose is low for a D1, but not exactly low set against other vehicles, eh?
 
It's true, the D2's are more refined. The D1's are easier to fix. Both can be unreliable however and both have their different rot problems. They're both good off road. They're both only acceptable on the motorway, they'll both cost the debt of a small country to keep in fuel (unless it's petrol, then it's a big country). So there are good and bad for both. Of course one is a little better at this and the other is a little better at that and both have their fans.

If I were you, I just wouldn't get too hung up on which version. I would go looking for the best kept, rot free example you can find. For me, it was a late D2 with no air suspension and no sunroofs, but that's just me.
 
discool said:
Mine must be ultra low then, at 42130miles that's what u get with owning a vehicle just for the weekends. 1220K last year between MOTs, so not subject to rust, I don't do rust, so if and when I'll sell it :D
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Unfortunately low miles and low rust don't necessarily correlate when it comes to D1's. I went to look at a 200tdi with a mere 15,000 on the clock and that had rusty inner rear arches both sides and a £4000 price tag which seemed a little strong given that it was a white base model, let alone the rust!
 
MGBGTV8 said:
It depends what you call "low" I suppose?
I picked my D1 up last year with 71k on the clock. Which, I suppose is low for a D1, but not exactly low set against other vehicles, eh?
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That's a bloody miracle! In my experience anything around 100,000 is low for what is, at very least, a 15/16 year old vehicle.
 
300AJC said:
That's a bloody miracle! In my experience anything around 100,000 is low for what is, at very least, a 15/16 year old vehicle.
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We keep our ponies 1 mile east of Chelveston and go there every day to feed them, so we run through the village on the B645. We also go to Raunds through the village to get LPG at the BP garage on the A45, so where are you in Chelveston? Never seem to see any Discoveries there.

Peter
 
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