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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?
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What you get
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.
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What to look for
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.
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Replacement parts
(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.
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On the road
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).
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Overall
Tread carefully. If you get a good one, it's a great car.
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