What to know when Buying a used Land Rover Discovery 1989 98
The land rover discovery was an all new model for land rover that was launched in 1989, the newer shape was launched in 1998. This vehicle was also sold in Japan with Honda badges and renamed the crossroad. But the Landrover badged version still outsold the Honda version even in Japan. I owned a 1990 3 door V8i up untill recently when i bought a 1998 freelander. This is the 3.5 litre buick based engine fitted to many Rovers and Land Rovers over the years. A well tried and trusted engine that can be tweaked to gain more power. I paid 3000 for it used back in about 2001 I think. Mine was the one of the early ones with 3 doors (H plate), it had the go any where ability which you expect of a land rover product. The V8 was helpful in this respect.
There is also the turbodiesel variety which doesnt have the same amount of power of the V8 version but is still reliable all the same. This will produce a much higher mileage per gallon of fuel. The v8 can be around the 20mpg at best where the diesel will get low 30's. They did make a 2 litre 4 cylinder petrol one called the Mpi but this didnt sell in vast quantities and was only produced for company car tax purposes in the UK.
Unfortuantly I had to sell it as it required alot of expense for the MOT, but if there had been no problems with it I would have kept it.The engine was reliable but you need to check the bodywork for off road damage. Also the chassis is prone to rusting. If the vehicle has been used for alot of towing work especially off road then this may lead to stress fractures over the years. It was mechanical problems due to the fact it had done well over 100,000 miles but the engine was still strong and would need alot of money spending on to get through the yearly road worthiness tests.
I had upgraded the air filter to a K&N filter which I found gave slightly more power as the engine could breathe better and the maintainence was easier, this helps will the fuel economy and should be looked at before purchase. The minor niggles I had with it were the rear door could only be opened from the inside due to a tiny spring breaking in the door mechanism. I tried to fix it but didnt have the dexterity to do it but if you have small hands it may be easier. This is a common problem and if you can live with this still go ahead and buy it. The rear door can still be opened from inside the car so any passengers could still get out in an emergency situation. The front sunroof leaked especially if it was parked on a slight angle so that caused staining onto the front seats. Starting was also tempormental due to a poor connection on the solenoid but once you knew the technique it would start fine. Most of the time you wouldnt need to pop the bonnet to fiddle with it though. If the vehicle is regularly maintained and not abused you will get many miles and years of motring from the Discovery.
I would buy one again but would make sure it had an LPG conversion in order to make it cheaper to run, but would also go for a 5 door as it is much more practical. Recommended for families and also those who like a powerful toy. It would out perform most cars at traffic light grand prixs. They are generally very reliable cars with character and very few niggles that you can live with as its a land rover.
