Land Rover Discovery (1998 - 2004) 2.5 Td5 ES 5d (7 Seat) (2001/51) Owner Review

What does this car say about you?

That I have a large family (4 kids) and that I'm willing to sacrifice fuel economy and running costs to have a socialble, conmfortable and practical - particularly in terms of boot space and long distance travel comfort - vehicle.

What do your friends / family / neighbours think of the car?

Some people have said that its too impractical, however if I leave the keys around its surprising how many times it gets used for trips to the local amenity site, to fit the kid's bikes in the boot or to take other people's kids on trips/days out.

Would you buy this car again and why?

Yes, if I could afford to I would without a doubt.

What are you likely to buy next?

Would love to think that it would be another Land Rover, however cost is likely to be prohibitive so might be another 4x4.

Type of dealer you bought from?

Franchised

Did you buy this car new?

No

What price did you pay?

£19,000

When did you buy the car?

August 2003

Did you get a good deal and why?

Deal was okay and they did take our old car in as part-exchange.

Is there any special reason why you bought this car?

Because of the space and comfort, we previously had a Land Rover Defender (90) County and really appreciated the internal space and 'go anywhere' nature of the vehicle.

What was the dealer like?

Initial experience was excellent, including a long weekend test drive and good finance deal etc. Since then however we have not been back to the dealership as there customer service was, on one occassion, absolutely terrible, i.e. when the vehicle broke down - they were servicing it regularly for us - after the AA dropped the car and family at the garage they were content to leave my wife with 3 children and a pensioner over 100 years of age stranded 20 miles from home. This only changed after I rang the priciple of the dealership and robustly remonstrated with him.

What's it like to drive?

Very nice indeed, despite showing its age it is still a pleasure to drive and I would take it over our Peugot 307 anytime.

What's it like to park?

Doddle, its easy to see all the edges and the comanding driving position helps. It is a little longer than a standard saloon so there are some spaces that you can't quite fit into but they are few and far between.

Have you had any problems with the car?

Turbo has ben relaced once, so has one of the injectors. Main problems have been the rear suspension, i.e. the compressor, air bags and sensors - I think we have replaced the compressor once, the airbags once and each sensor at least once.

What's most practical about your car?

The space, comfort and the fact that you can literally go anywhere - also good on the road when the weather is bad (or even snowy).

Favourite gadget, option or accessory?

Toss up between the leather heated seats, electronically adjustable seats or the excellent stereo.