Land Rover Discovery (1998 - 2004) 4.0 V8i ES 5d Auto (7 Seat) Owner Review

I had owned a number of Land Rovers but had always promised myself a V8 one day. Having had a diesel Discovery 1 which covered 175 miles, I decided the time had come for a change, and looked for a Discovery 2 with the V8 petrol engine. I looked around and found a nice example with full service history and low mileage (66k). I haven't regretted the purchase despite a few minor mechanical issues which are inevitable with a complex 4x4 of a certain age. The rain leaks in via one of the sun roofs (it has two) but this is standard in a Discovery and was a feature apparently built in by Land Rover to cool us down when the angle of the car gets away from straight and level despite the self levelling rear suspension! Everything else works fine, lots of toys to play with, auto box, the ride is luxurious both on and off road, and the 4 litre V8 engine is fantastic- smooth, powerful, and makes a great noise when pushed hard, but quietly purrs along when driven sedately. I love driving the car and will put up with the high fuel consumption just for the pleasure it gives me. Mud or snow is no problem in this car, and trailers easy to tow, so much so that you forget the trailer is there. Do make sure the chassis is Waxoyled because they rust away if you're not careful, but the car body will survive longer than the chassis, unlike earlier Discos.