About to take the plunge - 2001 Range Rover

I am about to take the plunge into Land Rover ownership. Been thinking about it for a long time, but not sure if I wanted to deal with the headaches. But this truck in nice and in full working order...

Here are the details:
2001 silver Range Rover SE, 88K miles on chassis, 64k on engine. The Rover dealership blew up the first motor when they were 'diagnosing' the coolant leak. All documentation from this current owner from 2004. Airbags and shocks changed 20k miles ago, EAS works. No lights on, low range works, no oil leaks. The only issues I came across was the drivers seat switch wasn't going back and forth, coolant noticed on the top of the engine below one of the heater hoses, not coming from engine. The exterior is in great condition, no dings or scratches, one 'range rover' letter pealing off back. the interior is in great condition as well with no spills or scratches and no cracks in leather.

I originally was looking at a Disco, but realized the Rangies are similar in price, same engine and much nicer inside.

Will I be ridiculed and called a heretic because I will have both a 4runner and a Land Rover? It is time for me to say goodbye to my 325is which is not conducive to my growing family as we are expecting our third in March. I originally bought the 4Runner for my wife when we had our first child and wanted reliability and peace of mind for our first SUV. I have loved the truck and it has gotten us outdoors and wheeling in California, Death Valley, and Utah. Now, I want another truck for the growing family and to be able to wheel (moderately) as well. I am well versed in car mechanics and will be able to do almost all the work myself. (I dropped a 98 M3 motor into a 1985 318i chassis a few years ago.)

Anyway, I think I have a good price on this truck. It is in good condition from a responsible guy.

Now I have to convince the boss...(wife)

:Wow1:

You couldent give me one...get a 04 disco and be much happier with a better long term truck.

Please, do not even consider it.

1. Worst reliability of any Land Rover
2. Lacks locking center differential (viscus)
3. Failure-prone air suspension
4. Extremely expensive to repair

Find a 2004 Discovery

expeditionswest said:

Please, do not even consider it.

1. Worst reliability of any Land Rover
2. Lacks locking center differential (viscus)
4. Extremely expensive to repair

Find a 2004 Discovery

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I thought the freelander was the worst made.

I'd love to have an '01 or '02 Range Rover.

I will not get one because every indication is that they are a nightmare.

Sad too, as they look great modded.

x3 on a '04 Disco 2

timmy!!!!!!! said:

I thought the freelander was the worst made.

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The Freelander is in a class all its own. . . :costumed-smiley-007

Trust me, I want to love the P38

stick with your Toyota

expeditionswest said:

1. Worst reliability of any Land Rover

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That gave me chills. That's like being the blackest of black.

a few counter points to offer, as I've been wondering about these as well.

suspension:
Air suspension sucks, period. It did in the 1993 LWB classic, and in all 1994-1995 classics. Coil conversions for the P38 are easy to come by and no more involved than the old air-sprung trucks.

diffs:
when ETC was introduced on both axles in 1999, LR fitted both front and rear 4 pin diffs. Because the pumpkin drop is opposite of what the DII's is, I do not believe that there is a heavy-duty axle and CV joint solution. I'm still researching this myself. With 4 pin, 24 spline differentials, I wouldn't worry too much with skinny tires. Add a locker in there and you'll want to have spares.


t-case:
The transfer case for the P38 was completely redesigned for this platform and shared nothing with the borg-warner time-bomb in the Classic. It's funny about the viscous units because when they "break" they tend to just seize at full lock up :coffeedrink: Lockup is smooth and progressive off-road. It's also stout enough to drop a propshaft and drive home on. I would not want to entertain a tire size beyond 32" and heavy use with the viscous center, but for the most common "expo" type modifications it shouldn't provide any trouble beyond the norm.

I know of two blown up land rover transfer cases. the borg warner from my '91 classic I grenaded on the trail, and the 1999 LT230Q from a DiscoII that I replaced it with, which I had sold to a friend for his t-case swap in his RRC after mine was parted out. And it blew on the highway. While he and his wife were hundreds of miles from home on vacation. what was that about a Disco II?

With the 4 wheel ETC that began in '99 they are remarkably capable. On 32's or less and a coil swap, I don't see what the big deal is ... the '01 was supposed to have been one of the best years. I've been warned to avoid '02s and '95-98. 99-01 are the desirable trucks from this range. this information from a certified LR tech when i was recently pondering a P38.

The thing that gives the P38 a bad rap is the insane level of electronics powering all the luxury features and most of that rap was from the early trucks, especially '95-'97 which are considered the most problematic.

I have not owned one of these trucks personally - all the info I list here is from being a LR addict, recent research, and what I've gleaned from my very good friend who's a LR certified tech.

my .02

cheers
-ike

a p38 is the worst rover you can buy next to a freelander--which should not even be considered--. if you want a range rover, get a classic. otherwise, get a disco.

cheers.

Ask yourself why the P38s sell for the same as the much older classics. Coming from a Land Rover owner, unless you are a completely masochistic person, look for something else in the lineup.

I had a 97 4.6 for 6 years, I loved it. I had to replace all of the Air bags and played games with the hose lines and the valve block to keep it leak free, and only replaced one EAS pump.

I used it to tow my 90 around for several years, with out incident. The EAS system was great for towing, by leveling out the load. I did only very mild off roading, but it worked fine with street tires and its traction control. Obviously it is not in the same league as a well built 90, but fine for most people.

If you can find a well maintained truck, have it inspected, I would say go for it.

expeditionswest said:

Please, do not even consider it.

1. Worst reliability of any Land Rover
2. Lacks locking center differential (viscus)
3. Failure-prone air suspension
4. Extremely expensive to repair

Find a 2004 Discovery

Click to expand...

I hear what everyone is saying about the reliability and being expensive to repair, but it is the same engine at the Disco. Reliability, as far as my research, does point to the many electronic gismos that can go wrong. The previous owner has had a few of those fixed at the dealer (HVAC, seat warmers and a few others). Just like the drivers seat control acting up, it will probably run over $500 if you took it in to get it fixed. People who don't do their own work would get frustrated very fast. My first car was a 1983 VW GTI that had tons of 'little' things go wrong. By most standards, it would be considered unreliable but that car was awesome if you can fix the little things. i have also worked on many BMWs (533, 535, 325, 318) as well. I am prepared to fix and maintain this truck and have a back-up car in case the truck is out of commission for a week.

lacks locking diff - I agree, it would be nice, but I won't be doing any 'hardcore' wheeling.

air suspension - they replaced the shocks and airbags approx 25k miles ago. I know it can still go at anytime at which point I would consider coil conversion. The EAS compressor can be rebuilt and Arnott has the GenIII air bags that give you increased lift and lifetime warranty. Some diehard Rover guys think it is blasphemy to put in coils...

Scott, didn't you consider a P38 at one point, based on your past posts? I agree, I want to love the P38... I like the looks, the interior is nice and functional, great driving position and outward vision, decent size...

SeaRubi - I agree with your posts as well with the 00-01 being the best years. It has the upgraded t-case and 4-pin diffs front and rear and I feel they had worked out many of the kinks by the end of the production, similar to the 04 Disco. The engine has the Bosch management thanks to BMW.

Yes, I agree.... in an ideal situation, the 04 Disco seems to be the best offroad Land Rover, but they are out of my price range (>$10K). I have also heard of a few 04 Discos with many problems as well.

I can pick up the truck for $7200... below KBB. He has a few other cars and just got a hybrid from work. I feel he is an honest guy and again, has the service records.

spikemd said:

I hear what everyone is saying about the reliability and being expensive to repair, but it is the same engine at the Disco. Reliability, as far as my research, does point to the many electronic gismos that can go wrong. The previous owner has had a few of those fixed at the dealer (HVAC, seat warmers and a few others). Just like the drivers seat control acting up, it will probably run over $500 if you took it in to get it fixed. People who don't do their own work would get frustrated very fast. My first car was a 1983 VW GTI that had tons of 'little' things go wrong. By most standards, it would be considered unreliable but that car was awesome if you can fix the little things. i have also worked on many BMWs (533, 535, 325, 318) as well. I am prepared to fix and maintain this truck and have a back-up car in case the truck is out of commission for a week.

lacks locking diff - I agree, it would be nice, but I won't be doing any 'hardcore' wheeling.

air suspension - they replaced the shocks and airbags approx 25k miles ago. I know it can still go at anytime at which point I would consider coil conversion. The EAS compressor can be rebuilt and Arnott has the GenIII air bags that give you increased lift and lifetime warranty. Some diehard Rover guys think it is blasphemy to put in coils...

Scott, didn't you consider a P38 at one point, based on your past posts? I agree, I want to love the P38... I like the looks, the interior is nice and functional, great driving position and outward vision, decent size...

SeaRubi - I agree with your posts as well with the 00-01 being the best years. It has the upgraded t-case and 4-pin diffs front and rear and I feel they had worked out many of the kinks by the end of the production, similar to the 04 Disco. The engine has the Bosch management thanks to BMW.

Yes, I agree.... in an ideal situation, the 04 Disco seems to be the best offroad Land Rover, but they are out of my price range (>$10K). I have also heard of a few 04 Discos with many problems as well.

I can pick up the truck for $7200... below KBB. He has a few other cars and just got a hybrid from work. I feel he is an honest guy and again, has the service records.

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okay fine then. one word: BECM. you will be kicking yourself over and over. trust the wise words here, stay away from a p38.

FYI, you can find an 04 DII for under $10K. i have seen them for around $9800 lately. also, you could get an older DII and just put a new t-case in for a couple hundred bucks that has the CDL and linkage and you'd be set.