Land Rovers as daily drivers

[mgreenspan]

Question for everybody... I currently have a 98 disco that i primarily use for offroading simply b/c I only have weekends off and don't relaly daily drive much.

WHen i graduate, I plan on getting another vehicle as a daily driver. I was curious how everybody feels about land rovers as daily drivers or if most ppl just use their trail rigs as daily drivers. I honestly wont have that much of aproblem doing that, but was still curious. I only had bone stock for about 2 months before I started modding mine so I didnt really daily drive with my rover ever.

Any and all thoughts would be welcome as I am very curious about this and love rovers.

 

[sean]

3" lift with 33's mt's
10.6mpg,
40 miles of interstate a day.
wouldn't drive anything else.

 

[edthediscoman]

Mine is a DD (94 D1)....with 285/85/16's - 3" lift, cut fenders, and a fair amount of goodies. I take customers out for lunch etc.. and they love it. The tire noise while on the phone is a little much but I got over that as did my customers - they understand!! Recently drove to Vegas for a convention. That was awesome too.
I guess I just love driving it all the time. I did notice I was getting a little complacent while driving as I feel very armour plated in the rig. I bounced off the concrete K rail on the freeway a few weeks back with no damage (as the tires stick out), so have been taking a little more care and watching the road a little more!! Maybe I need a heads up Ipod display.
I am sure there are a ton of guys that do as well. I see the usual grocery getters on the road, as there are a ton down here in Socal, but not too many "rigs", but there are not that many relatively speaking. We are in the minority which is another appeal for the Disco.
Saying that, however, I think someone in Newport Coast is giving them away, as when I drive through there, I pass more Rovers than any other car (at least thats the way it seems). The RR has become the soccer moms minivan!
They all look at me like I am nuts!!
(the're not wrong!)
Do it....I say!
Ed

 

[rmuller]

daily driver... my boss has come to accept the excuse "I broke my truck this weekend"

 

[sean]

" I can't come in today, my rover is in pieces" has worked a few times

 

[kennith]

01 Lifted, no swaybars, 265/75 MTs.

It's my preferred daily driver. I just like the ride. It handles great, stops great, and I don't care what anyone else thinks, it's more than powerful enough for any sort of road travel. I've got a few other vehicles to choose from, but I keep getting back in this one. Which reminds me, it's due for an oil change.

Cheers,

Kennith

 

[TexanLR]

Only vehicle I have, so it has to be my DD/shaggin waggen/"do stupid shit on the weekends" vehicle.

Once I graduate though, I do want to get a used Rubicon LJ, and relegate the Disco to weekend/project vehicle (SBC/T56/D44's perhaps?)

 

[craig]

Its my DD and weekend trail rig. Does both great.

 

[oberdahill]

96 D1 all stock daily driver. Right now splashed with 2 weekends of dried mud and I like the looks I get. One more weekend and then I'll clean it up and power wash the underbody. When I get back home to Hawaii it will become the weekend warrior.

 

[barefoot]

save your money for more mods and use it as a dd.

 

[Roverlady]

My D1 is my daily driver. And whenever it breaks, I drive the RRC.

My truck has almost 106K and I've had it since 59K. Didn't drive her too much the first two years I had her, because I lived on campus where I worked. But since that time, I have driven her to a job that was 70miles round trip (one year) and now ~30miles round trip, daily. I've had 245/75 BFG ATs on her during all that time and never had any major problems.

Little things are starting to go, she needs some attention (just completed an 1800 mile trip over Xmas), so I've let her rest some during the weekends. But nothing major that couldn't be done in a few hours over the weekend.

Drove straight from the MAR weekend to work each year (mud covered) so I'd say you can definitely wheel them and drive them every day!

 

[Roverlady]

PS If I had the money though, I'd love to have a p38 for a daily driver and leave my Disco for trail runs. I hate having to carry people for work when the muffler is popping, the brakes are squealing and our consultant (very small woman) can barely get in the truck b/c of the lift!!

 

[DiscoJen]

My Disco is a daily driver with just a few mods. I just got a P38 as well to use as my main transportation and for road trips. Once it's finished the Disco may get a few more mods and have more fun on the weekends but I still wouldn't have a problem with continuining it's use a DD. The 89 Rangie is a fully modded monster and it's still a DD too. I have a feeling that a Volvo may soon be filling the DD on that side of the driveway though. But the ole Rangie is still my choice for the Drive-In movies!!! Sitting tall with a kickin stereo!!! Plus it's great to throw the chairs on the roof rack and get a great view.

 

[KevinNY]

I use both the '04 and the Series as daily drivers. Worst thing you can do to a LR is let it sit.

 

[AlanB]

P38 on 33"
RRC on 34"

Both daily drivers, no problems, gas mileage sucks but I don't have far to drive. When you graduate and have to get a job that requires driving alot, then a cheap second car with good gas mileage might be an option.

 

[AndyThoma]

Depends on the size of your wallet. LOL!

Actually depends on how 'big' you want your trail rig and what you consider acceptable risk as a daily driver in reguards to safety to you and your passengers. A disco on 35" tires that's built to stuff those tires and be strong enough to wheel with those tires is going to cost a lot of money. You can disconnect your sway bars, but to be safe you need to have springs and shocks stiff enough to handle it. You can lift 5" but you've screwed up your castor, brake line length, pinon angles, etc. So not as safe or reliable to as a off road rig or a daily driver... if not done right. If done right, or not as big, you can have a great do all rig. My rig on 32" tires was safe to drive anywhere, but wasn't cheap.

I sold my rover because it was an electrical nightmare. Also I wanted to go bigger, think Marc, or Ruppsrover. Both of their trucks would make awesome daily drivers, but they both did amazing amounts of work to get them there. If your rover isn't a lemon like mine was (took me 5 years to finnally accept the fact it was) a rover can be a great daily driver. But cheap and rover don't mix.

My plan is to pay off my daily driver, 4 more months, then get a wheeling/camping rig. I'll have a car so a defender wouldn't be out of line. Also a built disco would work, but idea of keeping the miles low on things like lockers, offroad tires and HD cv's appeals to me. And if I break it I don't have to worry how I'll get to work on monday.

 

[edthediscoman]

I think the key here, is to have a spare car/transportation. I have a motorcycle and a ..."cough" TR6...(which has a bad tranny - maybe I need 2 spares!!!). The bike is great here in Socal, but when I lived in Ohio....heck no. I feel safer knowing I have a way to get places if absolutely necessary however I love driving the Disco and won't be stopping anytime soon - knock on wood!

 

[curtis]

I use mine as a DD. 1998, 3" lift, bumper, sliders, 265/75's. Fox suspension, no sways, winch, bumper, yada-yada. I get about 12.5 mpg around town while driving her medim-hard, about 16 - 17 on the highway. I have had her on the road for a year and a half, put on about 15K, and GET THIS: NO REPAIRS AT ALL!! Just fluid changes.

(I sure hope I did not just jinx myself )

 

[Roverlady]

Good point about the level of 'trail' mods...I still have both swaybars, and with barely a 2" lift, my truck drives very similar, if not better, than stock. I also don't have ABS working and my airbags are 10+ years old.....so if I was driving around all day with kids in the truck, I would feel less safe about it as my DD.

 

[jsonova99]

I only use my D2 on weekends, and I have a '96 Infiniti I30 that use daily. The I30 is getting old though, but still looks and runs like new, and I'm considering picking up a 2004 D2 at the end of the year if I can get a good deal on one with extended warranty to drive daily. I don't need one, but what the hell, it's probably my last chance to get a nice Disco with a warranty on it. I plan on keeping my 2000 D2 as a toy, and spare vehicle. Am I nuts for wanting to own 2 D2's?