Warning--many run ons and ranting
in 99 BMW bought them and started making changes..so in addition to an interior face lift, an extra few inches in the back, and a larger motor standard..the disco 2 got bosche electronics. Although this did not completely eliminate all electrical issues with the disco, it greatly improved it. I went late model 2001 as I figure it would take at least 2 years for BMW to use up all the old stock Land Rover had built up. LandRover/Lucas electronics = bad Bosche electronics = good
Then Ford bought them in 03 and changed some more stuff.
BMW did not change the engine seals so other issues include many oil leaks. Of the 10 or disco 2's I looked at..only 1 did not leak from..well everywhere. All leaked where the transmission bolts to the engine. Most dealerships had either gunked it up down there to soak up the drips or cleaned the engine so much that you couldnt tell. I drove one truck for a day before the oil dribbled out all over the drive. The truck that I ended up with lasted 6 months before it exploded in oil leaks...I can only assume that the dealership dumped in some stop leak and that in fact all discos leak oil to some extent. What you will find if you research as much as I did, Land Rovers dont leak oil...they ooze it.
I have been lead to believe that this is is due to felt gaskets that wick the oil out. Why they dont build them with rubber or silicone is beyond me. The leaks are not bad..most burn off of the block before hitting the grounds..but it is a pet peave of mine that I must live with. The leak between the transmission and engine is from 3 seals up there that cost 2k to fix and only last 60k anyway.
Base models (sd) have a pleather interior which most dealeships miss label as Leather. Not a big deal as it looks nice, but pleather is much hotter than leather...so I did not want an sd. I get mixed reviews on whether or not leather was an option on sd's but my reasearch show'd pleather was more common than leather.
Ace (Active Corner Enhancement) ..more stuff to break and not worth it IMO. The unit is loud..like an abs system. The non ace truck handles much better than the reviews will lead you to believe. I had explorers prior to the Disco and the Disco is WAY WAY better in every way IMO.
Dealership price range greatly on Disco 2. The dealerships near me wanted almost list price for slightly used models where as ebay showed that they are worth a lot less on the open market. Most had some form of electrical issue..check engine light on, dash light burned out, sun roof not opening, etc...which the dealership would not fix as a condition of sale. I ended up buying one 10 hours away from me for 6k less than the dearship near me..similar model and specs.
I like my heated windshield although it just cracked and it cost 700 to replace.
Disco 1 had center diff lock, disco 2 has auto traction control. I guess for rock climbing CDL is better than traction control. I do not rock climb with my disco 2...for normal off road use, my tracktion control gets me everywhere I want to go as easily as those equiped with CDL. Of all the off road rigs I have had..(2 door monty with lockers, samurai, and trackers) the disco is by far the most fun and the easiest to drive off road. Although I really thrashed the tracker and jumped stuff with it so maybe it wins lol.
In the end I am a newb and do not know much. But I did just go through this last year so I might be a better one to ask than an old timer. The newer the better for a soccer dad truck IMO. The only exception to this would be a disco 1 lovingly cared for by a disco fan...which I almost bought until I discovered rust in the rear.
FWIW My 2001 Loaded LE 55k cost $16500 in December of last year. It was on its way to being my best purchase ever until 3 months ago when I had to put in a new battery, new radiator, new windshield, and the oil leaks started=$1200 total (not gonna fix the leaks). I have had 3 service engine issues I could correct myself thanks to educating myself on this forum and now I am facing either a new transmission or MAF depending on how my posts in the other thread play out. 77k on the odo now. Even if I end up replacing the ****** or part of it...I still got a good deal on the truck as the going price for the vehicle at dealerships near me was closer to 19-22k at the time.
GL hope that helps a bit.
