Disco Dog said:
If you keep up with D2 maintenance, you won't have problems.
The only issues you'll run into are related to the three amigos, but every vehicle design has it's idiosyncrasies. The nice thing about the DII? That little quirk doesn't stop it. You can drive around with those lights on as long as you want. It's a sub-system that is not required for the vehicle to function. It's only an added convenience.
Reliability issues come from buying a used POS or not attending to maintenance properly. That's where many Land Rover complaints come from. People buy something that hasn't been maintained, and complain when it goes wrong.
As for limitations, the only real problem is the decreased departure angle in relation to the D1, but that doesn't really end up being an issue in practice, and even if it does, the hitch mount will slide right over most terrain.
You can't say it doesn't have a CDL, because most years kept the working parts, which can be operated with a simple wrench, if you wish. If you've got a wrench, you've got CDL. The last year brought the entire linkage back, and it was an improvement to the D1 design. If you want to use a CDL, get an '04, buy or build a linkage, or grab a wrench. Simple.
Don't go on about capabilities, either. I've had many classic models out in terribly nasty places, and most of the time, I wished I'd have had access to my DII.
I bought mine new, it's seen countless miles of hell, and I don't have any issues. Well, I do, but the DII doesn't.
Cheers,
Kennith
I had another DI fuel pump shit the bed today out on the trails during training. Love it. Just got a "new" FZJ this week with 200K on it.