Rover for my wife

[Grover]

Within the next year, I'll be in the market for a Rover for my wife (we are starting a family). I'm looking at used as money will be tight. I tried to convince her a D110 would be perfect...she said no way José' :(
She loves the LR3, however they are rather expensive used. She will be driving it everyday, therefore it must be dependable. I like the Range Rover P38. Is it dependable? I don't like going to the dealership for service. I do all my work on my D90. I would like to do the same for her Rover. The LR3 is awesome but all the electric gadgets scare me:confused Your thoughts? What do your wives drive?

Cheers...

[KevinNY]

My wife wanted a rover too. She drives a '97 Land Cruiser now. That's my advice.

[stu454]

If money is tight then a Rover is not a good idea.

[ini88]

1995 Range Rover Classic. Nice inside, cheap, and just like yours underneath. So if you need to fix it you can wrap your head around it.

[phoenix37]

1995 Range Rover LWB. My wife loves hers. got 163,000 miles on it and has been very reliable. I would stay away from the P38. Ours was nothing but a head ache.

[dave_lucas]

Wife had a really nice 98 discovery for a few years, at first she really liked it but after a while she tired of driving it (size, comfort, handling, fuel and little stuff) I tired of her complaining about it so now she drives a Toyota Yaris hatch back.

She loves the car and I am happy as I do not have to work on it or hear her complain.

Lesson learned now I no longer have to hear her complain and I get to spend more time on my rover… And if I want another one I will just go buy it :)

[Dredd]

'03 Disco II, especially if it's a daily driver and not going to see any serious off-road time. They are great trucks and dirt cheap now.
HB

[evilfij]

94/95 disco I or 95 RRC.

Everything made since then has teriminal issues of one sort or another. The old 14CUX trucks all you have to worry about is rust.

My gf drives my LWB 60 miles a day and it has 183k on it. Knock on wood, at least mechanically, it has been really great.

[tweak]

I think a late model Disco '03/'04 is a great wife/mom truck. My wife loved the Disco until we had our third child, and of course, three car seats no fitty in a Disco, so she moved to a Honda Odyssey. She still drives the Disco pretty regularly though, just when out by herself.

Of course, as Ron said, each of these years did have some issues, but I would suspect that 6 years after EOL those bugs have been worked out of any trucks that are still on the road. I know they were on both of mine, the HG went on the '04, which was common and I had it replaced, and the oil pump was bad on my '03, which I had corrected.

[JFD]

I got an 04 D2 with 33,000 miles on it last year for my wife. It's a great daily driver, very comfortable, some electrical but as much as the D3. So far the only downside is the mpg, i'm thinking about a natural gas conversion.

[ssbartley1]

Clean D2, very nice!

I got an 04 D2 with 33,000 miles on it last year for my wife. It's a great daily driver, very comfortable, some electrical but as much as the D3. So far the only downside is the mpg, i'm thinking about a natural gas conversion.

[evilfij]

All, but especially late DIIs have serious engine block issues. Setting aside the three amigos, because of the block issues, I would never own a DII.

[Roverlab]

I have a bunch of customer interested in selling their P38, a 93 and 95 LWB and a 5 spd Disco I. And my wife drives an Outback.

[James Pierce]

Just bought my wife a 95 D90 SW to replace her 08 Rubicon Unlimited. You could give her your 90 and get yourself the 110. ;)

[JSBriggs]

We have a 3/4t suburban and a E39 wagon for daily drivers. The D1 sits a fair amount, but its does get used from time to time. All of the other rovers (109, 100", RRC) are in some form of 'project' stage.

-Jeff

[dmarchand]

I personally would avoid a DII (I daily drive a late model '04 built in Jan of '05, have owned it for 5 years). I would go with a high mileage dI from a southwestern state. Or RRC as mentioned if a) you want inexpensive and b) want to wrench yourself. Some of the fixability of a DII and especially a LR3 can be contingent on having access to software at times. That and the dI, RRC platform are very similar to the d90. Easy to wrench.

Now, if you can be swayed away from Rover, I've really been digging the ease of working on my wife's x70. I would avoid the newer Subie's if you go that route. The 2nd generation outbacks were good to me.

[EWR]

I personally would avoid a DII (I daily drive a late model '04 built in Jan of '05, have owned it for 5 years). I would go with a high mileage dI from a southwestern state. Or RRC as mentioned if a) you want inexpensive and b) want to wrench yourself. Some of the fixability of a DII and especially a LR3 can be contingent on having access to software at times. That and the dI, RRC platform are very similar to the d90. Easy to wrench.

Now, if you can be swayed away from Rover, I've really been digging the ease of working on my wife's x70. I would avoid the newer Subie's if you go that route. The 2nd generation outbacks were good to me.

HHHmmm, that's a bummer. I was considering an '04 D2 for the wife......:(

Software issues aside, and you had the ability to wrench on it(not saying YOU don't just a generalized question) would you own one ? I do not care about fuel. If I did I would drive a Prius.... just askin

[aosias]

03 Disco is my daily driver. Not too many issues over the years, nothing that couldn't have been wrench on by the average person. Reliable and easy to maintain. Drives great in the snow- even the blizzards we've had here.

I think each Rover is possessed and acts differently for each owner...

[woldd90]

I would get a 03, 04, or 05 RR 4.4. Prices range from 16-25K.

[Roverlab]

I'd drive a D2 as a few have cross my path lately as sub $1k cars where the owners have given up. And I'd rather have a D2 over a P38. But I do miss my 95 SWB.
My teenager is driving my wife's Subie, she's taken my LR3 (and not eager to give it back) so I'm down to the trail Disco I right now.

[rmuller]

gf drove a '03 D2 w/ 3" lift & 32" ATs.. unfortunately totaled it while hitting a patch of ice... she's now in an audi wagon, and is desperate to get back into a disco or p38 (I told her that we need a fully stocked garage before I'd consider her owning a P38)

[John_Karlsson]

Wife had a really nice 98 discovery for a few years, at first she really liked it but after a while she tired of driving it (size, comfort, handling, fuel and little stuff) I tired of her complaining about it so now she drives a Toyota Yaris hatch back.

She loves the car and I am happy as I do not have to work on it or hear her complain.

Lesson learned now I no longer have to hear her complain and I get to spend more time on my rover… And if I want another one I will just go buy it :)


Sounds familiar. SWMBO had a '96 Buick Roadmaster SW that wore out after 215K New England miles. She is thrilled that I was able to find her another one in cherry condition.

She won't even ride in my 90 or 110, if she can avoid it.

[mcoleman762]

I got the wife a 95 D90 SW five years ago, and she loves it. However, your wife needs to be the right type for that sort of thing. From what I've heard, usually when a guy tries to get his wife/gf a Rover for a daily driver, it doesn't end well.

With that said, you might have better luck with a D1, as they are mechanically similar to a D90, but won't seem so truck-like to the wife. Plus you'd have proper rear seats for the crib critters when they come along. :)

[rovertrader]

my wife drives all the Rovers from time to time, and dislikes them about equally as drivers- except the '95 LWB which she loves. She drives an Expedition as her regular ride- turn the key, reliable with the kids, trip vehicle and rides great on the LR3 coil chassis- best kept secret in America... and if you get a chance- look at the LR3 and Puma dash, then look at a Ford F-150/Expedition- more than similar from the same manufacturer at the time:-)

[phoenix37]

Wait so the expedition has the same chassis as an LR3 would that mean a Navigator does as well?

[Santiago Montenegr]

My wife is very happy to drive my 110, so much that she wants me to put an all synchro box on the IIa and use it daily.
Go figure.
So maybe I'll get another Landy, I am not touching that gearbox!