Original Discovery V8 (Land Rover Discovery V8 in general)

Member Name: j-star

Product:	Land Rover Discovery V8 in general
Date:	22/07/00 (919 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: second hand value

Disadvantages: fuel, fuel, fuel

Mainstay of the Land Rover marque with lots around. . Powered by a 4 litre V8 that has been around for over 30 years. It sounds great but in a vehicle that weighs as much as the Discovery, and with a lazy character – performance is moderate. Floor the throttle and it will make goodish progress but it’s not a comfortable way to travel. Fuel economy is bad at the best of times, but trying to go quickly makes it atrocious. Trips to the petrol station will be very common. Handling is ‘wallowy’ but not unsafe, pushing through a corner results in a lot of body roll but learn to trust it and you’ll be fine. My Discovery did a lot of towing and was exemplary, the big V8 pulled heavy loads and the car felt secure with all sizes of trailer. Early Discoveries had poor reliability records but were sorted out in later years, be fore-warned however that even the latest ones weren’t put together very well. Components didn’t fit together (e.g. glovebox, some body panels) very well and bits could fall off. The second hand market has thousands of Discovery’s which means they’re cheap. Again – Beware! Servicing costs can be very pricey and with the likelihood of something going wrong you can expect above average running costs.

Accommodation is good with plenty of internal space, cubbyholes and a seriously large boot area; in addition – the driving position is very good. The New Discovery has moved things on substantially for Land Rover, but the old one still offers plenty of car for your money.

Summary: