Completely Smitten by a Landrover Discovery: But am I doing right?

n.devdath · 5th October 2010, 17:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by Samir Taheer

The Land Rover series II cars had air suspension in the back, right? Didn't these have issues with the air suspension?

I have no idea Sir. Do you have any inputs on this? Could be one more potential bottleneck.. :(

Aroy · 5th October 2010, 21:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by n.devdath

Am gunning for that now.

Need lever shift 4wd after seeing those extreme Scorps fail on their 4wd mechanisms, especially when wet.

Well that means a Pajero or a Prado. I vote for Pajero.

Do you like its looks? I dont. Completely MuV looking and no lever shift.

For those who like old style 4x4, the only choice at the "lower end" is the Pajero. At least you can buy it new for around 20L ex-showroom. Add to that 600mm wading depth, and a low tech diesel and you have an easily maintainable 4x4. I believe that BS-IV Pajero is coming soon, else you have to register it out side the metros.

Regarding Discovery, there are a lot of forums where the problems are discussed. Though there are a few immaculate ownerships, in general the LR vehicles have been plagued with all sorts of problems in the past five years, especially with electronics. The engine also has got a lot of flack in forums. http://www.landroverforums.com/forum...splay.php?f=18

As others have said, buying vehicle from diplomatic auctions involves
- custom duty
- life time tax
- registration charges
These normally add up to the price equal to, that paid to the owner, so you will have to half your budget for the auction.

Further any imported vehicle will involve exorbitant part costs (even if imported, import duty & freight has to be paid), and quite a long waiting period. This is not viable if it is your only vehicle.

svsantosh · 5th October 2010, 21:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by GTO

For 3 - 4 lakh rupees, a Jeep or Gypsy will give you just as many smiles (especially off the road)...

Dont get him started...

Quote:

Originally Posted by n.devdath

...So what am I left with as a well built, reliable, long lasting vehicle which has comfortable seats for 5, drinks diesel frugally, has a lever operated 4wd with a low ratio and can tackle most terrain(no hardcore OTRs) and can cruise all day long on all sorts of roads at 110-130kph without breaking into a sweat?...

I am not too sure about the well built part, the new gen LRs have become many a joke in UK/GB...

PS, how would you like a 20 year old, short wheel base imported monster with similar spec above with tried/tested offroading/onroad capability in and around bangy for around the same price... call me (offline).

SS-Traveller · 5th October 2010, 22:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aroy

Regarding Discovery, there are a lot of forums where the problems are discussed. Though there are a few immaculate ownerships, in general the LR vehicles have been plagued with all sorts of problems in the past five years, especially with electronics. The engine also has got a lot of flack in forums. Discovery II - Land Rover Forums - Land Rover Enthusiast Forum

@Aroy: You said it all! (Any reason to avoid an '03? (assuming it is outside the range...) - Land Rover Forums - Land Rover Enthusiast Forum)

n.devdath · 6th October 2010, 10:33

This is why I love TBHP. The inputs given by all of you here show the amount of passion you possess to help others, most of whom, we have, and most probably will, never meet in person.

All of you have spent your time and resources in getting validated and proven information for me.

I m really grateful to all of you for the correct advise.

Coming back to the topic, it indeed looks like the Disco-03 is amongst the worse Discos made by LR and is hence not worth a buy, even I had the resources and time to pamper it like any other import.

So, all in all, it looks like a no go situation at the moment. Eyes trained on a Pajero/Prado with less than 80k on the odo, single owner and less than 5 years old.

SILVERWOOD · 6th October 2010, 10:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by n.devdath

This is why I love TBHP. The inputs given by all of you here show the amount of passion you possess to help others, most of whom, we have, and most probably will, never meet in person.

All of you have spent your time and resources in getting validated and proven information for me.

I m really grateful to all of you for the correct advise.

Coming back to the topic, it indeed looks like the Disco-03 is amongst the worse Discos made by LR and is hence not worth a buy, even I had the resources and time to pamper it like any other import.

So, all in all, it looks like a no go situation at the moment. Eyes trained on a Pajero/Prado with less than 80k on the odo, single owner and less than 5 years old.

Good to know that you have decided against buying this Landy.

I believe that i possess the the same amount of passion which your mentioned and was trying to chip in with my views.

It feels bad if your posts were ignored or went unnoticed if the same were posted after making few phone calls to enquire.

shankar.balan · 6th October 2010, 11:11

santosh!
what little monster is this please?
do PM me - as of now academic interest
await your revert!
cheerio

shankar

Quote:

Originally Posted by svsantosh

Dont get him started...

I am not too sure about the well built part, the new gen LRs have become many a joke in UK/GB...

PS, how would you like a 20 year old, short wheel base imported monster with similar spec above with tried/tested offroading/onroad capability in and around bangy for around the same price... call me (offline).

shankar.balan · 6th October 2010, 11:13

nilanjan - this information of yours is corroborated by my friend in Australia who says that the Toyota vehicles are vastly preferred in the OUtback when compared with LR. - mostly on account of price,reliability, maintenance considerations.

Quote:

Originally Posted by nilanjanray

Devnath,

Reliability
I did some research on South African 4X4 forums before buying the Fortuner. Seems that people are passionate about the LRs, but apparently they require a lot more maintenance than the Toyota SUVs.

Maintenance
Discovery is priced atrociously high in India. Just for comparison, a Disc 4 is priced 50% higher than a Fortuner in SA, but in India, the Disc 4 is almost 3.5X the price of a Fortuner. Do check whether maintenance will be proportionately costly in India.

kamal.sn · 6th October 2010, 22:00

I absolutely agree with GTO's view but just wanted to clarify on the 'import duty' confusion here.

A diplomatic imported vehicle car can be sold after five years ( if i remember correctly ) in the open market. Based on a 'reciprocity' clause the external affairs ministry will issue a letter to the embassy, certifying a duty free sale of the car and also a letter from the deptt. of customs . The 'reciprocity' clause means that if the other country allows a duty free sale of cars by the indian embassy in that country, India reciprocates by allowing the same in India.

Hope this clarifies the payment of 'import duty' when buying a CD imported vehicle.

n.devdath · 7th October 2010, 15:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by kamal.sn

I absolutely agree with GTO's view but just wanted to clarify on the 'import duty' confusion here.

A diplomatic imported vehicle car can be sold after five years ( if i remember correctly ) in the open market. Based on a 'reciprocity' clause the external affairs ministry will issue a letter to the embassy, certifying a duty free sale of the car and also a letter from the deptt. of customs . The 'reciprocity' clause means that if the other country allows a duty free sale of cars by the indian embassy in that country, India reciprocates by allowing the same in India.

Hope this clarifies the payment of 'import duty' when buying a CD imported vehicle.

So, does this mean that there is no duty to be paid?

verditer · 8th October 2010, 14:28

What GTO says is right. There is good chance you will end up with big repairs, maintenance since it is already 100K past.

While in US, in Aug 2008, I had to buy a car, but didn't like any of the sedans. While visiting a local dealer, saw this 95K miles run 1996 Landrover Discover SD standing tall and beckoning at me. Took a small drive, fell in love with her, plonked 4000$ and took her home.

She ran fine for a month, then one fine day, she stopped starting up. The local mechanic found that she needs a new fuel pump that would cost 500$ or so. I said ok, lets do it. Then while replacing the fuel pump, they also found that the mass airflow sensor has gone bad and needs new one. They took 4 days to source the right part, cost another 1500$. Totally, I was down some 2000$.. Big money for me and at the time had to borrow to meet this.

During the 5 days she was at the garage, I had to rely on friends and public transport in freezing weather for office commute. I was low and dejected for having got her then.
The brighter side is, after this one big repair, for 2 further years and 20,000 further miles, she ran like a sweet horse without much ado and I ended up loving her to the last minute I had her. There were indeed more repairs requied, to the differentials, transfer case etc but I didn't since I knew I am going to sell her and return to India.

So baseline is, you never know. But be prepared if you go for it. And have fun.

black12rr · 8th October 2010, 15:02

Did you take any pictures of this BTW ? .

Skyline GT-R · 9th October 2010, 11:27

I believe it is better to skip this deal. If you have the lust for owning a classic try to get hold of a vintage Willy's which will not burn a big hole in your pocket & can be maintained & used without much trouble.

I have been through this dilemma a couple of times (on a much much lower budget) wanting to own a used Morris Minor/Jeep/1100 etc but stayed away because normal working people like us simply do not have the time/resources to restore/maintain such beauties & it is better left to fortunate guys with extra $$$ & time.

Aroy · 9th October 2010, 20:28

A reflection. If you want an old school 4x4, which is bigger than Mahindra Jeeps, why not go for a Pajero. It has all the goodies, but very little electronics to plague you.

While this may result in a lot of flack, Pajero second hand prices speak for its desirability. You cannot get a three/four year old piece at a decent price. Most of them are 80K km plus and still command 12L+! I am awaiting an upgraded engine on the same chassis (they have that in Brazil)

jaysmokesleaves · 10th October 2010, 10:21

@Devdutt > It surely is a very tempting machine to own.. even I want one. But again like many have pointed out... I would like to add that I would definitely think thrice before putting my money down for either a German, British or American marque. The costs of upkeep and maintainance of these vehicles in India is very expensive. unless you have a lot of idle cash for your frills.
On that note, I wouldnt think much if I had to put my money down for a 100k kms run Toyota Landcruiser / Nissan Patrol.. simply because these are proven reliable vehicles even beyond 300k kms.

Imagine buying your dream Landy and watching it parked in your stable broken down waiting for parts or waiting for the finances to allow you to fix it... a terrible heartburn for me atleast. And then again.. you would shudder to use it to your hearts content.. just out of apprehensions.

STAY AWAY dude!!

View Poll Results: Should I go after my heart and try to buy the Disco?
Should I buy it?	2	4.00%
If yes, between 7-9 lacs?	16	32.00%
If yes, between 10-12 lacs?	6	12.00%
No, I should not buy it.	26	52.00%
Voters: 50. You may not vote on this poll

6th October 2010, 10:33	#35
n.devdath BANNED Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Bangalore Posts: 4,287 Thanked: 2,811 Times	This is why I love TBHP. The inputs given by all of you here show the amount of passion you possess to help others, most of whom, we have, and most probably will, never meet in person. All of you have spent your time and resources in getting validated and proven information for me. I m really grateful to all of you for the correct advise. Coming back to the topic, it indeed looks like the Disco-03 is amongst the worse Discos made by LR and is hence not worth a buy, even I had the resources and time to pamper it like any other import. So, all in all, it looks like a no go situation at the moment. Eyes trained on a Pajero/Prado with less than 80k on the odo, single owner and less than 5 years old.
	() Thanks

6th October 2010, 22:00	#39
kamal.sn BHPian Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: New Delhi Posts: 149 Thanked: 88 Times	I absolutely agree with GTO's view but just wanted to clarify on the 'import duty' confusion here. A diplomatic imported vehicle car can be sold after five years ( if i remember correctly ) in the open market. Based on a 'reciprocity' clause the external affairs ministry will issue a letter to the embassy, certifying a duty free sale of the car and also a letter from the deptt. of customs . The 'reciprocity' clause means that if the other country allows a duty free sale of cars by the indian embassy in that country, India reciprocates by allowing the same in India. Hope this clarifies the payment of 'import duty' when buying a CD imported vehicle.
	() Thanks

8th October 2010, 14:28	#41
verditer BHPian Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Hosur, Tamilnadu Posts: 328 Thanked: 105 Times View My Garage	What GTO says is right. There is good chance you will end up with big repairs, maintenance since it is already 100K past. While in US, in Aug 2008, I had to buy a car, but didn't like any of the sedans. While visiting a local dealer, saw this 95K miles run 1996 Landrover Discover SD standing tall and beckoning at me. Took a small drive, fell in love with her, plonked 4000$ and took her home. She ran fine for a month, then one fine day, she stopped starting up. The local mechanic found that she needs a new fuel pump that would cost 500$ or so. I said ok, lets do it. Then while replacing the fuel pump, they also found that the mass airflow sensor has gone bad and needs new one. They took 4 days to source the right part, cost another 1500$. Totally, I was down some 2000$.. Big money for me and at the time had to borrow to meet this. During the 5 days she was at the garage, I had to rely on friends and public transport in freezing weather for office commute. I was low and dejected for having got her then. The brighter side is, after this one big repair, for 2 further years and 20,000 further miles, she ran like a sweet horse without much ado and I ended up loving her to the last minute I had her. There were indeed more repairs requied, to the differentials, transfer case etc but I didn't since I knew I am going to sell her and return to India. So baseline is, you never know. But be prepared if you go for it. And have fun.
	() Thanks

8th October 2010, 15:02	#42
black12rr Senior - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Ridin earth now Posts: 1,278 Thanked: 339 Times	Did you take any pictures of this BTW ? .
	() Thanks

9th October 2010, 11:27	#43
Skyline GT-R BHPian Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Dubai Posts: 600 Thanked: 232 Times View My Garage	Skip It I believe it is better to skip this deal. If you have the lust for owning a classic try to get hold of a vintage Willy's which will not burn a big hole in your pocket & can be maintained & used without much trouble. I have been through this dilemma a couple of times (on a much much lower budget) wanting to own a used Morris Minor/Jeep/1100 etc but stayed away because normal working people like us simply do not have the time/resources to restore/maintain such beauties & it is better left to fortunate guys with extra $$$ & time.
	() Thanks

9th October 2010, 20:28	#44
Aroy Senior - BHPian Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Delhi Posts: 2,582 Thanked: 2,741 Times View My Garage	A reflection. If you want an old school 4x4, which is bigger than Mahindra Jeeps, why not go for a Pajero. It has all the goodies, but very little electronics to plague you. While this may result in a lot of flack, Pajero second hand prices speak for its desirability. You cannot get a three/four year old piece at a decent price. Most of them are 80K km plus and still command 12L+! I am awaiting an upgraded engine on the same chassis (they have that in Brazil)
	() Thanks

10th October 2010, 10:21	#45
jaysmokesleaves Senior - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Mostly Mumbai Posts: 1,702 Thanked: 1,452 Times	@Devdutt > It surely is a very tempting machine to own.. even I want one. But again like many have pointed out... I would like to add that I would definitely think thrice before putting my money down for either a German, British or American marque. The costs of upkeep and maintainance of these vehicles in India is very expensive. unless you have a lot of idle cash for your frills. On that note, I wouldnt think much if I had to put my money down for a 100k kms run Toyota Landcruiser / Nissan Patrol.. simply because these are proven reliable vehicles even beyond 300k kms. Imagine buying your dream Landy and watching it parked in your stable broken down waiting for parts or waiting for the finances to allow you to fix it... a terrible heartburn for me atleast. And then again.. you would shudder to use it to your hearts content.. just out of apprehensions. STAY AWAY dude!!
	() Thanks