Market News
A glut of secondhand Discoverys means it’s a buyer’s market, says Dave Phillips
A glut of secondhand Discoverys means it’s a buyer’s market for these versatile models, says Dave Phillips
WHEN IT comes to secondhand choices, there is no model to compare with the Discovery. There are five models to choose from, spanning almost 30 years, with prices from £500 to £50,000. And despite that massive gap in values they all have unparalleled towing ability and supreme versatility in common.
Unfortunately, most Discovery 1s now found on the secondhand market have led hard lives. Typical examples will have around 200,000 miles on the clock, which in itself isn’t a problem so long as they have been religiously serviced and meticulously maintained. And unless the seller has the paperwork to prove it (unlikely on a vehicle more than 20 yearsold) you’re taking a risk. Happily, that risk isn’t likely to prove too costly. Decent D1s can be found for less than £1000 and running costs are low provided you avoid V8 petrol models – the 200Tdi and 300Tdi engines are bulletproof classics – and use cheaper aftermarket parts.
Neglect and heavy off-road abuse are the enemies of the Discovery 1… along with rust. Sills and floors rot readily, although chassis usually remain sound, which is the exact opposite of the Discovery 2, where bodywork corrosion is rare, while chassis can crumble to dust. Worst still, the damage starts on the top of the chassis, where it remains undetected until it is too late and has spread catastrophically.
That’s a huge shame, because everything else about the Discovery 2 oozes quality and longevity, including the Td5 engine: the last unit to be designed and built exclusively for Land Rovers and, many would argue, the best of all.
Happily, plenty of D2s have evaded the dreaded chassis rust, but just because the seller says they’re corrosion-free doesn’t mean the bug hasn’t started to bite. Check it out before you part with the money. The good news is that Discovery 2s are cheap and a budget of £2000 to £3000 will buy you a good one. And when you consider what a Td5-powered Defender of the same era would cost you, you know you’ve got a bargain.
Discovery 3, launched in 2003, initially had a reputation for unreliability, due to some exposed electrics, but this was swiftly remedied and they too have proved to be long-lived and reliable – as have the diesel engines that went under the bonnets of both the D3 and the very similar Discovery 4. Because the two rows of rear seats fold flat into the floor in these models, the capacity of both cars is on a par with a Transit van.
Discovery 4 was recently replaced by the fifth-generation model, but few of these are available secondhand yet – and those that are for sale don’t come cheap. It is too early yet to talk of ultimate longevity, but there’s every indication that the latest Discovery will prove every bit as versatile and longserving as its illustrious predecessors.
To illustrate this feature, I went on a random shopping expedition on ebay and quickly found the models shown here. They range from a late 300Tdi automatic Discovery 1 which was well-maintained and looked set to sell for £500 ( which would leave enough money for the body repairs it would most likely need to get through an MOT) through to a very tasty 2009 Discovery 4, on sale for £16,995 by a trader and with just 93,988 miles on the clock.
Between those extremes was a private seller’s Discovery 2, which had just had a complete brakes overhaul and was fetching £2800, and a highmileage Discovery 3 which looked a beauty despite its 200,000-plus miles on a 2.7 TDV6 engine and was fetching £3500 with 14 hours left for bidding.
There are plenty of brilliant secondhand Discoverys out there… just waiting to be discovered!