10 DISCOVERY 3
THERE have been a lot of horror stories about Disco 3s, with tales of financial ruin caused by seemingly-routine maintenance. There’s no doubt that you’ll need to go into ownership with your eyes open, but there are more specialists now who aren’t scared by a D3 and have clever ways to fix the common faults without melting your credit card. Find one that has been looked after properly and it can be an exceptional all-rounder, almost like the car equivalent of a Swiss Army Knife. It’s a comfortable seven-seat family MPV, a huge van, sturdy tow car, capable off-roader and comfortable motorway muncher all in one. Tatty 3s are worth more as parts than a complete car these days, but our budget will buy you a well-cared for example with plenty of life left in it. Choose one based on its service history and condition rather than age or mileage. Lower spec models will always be less desirable and worth less as a result, but could make more sense for you if you need a workhorse.
CRAIG CHEETHAM was given his Disco 3 by his father-in-law as he traded up to a Discovery 5. “It’s a bit of a weird spec really, as it’s a TDV6 S with a manual gearbox, but with loads of optional extras that would have made it more expensive than the model above it when new. It’s a great family car and aside from a faulty handbrake module, it has so far been quite reliable.”