I agree with Hugh.... post 'em up.
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Landcruiser vs. Land Rover Discovery
- Thread starter Grouseman
- Start date
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I have considered going the LR route three times in my life. Ended up going with the TLC every time. So I do not have first hand knowledge of the LR, but we are supposed to learn from other folk's mistakes, right?
My research and soul searching always takes me to the Toyota. It is just plain a better value, not to mention safer in the far away places.
My research and soul searching always takes me to the Toyota. It is just plain a better value, not to mention safer in the far away places.
I briefly looked into Rovers when I was searching, I could have gotten a 99 for almost half what I paid for my 96 Cruiser, but the poor reliability scared me off,
The south side of ATL is full of them, I am afraid those there are getting them as on the surface it looks like a good value, a "high line" good looking late model SUV with a low price, I also see them in the local junk yards with perfect bodies, same thing happened with JAG's a few years ago, they are getting screwed
The south side of ATL is full of them, I am afraid those there are getting them as on the surface it looks like a good value, a "high line" good looking late model SUV with a low price, I also see them in the local junk yards with perfect bodies, same thing happened with JAG's a few years ago, they are getting screwed
Love my 97 disco... got it new and now it has 150,000 trouble free miles. Love my 93 FZJ80 (w/ lockers)... got it with 150,000 miles. LC is much bigger -longer and wider. IMO resale values on Dicos has come down to the point that they are a great value 4x4. Just dont go to the dealer for service.
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Hey Four Wheeler called them a great bargain recently-oh, wait, they said j**ps were too. Nevermind
>> Are we cruiserheads so elitest that we are equating all non-landcruiser 4x4s with j**ps now? <<
No we are just concerned with oil dripping from LRs over the entire backwoods and killing fish and game as it runs off during the next rain.
No we are just concerned with oil dripping from LRs over the entire backwoods and killing fish and game as it runs off during the next rain.
OK, maybe I sounded "elitest". I've been on both ends of the rope with j**p on the other end.
Most runs I go on I'm the only non-j**p!
Anyway, I've thought about a Disco before, but now I'll buy an 80.
Most runs I go on I'm the only non-j**p!
Anyway, I've thought about a Disco before, but now I'll buy an 80.
With Land Rovers, specially Discovery, you will have to happy days, as in boating, the day you buy it, and the day you find an unlucky soul to sell it to... I just traded my series II in for a Japanese SUV, brand starts with M..., model M.... These one you actually get to use, the British one loves the shop in the dealership.
THIS birdhunter drives a Land Cruiser.
I've owned both a '99 Discovery II and a '95 Discovery I, and now a '96 TLC FZJ-80. There is no comparison. I've owned Toyota trucks/4Runners since 1991 and am very loyal to the brand.
As a simple comparsion, check out the topics of posts on this board vs. Discovery boards (www.discoweb.org) and perhaps you will notice what I did. Land cruiser boards such as ih8mud.com (and toyota boards in General) are filled with posts about modifications, customizations, etc... and posts about fixes/repairs. Posts about fixes/repairs, while present, are not as numerous. Look at a Land Rover board, and it's full of posts on the same types of repairs over and over--service engine soon light, check engine light, sticky valves, electrical problems, leaky problems, blown suspension air bags, ABS lights, leaky sunroofs, malfunctioning sunroofs, ABS turning on at inappropriate times, weak front drive shafts causing lots of carnage, rust, expensive parts, hard to find parts, more electrical problems, and more leaky problems. And oh yes, some posts about modifications/customizations. The point is, people seem to spend more time talking about fixing their land rovers than they do actually using them and customizing/modifying them. I bought two land rovers hoping "I would get a good one" and not have those issues, but alas, I did. Whereas with Toyotas, we seem to have more free time/money to put into catagories that don't fall into repairs/fixes.
Yes, Land Rovers are cheaper, but there's a darn good reason why. I thought I was getting a sweet deal on a 6 year old Disco II with under 100,000 miles, fully loaded with all options including ACE, heated windshield, jump seats, 18" wheels, etc.... But, there was a reason it was being sold so cheap. They suck! Luckily, I wasn't the original owner. The previous owner was the original owner, and the sticker price was $43,375 on my Disco II before taxes and registration. He paid cash. I bought it for $6000 at only 6 years old. You will NOT find a '99 Land Cruiser for that price unless it were severely totalled. The good news is, the Land Cruiser will continue to hold on to it's value. While yes the purchase investment is more on a Land Cruiser, you will get it back in the end when you sell it. Even when new, Discoveries and Cruisers are priced about the same. It's pretty sad that a Disco will depreciate to half it's value in only a couple years. Heck, I sold a '99 Honda CR-V just recently and it was worth more than the '99 Disco II, despite the fact the CR-V was very basic and started out new at less than half the price of a new '99 Disco II. I bought a couple Land Rovers because they looked cool and had lots of cool features. However, the headaches and money that go along with it are just not worth it.
IIRC, the Disco and Cruiser weigh about the same (e.g. heavy!), both have underpowered motors though the v8 in the Disco is even more underpowered, and the 4WD capability is the same. Both are permenant 4WD with more of an AWD mode when in high range, meaning the center diff is unlocked. Both have a low range that locks the center diff. The Disco does NOT come available with OEM front/rear locking differentials. The TLC does. The earlier TLC FJ-80's come with a center diff lock switch to lock in high range, and the later years can easily have a switch added. Meanwhile, the Disco I's have a figure 8 center differential lever allowing high/low and lock/unlock. Early year Disco II's do not have the option of the diff lock in high range, while a fairly simple transfer case modification can be made to get it like the Disco I. The later model Disco II's have a different transfer case that isn't modifiable and you would have to swap in an older transfer case. Lastly, the Disco's of any year have very small wheel wells and much trimming/lifting needs to be done to fit larger tires. TLC's are much easier to lift. So, if anything, the TLC has a more capable 4WD.
If you want to get there in style, drive a Land Rover. If you want to get back home, drive a Land Cruiser.
If a Land Rover isn't leaking fluid, pull over because it all leaked out already.
As a simple comparsion, check out the topics of posts on this board vs. Discovery boards (www.discoweb.org) and perhaps you will notice what I did. Land cruiser boards such as ih8mud.com (and toyota boards in General) are filled with posts about modifications, customizations, etc... and posts about fixes/repairs. Posts about fixes/repairs, while present, are not as numerous. Look at a Land Rover board, and it's full of posts on the same types of repairs over and over--service engine soon light, check engine light, sticky valves, electrical problems, leaky problems, blown suspension air bags, ABS lights, leaky sunroofs, malfunctioning sunroofs, ABS turning on at inappropriate times, weak front drive shafts causing lots of carnage, rust, expensive parts, hard to find parts, more electrical problems, and more leaky problems. And oh yes, some posts about modifications/customizations. The point is, people seem to spend more time talking about fixing their land rovers than they do actually using them and customizing/modifying them. I bought two land rovers hoping "I would get a good one" and not have those issues, but alas, I did. Whereas with Toyotas, we seem to have more free time/money to put into catagories that don't fall into repairs/fixes.
Yes, Land Rovers are cheaper, but there's a darn good reason why. I thought I was getting a sweet deal on a 6 year old Disco II with under 100,000 miles, fully loaded with all options including ACE, heated windshield, jump seats, 18" wheels, etc.... But, there was a reason it was being sold so cheap. They suck! Luckily, I wasn't the original owner. The previous owner was the original owner, and the sticker price was $43,375 on my Disco II before taxes and registration. He paid cash. I bought it for $6000 at only 6 years old. You will NOT find a '99 Land Cruiser for that price unless it were severely totalled. The good news is, the Land Cruiser will continue to hold on to it's value. While yes the purchase investment is more on a Land Cruiser, you will get it back in the end when you sell it. Even when new, Discoveries and Cruisers are priced about the same. It's pretty sad that a Disco will depreciate to half it's value in only a couple years. Heck, I sold a '99 Honda CR-V just recently and it was worth more than the '99 Disco II, despite the fact the CR-V was very basic and started out new at less than half the price of a new '99 Disco II. I bought a couple Land Rovers because they looked cool and had lots of cool features. However, the headaches and money that go along with it are just not worth it.
IIRC, the Disco and Cruiser weigh about the same (e.g. heavy!), both have underpowered motors though the v8 in the Disco is even more underpowered, and the 4WD capability is the same. Both are permenant 4WD with more of an AWD mode when in high range, meaning the center diff is unlocked. Both have a low range that locks the center diff. The Disco does NOT come available with OEM front/rear locking differentials. The TLC does. The earlier TLC FJ-80's come with a center diff lock switch to lock in high range, and the later years can easily have a switch added. Meanwhile, the Disco I's have a figure 8 center differential lever allowing high/low and lock/unlock. Early year Disco II's do not have the option of the diff lock in high range, while a fairly simple transfer case modification can be made to get it like the Disco I. The later model Disco II's have a different transfer case that isn't modifiable and you would have to swap in an older transfer case. Lastly, the Disco's of any year have very small wheel wells and much trimming/lifting needs to be done to fit larger tires. TLC's are much easier to lift. So, if anything, the TLC has a more capable 4WD.
If you want to get there in style, drive a Land Rover. If you want to get back home, drive a Land Cruiser.
If a Land Rover isn't leaking fluid, pull over because it all leaked out already.
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Experience Hunting out of an 80
Grouseman,
I have a '96 fzj80 w/122k miles that I use almost exclusively for upland bird hunting. Having now owned 5 4WD toyota trucks (87,91,90 4Runner,99TacoTRD and now the LC), with 3 of those having well over 100k miles, I can honestly say that not one of them has ever left me asking for a ride. I doubt there's a 5 time LR owner who can say that. 5 time LR owner...good luck finding that guy.
As far as hunting out of the 80 series:
That drop down tailgate is old-dog-friendly. I use a large kennel (Drahthaar), my buddy uses a medium kennel(visla) in the cargo area. I've even removed a second row seat and had a 3rd box (small Brittany --spaniel, not Spears), with a third passenger in the other seat. I make 4 or 5 big trips (4+ hours one way, overnight stays) and 15 or more day trips, and 2 guys can always fit the gear needed inside the vehicle. The terrain regularly varies from grass covered sand hills to muddy clay minimum maintenance roads, and I've never had an issue.
The most important thing that the LC has over the LR though is those special dog-cooling sliding rear windows. It's as though Toyota engineers threw wet dogs and warm grouse in the back and engineered it to evacuate the smell.
Grouseman,
I have a '96 fzj80 w/122k miles that I use almost exclusively for upland bird hunting. Having now owned 5 4WD toyota trucks (87,91,90 4Runner,99TacoTRD and now the LC), with 3 of those having well over 100k miles, I can honestly say that not one of them has ever left me asking for a ride. I doubt there's a 5 time LR owner who can say that. 5 time LR owner...good luck finding that guy.
As far as hunting out of the 80 series:
That drop down tailgate is old-dog-friendly. I use a large kennel (Drahthaar), my buddy uses a medium kennel(visla) in the cargo area. I've even removed a second row seat and had a 3rd box (small Brittany --spaniel, not Spears), with a third passenger in the other seat. I make 4 or 5 big trips (4+ hours one way, overnight stays) and 15 or more day trips, and 2 guys can always fit the gear needed inside the vehicle. The terrain regularly varies from grass covered sand hills to muddy clay minimum maintenance roads, and I've never had an issue.
The most important thing that the LC has over the LR though is those special dog-cooling sliding rear windows. It's as though Toyota engineers threw wet dogs and warm grouse in the back and engineered it to evacuate the smell.
