Faults:

Significant oil leak - replaced front main seal.

Passenger side window came off track.

Starter died.

Occasional multiple misfire on Cyl 1 & 5.

(I believe this is an issue related to a bad Vehicle Speed Sensor. There is a LR service bulletin detailing this issue if your truck is exhibiting multiple misfires on odd numbered cylinders for this model year.)

Picky ignition switch. Need to jiggle the key sometimes to get it out.

General Comments:

My first Land Rover and I have absolutely fallen in love with them.

I received this truck after it had basically sat for two years and was deteriorating in the hot Alabama sun. It's one of the rare-ish '97 LSE models and was in need of some interior bits (seat controls/panels, sun visor clips, gear shift indicator film) as well as a little mechanical refreshing and a good wash.

With 73k on the ODO and after a complete tuneup at the local dealership it ran perfectly. Smooth idle, no strange sounds/vibrations and a nice exhaust sound. Unfortunately, once the engine fired up I could see that oil was dripping at a significant rate above the front pumpkin. This was attributed to a bad front main seal and was replaced at the dealer for around $800.

The vehicle has performed just as I had expected ever since and is a pleasure to drive. While the 4.0 V8 is a bit on the sluggish side in terms of horsepower delivery, it makes enough torque as to never feel underpowered in any situation I have come across.

I am 6'1, 180lbs and feel perfectly at home behind the wheel. While the bottom cushion is a bit short, it's nothing that becomes bothersome. The ergonomics are excellent and everything falls into hand for a person of my size. It does exhibit a decent amount of body roll and does require that you pay attention to what you're driving. However, it tracks straight and has a solid, planted feel to the steering. Driver comfort is excellent. It soaks up bumps and bad roads and always feels in control. On the highway, passing power is adequate and cruises like a smooth European sedan. I am actually surprised at how much speed it can carry; I've found myself cruising with traffic above 85Mph on 95 feeling like it was 65.

It's off-road performance is second to none and that is the reason I decided to own a Land Rover to begin with. The vehicle is completely stock and have shown itself to be nearly unstoppable. It has climbed any obstacle I have thrown it into as well as fording waters up to the hood line with absolutely no intrusion or ill affects. This thing really does make you feel like you could cross a jungle continent in it. The passenger window came off track on a hard hit off road.

Having said all that, I do need to mention a few things. This is not a luxury vehicle just because it cost a bit more than the other guys when new. If you bought one because of that, you fooled yourself and should have ponied up for the Range Rover. What you pay for here is quality - which itself if something that's questionable. While a Series I Disco could potentially last forever, unless you're planning on turning wrenches yourself don't bother with it - you could buy a small nation with the cost of repairs in the vehicles lifetime.

Faults:

Driver's door handle doesn't fully engage door release mechanism without the key in the door and being turned while opening.

General Comments:

Land Rovers in general, especially Discoveries have a bad reputation because of supposed poor design quality and lack of reliability.

However, my Discovery is ten years old and I've driven it for 7,000 miles and absolutely nothing mechanically has gone wrong with it. (I don’t regard the door handle handle as being a huge deal, and it’s probably not a difficult fix.)

From what I can discern, these cars have a bad reputation for two reasons. First, because people expect way too much from them. They're not Mercedes S-Class sedans. They're loud. They don’t ride like a car, because of their dual solid axle setup. People regard Land Rover as a high end car; up there with BMW, Audi, etc, and they’re disappointed when the car isn’t as supple and comfortable as they think it should be. The automatic reaction is "what a piece of junk!"

They don’t take into account their Land Rover is designed to cross some of the harshest terrains on the planet-- not take their kids to soccer practice. Land Rover makes uncompromising, rugged trucks. They handle like trucks. They ride like trucks. They get truck-like mileage. They have truck-like interiors.

Secondly, the required maintenance schedule is demanding. Owning a Discovery is not like owning an Accord or Camry... one can’t just change the oil and drive it without worry for 200,000 miles. People often opt for what they think is the cheaper option of ignoring required maintenance, and more often than not, it ends up biting them in the rear. I have only anecdotal evidence to back this up, but the majority of legitimate mechanical faults people come across with these cars probably has way more to do with owner's neglect than poor design.

That being said, these are not cheap cars to run. They drink exorbitant quantities of gas and like I said, it’s not cheap to stay on top of the maintenance. My Discovery is also the slowest vehicle I’ve ever driven.