I had my Land Rover for 3 years and really enjoyed it.

- Safe: Best vantage point on the road you can get. You can see everything, you feel wonderfully safe and confident in your Discovery.
- Tough: I'm only 5'3", but I felt macho everytime I drove. Granted it was mostly city driving, but I feared no potholes, puddles or construction. And you've got a solid ride in a vehicle that is meant to be used hard.
- Flexible: This was easier to parallel park in downtown Chicago than a VW Passat. Great response in the steering allowed tight maneuvering when needed in the city. Fantastic for freeway and high speeds cause it just goes and extra great on the few "county" roads I got on.
- Stylish: No matter what, the boxy shape is really classic. Recognizable for sure. And even though a lot of people consider it a "Yuppie-mobile", I think I had a cool urban look.
- Comfortable: Space is not a concern. You could take three of your gal pals for a weekend trip and have plenty of room for all your gear, extra shoes and clothes, the dog and a cooler of food. And, you could sit for hours not minding the ride (which can be a little rustic and jumpy - but I thought that was fun.)

Reasons I traded it in aren't many but they're significant.
- Fuel fetish: I don't mind pumping gas, but the tank is just a hair over 20 gallons. With my carpool and commute of about 35 miles each way, every weekday - I was fueling up at least twice a week and getting about 10 mpg overall. That gets a little budget irrational when you spend $70+ every week on fuel.
- Maintenance costs: In addition to the fuel, everything involving maintenance (which I didn't do myself) would instantly be about $1K. I was getting oil changes and having to top off the fluids constantly because the expression is true - If it's British, it leaks. But I didn't mind that. My love of the vehicle overrode that concern. Then, the tumblers in the ignition decided to no longer work and I had to get that replaced - $800. Annoying. There were several other small-ish problems that would keep popping up, a window's weld broke and so the door panel had to be taken apart and the window guide arm re-attached to the motor for it to open and close again. Otherwise it just sat wide open. Annoying. I had exhaust problems, too which made a loudish car even louder.

Overall, I would certainly get another in the future. It was a great ride and I think that if I had more money to put into it, I would have. One day when I'm fabulously wealthy, the Discovery is top of my list for things I'd buy.

Good luck!
Amount Paid (US$): 15000
Condition: Used
Model Year: 1997