Replace 96 Disco with 99 HSE?

[dave77]

I am considering upgrading from a 96 disco to a 99 HSE. We love the utility of the Disco, but wouldn't mind a little more comfort/safety for long trips. Some days the reliability of a riceburning econo-trucklet is appealing, but a REAL truck is hard to beat. I saw on rover.net that a person should expect to spend $2,500 above regular maintenance annually. While I am not afraid to tackle many repairs myself, this is a little disturbing. The nearest LR dealers are over three hours away, so disabling breakdowns are more than just a problem. Any thoughts/opinions/advice would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks.

 

[scubaman99]

i think $2,500 annually on regular maint is a little steep...

i have a 2001 HSE

and i dont spend that much p/yr

DAMN i hope i dont jinx my self

if you chg the oil your self your prolly looking at $40 x 3 or 4 times a year depending on how much you drive

in the few yrs that ive owned my P38 ive replaced all four air springs once (all under warranty but im gonna guess that cost $1k to have the dealership do it or maybe $500 to do it your self... but thats only once in 4 yrs

the biggy is the 60K service which according to my dealer, should cost somewhere in the $1,500 range +/- but again that only happens at 60k and 120k

 

[monkeyboy]

Dave, Dave .... How far is it from Spencer to ther nearest dealer .... in Urbandale?

The 99HSE is substantially more complex than the '96 D1. Hell, I live three miles from the dealership and refuse to own anything newer than our '97 D90.

Don't get me wrong, the dealer is great for parts support, and I do all my repairs & maintenance, but that 99 HSE needs to be connected to the Testbook for fairly routine repairs. Now if you've got someone local with Testbook, and dont mind sending their kids to college get the HSE. Its a lovely vehicle.

Oh, if I'm wrong PT won't hesitate to let me know

KAA
West Des Moines

 

[Best4x4]

99 was a split year for Range Rovers. Some were GEMS and some were Bosch. I prefer GEMS to Bosch engine management systems myself. My 97 4.6HSE has been an awesome and very reliable truck and if I could find another AA Yellow Vitesse I wouldn't hesitate to buy it! I owned a 97 Series I before getting my RR and the RR is much better on longer trips (more room for the backseat passengers). The only thing on the RR that is going to need more attention is the EAS. I've only had to put 4 bladders on my truck after owning it for 2 years, but others go through pumps, valve blocks, EAS drivers, and leaks. If that gets to $$$ you can always get a coil-spring conversion, but I prefer the EAS to coil springs.

Tad

 

[Knut]

You'll love the RR. My wife drives a 2000 RR SE, no problems of any sort for one year (which is how long we've owned it). Now I need to change the front air springs, but it looks like it's a fairly easy job to do.

The air springs are awesome on dirt roads and off road, the ride is like nothing else.

For a 99 RR, I would also go for the Bosch because you also get 4-wheel ETC. The GEMS RR had rear ETC only.

 

[ptschram]

Oh, if I'm wrong PT won't hesitate to let me know

KAA
West Des Moines

I have a kid who needs to go to college! Time for the Rovacom to pay for his tuition!

 

[Glenn_Guinto]

I agree with Keith. While a P38 is an attractive vehicle and for the most part reliable, being 3 hours away from the nearest testbook will make your ownership a lot more troublesome than you may want. Just about everything requires a testbook reset. Oh and should you decide to get a P38, ditch the EAS right away... that will be half of the issues. If you're in the NE, my bro-in-law is trying to sell his 99 P38 with 52K miles. It's the GEMS 4.0 motor, new ABS Pump, new OME springs and bilstein shocks. Goodluck!

 

[dave77]

Ok, I think I've already heard enough. More or less what that little voice was telling me--I think I was just in denial. Thanks for the replys!

 

[expectthebest]

How much does a rovacom cost anyway?

 

[MUDVAYNE]

Don't ditch the eas if you get it. My wife just got a 04 disco G4, and i love my RR compared to hers. I got a 99 4.0 se bosch several mths ago and i absolutly love it, the ride-on and off road- man you can't beat the ride of a RR!! I have no warranty so i'm doing all work myself. I just did my shocks all around aned airbags. Really easy and i'm no mech. Just think things throu before you strt working on it and take pics as you work. Well there's my 2 cents would'nt get rid of my RR for nothing..

MUD.