Land Rovers of this era seem to have a few more reliability problems than other off-road vehicles from other makers. That said, they’re more complicated to start with, so that explains some of that phenomenon.

As you’ve correctly identified, Karen, a vehicle’s ability to keep on keeping on is down to far more factors than simply the age of the engine. These are big, heavy, complex machines and they suffer wear in many areas including the driveline, suspension, brakes and general body condition.

Parts for things like air suspension can be expensive, but it’s worth keeping in mind that no off-road four-wheel-drive is cheap to maintain. It comes down to how much you like the car and whether you can justify the on-costs. If you do decide to keep the old girl, finding a specialist Land Rover workshop can often save you money as these businesses specialise in the brand and know all the common problems and the servicing tricks to keep your spend down.

Your budget limits you to older models, such as 2008/2009, which will have done 120,000 to 180,000 km. I am loath to recommend buying one of these cars with such a mileage on them; you would be heading the period of pain when you are quite likely to face increasing and expensive repairs. If you were to choose to buy one I would go for the Discovery. I would also urge you to have the car you choose checked over by a specialist mechanic who knows the brand intimately. Instead of the European models you are considering I would suggest you also look at something like the Toyota Kluger, which would likely to be more reliable and less expensive going forward, and your budget would stretch to a later model.

It's the LandCruiser every time if you're heading into the outback. The truck itself is just about bulletproof and gets The Tick from me. Toyota's service and support in the bush is legendary and could make all the difference if you strike trouble.