1997 Land Rover Discovery Reviews

The SE occupies the second rung on the Land Rover Discovery ladder, sitting above the S but below the HSE and HSE Luxury trim levels.

The S marks the entry point to the Land Rover Discovery range, and can be had with five or seven seats, and with any of the three available engines.

Richard Berry road tests and reviews the 2016 Land Rover Discovery Landmark SUV, with specs, fuel consumption and verdict.

Land Rover Discovery and Jeep Grand Cherokee go head-to-head in this comparative review. 

VW Touareg TDI and Land Rover Discovery go head-to-head in this comparative review.

Graham Smith reviews the 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005 Discovery II as a used buy.

You can enjoy driving it almost anywhere, from the smoothest freeways to the toughest off-road tracks, even if most Discovery owners will never give it a sterner challenge than the after-school pick-up.If you can live with the Judge Dredd styling work, it is good value and can be delivered with a relatively efficient turbo-diesel V6 engine.So why are we saying "could be" and not "should be" or "is" about the Discovery's ranking? We are not really sure ourselves, because the Disco 3 ticks most of the boxes.But our test car came with a fault. We have had problems in the past with Land Rover vehicles, and we cannot believe a Discovery would match a Mitsubishi or a Nissan or – yes – a Toyota four-wheel-drive over the long run.There are some things we cannot measure during a week-long test (even though we covered more than 1000km during our time with the Discovery), so we hold back from a gushing endorsement of the vehicle.Land Rover designed the latest Discovery to be a premium four-wheel-drive, and it has done a good job. It helps that it is the first all-new vehicle to emerge from Land Rover since Ford bought the company from BMW. This injected enough cash and commitment to do the job properly.You can see it in everything from the six-speed automatic gearbox, to more space in the cabin and a V6 turbo-diesel engine that was also developed for use by Jaguar.Matthew Taylor, the Land Rover chief who once served as marketing boss at Ford Australia in Broadmeadows, has described the Discovery as "a vehicle of great conviction that points the way forward for the company".It is the anchor for the company's operations in Australia, with 191 Discovery sales in August and 1349 since the start of the year, according to Vfacts.But it is significant that Discovery sales are actually down against 2004, 1387 to 1349, which points to supply problems or slow acceptance of the newcomer.Or, perhaps, it reflects questions from potential owners, who are still buying Japanese or the BMW X5.The Discovery drops into a sales segment called "Medium SUV" in Australia, where the runaway class leader is the Ford Territory with 14,975, followed by the Toyota Prado with 10,520 sales to the end of August.The BMW X5, which competes on class even if it is not in the same class, has 1997.The Discovery has a lot to like from the big, chunky body to a choice of five or seven seats, three engines – V6, V6 turbo-diesel and V8 – a top-class four-wheel-drive and suspension package, and prices that run from $56,650 to $91,650 for the V8 HSE model.We jumped into the Discovery after a week with a Grand Cherokee from Jeep, which gave us an instant benchmark. And a win for the Discovery.It was much quieter and more refined on the road, had the advantage of the turbo-diesel V6, and was unstoppable in the bush.We love the ride, which ironed out any surface and still gave good grip through bitumen corners without the usual tippy feeling that comes with other Land Rover products. It shows considerable commitment to customers who won't be regulars off the road, without compromising the essential grip for tough going.Our test machine was a basic 2.7 TD V6 S automatic, which meant it was nowhere near as impressive as the Jeep in the cabin.It had all the equipment you expect for $65,000, but the quality was down and that is a problem when you compare it with the Japanese vehicles in its class.It is down to the stuff like the seat fabrics, and the look and feel of the plastics and switches, as well as an overall dashboard design that looks like something from Fisher Price. It is different, but we didn't like it.There is plenty of space in the cabin. The seats are good, but not great. We were surprised by the quietness of a vehicle that is pushing a lot of wind at highway speeds.The performance was good, with the combination of turbo-diesel torque – 440Nm is more than Land Rover's V8 – and the six-speed automatic transmission. It also returned 10.8 litres/100km at the pumps, went for more than 700km without a refill and had more than enough hit for easy overtaking, despite a body mass in the 2.5-tonne class.The gearbox was particularly welcome, with a touch-change manual and a well-chosen set of ratios with a smooth shift.One problem was an electrical fault that denied access to the low-range gears. It didn't matter on the go, because it still conquered our benchmark hill climb with no trouble. Land Rover blamed a pre-production control unit.And we also had a couple of experiences when the car's hill descent system, which is a great way to tackle downhill runs without using your feet on the pedals, kicked in on flat ground at more than 80km/h.The biggest problem for the Discovery is its competition. The medium four-wheel-drive class has more than a dozen rivals and there are plenty of people who will compare it with all-paw contenders with Audi, BMW, Honda, Jeep and Mercedes badges.What they will find is a vehicle that is absolutely brilliant as an off-roader, and impressive for runabout work, and a reasonable price and with reasonable equipment.But we still have some doubts.

A lot rides on its success.It is Land Rover's first all new model since Ford started calling the shots in 2000.The new Disco preceeds about four new models from Land Rover including the Range Rover Sport, new Freelander, a new Defender and revised Range Rover, all due within the next couple of years.Disco has a strong base here thanks to its 4WD prowess, utilitarian good looks and distinctive "Briddish" character.Built on a new platform called an Integrated Body Frame that incorporates elements of a separate chassis and a monocoque construction, Disco 3 comes out of a new facility in Solihull, Birmingham that features industry leading technology.A "virtual build process" smoothed the design and production of this model as did an arrangement with the workforce.Land Rover execs proudly state it's the best vehicle the company has ever made.And it has been validated over an exhaustive 6.5 million kilometres in harsh locations around the globe.Land Rover is confident the new model meets and exceeds all buyer expectations.It has definite styling links to the previous model but is much bolder with a powerful looking, dramatic, practical exterior.The theme is carried through to the interior which was infact designed before the skin.You won't mistake the new Disco for any other car.It's chunky sometimes asymmetric lines will form the basis of a new Land Rover corporate look to flow through all models.But it has gone significantly upmarket compared with the previous model.Whether the Disco will drag its customer base to this new elevated position remains to be seen.It is certainly no soft-road excuse of an off roader.The Disco is a tough 4WD capable of tackling pretty well any off road environment you care to point it at.On the other side of the coin, huge advances to its on road driveability make the Disco a wieldy beast on sealed roads even if it is big, heavy and wide.It's a revelation on-road compared to the boatish predecessor.Bristling with goodies, Disco 3 features clever technology like Terrain Response that optimises the vehicle's dynamics for a choice of driving conditions. There is also an auto mode.Three engines are available: a 2.7-litre V6 turbo diesel from Jaguar, a 4.0-litre V6 petrol from Ford and a 4.4-litre V8 also from Jag. All are tailored mechanically for Land Rover requirements.The transmission is a six speed auto from ZF with six speed manual available only on the diesel.The all wheel drive has a two speed transfer and lockable differentials.Air suspension is fitted to all but the base model.On the road, the diesel is pick of the bunch though we didn't test the V6 petrol.Disco 3 weighs in excess of 2.5 tonnes so torque is of great importance. That's why the diesel is a better drive.The V8 sings sweetly but lacks the punch of the diesel. It also consumes prodigious amounts of petrol.The Disco steers well, has a safe and stable ride and powerful brakes. Off road Disco II is a revelation compared to the numerous soft roaders that populate this segment.Where they are pretty well hopeless in anything more demanding that a gravel road or perhaps firm sand, the Disco marches forward over the toughest terrain without flinching thanks to the sophisticated independent suspension.Uphill, down dale, through deep river crossings, huge off set potholes, diagonal ruts, rock strewn river banks – not a problem.Seating for seven is available though with the third row, load space disappears.The spare is full size and resides under the load floor.Prices start at $56,650 for the V6 S model.

Land Rover has given a safety boost to its Discovery and Range Rover models which now meet crash-test standards applied to cars.  Twin airbags have been made available across the range, and other safety features have been added including side-intrusion beams, a high-mounted rear stop light, and a bonded windscreen.Land Rover has revised its V8i engine and dramatically overhauled the direct-injection turbo-diesel (Tdi) unit, adding significant refinement and reducing noise and fuel consumption.  Two new models have been added to the Discovery - a $65,000 flagship model known as the ES and an auto version of the 5-door Tdi - while the Vogue Plus model has been dropped from the Range Rover line-up.But there are few visual clues that much has changed apart from new front grilles, bigger headlamps and bolder Land Rover badges. Interior changes are more noticeable, especially the heavily revised dash.Added features and upgrades more than account for price increases - between $730 and $1000 on Discovery and $3000 for Range Rover.  Three years ago, a 3-door Discovery with a 3.5-litre engine cost $44,995; today, the 3-door Discovery with the 3.9-litre engine and a host of improvements starts at just $43,960.Land Rover's new five-door ES model is a luxury Discovery aimed at the new Mitsubishi Pajero Exceed and Jackaroo Monterey - although it is cheaper than either of these models.  Standard features in the ES are leather upholstery, twin airbags, alloy wheels, remote central locking with an alarm, bigger tyres, anti-skid brakes, remote CD player and twin electric sunroofs.Land Rover is the world's first manufacturer to offer twin airbags as standard equipment in dedicated 4WDs.  The dual bags are fitted to the Range Rover SE and LSE and the Discovery ES, and optional in all other Discovery models at $2700.Adding airbags to a vehicle with such a rigid chassis is difficult, and Land Rover has overcome the problems by engineering collapsible "crash cans" into the front of the vehicles.  These steel structures collapse progressively in a crash, enabling the triggering mechanisms for the airbags to distinguish between a minor and a life-threatening accident.The 3.9-litre petrol V8 now has one belt instead of three driving the ancilliaries and a cover has been placed over the engine to suppress noise. Power and torque are unchanged at 134kW/4750rpm and 304Nm/2600rpm.  Land Rover's 2.5-litre four-cylinder direct-injection turbo-diesel engine has more than 200 new parts with changes to the cylinder head, fuel injectors, pistons, conrods, turbocharger, exhaust manifold, water pump and alternator.Fuel consumption is improved but power and torque remain at 83kW/4000rpm and 265Nm/1800rpm.  Thankfully, the manual gearbox on Discovery has been changed to a lighter unit that has reverse opposite fifth gear rather than being dangerously placed next to first gear.Inside, Discovery and Range Rover have new dashes which are basically identical one-piece units that are assembled and wired before being installed.  Heating and ventilation has been improved with BMW-style individual temperature controls for driver and front passenger.The air-conditioner finally has the ability to offer flow-through air, and the unit has been moved to allow a glovebox on the passenger side.  Anti-roll bars have been made standard across the Discovery range to improve on-road manners with only a marginal effect on the speed at which the wheels react to camber changes.Most of the enhancements have been made with an eye to the American consumer and legal requirements, and Australian buyers stand to benefit.