written by RBraddick on 03/07/2004
I bought my Landrover Discovery to be a classic hybrid between car and van. We build exhibition stands and the necessity for a large and capable load carrier was my biggest reason for buying this vehicle.
I chose the end of line range and chose to buy a new Discovery. I chose the top of the range ES Premium. It looks good, and when it works pleases me greatly.
However it doesn't always work and I am beginning to regret the purchase. I think another 10k would have purchased a better vehicle.
My biggest problem is that the Discovery offers a unique proposition in terms of usable size and luxury car specification and family mover. Nothing compares and the "end of line" prices were very competitive!!
You have to buy this vehicle knowing things will go wrong (as I did with TVR many years ago - although the smile never disapperaed with TVR ownership, irrespective of the problems the car developed...). To date the car is 4 months old and has been at the dealership on more occasions than I care to remember. Faults include; oil leak, heat deflectors catching, petrol cap not closing, sat nav problem, and the latest and largest problem is the oil pipe breaking on the gearbox!
All this wouldn't be so bad if my dealership was any good - I hope my local dealer isn't typical of the Land Rover network. Bad doesn't even begin to describe how we are treated at Wooburn Green Land Rover (it took them 8 weeks to pay me the difference on my part exchange!!). I gather some other dealers have much better reputations. I had to write to the Pendragon MD to get any action on my various issues - to date still have no written reply from anyone. Arrogant and chaotic would begin to describe the dealership experience.
My experience is based on having owned Volvo, Saab, BMW, Porsche, TVR, Ford, Renault and Vauxhall cars. Not all perfect by any means but the combination of bad vehicle and dreadful dealer is at it's worst with my Discovery.
Perhaps the vehicles are so bad that the dealers simply cannot cope with the deluge of unhappy customers.
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