Disco 2 - good buy?

[sider]

Hi All,

I've given the wife's car a wash this evening, it being a 55 plate Renault Grand Scenic 1.6 petrol, and noticed a few areas that need improvement - mainly paint issues, i.e. stone chips and an odd issue with one of the arches.

Road tax is due next week and talking to the wife earlier - do we go for 6 months or 12 - key consideration being if we keep the car for 6 months plus or not. We said we'd probably keep it until it needs replacing - as in it is beyond economical repair.

Anyway, got me thinking about the obvious replacement - and i seemed to arrive at a Disco 2.

Here's the circumstances:

- She only does around 8k a year max.
- Car is used on lots of short trips
- We regularly, mainly at weekend, have 6+ people in - so that's a Freelander out (i think?)
- After a sluggish thirsty petrol, we'd prefer her to have a diesel
- She's not a snob. A Hyundai badge against a Land Rover badge to my wife means very little - her last 2 cars have been a Renault and a Kia.
- The wife doesn't really care what she drives, as long as it fits all the family in.

Now, we're not looking to spend a lot - i have a decent company car for main family trips when there's 5 or less, which on long trips, i.e. the summer holiday, there is.

So, i set a budget of sort of £4k ish. And seemed to be finding numerous X-51 plate Disco 2s with anything between 90 and 170k on them.

Question is - are these a good buy?

I appreciate that they were 30k+ new, and that they're built to last, but say i forked out £3.5k on an X reg with 130k on the clock, would i be financially regretting it with big repair bills in 6 months time.

Also, what are service costs and intervals like, and generally, what sort of money is a new tyre?

Very early stages as yet, but just wondering whether a 2000/2002 Disco is viable, or whether a say 08 plate Chevy Captiva would be a better buy? Obviously if i'm going a lot newer and a lot lower miles, i might be able to spend a bit more ££.

Any other suggestions welcome, but needs to be 7 seater - or a name of a someone who retro-fits seats to large cars, that's when the Freelander option kicks in i suppose.

Any help appreciated!

[camel_landy]

They are great cars but the D2 does need more looking after than a D3... Some people skimp on the servicing so you have the potential to be caught out by large repair bills but the same could be said of any marque!

For that mileage, check out both V8 petrol & TD5 diesel. Either way, don't bother with a manual, get the auto, the auto is better for the drive train.

(When most people drive a manual, they treat the clutch as an on/off switch. This 'snatches' the drive train, causes premature wear of the splines, etc... The upshot being a lot of play & chunkiness in the drive train.)

M

[g7jtk]

I you don't mind getting your hands dirty or don't mind spending loads at the garage they are OK. Lots of advice on the net. If it's a TD5 then try to get one that has already had the injector rings and seals done.