Real Road Test: 1990 Land Rover Discovery 1 V8

[@andrewturner6642]

Saved like mad to get a second hand k reg diesel discovery, Even though my wife begged me not to get a bigger car than our cavalier. However she and I loved it, I will never forget driving it out of the dealers realising I actually owned it. We both agree it was the best car we have ever had, the wife liked the high up driving position and the inability of other road users to intimidate. Kids travel sickness disappeared too. Had it for over twelve years with the cylinder head gasket blowing after 100,000 miles the only serious problem after all those years, and before that it never dripped any oil. Superb.

[@terrificspokesman7416]

So you actually own the car now

[@inlinefourtr]

Have to get a birthday card for mine now. 3 door 3.5 V8 registered November 1989.

[@paulg8730]

🎂🍾

[@shepshepherd]

Fun fact: for several years in the 1990s, the Discovery was sold in Japan as the Honda Crossroad :)

[@V8_screw_electric_cars]

pikachu surprised face

[@tinakuutonen]

That REALLY was something new to me 😳

[@stateofmind91]

I had to Google that, good heavens! That has got to be one of the weirdest automotive facts ever.

[@randomoldbloke]

I have a 98 300 tdi 370k and do about 40k a year on dirt roads and tracks . No rust in mine . Comfort and reliability in remote areas is second to none . The looks you get when idling past lesser makes with all the fruit winching is priceless. My disco will be the last car i own it will see me out has to be good for another 400k at least . The only faults it had were age related, alternator, injection pump and radiator and a couple of rubber donuts ohhh and get between 25 and 35 mpg depending on the country i am in . My rear wiper is in the bin don't really need it to much extra weight lol . No sunroof so no water leaking even in tropical storms.

[@klwthe3rd]

I was in high school when this model came out and I remember how popular they quickly became with the yuppie soccer mom scene here in the United States. These often have a metal cage installed between the rear seats and the storage area for carrying doggies to the countryside. This first generation was much more reliable than the latter generations. This video brings back some memories.

[@Witheredgoogie]

The cage was to protect you from bites from the kids LOL

[@Blackmamba12345]

Reliable but still rusted like crazy!

[@CauliflowerMcPugg]

Hello Kenneth. How is old Felix Leiter? I haven't heard from him in a while. Getting back to the Disco I don't really like 3 and 4 but they are way better than the Disco 5 it looks terrible, a real let down to the Land Rover name.

[@klwthe3rd]

@@CauliflowerMcPugg Last time I saw ole Felix he was throwing in the towel at the poker table at the Casino Royale over in Montenegro. If I'm not mistaken didn't he give his remaining chips to a Bloke named Bond so he could win the match? 😉. McPugg you are awesome!

[@CauliflowerMcPugg]

@@klwthe3rd that was a while ago 😉

[@davidclarke1731]

Don't forget it's nearly 40 years old !! I've had three and all brilliant ,drove through snow storms ,floods and around Sibbertoft off road course ! Standard car with mud tyres .superb motor and would love another.

[@RexWaldron]

Made my day seeing this! I owned a 1993 L plate MPi in metallic green with beige trim, between 2004 and 2007. Of the many cars I have owned, it was one of my very favourites. The MPi was cheap to buy secondhand because it was considered underpowered. I wouldn't argue with that, but mine managed fine with a family of 4 travelling with loads of kit between Worcestershire and Somerset every weekend, cruising very comfortably and quietly on the M5 at a decent motorway pace. It returned around 28 mpg too, which wasn't bad. I didn't do much off-roading, but one memorable journey was on Christmas Eve 2004 when 6 up, we travelled from Worcestershire to Bishops Castle on the Welsh border and back and encountered considerable snowfall. The Discovery treated it with utter disdain! Fantastic vehicle.

[@Ramcharger85]

Love these Land Rovers. ❤

[@bombakdik]

Makes me think of a Matra Rancho! Reviewing one would certainly be a HubNut classic!

[@MrCapri78]

I used my 1996 300tdi for my tree surgery business. So it spent a lot of time off road and towing heavy trailers loaded with logs. Always seemed to return 25 mpg no mater what I was towing. Took it from 72,000 miles to 189,000 working hard everyday . The only repairs where a new clutch at 90,000 and small cheap items. Only time it let me down was straight after I bought it with the infamous spider immobiliser issue. Did a motorway trip in appalling weather of 580 miles to North Yorkshire and back in one evening. Supremely comfortable for me and front seat passenger, although kids felt sick in the back on twisty Welsh roads. So regretted it when I sold it and that was only because of advancing rust. Keep looking out for a good honest 300tdi I do think that was the best engine.

[@matthewgodwin3050]

There's no sound in the world quite so good as that of the Rover V8. Absolutely marvelous.

[@HerewardTheW]

What about the Triumph Stag V8? It was not as good an engine, but it sounded bloody marvellous!

[@HubNut]

It's a good counter-argument. Stag V8 does sound magnificent. America isn't bad at V8 noises either.

[@simonhaycocks]

I spent a year in the early 90's driving round mainly France on behalf of a salvage company finding and buying as many damaged disco's as possible. They just couldn't get enough of them. So thanks to the discovery i had a wonderful year of seeing some really out of the way places in France.

[@martinogold]

I didn't know about all the Range Rover stuff inside it. Every day is a school day, thanks Hub Nut.

[@Dayster666]

My friends dad had one of these in the same colour when I was a kid. I was so fascinated with the heightened roof and roof windows, plus the rear side facing seats and off-road adaptations vs a road-going car that I was so used to. When his dad finally took us out in it, I obviously had to sit in the back. It felt like a boat rocking going around corners. Thank you for the nostalgia trip and for making these kind of videos.

[@thepofmeister]

The Green Ranger Even more annoying than cigarette ash in your turn-ups, that.

[@rydermike33]

Never owned or have even driven one but was given a lift in a 'Disco' many years ago and was immediately impressed. Lovely vehicle.

[@tiakontikiadventures1536]

Ive had my 1997 Disco 300tdi since '98 in Woodcoate Green! She's still on the road and occassional off roading! Currently on her 3rd life, after all the corrossion was fixed Again last year. 3rd round of sills! lol Love her to bits, she also has a self built foldable double bed in the rear, a Mazda Bongo kitchen unit under the bed and Vw T2 curtains all round! Ps: Couldn't wait for you to open the window Ian, so I could hear that roar!

[@PurityVendetta]

We were super lucky when we bought our Series 2 TD5. No sunroofs, no hideously unreliable and expensive to fix ACE and coil springs on the back. Judging by the amount of sweet papers and crayons rolling around in places that hadn't seen the light of day for a while it had been a brat transporter and never off roaded. She's a proper workhorse pulling trailers and moving all sorts in the back including full sized oxy acetylene cylinders and argon cylinders. She's on 180,000 miles and runs and drives very well. We want to put her on a galvanised chassis when the time comes because we love her so much. Only one recovery necessary breakdown in all the years we've owned her. The doggos love it too.

[@daviemaclean61]

Pretty good nick for a Disco that early. The factory demonstrators were all G-WAC reggie numbers, so an H is not far behind. Headlamps were LDV Sherpa I believe!

[@CauliflowerMcPugg]

I had a 1995 3.9 V8 and how I miss it...... 😭 I truly did love my Disco.

[@theelectrichobo829]

When these beauties first came out, my woodwork teacher brought a load of brochures in to school from the local Land Rover dealership ...i couldn't stop reading the disco brochure and ended up taking it home and lusting after this gorgeous new car ...my absolute favorite Landy and i wish i could have had the opportunity to own or drive one .

[@Club86]

Get one now!

[@richardharibo]

I aspired to have one when I was at secondary school. V8 is the only way to go. Great sound. Thanks again Ian for improving my day.

[@johanvandersandt8904]

Mine brings me joy everyday! I've never quite owned a vehicle quite like him.

[@shaunorourke6281]

Excellent, to see the old tub out enjoying the sunshine, was never that dirty or rough when my missus owned it. Still sounds fantastic, love it and a fitting tribute to the old bus! We bravely did a tour of Normandy in BYJ back in 2011 or 12 and it never missed a beat. it still had the original cyclone alloys, during our ownership and had a recon gearbox which will have only covered approx 20K, new heater control module fitted (common fault), new rad and the extra "grrr" air filter cone we fitted, cant beat extra Grr!

[@marinelsubu2366]

The Land rover is something special. It is the only , literally the only brand in the world that has remarkably combined the off - road capabilities of vehicles and luxury , many decades before other brands : Toyota Land Cruiser , Mercedes G class , BMW ................. . It is pleasure that today is unrivaled in the filed of terrain and driving abilities , even sports , as well as a huge and very high quality and functional interior. I have to admit it is my favorite car brand . I especially like the model Velar.

[@FourIntoOne]

One of my all time favourite cars. Would have one in a heartbeat .

[@andrewthompsonuk1]

It seemed to take a decade for the competition to catch up. You could argue that has been the state of land rover for most of its history.

[@nicklowe536]

When the disco was launched I had a part time job at the local dealers. The disco your in had the hi grade radio standard they didn't get the rear speakers. The rear bag on the seat was to store the sun roof and the additional bag was an option rather than.having the centre cubby box. The discos were amazing motors but I do remeber the G reg and early H regs suffered from back door handle failures. I only remember seeing 2 MPIs and they belonged to BAE as company cars.

[@jefftodd621]

The wife wanted one and we bought an automatyic 3.9 v8i with LPG fitted. By no means economical but the LPG took the sting out of the running costs. A beautiful thing to drive and we had it for some 12 years. It was so quiet; pedestrians would walk out in front of it without looking. Despite its appearance, it was a surprising smaller than you think. It was the last of the true Land Rovers; everything since is just a high tech badge and needs specialists to look after them

[@philkfoto]

I had the 1990 Range Rover 3.9 V8 Classic Vogue Auto. A beast of a vehicle for all weathers whilst I lived in the Scottish Highlands. Best car in 40 years of driving to own.

[@CortinasAndClassics]

I always noticed that rear light clusters were Maestro van. The entire rear pillars looked like it too.

[@grayfool]

Just about the best vehicle for the fens. Got to be some of the most lumpy roads in the UK. Do not travel there in the back of a new type Mini Cooper. It really hurts your head. Ask mme how I know. Another good one Ian. I really hope you can find the Ambassador files.

[@richardhobbs6584]

I sold that Disco to Kelsey Media in 2015. It was immaculate when I sold it. I did put the original Cyclone alloy wheels in the boot along with some replacement rear trim parts.

[@machiningbasics1729]

Along with my series 3 stage one v8 this is my favourite model of landrover . Great stuff

[@kimkiriniki9433]

Nothing quite like the sound of a Rover V8, very enjoyable video HubNut, thanks.

[@paulfinney]

I’d love to see you road test a Freelander for comparison. They are so underrated mines got 160k on and you wouldn’t know. You’re welcome to test my FL1 facelift td4 anytime 👍

[@ProdigalPorcupine]

The Freelander 1 had so many problems, and mine is no exception! I bought it (TD4 Sport, facelift) just over 12 months ago and was so focused on getting one with working 4wd and in good cosmetic condition, I neglected to check it over properly. Over the past past year its had a new prop shaft, front and rear, about £700, new thermostat (garage wanted £600, I put an inline stat in for £10!) three window regulators, three CL door lock assemblies, a couple of electrical repairs under the bonnet, a snapped door check bracket and I also had to replace the bonnet release cable which decided to snap at the MOT station! All that said, I absolutely love the damn thing! The paintwork (silver) is very good, the interior is decent, it’s far more economical than I expected, and it’s a lovely car to drive. Very comfortable, great visibility, excellent handling. People slag them off, but if you’re handy with cars and know what to expect, they’re a decent vehicle to own, and very cheap to buy because of their reputation of poor reliability and destroying IRD boxes. Keep an eye on the VCU and this shouldn’t be a problem. My only real complaint is it’s a bit noisy on fast roads. It feels refined, but it definitely doesn’t sound it! All in all, it’s a lovely vehicle, but it comes with its demons!

[@dazad1972]

my mrs had a 05 freelander with the v6 petrol engine and the car was fantastic and never let her down in the 5 years she had it. it was not a discovery, it was never supposed to be, the only fault that car had was it tried to knock me out every time i got in it!

[@mikehurley5052]

I had a 1994 300 TDI Auto, loved it. Also had a 2002 RR P38 with the 2.5 BMW diesel, manual, another great car despite the reliability reputation, never went wrong in 2.5 years. Air suspension was replaced with coils before i got it. 1969 series 2 with a 3.5 V8 in, good fun off road. V8 is worth it for the noise.

[@revolution1one]

I too have always loved the look of the 1st generation Disco. I've wanted one for years. They're still puttering around here, but not too common. We didn't get the earliest examples. The first ones we got were 1994 models. Shame, I like the pre-facelift look.

[@mcmcolm]

It’s quite common in Ireland for Discovery’s to be running on much older classic chassis and using the old registration number - to avail of much cheaper tax and insurance. There are also a lot that have had their identities swapped without the chassis being swapped

[@harpsi8]

Well driven review Ian. My former boss from London, Gorden drove a range rover. So I admire them also. Good vehicles he had a old land rover also ,as he seemed to enjoy british cars. He now drives a Bentley bought in the late 80s. When he was a youngster he had a Austin sports car, He loved speed. Well done Ian. Rich and carnivorous cats in LA.Calif USA

[@whigwood]

Kenlowe electric fans, De Carbon gas shocks, and silicone bushes transformed this vehicle. Reduced body roll impressive. Suspension travel a bit reduced by the mods, but still OK. And oh ... that lovely V8. What an engine! But Birmabright body panels bolted onto steel chassis struts meant super rapid corrosion points.

[@elliottpeters2996]

Yes the little used Diff lock lever. When it was used, the fragile cast alloy actuator used to snap leaving it in transmission lock up mode! Unsuspecting mums on school runs would then fight the thing round corners for days until the transmission destroyed itself. The joys of LT77 owners.

[@djturbine7565]

Picked up a the same spec model but L reg today for £1500. It’s in great condition but has been sold to a scrapyard by a woman who’s husband had died recently, and she wanted a quick sale. The engine purrs beautifully and while it only manages about it 17-20 MPG it drives very well. A proper steal!

[@andrewhofler]

I think I need one of these in my life! Early Range Rovers have started to go up in price here in Australia, but these are still at give away prices. Off to scan eBay!

[@Yorkshiremadmick]

Grab one. The best You can personally afford 🙏🏻

[@A1DJPaul]

In the UK 2 dr Range Rovers are Silly Money, £50,000 to £75,000 GBP £. Good 4 dr Range Rovers Are Not Far Behind. Discovery 's Yes They are very Desirable & Silly Money for a Mint one. in OZ, Yes Buy the Best you can find. You will Suffer Zero Rust . Rust Killed all ours in the UK. People Scrapped them with Rotten Chassis. ??? Fools ! ! These Cars were Built to Last Forever ! they are NOT Disposable Junk. !! We have Experts who do Nut & bolt Restorations. These should be VERY TREASURED VEHICLES . Especially in RUST FREE Climates.

[@andrewhofler]

Wow! That's some serious money! Typically you can get V8 discos for anywhere from about £250 for a rough one, up to maybe £2000 for quite a good one. Rust is rarely much of an issue (by UK standards!) Unless they've seen beach use and salt water. Unfortunately they are often bought as "Bush Bashers" as they are much cheaper than a Toyota Landcruiser or Nissan Patrol and driven till they expire with poor/no maintenance.

[@A1DJPaul]

@@andrewhofler Hi Andrew, Where are You ? OZ ? Take a look on ebay UK, Yes a Disco' is Far Cheaper than a 2 dr Rangey. 2drRangey Bodyshells with a Log Book are Silly money in the UK. I Saw one Being Restored , Budget £60,000. It needed a sweeping Brush / Broom, there was almost nothing left of it. Just Rust & dust & big Holes. I saw i Nice one for £74,995 on ebay uk a while ago. Must be Right hand Drive for the UK, LHD are Very hard to sell. Hence we can't / don't bother to Import from sunny Dry areas of Europe. Very Costly to run here, Petrol for a V8 is £1.25 per Liter. ( £5.60 per UK Gallon ) To Run a V8 here you need to be Wealthy, Or Use the Power Every day for a Commercial use. NOT for the Mrs to go shopping in, Unless the Snow is DEEP ! Or you live Off Grid up a Steep Mountain Track ?

[@andrewhofler]

@@A1DJPaul Yes, Melbourne, Australia. 2dr Range Rovers were worth very little maybe 5 years ago here, probably similar to 4 door ones now, roughly £500 to £2500 for unrestored cars, now the cheapest 2dr I can find online is $12k AUD (£6600) that needs substantial work. Out of my price range for a weekend car! Might have to convince my neighbour to dig his 2dr out of the weeds in his backyard! :)

[@darrenwilkins7670]

Nothing like the sound of a v8..Great video again Ian...As usual.👍

[@colh2452]

Had a lovely white 3 door 200tdi from 1990 with the interior. The storage bag was for the sunroof's, which were removable. If you took the rear one out; the resonance threatened the rear door and windows. Good Times.

[@kaitlyn__L]

That little tidbit about only post-90s models being Defenders finally made something make sense to me! My mum was always derisive of Range Rovers, and that only "proper Land Rovers, when it was just called Land Rover" were proper hardworking vehicles. I could never tell which type of Land Rover she was referring to! Being more into cars lately than I was at 5 years old (quelle surprise) I later recognised that Defenders had the shape and simplicity she was referring to.. but she always insisted "not Defender, just Land Rover". Now I know.

[@EnidAgnusDei]

Nice old things on the whole and still look good, New Disco is a joke and looks stupid but the last version of this design was a beauty!

[@sarran1955]

Hello Ian, Thanks again for this one, Gedney bank and the Dog in a Doublet pub with great Sunday lunches.. I see how much the skyline has changed, in the 80's there were brickyard chimneys everywhere, and huge power lines to feed them.. Now its wind turbines.. Cordialement,

[@sleepycatpictures1176]

Aw, lovely. Mm, twin sunroofs so you can get twice as much water in!

[@Pfirtzer]

so you get a shower so you have no excuse to smell bad :D

[@sleepycatpictures1176]

@@Pfirtzer Mm, but it was a cold shower!

[@ellaevansbolt]

The sunroofs, single or twin, were all aftermarket and fitted by people like me. I had a business through the 80s and early 90s working with dealers to accessorise their stock with sunroofs, striping, wheel covers, etc. Did huge business fitting sunroofs to these cars.

[@dangerotterisrea]

Nothing like it 😆 considering there air-conditioning was extra 😁

[@sleepycatpictures1176]

@Pat Larimer Good! Very pleased to hear that!

[@TheCounty90]

We did a "collection caper" a few years back with a 3.9 ES. 2 Trains and 2 buses. I was a great day out. I told my mate that he was taking a huge risk buying it but it hasn't put a foot wrong, and it's 25 years old.

[@paulbennell3313]

Mate of mine briefly had a Tdi. It was comfortable, had great visibility and didn't break down too much. It felt a bit special after what we'd previously been used to.

[@ssilvaxxx22]

Yes, friday night and a new real road test. Finally something to look forward to today.

[@ASH.......................1976]

Good car,I'm sure there are better examples,this one's definitely seen better days !!😀

[@00kirbyd]

I now like the Discovery Mk1 even more, thanks hub nut!

[@ginggur17]

That North bank road beside that river is currently flooded, no surprise lol. Love the V8 as ya know.

[@HubNut]

Yes, Elly has splashed through flooding there a few times!

[@Dan23_7]

8:15 My mum and dad bought a brand new vitara on H and the rear seats in that sat higher than the front. 1990 just when I started high school, obviously I'm 21 now

[@rollingtroll]

14:21 Mockin' the Mocca's Love the Disco. Got to admire such an epic 80's design :D.

[@Danfazza-ey6mx]

The sound of pure NA v8 power... love these old brutes. Good vid ian

[@johnstonstewart9683]

Love my 1993 200tdi,scruffy looking but very very sound mechanically. Such a practical and useful vehicle. 😊

[@lleifior2]

We had a TD5 one as a (brand new) Office car back in the 2000s...it had air suspension and was fully loaded. Drove many happy miles in it - brushed off bad weather - shocking how much fuel it drank when you filled up !

[@TheSimonhammond]

Great video, the V8 really suits the Discovery and all Land Rovers. I think I have Auto Express's first test somewhere in a box.

[@leesloan8216]

I had a 1992 tdi 200, with the sonar blue interior and the blue paint, loved it so much, it had 222000 on the clock when I sold it and that was 12 years ago, and I saw it still going about 4 years ago. Wish I still had it 😍

[@stevenjones19-m8i]

Hi Ian,what a review on this Disco,nice to see one on the road still being driven.

[@stephenswift8001]

That was quite a sound to play through my Hi-Fi speakers! Not what I would expect from a Discovery, always associate it with the Diesel engine. I think the interior was well thought out; a kind of functional utilitarian way of thinking. A bit like the original 70’s three door Range Rover?

[@CreRay]

Great road test, very interesting. I'm impressed to the level that I think Land Rover really couldn't have done a better job on this one, specially considering that it was targeting an in-between of 2 already legendary but quite different cars for a type of buyer they never targeted before. I think the trademark of a good design is often that it ages well and you can certainly say that of this one. Also liking the TVR-like soundtrack!

[@BITTYBOY121]

It still looks OK after 30 years and the design has aged pretty well. I am sure that there was a 3.9 V8 available at the time too ? and then a 4.0 on the revised Land Rover Discovery ? ...So If you fancy a bit of Range Rover, Rover SDi and some Meastro and a little bit of Montego here and there ! - then this is your car !

[@dangerotterisrea]

Beautiful car, I learned to drive in a red 300tdi Xs with rather nice graphics on bottom half and some half leather shenanigans. I drove that for many years, all over the hills of Shropshire until it finally caught fire and ended the dream, I had some fabulous times in it!I would probably buy another if I found a tidy one 😍

[@kjross73]

I too loved the discovery, (Never driven a V8 though). In 1989 when they first came out my Dad had a series 3 swb 2.25 petrol, his friend bought a new discovery and there after referred to my dads series 3 as a 'tin shed on wheels', fast forward to 2000 and the Discovery had such catastrophic tin worm that it was sent to be 'recycled' in the scrap yard, meanwhile the 'tin shed on wheels' continued to trundle on still in use as a daily driver.

[@PhilOsGarage]

I remember driving one, I was amazed how the admittedly modest power of the V8 was absorbed by the sheer weight of it. I haven't driven a diesel but imagine it to be quite leisurely.

[@arrangrant4614]

How about reviewing a Mk1 Freelander over 20 years old now and one of the first 4x4 s with electronic downhill descent control It amazing that both Land Rover and Jaguar managed to come out of the British Leyland days relatively unscathed and didn’t disappear like so many of the other marques they owned

[@HubNut]

Needs to happen, though I'm not really a fan of soft-roaders. I like a dual-range transmission!

[@lesrogers7310]

Ian that 0-60 you did sounded epic!

[@chriswood1984]

Great vid as usual, thanks. I think it was Terence Conran (Conran Design) who did the interior. I think Jasper does T-Shirts for Debenhams.

[@darrensmith6999]

Nice one. Love those Allegro - Marina door handles.🙂

[@spuriouspodge7416]

Land Rover were really making some good advancements then and really strong contender for an SUV that could properly go off road and not be too bad as an every day car at the same time. Bit of refinement. Also churning out decent Diesels, there's many a 200tdi clattering about these days. Proper live axles. Proper transfer case and proper engines. It carried on well into the Disco II but I think became a bit too electronic, like everything round that time with the Disco 3.

[@EdgyNumber1]

Original headlamps were Sherpa, original door handles Austin Allegro. Austin Montego indicator stalks, Austin Montego instrument cluster, Rear lamp clusters were from the Austin Maestro van. Parts bin special lol. I remember the Turbo T-series was used at one point but I think this might have been a proof of concept model.

[@MattTester]

My 200tdi D1 is in for MOT today, fingers crossed. It's a bobtailed off roader so not much original interior left, it still has the blue seats and blue dash though. Wouldn't mind getting my hands on an early carb-fed 3 door. It's my third Discovery, I had a 300tdi and still have a V8 D2 with low miles, great cars.

[@Martin_Coombs]

I had a manual 200tdi, then got a 300tdi auto and the last one I had from new was a 2004 TD5 auto, which was my favourite at the same time I had a V8 D1 done up for off roading. Tempted to get another TD5 for fun.

[@autumnmatthews3179]

I had a car in front of me the other day with a Hubnut sticker, couldn’t believe it

[@curiouscrandall1]

A local car dealer (Cheshire countryside) didn't sell Discos. When asked why, he said "if I had a forecourt full of Discoveries, I could sell then all in a week. But I'd get them all back two weeks later".

[@samanthawoodward7551]

I had one of these V8's on a K plate. Used to make me cry driving it as it drank fuel so bad 16mpg. Was a great car off-road but a boat on the road. I also had a 200 tdi Auto which my Dad had off me which was ace and my last was a disco 2 V8i 4.0 was amazing and on lpg was cheaper to run than a TD5. 13:38 there goes a £5.

[@bentullett6068]

These Discovery models were slightly better than the TD5 that replaced it. We had 2 of the 300 Tdi models and they were brilliant. My dad then brought a Discovery 2 TD5 and it had 6 faults in one year so this was swapped for a second one which decided to ruin a family holiday in France during the deadly heatwave year of 2003.

[@giuseppe397]

I was never interested in land rovers but I loved the v8 cos it's a v8. Some cars are just A to B but others are about the sound and experience. This is one of them. May not be that quick but it sounds awesome and probably very comfortable.

[@triodehexode]

Same instrument cluster as our old 1990 Sherpa school bus.

[@landiemark]

Love these. I smoked around in a 300tdi for a short while when my Defender was getting a new chassis.

[@VDPEFi]

I remember being terrified in the jump seats on an off camber bend in one of these when my dad test drove a new TDI xs in white in 1996. It looked awesome with the spotty graphics on the lower half but my dad hated the diesel and bought a year old P38 4.6 HSE instead, correct choice I think but still love the discovery.

[@robtt997]

I always felt car sick when travelling in the rear of these . Fine in the front . Never actually bought my breakfast up but a near run thing once or twice !

[@mstc72]

I drive same year manual tdi great car but not winning any races . Solid cars . This brings memories back as do all your videos 😀

[@Everything_Evan]

Another video around Peterborough wish I knew you were over this way I would come and met you.

[@HubNut]

Flying visit, no time for meets sadly. Often the way with my life!

[@Spac8]

Best mates family had a '96 300tdi. Bought with 40k, sold with 260,000. Other than turbo failure it's the most reliable car they've ever had, before or since.

[@600322]

I understand why tailgate hinges are on the right side for left driven cars.I had once a Mitsubishi Pajero Pinin assembled in Italy and designed by Pininfarina with the same layout as if it would be driven on the left side but most were aimed for countries were cars normally drive on the right side.

[@generaloranger6150]

Lol, it was actually a 60's Buick V8, redesigned by Rover. GM kept using them until 2008. Those OHV engines don't put out high numbers but they do last.

[@janhanchenmichelsen2627]

My brother had two of those. One with Tonka-style wheels. Borderline dangerous on-road. I think the other one had more sensible wheels and an aftermarket propane tank that helped cut down the quite remarkable V8 fuel thirst. Cool, cool cool cars, but more a hobby than a really practical daily transport. Now, he’s got a 2008 Disco with a V6 diesel engine that in a spectacular way committed suicide this summer. Of course, on vacation abroad. "It's kind of hard to repair the engine", he said. "The whole body must be removed". And then he bought a beat-up, 750 pound Saab estate as a stop-gap. Oh dear!

[@niallsommerville9941]

Very nice but I still think the 3 door versions looked more balanced, hence the reason I'm so fond of the CSK. Nerd mode on. The chassis is the same as the RRC other than the tubular rear cross member and fuel tank mounts, you did not get 190 bhp until they moved to the 3.9 hotwire efi, the higher rear seats are usually referred to as Stadium Seating, the main reason for the RRC better comfort feel is the fitting of the Boge self leveling strut which was not fitted on the Disco. I believe the first people to mix Disco rear with RRC front were two brothers up our way who specialised in Motorway crash salvage (some say they were a bit dodgy), they named that "hybrid" a Strange Rover. Nerd mode off.

[@profrumpo]

Excellent test always liked the look of the Disco, and in my view it still looks a very fresh design after all these years.

[@dieselc68]

I always think of the Talbot Matra Rancho when i see these early discovery's.

[@HubNut]

I seriously NEED to do a video on one of those.

[@numberstation]

I thought exactly the same thing when I first saw one. Their similarities are, ahem, uncanny.

[@paullees7111]

@@HubNut Needs wing mounted spotlights

[@markfox1545]

Chris Gent - when you see which particular Discovery's what?

[@dieselc68]

@@markfox1545 google 'talbot matra rancho' . its a car that looks like land rover stole the idea for a discovery from.

[@AlexandraStarr1974]

Once again, i know that road very well! Trundling along the nene to whittlesey! I should get out more, or maybe i get out enough... Land Rover, my uncles favourite ride!

[@jwatkins5155]

Wow, that dash came right out of an ldv convoy, or maybe the other way round 😂

[@ianfrench1577]

That's a solid 10 on the dash t-tray rating scale. I think you should include that with the triangle of doom review

[@buggs9950]

Why am I watching this? I just managed to get rid of mine, it was a 5 door V8i registered September '90. Rust, jesus it was rusty. Made a lovely, lovely noise though, a very expensive lovely noise.

[@jaysalisbury6382]

3 years later we were welding up the rear crossmembers, outriggers etc for the MOT