Speaking of driving down the wrong lane, Land Rover places second from last, or 36 out of 37 brands, with 190 problems per 100 vehicles, in J.D. Powers & Associates 2003 Initial Quality Study nameplate ranking. The median was 133 problems per 100 vehicles. This result is not good, but worse of course for Kia, the last place finisher. Land Rover maintained its dismal ranking in the same company's Vehicle Dependability Study for 2003, this time with 441 problems per 100 vehicles when the industry average was 273.
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| Although J.D. Powers & Associates 2003 Initial Quality Study scored the Discovery second last, many owners stated they would buy another one. (Photo: Shawn Pisio, Canadian Auto Press) |
Does that mean you'll experience nothing but problems with a Land Rover? Not in the slightest. I took the time to contact those I've known who have purchased Discoverys over the years, the majority of which did not experience any more problems than they had previously with other luxury brands. More so, some stated they would buy another one.
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| The Discovery is one of my favorite 4x4 capable SUVs, both to drive and live with. (Photo: Shawn Pisio, Canadian Auto Press) |
And to me this makes sense. The Discovery is one of my favorite 4x4 capable SUVs both to drive and live with. It's not the fastest or the best handling, but moves along at a decent clip and handles corners with greater agility than some car-based utes. I love its spacious, airy interior and utilitarian flexibility.
Last but hardly least, I hunger for wilderness adventures every now and again, and there are few vehicles better equipped to get up and down a rock strewn mountainside, or in and out of a washed out deserted road, as the Discovery. It'll do it without breaking a sweat, no matter the terrain, all the while offering comforts and conveniences of a luxury car. Not a bad combination.
