Why I love my Land Rover

[LtFuzz]

I'm on my second white '94-'99 DI (1st a '96, 2nd and present a '95, might add a '99 to the fleet soon.)

I've always been a car/truck/motorcycle guy. Most of us probably are. I ride the flagship of ADV bikes (IMO), a black carb'd fully-farkled KTM 950. It's an awesome bike. I have a gorgeous 1979 Mercedes Benz 240, 4-speed, 100% original, paint, interior, everything, that I bought from an old Phoenix retiree. I had a pretty sweet 1972 Chevrolet C20 with a 4-speed mated to a 454. Also an Arizona truck and badass by any definition.

But when I drive the Rover I keep catching myself looking back at my truck after I park it somewhere and I keep catching myself intentionally spending a few more minutes behind the wheel than I need wherever I'm going.

Here and there I've noticed some posts from non-LR people inquiring about possible LR ownership -- reliability, models, CDL or non-CDL. Etc. It's given me pause to reflect on why this particular make and model grabs me like nothing else I've ever owned or had the pleasure of driving. I haven't come across a thread recently that had any metaphysical reflections on why we all MUST have this truck and nothing else. So I thought I'd share my impressions.

I love the seating position and the size of the windows. I love that the top of my hip is basically level with the sills -- like I could jump right out in a moment's notice. I love the stadium-seat orientation of the 2nd row... your view isn't blocked by the driver or passenger seats, instead you look down and out. The visibility is superb. There is no other truck out there that compares.

I love the thickness of the steering wheel and how close and upright it's oriented vis a vis the driver. It commands you to scoot up close and drive it like a helmsman would a schooner.

This applies to [less frequently used] rear passenger doors on D1s: I love how they Pop! open. They make a sound I can't put my finger on. You know what I'm talking about. Play me a .5 second clip of that sound and I could pick it out of a thousand different car-door sound clips.

I love how the little green trailer light illuminates every time you engage the left/right hand turn signal.

I love how excited my friends' kids get when I drive and they fight each other over who gets to ride in the jump seat. Sometimes, if we're going a long ways, I'll have to pull over at an agreed-upon time so they can switch out.

I love the ch'CHUNK! of the keyless entry, and how all 4 door locks will rarely come up or down at the same time. Usually it's like "ch'ch'ch'chunk! But sometimes they do, and I think to myself, "Attaboy Rover!"

I love how when I hit a wash a little quickly, the truck will respond by popping on the 4-way emergency flashers. I've had this happen on 3 different D1s.

I absolutely love the cabin. I mentioned the giant windows. But I love the view down the hood. I love the staggered headliner, the alpine windows, the little storage nets, the optimistic (in terms of actually working) rear A/C, and how when I lean on my left elbow, out the window, while driving, and my passenger leans on her right elbow, a HMMWV-esque chasm of delicious space separates us.

I love how when I back up, I can grab the passenger seat Oh **** handle (why the '94/'95 seats were cooler).

I love that no matter where I am in my life I will always be happier if I have a white 1994-1999 DI in my possession. Gas prices, reliability, whatever. This truck does it for me.

Why MUST you guys drive a Rover?

[Rover De Land]

I LOVE MINE TOO!!!

[94Discovery]

i love mine toooo

[Doctor W]

I had a 96 D1 3.9 auto and really loved it.....notice the use of past tense..... I had stopped on the side of a recently graded dirt road ( near Byron Bay, Australia for those who know the area) ...there was a steep slope off to the side of the road into a fenced paddock with gorgeous Friesan dairy cows....I was feeling faint and put it into P and just as I was removing my hand off the handbrake I felt weird....I looked up at my passenger who turned around and looked at me with a weird quizzical look also.......we then both realised that we were tipping over!!!! .....my dog Otto was standing on the ceiling, twice!.....we did 2 X 360 roll overs down the steep dirt bank through a wire fence and through a thick hedge..........the discovery was not badly damaged in the panels really BUT it was now a parallelogram!.....it was deemed a total economic loss by insurance but their payout wouldn't allow me to buy another decent one, so I ended up with a ZJ Grand Cherokee Limited 4.0L ....a pretty Ok vehicle, more economical in fuel and way cheaper for parts.....but I miss my Discovery!

[Colorado David]

Why MUST you guys drive a Rover?

So I can remain true to my ethnic roots.

[RocKrawler]

Tell me, oh lovers of the green oval moniker, when the front seats are all the way back, is there scarce or plentiful lrg and head room for a person 6'3" ?

[hochung]

Why MUST you guys drive a Rover?

WHY? really? Wrong question.

Just follow your heart.

Just do it.

I've been doing it since 1994, and it feels just right. I share your Disco love.

[brushogger]

Tell me, oh lovers of the green oval moniker, when the front seats are all the way back, is there scarce or plentiful lrg and head room for a person 6'3" ?

I'm 6'2'', and have 0n '04 D2. Lots of head room, and descent leg room.

[Paladin]

Good post.

What I love about my Rover:

AWD. I love that it's full-time AWD, and even better because I have CDL. Most trucks carry around all the weight of a 4WD system, but don't benefit from AWD traction in normal usage. With the Disco, trying to turn right and accelerate quickly onto a roadway in the rain? No problem. Trying to accelerate on a gravel shoulder to get back onto the highway after an emergency stop? No problem.

The Greenhouse. I love the windows. Big windows, low belt line, alpine windows and twin sunroofs. It is like driving around in a clear bubble that keeps the rain out (most of the time).

The seats. Only truck seats I've ever liked. These aren't Barcaloungers or LaZBoy seats. It's a proper chair. Firm foam, good bolstering, lumbar support (wish I could fix the air leak though).

Interior style. I think a lot of people don't see the style. It just looks kinda quirky and weird. But I love the map pockets, door pockets, seatback pockets, mesh roof pockets, center console, dashtop cavities, etc. It has a functional style. It doesn't really have a style. It's just no-nonsense functional. Which IS a style. In any case, it's better than GM or Toyota corporate grey bubble style.

Shifter Placement. Since the entire powertrain is lifted up high in the body (another advantage by itself) the shifter stick only has to be 12" long. Not 36" tall dropping down somewhere in the floor. The shifting is very much like an older RWD sportscar than a truck.

The steering. Again, it steers more like an older sports car than a truck. It's well weighted, good feedback, no-slop and frictionless. Frankly, I'm continuously amazed the steering is as good as it is given the fact it's a solid axle with a track bar, panhard rod and worm-and-roller box. The steering is BETTER than many modern cars.

The brakes. The brakes work awesome. Stiff pedal, and reasonably powerful.

Stadium seating. The kids love it. My 1 year old daughter in her car seat has a full view of the world outside, instead of just the door handle and C-pillar.

Flat rear passenger floor. I'm not sure why, but I love it.

Rear cubbies. They're huge, and they really help organize things.

Rear swing door. Some people like tailgates. I really prefer a side swinging door. Sure, it sucks at the mall, but I don't take the truck to the mall.

A lot of it comes down to the way the British engineer cars. They really care about how a vehicle drives. It's not just about test numbers or specifications. It's about how a vehicle FEELS.

[MatthewThompson]

It's always been hard to describe, and I don't think I could do a better job than those who've posted before me. I'm still not sure if I'm a Series or Discovery2 guy at heart, but I sure do love my D2.

Luckily, my wife "gets it" too. Makes it easier to justify the running expense and the preventive maintenance.