2004 Land Rover Discovery New Car Buyer's Guide

What's New for the 2004 Land Rover Discovery?
New roof rails and a manually locking center differential are new for the 2004 Land Rover Discovery. An in-dash single disc CD player is standard on the S trim level, while the interior of the HSE model gets a burled wood center console. A limited-production G4 Edition features bright orange paint, a front brush bar, driving lamps, a rear access ladder and rear lamp guards. All 200 G4 Editions receive distinctive fabric trim for the interior. Mid-year, Trail Edition packages debut festooned with a mix of driving lights, body guards, running boards, and access ladders.

Advantages of the 2004 Land Rover Discovery:

• Terrific boulder-bashing abilities
• Comfortable front and rear seats

Objections to the 2004 Land Rover Discovery:

• Unimpressive quality control
• Numb steering
• Ineffective brakes
• Prodigious thirst for fuel
• Extremely difficult to get into and out of, even with step rails
• Frustrating cabin layout
• Hard to load cargo and fold the rear seats

Editor's Advice:
For the Anglophile in all of us, there’s still a chance to own a piece of ye olde merry England in all her quirky and oftentimes shoddy glory. True, the 2004 Land Rover Discovery fairly reeks of unadulterated British colonialism, possessed with outstanding off-road talent to tame the uncivilized frontier and comfortable seating from which to survey conquered lands. But smart, worldly buyers will take one whiff of the frustrating control layout, numb steering, ineffective brakes, and indifferent build quality, and they’ll look for a friendlier steed. Like a horse, the Land Rover Discovery requires a tough climb up into and down from the saddle. Loading cargo isn’t much fun, with a high liftover height, a cargo door that swings to the curb and rear seats that are difficult to fold. The 4.6-liter V8 spins out a paltry 217 horsepower and 300 lb-ft of torque, returning real-world fuel economy that barely exceeds that of a Hummer H2. Furthermore, family units should frown upon the Land Rover Discovery’s lack of stability control, side curtain airbags or a rear seat entertainment system. And don’t forget that this rig isn’t known for its reliability. Our test truck not only stalled twice in the middle of intersections but also had an interior light that wouldn’t extinguish. Land Rover customer service offered us this solution: “We recommend that you remove the bulb.” The Discovery will be completely redesigned for the 2005 model year, immediately placing it in contention for “most improved SUV of the year.”