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Hi Donal,

The Discovery is one of our very favourite cars, especially for the way it can carry seven full-sized adults in luxury-car comfort down the motorway. With big mileage like that though you will be rocking up the fuel bills, as a 2.7-litre V6 diesel Disco will only get about 29mpg in normal driving conditions. That said, you won't get any better from any of its rivals, so there you go.

As for reliability, Land Rover has come on in leaps and bounds in this respect recently, but there's no getting away from the fact that its vehicles tend to be more fragile than the Japanese competition. Small electrical niggles are the most likely problems but both the gearboxes and the air suspension can give problems too and those are rather more serious issues. The V6 diesel engine is pretty solid though.

It would be worth checking out both a Toyota Land Cruiser and Mitsubishi Pajero too, but while both of those would be more likely to have better reliability, neither can hold a candle to the Disco's on-road refinement and comfort.

Let us know which way you go

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Hi Patrick,

It’s a bit of a downer, I’m afraid. The 307 was never Peugeot’s finest hour,and suffered from build quality that, if not quite poor, was certainly not the best. The SW is the best version, with lots of space and the option of seven seats, and if you get the 1.6 HDI diesel engine it’s a pretty reliable lump, but expect electrical faults as you go along. Buy it cheap and run it into the ground, would be our advice.

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Hi Thomas,

It seems to be a bit all or nothing with the Voyager and reliability. Some owners skate through life with nary a problem, others have no end of hassle. The primary issues seem to be electrical, including wiper motors, ignition systems, fuel pump controls and electric tailgates and sliding doors. The interior is also pretty fragile in places, and items such as interior lights and instrument lighting can give trouble, as can the radio systems. 

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Hi Dan,

Indeed so. In fact, the CR-V changed utterly in 2002 with the introduction of an all-new model - and the first diesel version was introduced in 2003. Despite it looking rather similar to the first generation model (which debuted in 1995) the second-gen CR-V is bigger, heavier, more spacious and more sophisticated, even if it did retain the old-style spare wheel mounting on the tailgate. 

Early 2.2 CDTi diesel models have an odd fault - the oil warning light can come on even with a full sump of the black stuff. It seems to be a software issue. Listen for groaning or moaning from the rear differential for the four-wheel drive system (all second-gen CR-Vs were had four-wheel drive) as that can mean that the oil in the diff has degraded and the unit is starting to fail.

Other than that, they're solidly built and heartily recommended. 

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Hi Aleksandrs,

The most common fault with the RX 400h, as with any hybrid, is that the fuel economy won't be half as good as you think it will. The last RX model we tested returned just 29mpg overall, a figure we've equalled in both a Land Rover Discovery 3.0 diesel and a Porsche 911 Carrera 4S!

That apart, they're incredibly solidly built, as are pretty much all Lexus models. The high-tech in-car entertainment system, with its touch-screen controller, can throw up an occasional glitch but the only other serious concern lies in the hybrid electric drivetrain. Generally, it's totally reliable but we have heard of an occasional one having an AC/DC power convertor fail, which is a massively expensive job to fix if it does go wrong. As we say, it seems to be an isolated problem but one worth bearing in mind.

Let us know how you get on

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Hi Michael,

The BMW X6 really does split opinion with its SUV-that-wants-to-be-a-coupé styling. It's less practical than the BMW X5 it's based on too. However, it's well made, exceptional to drive and fast. That 3.0-litre diesel engine is a gem too, being both frugal and powerful. I'd personally prefer an X5, but each to their own!

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Hi James,

It has its good points — comfort and an economical engine chief among them — but tread carefully, as the old 308 just didn’t have the build quality and reliability of newer Peugeot models.

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Hi Tony,

No, no such car exists. They all, when a problem occurs, need a trip to a diagnostic rig. Of the three you’ve mentioned though, the Octavia is by far the best, and yes even better than the Jetta with which it shares its mechanical bits and pieces.

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Hi Wayne,

Depends on the age and on the condition. The 1.5 dCi diesel is a pretty solid engine (look for turbo problems though) and if a Scenic is properly cared for and serviced on the button, they can be fine. Beware of electric gremlins on older cars and don’t buy anything that doesn’t come with a full service history.

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Hi Pat,

They're generally quite solid, but there are a few crucial checks to make. Alternator belts can wear and make a horrible screeching noise when they do. The HDi engines need an additive put in at 60-80,000-mile intervals. A heavy clutch pedal may mean clutch failure is imminent. There are diesel particulate filter issues - if the DPF light comes on and stays on, run the car at medium revs in a low gear for several kilometres to try and heat up the exhaust enough to burn out soot from the DPF. If that doesn't work, it's an expensive part to have replaced. Dual-mass flywheels can get warped and cause a juddering effect. A lumpy idle or excessive exhaust smoke may mean that the exhaust gas recirculation valve needs replacing. 

Inside, the radio and its LED screen can be fragile while, if the air conditioning isn't puffing hard enough, it usually means that the pollen filter needs emptying. Underneath, watch for the front suspension being out of alignment and for excessive tyre wear - 407s were always quite hard on their tyres. A groaning power steering system means the pump needs replacing too.