The Jeep dilemma: Why I bid Adieu to a Gnarly 4x4 after 30 years

A few weeks ago I attended a meeting of Jeepers. At the end of the meeting, the people went their separate ways, and suddenly a call was heard: "Whose gray Subaru is it? You're blocking me!". I looked around, who is he looking for? And then, oops, the thought hit me - that's it, I'm a subroid like everyone else, no longer a real Gypsy. What a shame! Or is it not really a shame, maybe it really is time to release the Discovery on a new path?

Farewell to the transfer case

The idea of parting with the "power" gear has been in my mind for a long time; Over the past few years, I've gone on less and less rugged off-road trips, suddenly I'm happy to leave the Disco in the parking lot when I have test vehicles like a Gladiator or Bronco at my disposal, and in general - it became clear to me that I haven't combined a "short" gear in the Discovery for two years. For decades I traveled in the field with a Lada Niva, a first generation Vitra, a short Terrano, an open Pajero and more. In the mid-nineties I fell in love with the Land Rover Discovery and in 1998 I bought my first Disco, a '97 model from the 3-door series.

Our first disco plowed deep into the Negev deserts and the dunes of Jordan, serving me and Dorit with loyalty and love. After that we bought another Discovery-1 model 98 and after that - another one, the third and last in the series. The unique virtues of the British carriage captured our hearts, starting with the best sitting position I've encountered in an SUV, through an excellent and robust suspension system, and ending with vehicle angles that today can no longer be found. Yes, I know what you're already thinking - what about the breakdowns, what about the garage expenses, what about the depreciation?

So let me tell you that the three discos kept their faith in me. During hundreds of thousands of kilometers, I never went back in a tow, never broke a axle or differential, never changed an engine or repaired a transmission. luck? Calm driving? An emotional connection between Dorit and me, and the British carriage? We'll never know, but that's our personal experience. For the avoidance of doubt and cynicism - I did not enjoy any favors from a car reporter close to importers; I bought two of the discos in the private market, I had the treatments done by Eli Shahar and Muhammad, professional and honest mechanics, who are not looking to spoil the customer.

I am very much in favor of old SUVs and the truth is that in parallel to the Discover, I also owned an open Six and a Defender 110 Tarpaulin for several years, charismatic and amazingly hot SUVs. I believe that every Jeep owes itself a few years with a pure and authentic SUV, but this is not a commitment that is suitable for everyone. The old tools are amazing and soul-expanding for off-road trips but on the road, they are pretty serious junk.

The Six and the 110 came and went, but we always had a Discovery at home. Dorit was a full partner in the desire to travel, but when we discovered that the main use we make of the Discovery is to go on a picnic with the grandchildren, it already became senseless. As much as the last Disco was reliable and "clean", this is a very old car - here there is a leak, here you need to change the coupling, there is time off, there are two tests a year. Even a romantic like me understood that eventually, it was time to say goodbye. Another 3-4 years passed before I decided to implement the decision and say goodbye to the green ellipse. Even the dilemma of "what to buy instead" was not difficult.

I have a Subaru too, "like everyone else"

It was clear to me that as soon as I said goodbye to the tough SUVs, the next vehicle would be a Subaru Forester. This is one of the best crossovers out there, I've always loved its road features, high seating position, and considerable off-road capabilities. It was clear to me that the Forester would not be able to handle medium or serious crime tracks, and I would no longer be able to participate in the trips "cross Israel" that we used to go on with Joy Byrne and the patrol gang.

But the Forester will be excellent on calm paths and dunes, and in terms of a crossover - it has considerable off-road capabilities. The switch to the Forester will not allow me to experience demanding off-road adventures, but it will give me quality of life and peace of mind on the road - and at this stage of my life, I have decided that it is a worthy deal. I knew that the deal also included an engine and a transmission that I don't like, but - in executive driving I live just fine with the 2.0 liter and I was also surprised to find that in a calm intercity drive it is not an excessive fuel hog - there is no problem cruising with it at 12-14 kilometers per liter, what's wrong?

At times the thought of buying a Duster diesel 4x4 crossed my mind; Its off-road capabilities are excellent (in crossover terms), it's incredibly fuel-efficient, and I love its shape. But I was worried that it wouldn't age as well as the Subaru, and I also didn't want to go back to a manual transmission - certainly not for an urban crossover. I also thought about XV but its dimensions are a bit small on me; I preferred to pay a little more and buy a Forester that you can load camping gear on, and even sleep in. Another option was to save the Disco for off-road trips, and buy a used super-mini for everyday use. I don't think so, I really don't want to maintain three cars.

Change of generations

After I made the decision in principle, the realization was much easier than I thought - within ten days I found a 2015 Forester in excellent condition with only 74 thousand kilometers on the clock, in excellent condition. I was more worried about selling the Disco because the market is not who knows what today - the elderly Discovery is only suitable for those who know exactly what they are looking for, and why.

Any 25-year-old SUV (Disco, Trooper, Pajero or Grand Cherokee) can be an excellent touring vehicle, provided it is properly and lovingly maintained. Except for a modest rise of about 3.0 inches, my car was completely standard: original size AT tires, no lateral locks, no snorkel or fenders (don't need fenders on this car). But it was a clean and refined car, economical and very reliable. With the aluminum drawers and four new tires it was ready for off-road trips of any kind - not an extreme beast of offense, but a fine touring vehicle. In response to my ad, I received several phone calls - the first interested person just confused my mind, the second came to see the bonbonnière. We went on a demo tour, had a short and civilized negotiation, and the disco disappeared over the horizon. Goodbye My friend!

Forester in the big city

When the emotion of parting with the Discovery passes, I start to enjoy the Forester. Suddenly I discover a relatively modern and pleasant car; I assembled a good multimedia, adjusted the sleeping surface of the Discovery to the dimensions of the Forester - a little tighter but still, you can sleep inside. Every morning I am surprised to see that everything works, there are no drops of oil in the parking lot, I am not afraid that it will sting me with mechanical surprises, and the most important thing - the next test will come in a year and will probably pass without any problems. It is clear to me that there will be situations in which I will be upset that I cannot do serious terrain, but between us? Even with the Discovery, in recent months I have not done an area that is not accessible to the Forester. Can I no longer travel with the "Patrol Club"? No big deal, I'll deal with it.

One of the dilemmas was, should it be improved for challenging off-road driving? To raise a vehicle? Shielding? All terrain tires? My answer is no, no, and no. In the usage profile I intend for this vehicle, I don't need all-terrain tires and fenders, and any raising of the vehicle will harm the ride comfort and road behavior that I like. In the end, it is a road car raised by a few centimeters, its assemblies are not built for the load that produces challenging off-road driving. I know Subroids who have upgraded the Forester to a war machine and they climb Ma'ale Ashosh, cross Nahal Arod, and even more. Some install a rear lock, change gear ratios, cut the fenders to install bigger tires. It doesn't interest me - if I wanted a real SUV, I would stay with the Discovery. If I see down the road that I need minor improvements, maybe, but I find it hard to believe that I will install anything significant. I only replaced the original spare wheel with a full-size wheel, in favor of accidents that may happen even on vegetarian off-road trips.

An interim summary after about two months? Great pleasure. I haven't missed any outdoor adventure yet (we'll see what happens in the upcoming floods and snowstorms), and I'm really enjoying the bourgeois chapter of my current life. As usual with me, I intend to keep the Forester for many years, I see no reason to replace it.

Editing of the photos in the article: Dodi Moskovich