Dear Tom and Ray:

I am a 23-year-old college student who is about to graduate. I am about to make a huge investment in a sport utility vehicle, as I am moving to Montana after graduation. I really want a Land Rover Discovery but am skeptical about their reliability. I have had poor luck trying to find out if they're durable over the long haul, and I also wonder if many mechanics know how to work on them. I want a vehicle that performs well off road. It's a big decision for me and I could really use your help. Thanks a bunch. -- Paul

Tom: Paul, are you nuts? You're moving to Montana, you want reliability, and you're lusting after a British car?

Ray: I suggest you sign up for the following courses for the spring semester ; "History of the British Computer Industry," "Lucas: a Biographical Portrait " and "Intro to Wilderness Survival."

Tom: You'll find that the British never really entered the computer industry in the same way they entered the auto industry for one reason: They couldn't figure out how to make computers leak oil.

Ray: You'll learn about Lucas Electronics. Sir Lucas was so infamous for the electrical failures he caused on British cars that he was given the nickname The Prince of Darkness.

Tom: And finally, the wilderness survival course will help you if you ignore our advice and buy a British SUV anyway.

Ray: Seriously, Paul, the Discovery is a nice vehicle, but it's expensive to buy and fix, it does not have the world's best reliability record, and almost nobody in Montana is going to have any experience fixing it (for more details on repair costs, see the Survey Results at the Car Talk section of www.cars.com. It's an SUV for wealthy urban and suburban types, not real back-road Montanans.

Tom: You need a good old American SUV. A Ford Explorer, Chevy Blazer, Jeep Grand Cherokee or Dodge Durango would be the vehicles to look at, Paul. And rather than making a "huge investment," consider buying a newer used one that's just coming off lease. It'll serve you just as well, and allow you to start saving up for graduate school.

Why do unmitigated cheapskates like Tom continue to buy nothing but old clunkers? Find out by ordering Tom and Ray's guide "How to Buy a Great Used Car: Secrets Only Your Mechanic Knows." To order, send (check or money order) to Ruin, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. You can also order online.

© 1998 by Tom and Ray Magliozzi and Doug Berman Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

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