Buying advice for 2005 D3 S

[PaulG]

Hi all,

I am new to Land Rovers and looking for some advice. I am looking at a 2005 S with a manual gearbox. The vehicle does not have terrain response, is a 5 seater (cloth) and I don't think it has air suspension.

Are these minuses above a big deal? I am more than happy with cloth however I like how the 7 seater folds completely flat and leather would be nicer to keep clean.


How do the coil D3's handle on road? do they sway around a fair bit?

Without terrain response am I missing out on what a D3 really is?

Can you swap in the seats from a 7 seater (only the front two and middle 3, not the rear 2)?

Are there any issues with the manual that I should be aware of?


The vehicle is interstate which makes making the decision hard. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I believe the car is as basic as a D3 can come. It has 180,000kms and has had two owners with full history.

Thank you in advance for your help,

Paul
(Melbourne)

[Redback]

Hi all,

I am new to Land Rovers and looking for some advice. I am looking at a 2005 S with a manual gearbox. The vehicle does not have terrain response, is a 5 seater (cloth) and I don't think it has air suspension.

Are these minuses above a big deal? I am more than happy with cloth however I like how the 7 seater folds completely flat and leather would be nicer to keep clean.


How do the coil D3's handle on road? do they sway around a fair bit?
Without terrain response am I missing out on what a D3 really is?
Can you swap in the seats from a 7 seater (only the front two and middle 3, not the rear 2)?
Are there any issues with the manual that I should be aware of?


The vehicle is interstate which makes making the decision hard. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I believe the car is as basic as a D3 can come. It has 180,000kms and has had two owners with full history.

Thank you in advance for your help,

Paul
(Melbourne)




How do the coil D3's handle on road? do they sway around a fair bit? NO
Without terrain response am I missing out on what a D3 really is? NO
Can you swap in the seats from a 7 seater (only the front two and middle 3, not the rear 2)? YES
Are there any issues with the manual that I should be aware of? Don't Know

I would suspect that the manual box is fine, in the history does it mention any issues??


Also just because it's an S model and manual, doesn't mean it is a coil model, there were a few manuals with air suspension ordered(special order) we looked at a couple ourselves before buying our D4.



I would love our D4 to be a manual, search the Disco3.uk site for info on the manual, lots of manuals in the UK, even D4s.


Baz.

[PaulG]

Thanks for the info. I have asked the dealer if it is coil or air and they are unsure (subaru dealership).

Do you know if the seats can be swapped around between the models? And it seems weird to not have terrain response?

[Epic pooh]

If it's on car sales or similar post a link and we can tell you if it is air or not from the photos.

[SBD4]

I think this is it:
2005 Land Rover Discovery 3 S (Rel. Apr.) (http://www.carsales.com.au/dealer/details/Land-Rover-Discovery-3-2005/AGC-AD-17457236/?Cr=654)

It is a coiler - it does not have terrain response. Looks like it has a lift.

With out terrain response, in my opinion, you do miss out on the true capability of the car. If you are not doing any off road work then not much of an issue.

Also, I have seen it written here that the clutch in the manual is not up to the task:

http://www.aulro.com/afvb/d3-d4-rrs/210839-d3-auto-vs-manual-trans.html

[PaulG]

I think this is it:
2005 Land Rover Discovery 3 S (Rel. Apr.) (http://www.carsales.com.au/dealer/details/Land-Rover-Discovery-3-2005/AGC-AD-17457236/?Cr=654)

It is a coiler - it does not have terrain response. Looks like it has a lift.

With out terrain response, in my opinion, you do miss out on the true capability of the car. If you are not doing any off road work then not much of an issue.

Also, I have seen it written here that the clutch in the manual is not up to the task:

http://www.aulro.com/afvb/d3-d4-rrs/210839-d3-auto-vs-manual-trans.html

That is the car. I won't be doing any major off roading, mainly camping/state forests etc. Certainly nothing to be considered extreme. How would a lifted coil car be on the road? Boat like or ok?

Thank you for the link to the info on the clutch, definitely something to consider! My head is all over, I don't know whether I want a manual that much to forfeit the terrain response, air suspension and leather but it would be nice having a manual!

[cripesamighty]

Hi Paul,

If you can afford to forgo the coils and get the airbags with TRS you won't regret it. Before handing over any money on what will be a major purchase, go through the D3/D4/RRS section (if you haven't already) and use the search function (bottom left of page) to get yourself up to speed on these great vehicles.

Make a list of what your intended usage will be to narrow down your choice of vehicle. Each D3 variation has its own pro's and con's, ie. engine type - petrol V6 vs petrol V8 vs diesel 2.7L; suspension type - coils vs airbags/TRS; servicing requirements/scheduled maintenance etc. You need to be able to compare apples with apples when the time comes to choose your weapon and it may take a while to find the right car for you.

You don't want to unknowingly buy a car that is due for expensive scheduled service items that the previous owner hasn't got around to. Also, if you don't do many Km's per year, it may be in your best interest to go with the thirstier petrol models (V6 or V8) which will often be better specced and usually with less Km's than an equivalently priced less thirsty diesel model.

The D3's came out in 2005 in Australia, and are more complex vehicles than the standard Toyota/Nissan/Mitsubishi offerings put out, even 10 years later. Don't let that put you off though as that's not a bad thing. As per usual for a new model run, buy the latest model you can afford to get over the initial hiccups (2006 onwards?). I'm sure others will chime in and point you in the right direction.

There is plenty of info on AULRO from the collective brains trust to help you sort almost anything. Do lots of research, don't rush your purchase and good luck! Oh and if you buy a D3 with Terrain Response, get hold of Gordon's booklet (gghaggis on AULRO) on how to use it properly.


- How do the coil D3's handle on road? do they sway around a fair bit?
They handle well but not nearly so well as an air sprung D3 with TRS. The coilers really need the 2" lift to clear the undersides offroad, which makes it handle slightly less well than the non-lifted version. Not a patch on the airbag version though.

- Without terrain response am I missing out on what a D3 really is?
The TRS and airbags make for a much better vehicle IMO. Having driven both on a test drive (coils vs airbags/TRS), I would pick the airbag/TRS option every time. Terrain Response is a revolution in offroading, not just an evolution in capabilities.

- Can you swap in the seats from a 7 seater (only the front two and middle 3, not the rear 2)?
From memory you can, but I can't remember if there were licencing/regulation hoops you have to jump through.

- Are there any issues with the manual that I should be aware of?
Lots of info online (this forum and others) suggest that the clutch is too small for the mass of the vehicle and you will more than likely have on-going issues. To get the most out of the TRS it is best to run an auto anyway.



Cheers,

Cripesamighty

[PaulG]

Thank you for the response! That is fantastic info. Not exactly what I wanted to hear as it has made me lean away from the car but it's what I needed to hear!

This is the car I am considering:
2005 Land Rover Discovery 3 S (Rel. Apr.) - Subaru Waitara (http://stock.subaruwaitara.com.au/details/2005-Land%20Rover-Discovery%203-25993617)

[rar110]

The S misses out on things like xenon lights. It looks in good Nic. However I think there are better value later S and SE examples out there.

[PaulG]

I am undecided as yet if I am going to go ahead with it or not, I love the idea of manual but not if it has problems as I keep reading on this forum. People seem to love the auto so maybe I look out for a diesel SE around the same price.

[~Rich~]

Looking at the photo's it's got coil suspension and aftermarket ones at that.
Probably 40mm higher than standard.
It's either done some 4wding or towing as it's also got a CB fitted.

[Redback]

I disagree with those that say the coiler doesn't handle well on and offroad, I've been out with a few coil D3s on a number of occasions, actually the last time I was out with a D3 manual, was at the D3/D4/RRS weekend at Lithgow, he went everywhere we did, not a drama, they preform as well as the air suspension cars and certainly better than it's Jap counterparts.

As for the clutch, clutches are like children, look after them and they will be good, also there has been 2 updates on the D3 clutch since the initial problems, maybe even more, in the UK manuals are more common, and the problems were heat and too tall in 1st and reverse, I would imagin people used to slip the clutch too much causing too much heat, which help lead to the failures.

That is a very nice looking D3, it's in great nick, pretty good price too, I look at it this way, you could buy an auto and have all sorts of dramas with it also, not saying you will, but it could happen, buying any car second hand is a risk, actually buying new can be too.

Looking at carsales, $19,000 is a good price for the Ks and condition, soon as you go under 180,000ks the price goes up $5000 to $15,000.

Good luck with your decision and have a look under the car for any damage, that will give you an idea if it's been abused and whether it's done a lot of offroad..

Baz.

[~Rich~]

"have a look under the car for any damage, that will give you an idea if it's been abused and whether it's done a lot of offroad.."

Like ours eh Baz. :angel:

[PaulG]

I have received some more detailed service history and it doesnt sound too good. It has been serviced by about 8 places all up, including some non Land Rover dealers in WA and NT. They may have been minor services whilst on a trip but this information along with lifted springs and a CB suggests it may have done some off roading.
It has not been consistently serviced by one place in sydney, and even the last place (Alto) could not recover the vehicle in their system (by VIN or rego)

Doesn't sound too good... :(:(

[letherm]

All else aside, if you're having doubts, and it sounds like you are, wait for something else to come along. Your gut feeling is often right ;)

Martin

[PaulG]

Thank you everyone for your help. I have cooled down on the car since researching the service history. I am still not completely discounting it however. Will possibly wait to see if it drops in price at all. I have spoken to the dealer and they have been told by another prospective buyer that it would nearly be due for the timing belts to be done as well as associated pully's and oil pump. They have since dropped the price to $17,200. Not bat for a 182,000k car.... This would all be so much easier if the car was in Victoria!

[Redback]

Thank you everyone for your help. I have cooled down on the car since researching the service history. I am still not completely discounting it however. Will possibly wait to see if it drops in price at all. I have spoken to the dealer and they have been told by another prospective buyer that it would nearly be due for the timing belts to be done as well as associated pully's and oil pump. They have since dropped the price to $17,200. Not bat for a 182,000k car.... This would all be so much easier if the car was in Victoria!

No not nearly due, are due now, timing belts were due at 160,000ks, so I would be asking for them to be done before purchase, if not, walk away!!!

Baz.

[SBD4]

No not nearly due, are due now, timing belts were due at 160,000ks, so I would be asking for them to be done before purchase, if not, walk away!!!

Baz.

I was going to mention that in my earlier post but thought with the "full service history" that it would have been done.
With the possibility that it hasn't, you should also check that a new oil pump with improved re-enforced webbing has been installed. The old part is likely to fail after the timing belt change which is catastrophic for the engine.

[rar110]

The 160ooo km service with diffs was nearly $2k from memory.

[PaulG]

I have been quoted $2200 by ritter for the job. It is certainly a bargaining point for the car at least. It will go down to $17,000, minus $500 (some interstate buyer gimmick). So $16,500.. I am certainly tempted to go to Sydney and check it out...

[nelpd96]

Paul as someone that actually owned one of these for a number of years, not just test drove one I can tell you that the manual is fine. The clutch issues arrise when people forget that they are driving a manual and towing heavy loads. The power delivery on these engines is not really suited to a manual if you are doing lots of stop start towing. I used to use low range in mine a bit on steep hills etc to take the load of the clutch and it was fine.

I also had a 40mm Dobinson lift in mine and still prefer the way that drove to the D4 that I replaced it with. To a certain extent the 17" rims that I had on mine would have contributed to the ride but it was just so bloody smooth compared to the bags on my D4.

Finally with regards to TR, there is much to be gained if you are doing a significant amount of offroad work but based on what you have been saying it will still be able to go most places as the traction control part is still in there. The upshot of the S is that it is very easy to replace the stereo with an aftermarket unit as there are none of the issues with the dash on the flasher versions either. I had a pioneer double DIN unit in mine with reverse camera, DAB+, DVD and could run iPhone Apps as well as a bunch of other stuff that I never bothered with. I will never be able to get all that in my D4 without interface issues.

I sold mine for $25k but it only had 134,000km on it and was a very good condition with a lot of new/replacement bits on it.

Cheers
Paul

[PaulG]

Thanks for the input Paul, it is fantastic to hear from someone who owned one. You have shed a lot of light onto some of the concerns I had. I am basing my decision on an inspection now. I will be going up to Sydney this weekend! Hopefully all is well and I can become a Land Rover owner

[cripesamighty]

Hi Paul,

Thanks for the clarification. When I had the chance to test drive both D3's side by side, they both had a 1.8 ton caravan attached. What you said makes perfect sense.


Cheers,

Cripesamighty

[PaulG]

Andddd I contacted the dealer today, credit card at the ready to place a holding deposit on... "Sorry sir, we sold the car this morning pending an inspection"



Damnnn

[letherm]

Andddd I contacted the dealer today, credit card at the ready to place a holding deposit on... "Sorry sir, we sold the car this morning pending an inspection"



Damnnn

Don't despair Paul. When we were looking for our first Land Rover in 2013 we missed out on 2 demo cars that we had our hearts set on and ended up with a new HSE that was actually cheaper than the demos were by several thousand. The demos were outside of Sydney where we live whereas the new HSE was in Sydney :)

The right car is out there, don't worry too much you may end up happier like we did.

Good luck with your search.

Martin

[rar110]

I started looking in April last year and finally bought in November. I missed out on several good deals as they go quick. However, it doesn't matter as another good deal will come up sooner or later.

In retrospect the first 3 months was learning about various models and features, working out what I really wanted, prices & pitfalls such as cost of outstanding services. I ended up with a great car and a deal that I haven't seen bettered.

In summary have a good long look around. New listings come up all the time. Sometimes there is a glut, next a lull. Don't stress about missing out on a deal as another will come along. The search can be frustrating. The key is to be patient. Appearance (indicating how well the car was looked after) and complete service history are important features, and get an inspection.

[nelpd96]

The problem that he is going to have is that there were only around 50 manual TDV6 sold in Australia so if you are looking for one they are few and far between. Mine was the only one in 134 D3 TDV6 vehicles when it was on carsales.

Keep looking and you may find one but the are thin on the ground.

[rar110]

The problem that he is going to have is that there were only around 50 manual TDV6 sold in Australia so if you are looking for one they are few and far between. Mine was the only one in 134 D3 TDV6 vehicles when it was on carsales. Keep looking and you may find one but the are thin on the ground.

True.

[LandyAndy]

True.I was looking at a parked D3 TDV6 once in Albany,it was a manual.The owner turned up and asked what I was doing.Told him I was a landy fan and that was my D2 parked behind him.He had to specialy order his and wait almost 6 months for delivery.Manuals are much more common in the UK,pretty sure they were still available in the early D4s over there too.Not here.
Andrew

[kingo]

Hi Paul

Nothing wrong with a D3 on coils, I had one for 4 years that had 50mm lift and it was a great ride. Now have a RRS on air obviously and the difference is minimal on road. RRS has lower profile tyres and I think stiffer suspension, but the D3 was great. The good thing about coils is you don't need to worry about watching the threads about compressors dying, coils always work.

But I'm sure by now there would be enough secondhand cars to find a decent D3 SE with good history, make sure it has been serviced when required. My theory spend heaps on servicing and you won't spend heaps fixing it.

Good luck

Andrew

[PaulG]

I have found a car near me located in quite an affluent suburb in Melbourne's east.

The car is an 05 SE, auto. The service history is outstanding (all done with LR specialists, ritter for the last 80,000kms), full books and receipts to match. Receipts are even highlighted throughout in colour coded highlighter representing what was a major service etc. It has had its air compressor updated to the model from the d4, sump upgraded, transmission serviced every 90,000kms and been looked after really well in general.

I drove the car and all felt smooth and nice. My issue is that the car has travelled 240,000kms. Is this too much?

I haven't bargained with him yet so not sure what the car will sell for but what would you say it is worth?

[~Rich~]

Tell us the price son ;)

[PaulG]

Tell us the price son ;)

$20,000 advertised so maybe $18,000

[Leroy_Riding]

appears to be a reasonable price to me, 240,000kms shoudlnt be an issue if the servicing is 100% and the transmissions has been taken care of (i.e. upgraded sump from X5) and see if when the timing belt was done if the oil pump housing was also done, not sure if this is an issue on an 05 though, mines an 08 S.

Leroy.

[PaulG]

And as of today I am officially a Land Rover owner! Can't wait to get my hands on it!

[rar110]

And as of today I am officially a Land Rover owner! Can't wait to get my hands on it!

Sorry mate but you've broken the rules already. PHOTOS REQUIRED.
😄

[PaulG]

No pictures as of yet but here is the ad. I ended up getting it for $18,500

High mileage but the service history is spotless, as is the car itself

2005 Land Rover Discovery 3 SE Sports Automatic (http://www.carsales.com.au/private/details/Land-Rover-Discovery-3-2005/SSE-AD-3116668/?Cr=3)

[SBD4]

Well done Paul, welcome to the club!

[Redback]

That's in great condition Paul, well done, 7 seater too, that means all the rear seats fold flat, and air suspension also, that's a bonus, welcome to the club:BigThumb:

Baz.

[Grumbles]

It seems like you were lucky and in the right place at the right time Paul. You appear to have done rather well - that Disco looks to be a ripper.

Now......howzabout lending me your lucky rabbits foot.......;)

Welcome to LR ownership too.:cool:

[PaulG]

Thanks :) I pick it up Wednesday and can't wait!

The plans for the car will be to keep it stock, only a few minor things will be done. On the to do list:

Good clay, cut, polish and wax
Tint (dark as possible on the rear, lighter up front)
Bluetooth (undecided between a parrot system or a whole new headunit. Do any newer LR headunits have Bluetooth and Usb input that will fit?
Roof racks/platform
Possible detango
Possible few little cosmetic things like colour coded door handles and rear latch. Would love some D4 tail lights but too expensive.

[carlschmid2002]

One little tip that has caught me out. Before you take delivery check out that the key works manually in the passenger door. I have had some issues with keys not working, even though they are both brand new and the manual lock doesn't work. Very frustrating when you can't get in your car. Other than that I love my D3. V8 is the way to go. Great engine. Very thirsty around town though. Congrats on a great buy.

[PaulG]

Thanks mate, I'll check it out when I pick it up. I was only interested in the diesel cause of the economy. I'm sure it will be powerful enough for what I need!