D3 petrol owner possibly switching vehicles, so what next.....

[theh33d]

G'day all

Ok, I know it has been discussed on the forum before but just looking for more recent experience of people switching their vehicles.

My D3 story.

I've owned my D3 V6 petrol (2006) for nearly 7 years now and love the old girl. She is used for half the year as I work FIFO so normally sits idle when I'm at work. When I'm home she is my daily driver and is used for the normal day to day stuff and any traveling the family has to do when I'm home and any camping trips, hence why I've only clocked up 100,000km in my time of ownership. Currently sitting at 195,000km.
This is the longest I have every owned a single vehicle and I have owned a lot of various vehicles in the past, so this tells me how much I enjoy the old girl.

I have maintained the D3 for whatever it has needed as we all know, if you don't stay on top of it the cost to repair items can be extreme.

So why am I thinking of changing the D3.
Basically thinking do I need to switch to something newer or more fuel efficient to something that I will have for the next 7+ years. But my thoughts are to run the D3 until such times where it becomes none cost efficient to run a D3 for example repairs if any, age and size etc don't suit my current situation.
The big question is, in regard to fuel economy is that if my current D3 isn't costing a huge amount of money to keep her on the road. Any new vehicle cost would pay for a lot of petrol.

Vehicles I have thought about.
I don't have a budget set at this stage as I'm just looking at feed back and peoples experience when or if they have changed.

Landrover:
D3 or D4 Diesel
RRS Diesel
Discovery Sport, I know I know but.... cheap to run and would get me on the beach and enough space for the dog and some camping gear

Nissan:
GU 7 or 8 my son has a GU 7 and its a big old bus and his has been tweaked to make it move and likes a drink of diesel so possibly not an option
Navara Np300

Toyota:
200 series big $$$
105 series, still fetching silly money
Prado

Mitsubishi:
Pajero
Pajero sport, offering 10 years warranty and capped servicing?

Isuzu:
Dmax
MUX

Again, Just looking for some feed back on people who have stuck with their current landcover or they have switched to another landcover or changed to another manufacturer.

Sorry for the long post.

[veebs]

I go around this very dilemma every time the D4 sneezes. I keep coming back to the same conclusion: Stick with the D4.

We recently replaced the duty cycle of the D4 with an electric car, allowing the disco to be retired from the daily school run, shopping trolley duty, etc etc. It spends most of its day parked at an undercover train station carpark, though that too will change shortly, when I start riding a scooter for that.

By dropping the use, there is the obvious flow on effect of lower costs. We still have it there when we go on a trip, want to move lots of people, or tow/lift heavy things, but for all else it enjoys sleeping in the garage.

The downside of this, if you can call it that, is that the justification for a replacement (Defender, Grenadier, whatever) is particularly difficult. Fixed costs like Rego and Insurance won't change (or may even go up), and the lower running costs won't come close to paying off the changeover price of a new equivalent car - anticipated at $140k+.

A used but newer model has been considered. We love the practicality of the disco, but even the newest D4 is now 8 years old, so you're gambling on previous use/servicing. A big risk for what is essentially the same car.
We aren't interested in the D5, the oldest new Defenders aren't my bag (I don't want a 4 cylinder) and the newer used ones haven't depreciated enough to make them enticing. I would love a FFRR, though we would be starting all over with accessories, and that too would be an old vehicle to be in a worthwhile price bracket.

I am conscious too, of looking at the problem through the eyes of a Father of 3 (9, 5, and 1), meaning any car used for our adventures will need to deal with mud, sand, car seats, vomit, Maccas chips, sticky fingers on the windows, etc etc. Not something I want to subject a new car to!

If you like the D3, an option may be to update those elements that are dating? I added carplay to the OEM screen which brings it right up to modern standards for maps, music etc. I retrofitted HSE and heated seats, so it extra comfy. The other stuff like dual batteries and towing electrics maintain its super practical status.

But yes, the pressure of consumerism, and needing to update is ever-present!

[LR1953]

Me? Stick with the devil you know.......
Cheers, Rob S

[Tins]

D2 owner here, so this is FWIW. When I was choosing a car to go away in long term I drove all those on your list except the Mitsus. Plus, my son has a GU ( Bitsa, got a TD42 slotted in where the hand grenade used to be, auto, so not a real sample ), DIL has a new Y62. The Trolls are enormous, so are the LC200s. I also looked at converting a 130.

Anyway, boy was it hard to walk away from the D3/4 cars. Nothing on your list drives anything like them, not even close. Her Y62 is a hoot because it goes well and with the modded exhaust sounds like a Supercar, but it ain't cheap to run and it certainly wasn't cheap to buy. Full of niceties like leather, and they got the woodpanel delete ( a must in my view ), but it's still a truck, and drives like one. Good truck though.

People argue with me, but I still think the Prado is awful. Fine in the front, but awful in the back. Son's former Ranger was better in the back.

Isuzus are fine if you want an appliance. They work well and are probably reliable, but they are also forgettable and you'll probably be updating sooner than you'd want.

200/105 are stupid money to have sitting around. IMO, obviously.

I even considered the Everest. I really liked it, but heard of transmission issues that the Ranger allegedly had. I think both have new models now, and I would look again.

BUT, of all of them, all that I drove, it's the Discos I look back on with regret. They just did it so well.

If it was me, I'd keep the D3.

[Arapiles]

We gifted a cot to one of my wife's colleagues last weekend, and with the rear seats down and a little wiggling to get it through the rear hatch it fit into the D4 without having to disassemble it. I've looked at all of the new vehicles on your list and as far as I'm aware there isn't a single one of them that could do that, you'd need to go to a large people mover or van.

I've been toying with the idea of buying a petrol D4: there was a D4 V8 with very low Kms for sale in WA last week and it was only on Carsales for a day, so others are obviously thinking along my lines.

[Eric SDV6SE]

Late model D4 would be my pick MY16, ideally one with all the mods and options added by the PO.

[scarry]

If you want to stay with LR,i would go to a D4,either petrol or diesel,whatever you want.
Petrol is less popular but seem to have less problems.
As you know any LR will probably have a few issues and need work.

Downsizing,Mitsy Sport are pretty good,one of my brothers has had a couple,and they have been very good.

Anything Toyota will cost big money.

Diesel Patrols are getting on a bit,but there are some good examples around.

After having a D4 for almost 10yrs, we needed something new,and ended up with a LC200,just before Covid so got it at a good price.No new LR suited us for various reasons.
The 200 has been fantastic,like a breath of fresh air compared with any of the 4 new LRs we had over the years.
But still early days,it is only 3 yrs old,but does do over double the Ks each year than the D4 did.

[TonyC]

D2 owner here, so this is FWIW. When I was choosing a car to go away in long term I drove all those on your list except the Mitsus. Plus, my son has a GU ( Bitsa, got a TD42 slotted in where the hand grenade used to be, auto, so not a real sample ), DIL has a new Y62. The Trolls are enormous, so are the LC200s. I also looked at converting a 130.

Anyway, boy was it hard to walk away from the D3/4 cars. Nothing on your list drives anything like them, not even close. Her Y62 is a hoot because it goes well and with the modded exhaust sounds like a Supercar, but it ain't cheap to run and it certainly wasn't cheap to buy. Full of niceties like leather, and they got the woodpanel delete ( a must in my view ), but it's still a truck, and drives like one. Good truck though.

People argue with me, but I still think the Prado is awful. Fine in the front, but awful in the back. Son's former Ranger was better in the back.

Isuzus are fine if you want an appliance. They work well and are probably reliable, but they are also forgettable and you'll probably be updating sooner than you'd want.

200/105 are stupid money to have sitting around. IMO, obviously.

I even considered the Everest. I really liked it, but heard of transmission issues that the Ranger allegedly had. I think both have new models now, and I would look again.

BUT, of all of them, all that I drove, it's the Discos I look back on with regret. They just did it so well.

If it was me, I'd keep the D3.

And so he bought an...............

Oka

🤪😇😂

[Tins]

And so he bought an...............

Oka

🤪😇😂I did[biggrin]. Unusual choice to some, but it meant that I could avoid having to tow, it is extraordinarily capable, and they drive far more like a car than you can imagine. Ian could tell you the kind of track I drove out on with a freshly broken vertebrae. I drove it home to Melb from Bris just before Christmas. On Christmas Eve/Day I did 18 hours straight ( don't tell the RMS ) and was able to walk when I got home. So, it's comfortable enough for me, any halfway decent spanner twirler can fix it, and apart from a shower I can live in it for some time. Only the Mulgo converted 130 can do what I wanted as well, and I'll bet 18 hours in a Deefer would be, well, different.

Obviously, all the cars on the OPs list would be more refined. The Discos by a country mile. They just didn't suit.

[cripesamighty]

Including purchase price, plus servicing and replacing worn items, I have spent less than $20K in my 6 and a half years of D3 ownership (bought with nearly 510K on the clock). The old girl will hit 560,000km some time next month so it isn't bad going. To keep the Km's down on my TDV6, for shorter trips I have a petrol X-Trail or take my electric scooter. There is not much out there that is straight out of the box as versatile as the D3/4 platform for the price, especially if you can do a lot of the work yourself - or have mechanic friends! Personally, I am in the "keep it until it start costing too much $$ to maintain" camp.

[sharmy]

I did[biggrin]. Unusual choice to some, but it meant that I could avoid having to tow, it is extraordinarily capable, and they drive far more like a car than you can imagine. Ian could tell you the kind of track I drove out on with a freshly broken vertebrae. I drove it home to Melb from Bris just before Christmas. On Christmas Eve/Day I did 18 hours straight ( don't tell the RMS ) and was able to walk when I got home. So, it's comfortable enough for me, any halfway decent spanner twirler can fix it, and apart from a shower I can live in it for some time. Only the Mulgo converted 130 can do what I wanted as well, and I'll bet 18 hours in a Deefer would be, well, different.

Obviously, all the cars on the OPs list would be more refined. The Discos by a country mile. They just didn't suit.

18 hours straight in an Oka ! WOW you must have done at least 200 ks I tried to post a funny icon but don't know how.

[loanrangie]

From your list the Pajero is the only one i considered before buying my D3, Prado wouldn't even come last. Early 2.7 D4's are cheap at the moment and would be my pick or just spend 5-8k on your D3 to bring it up to optimal.

[Tins]

18 hours straight in an Oka ! WOW you must have done at least 200 ks I tried to post a funny icon but don't know how.

[bigrolf]. From Hillgrove. NSW. (Near Armidale, not the one near Wagga, camped near the waterfall there) down the NE to Tamworth, across to Dubbo and then the Newell to Morundah, turned off to Corowa, Benalla, Bonnie Doon, to Sassafras in the Dandenongs. Bit over 1300k. Never seen the Newell so quiet. Probably saw less than 10 trucks.

Apologies for the thread hijack. In my defence, Tony started it[bigwhistle]

[theh33d]

Thanks Folks

Your responses are what I thought myself but always good to reach out to hear other peoples input.

I will keep the D3 for a while yet until the Wife gives top her car when see finishes work in the next couple of years and then have a look to see what's out there.
The D4 would be my first choice, but finding that vehicle with limited km's will be tough, as I would want a relatively lowish km car. There was a D4 SCV6 with low km's here in WA but just wrong timing for me.
It will be extremely tough to replace the D3 with anything other than a D4 as they just work for me, but we will wait and see what the budget is nearer the time as I can't see myself coughing up $130k+ on a vehicle where I want to hit the bush and beach and not worry about scratching and taking home half the beach in the car.