Disco vs. Defender?

Out of the box a Defender will always be a better performer off road. Disco 3 needs all terrain tyres at a minimum. Spend a few dollars on both vehicles and the D3 would only lose out where weight is a disadvantage.
Different vehicles for different tastes though and while the Defender may win in the outright 4wd situation the D3 driver will be in an environment that is quiet, comfortable and doesn't leak ;)
Of course there is also the difference in purchase price that makes a difference, Puma +10K Difflocks, tyres, modest lift = high 50 thousands
D4 + 10K Tyres, Suspension mods, tyre carrier = High 90 thousands.
We have a D3 and a Wrangler. There is very little difference in outright capability but the D3 is a much nicer vehicle for a long trip at a $40K premium from new. I like driving them both equally as sometimes its nice to drive a vehicle that is light and nimble for a change.

Regards,
Tote

With the exception of some angles the Disco out of the box will outperform the Defender out of the box off road, the terrain response in the disco is that good.

However it is definitely true that in the offroad stakes for a lot less than the price difference you can make the Deefer the better offroad performer, however there is not enough money in the world to make the Deefer as comfortable or safe as the Disco on road.

If money isn't the issue then if you want a bush basher then the Deefer with mods will go farther than the Disco, if you want a comfortable capable tourer with serious offroad ability then the disco is your car.

As Rick commented have a read of the attached thread, lots of good points either way;

http://www.aulro.com/afvb/d3-d4-rrs/...-defender.html

Having said that what you will find is the Fender boys got their backsides kicked by the D3/4 mob who made lots of excellent points why the D3/4 is a much better vehicle. ...:)

Mind you it was a bit unfair because we stayed on point while half of them starting arguing with each other about whether a County was better than a TD5 or was it better to own the ever reliable but gutless TDI 200. I think most of them agreed their earlier ones were better than the unreliable pretend Puma's. ..:p

One would have to think maybe all that vibrating from their rattly old leaky dungers has loosened their grey matter which in turn caused them to lose focus. ...Sad Really! ...:angel:

Seriously for a moment, the real test is go drive a D3 or 4 yourself and see what you think best serves your needs. Once you have driven a late model Disco chances are you won't want to stay in a Fender.


cheers,
Terry

If I wanted something with less noise, more comfort, Nice trim, A/C & ergonomics. dosent leak dust or water (or oil for that matter) , great handling, 5 star safety rating , and quality Audio system i'd buy a ......




















....CAR !!


I dont need any of those features in my Defender (well except for a great A/C ;) )

Quote:

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Originally Posted by scarry

But on the way home,some drunk ran a red light at high speed, into the deefer.

Now i would be wishing i was in the Disco amongst an airbag or two.......:p

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Real world crash data in the UK showed that a Defender and a Disco (D2 at the time) were just as safe as each other.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by TerryO

Having said that what you will find is the Fender boys got their backsides kicked by the D3/4 mob who made lots of excellent points why the D3/4 is a much better vehicle. ...:)

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I know your post is tongue in cheek but for me it's not about getting "backsides kicked". You see Defender owners aren't interested in proclaiming the greatness of their vehicles, our time is spent planning modifications, organising trips, refining camping gear, improving on our vehicles weaknesses and with a lot of time spent chatting to other Defender owners about what works for them. It's why you'll see Defender owners organising BBQs, camping trips or just general "Come around and we'll bang on about Landys" get togethers.

Now if you'll excuse me I need to research how I'm going to stuff 250L of fuel and 120L of water in my Defender while ensuring my vehicle is in top mechanical condition because, you know, there's places to see and adventures to be had.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by isuzurover

Real world crash data in the UK showed that a Defender and a Disco (D2 at the time) were just as safe as each other.

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Beat me to it - the Defender is one of the most survivable cars to be in. The weak point is side impact, so I'd recommend rock sliders or steel steps. In real world situations when high cars are struck on the side by a low car, they tend to tip over. This is a good thing, it's pretty much a non lethal maneuvre that absorbs heaps of energy to effect. It also places a chassis & drive train between the occupant and the intruding vehicle.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by TerryO

<Snip> I think most of them agreed their earlier ones were better than the unreliable pretend Puma's. </Snip>

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?? I take it by "pretend Pumas" you mean older Defenders with Puma Bonnets?

Don't listen to Terry O, he probably uses Velcro instead of shoe laces.

Defender still king of the ruff and tough stuff. D4 is a better car but then so is a Toyota camry. D1 looked great, D2 was complementary, then the D3 came out looking like a van, each generation getting more and more booooring. The more popular a car is, the more boring it becomes, it's proven equation. If you had to wave at every disco you'd get tennis elbow! :wasntme:

If you want luxury and off road performance, get the new range rover!

".... If you want luxury and off road performance, get the new range rover!..."

Or get the OLD one... - LSE if you want the ultimate ride - spend some of that saved money on (re) building it properly, with a half-decent engine and all the fruity bits.

Should have lot$ left over to re-paint it, gold-plate the badges and lettering... even Big Wheels & Tyres.

Just a Silly Thought... :eek: