Printable View
Geez, tough decision.
My heart says Deefer but having driven back from the Alice last year in the D2....
I must be getting soft in my dotage! [emoji23]
I did miss the suspension travel of the (not stock) Fender on some of the rougher tracks.
And the MT's in the mud but momentum is your friend when you only have HT's.
If your Defender is a long-term keeper, everything else is in excellent condition and you’re happy towing with it, I’d upgrade the intercooler, new tyres and take the Defender. This kind of trip is what it’s designed for. Keep the disco clean.Quote:
Originally Posted by Aussie_Oz_Born
If you’re not planning to keep the Defender long-term for this kind of trip and the Disco will become your primary tourer, if you have time to do all the bush upgrades, its time to use it for that purpose. You’ll eventually get a new daily driver.
Its a big trip to do in 14 days. Either way you’ll be spending most of your time on the road.
Either will get you there, Have a great trip! 👍
Good tyres and protection are the keys, I think.
With kids in the car I'd take the D4 - google some crash photos of Defenders without external roll bars and see why. And the D4 would be a much more pleasant way to do the ks - much, much quieter and more comfortable for everyone.Quote:
Originally Posted by Aussie_Oz_Born
By all accounts the air suspension is reliable and if you were worried about the tyres then you could buy some Tuffants or Compomotive wheels and swap back later.
Edit: and I'm on record as not seeing any need for bullbars.
Yep, you've sold me on the safety aspect, Disco it is then. Time to make a list of all the bits I'll need.Quote:
Originally Posted by Arapiles
Cheers everyone for the input, muchly appreciated!
If you are really worried about the air suspension, there are a couple of aftermarket emergency airbag inflation kits that you could instal to get you out of trouble if it was ever required.
Safety is a good reason for your choice. Peace of mind is important. It also sounds like you and your family would prefer to take your D4. It will be better at towing and for the fast run over to Alice.
While it’s not a pleasant thing to consider, I just googled both Defender and D4 crash photos and there are plenty of horrific crumpled examples of both. Yes airbags make cars safer, but looking at the phots I’m not sure there’s a huge difference in rollover protection. Happy to be proven wrong.
I also think I my Defender makes me drive more safely. I think the presumed extra safety, more powerful engine and sportier handling of a D4 may also lead to some people driving faster / less carefully. It then I don’t have kids so I do t know how I’d feel if I did.
I'm going to presume that the D4 is also quieter than the Defender ...Quote:
Originally Posted by Zeros
Disco 3 & 4 have an NCAP of 4 - there's lots of photos online of them with intact body structures after crashes (including one I just found on here from South Africa where the D4 got hit by another car doing 200kmh) but you can't say that for the Defenders, which basically don't pass any crash test regulations. That's why the mines here wouldn't touch them. There was also an AULRO member who rolled his D4 down a slope in the Vic Alps last year (or earlier this year?) and it was noticeable that the body structure still looked pretty square and the doors were openable.Quote:
Originally Posted by Zeros
If your going with the D4 (which the family will appreciate) I would look at a dual battery system if your keeping a fridge in the car (I assume the trailer has a battery), an IID tool and may be an extra tyre/wheel. You can probably just borrow one.
EAS is reliable. Lots of trucks running around with air suspension.