Thread: Disco beats the Cr4P out of Jeep

However twice went crazy and went to lowest suspension setting. Turning on and off fixed, but does not inspire confidence needed for serious outback trips.



At least the transmission didn't overheat like the Jeep...

The disco is fine for outback trips, i wouldnt hesitate if i had one. So they had to reset the suspension settings, big deal. I would rather have an electronic glich than have the front wheel fall off a cruiser or crack a chassis on a patrol. Matt

Back in about 1993 I made a tv commercial for the Daihatsu Rocky.

The example supplied (less than 2,000 ks) had been a tester for the motoring journo crew and was filthy, we couldn't find the donk for the mud...

It had to perform a small jump... the guys custom made a ramp which was about 3 feet high at launch.

We stopped launching it after about five or six takes - it was bending.

The big guy at Daihatsu went off his nut about its condition, reckoned we'd stuffed it... but he approved the concept.

It was good ad, tho'.....

(Funnily enough, we had the same experience with a NIssan Pulsar Q some years earlier...)

Seen that Jeep video where the guts falls out having tried to climb a small berm? It was around here somewhere a while ago.

Cheers, GQ

Originally Posted by Martin

However twice went crazy and went to lowest suspension setting. Turning on and off fixed, but does not inspire confidence needed for serious outback trips.



At least the transmission didn't overheat like the Jeep...

If you want to go on a 'serious outback trip' then no matter what car you have, LEARN HOW TO BLOODY WELL OPERATE IT AND FIX IT!

Repairing diffs and welding up chassis rails on tojos/nissans...or cycling the ignition to correct a problem! I know which car inspires me with more confidence!

I agree with you Jamo - knowing how to operate and fix a vehicle properly is very important for real bush work. However, I reckon it would be a problem servicing the D3, let alone fixing it without some diagnostic computer. I am not sure that in the test there was evidence that the car had not been treated properly, but maybe they did thrash the hell out of it.

I have a 99 Defender and have never had a problem; a good friend drives a D3, and after 18 months owning it from new, it has been in the garage more time for repairs than for services, including the full replacement of the transmission, and full electrical failure. No amount of cycling the ignition fixed these problems. In the same time, I have done twice the Ks, and my defender has not had a single issue, apart from loosing a suspension stop.

I stand by my comment, that my confidence is not inspired by the D3. This is of course just MHO. I love the vehicle, think they are awesome, amazed at there capability, but I would still not feel comfortable taking it far off road.

For the record, I am not a fan of Toyotas or Nissans for 4X4 work either.

Well, I've never owned a Fender, Toyota or Nissan. But I know people who've had significant problems with all three; and the current probs with the latter two are well documented.

On the other hand, I have owned a Discovery 3 for over a year, doing an average of 1000km a week of which 400km is on rough gravel roads.

I had a compressor failure after three months, but this was fixed by LR and indeed LR has a programme of repairing/replacing the compressors on all models at either the next service or when the customer brings the vehicle in.

Over 40000km since and I have had no problems. I would take this car anywhere with near-total confidence.

BTW, 4WD monthly refer to Landies as 'foreign' and consider Jap 4WD local. I'd love to tell that to Ernie down the road from me who spent 2 years on the Thai/Burma Railway and 1 more in a Jap coalmine from '42-'45.

Jamo, I too thought that was a wierd comment about Japanese cars being local. What did John Clese in Faulty Towers say? Oh yes that's it... "Don't mention the war...."

Stevo68 recently posted a video about a South African D3 at play, find it guys.

Those Afrikaans didn't seem to have any probs with their D3.... despite what they did to it....

GQ