Thread: Defender vs Discovery

Originally Posted by mcrover

There is no reason you cant put a set of 750x16 road grippers on a Disco with a 40mm body lift which would cost bugger all and it would be easilly better off road than the fender.

sorry am I missing something Jimbo, just shaking head or was there a pic my computer doesnt like?

I think Defenders are slightly ahead in the offroad stakes ... just based on clearance, angles and standard tyre size. Bodylifts are a waste of space and will only cause headaches in the future .. get a stock Disco or Defender, upgrade suspension with a 2" lift that will improve ride, handling and wheel travel .. the biggest muddies that will fit without having to cut the guards. Now take it and go and have fun!

body lift allows more articulation and clearance of the bod panels without having to cut too much up.
A suspension lift doesn't clear your sills and body panels of obsticles and wheel arches from bigger tyres so they aren't a waste of time.
In standard trim the defender will be better off road than a disco but not by much but you still have to drive home.
The other thing is price and drive train:
Defender choices:
Diesel TD5 or 300/200TDI manual only.

Discovery:
V8 Auto/Manual.
200/300tdi or TD5 auto/manual.

Originally Posted by mcrover

In standard trim the defender will be better off road than a disco but not by much but you still have to drive home.

I'd rather drive a Defender home than a Disco with a bodylift ... but that is just my opinion. Never liked overly modified suspension on a "civillian" 4WD .. that stuff should be left to comp vehicles. Probably the reason why I drive a Defender. ;o)

Originally Posted by mcrover

sorry am I missing something Jimbo, just shaking head or was there a pic my computer doesnt like?

well, after owning the vehicles in question, V8 110 from 1995-2002, 3.9 V8 auto Disco for 1 year (2005) then 300TDI 110 till now, I must strongly disagree with your statement highlited in my last post. the Disco had a 50mm lift and larger tyres and could not make it through the places i have taken my 110s, nor is it as comfortable when the going gets tough, you tend to be thrown around the cabin much more in the Disco than the 110 in the harder going. front to rear pitching is also much worse in the shorter wheelbase of the disco, better turning circle though. I found the disco to feel fat and heavy and slow in the rough, but good as a road car. I didn't want a 4WD road car, so sold it and bought another 110 to replace it, and boy is it great to have room to carry things in the rear again without having to pack it all in tight to get the door shut. being able to hose out the mud on the floor at the end of the day is wonderful.

These are my findings, based on personal experience from owning these vehicles. I truely wanted the Disco to be able to compare with the 110, and spent lots of money to try to do it, but in the end it fell well short, so I bought the second 110 and do not for i second regret doing so.

these are my true opinions, yours may differ.

Fair call jimbo, I never once have said that it doesn't suit certain people e.g. plumbers and builders that need a football field worth of room in the back, same with scout groups and the army.

I have said that Im not comfortable in a 110 or 130 but I can't say about the 90 as I havn't driven as yet.

I also said the even though Im not comfy in one I would still own one given the chance and retire the Disco to wifes shopping trolly and weekend toy.

But for an allrounder and considering where 90% of us honestly take our 4wd's, the Disco is more than sufficient only lacking diff clearence that can be overcome with bigger tyres.

As far as being thrown around inside, maybe your springs or shocks were to higher rate for the weight of the poor old Disco as I have never really had that problem other than when everyone else is having the same.

I havn't had any problem packing gear for the average weekend camping for Me, my wife and 2 kids with the rooftop tent and 2 bikes on the rack, it's just a matter of organisation which is much better in a roll over or a sudden stop than if it were all thrown in the back.

It's performance for price in my opinion but thats all it is an opinion.

yep, different cars for different people. I'm in the 10% group, 3 large rivers within 15 mins from home, with about 100 km of off road tracks, it ****es north islanders off when i remind them of that.