Thread: discovery 3 buyers guide

Lots of your questions are answered in the FAQ section. I read all of the FAQ's before I bought my D4.


Have a look at the Misadventure post and all of the other Misadventure You Tube posts to see what the cars can really do.


I and many others have taken Disco 3's and 4's to Cape York. Search for Misadventure and Cape York to see RRS's and Disco's tackling Cape York, including deep water at Nolans, which I was too scared to tackle.


Bob

Hi Ninja. I've had my D3 for 4 years now and have covered most of the questions you raised. The car has satisfied these extremely well.
My D3 is listed in the for sale section and has all the mods you have suggested. I'm only selling as I want to upgrade to a newer model.
These are great cars and excellent 4wds.
Have a look at mine as it seems to tick a lot of boxes you raised.
Cheers
Andrew

Thanks for your replies,

I'm just trying to get an idea on cost vs capability. It would seem there are so many components that can fail. And like any brand they come at a cost.

I guess ill just keep saving and test drive a few. who knows might just find a d4 at a reasonable price (obviously more than my current budget).

Can anyone tell me the difference between the defender and the RRS in terms of off road? as it same suspension? same wheel base? same ride heights?

RRS is just as capable but smaller inside.
Only issue for touring is the standard ride height can result in bottom dragging on high crown tracks ( suspension drops from off road height to normal at 50kph) Easily solved by a adjustable Llams kit or shortened suspension rods to permanently raise.

Hi Ninja380
The RRS and Defender are Chalk and Cheese.
The Defender is basically a commercial car.
Very few comfort features, no airbags important (I think if travelling with young children). Baby seat installation is not impossible but not that easy either. There are several threads on the Defender forum re baby seats.
Off road they are very different, no terrain response system on the Defender, Hi and Low range with faction control is the order of the day.
I had a defender and loved it, I now have a Disco 4 and love it more.
You say you are 6'4 you will struggle with the Defender front seat, have a test drive.
Cheers
Tony

Hi Ninja380,
I have had all three, D3, RRS and most recently a Deefer, of the three you are talking about the D3/4 in my opinion would best suit your needs. All three have great off road capability, any 4wd you buy will have a lot of parts that can break, how hard they are to get hold of and at what cost is the question.

The D3, lots of add on goodies are readily available and a forum full of people willing to help should you come unglued with a vast amount of useful information. Good reliable engine and drive train when properly maintained, plenty of room inside and a rear tailgate for sitting on, making lunch by the side of the road etc etc. Looks the part, economical, lots of gadgets, good air con, great ride and will take a fair bit of abuse. Has a few niggling issues, brake light switch, transmission module and front brake sensors where three problems I had in four years of ownership. If you buy one do the steel pan conversion on the transmission. Sealed for life is the life of the warranty not the vehicle.

The RRS nothing can touch this vehicle for comfort and gadgetry, road holding and towability also economy and get up and go, I had the TDV6, downside is the add ons, the majority of people who buy these use them for extracurricular activities, touring, picking up the kids from school (private), royalty, and recently transporting Justin Beiber around.

The Deefer, in comparison to the RRS this is a Tractor, and not a Tourak one, I had the TD5, no central locking, wind up windows, basic air con, great drive train (Manual), usual oil leaks, tyres you could buy from a run of the mill tyre shop, good fuel economy, noisy inside makes sustained conversation hard, has enough space in the back for a 60L Engel and anything else you care to mention, or a queen size bed, the Deefer has an engine bay you can see things and get at them, you can get the engine out without having to take the bodywork off. Oh, and as for dust proof, take old clothes when travelling on gravel, the flaps under the windscreen are a god send. Pull up anywhere and other Deefer owners will find you and be instant friends.

Please take into account these are my opinions based on my experiences and listening to my wife. Happy wife happy life.

My best situation was an old RR Classic with a 50 mm lift, an air locker in the back and a set of BFG mud terrains and a D3 properly set up for doing everything else. Since then I have changed vehicles trying to find the right combination. Any 4wd you buy will have its idiosyncrasies any brand owner that tells you any differently just hasn't driven anything else.

Due to circumstances I have now temporarily left the LR Marque, however at some point I will be back, if I had my choice I would go back to my properly set up D3 SE for what I now do. If you decide to buy a LR you will be joining an exception group of people from all walks of life who will make you feel welcome and 99.9% of the time will have the answer to any issues you have.

Good luck with you new vehicle.

Thanks again for the replys,

so defender is out, I sat in one and I am too tall. I can totally understand why people buy them now, It kinda reminded me of a jeep or better still an international Scout.

Im leaning towards a Discovery 3 hse or se. Anyone car to explain if the HSE (second had) is worth the extra?

I do like the idea of the sun roof (unless the se has this?)

And the V8, kind love V8s. The fuel consumption isnt too bad apparently

Is it true that the diesels are under powered? has anyone done the ECU or chipped the diesel with good or excellent results, without damaging other components like the gear box etc?

To me the diesel would be the sensible choice but is will be a 2nd car as in not driven daily, however camping/ touring is on the cards.

Originally Posted by ninja380

Thanks again for the replys,

so defender is out, I sat in one and I am too tall. I can totally understand why people buy them now, It kinda reminded me of a jeep or better still an international Scout.

Im leaning towards a Discovery 3 hse or se. Anyone car to explain if the HSE (second had) is worth the extra?

I do like the idea of the sun roof (unless the se has this?)

And the V8, kind love V8s. The fuel consumption isnt too bad apparently

Is it true that the diesels are under powered? has anyone done the ECU or chipped the diesel with good or excellent results, without damaging other components like the gear box etc?

To me the diesel would be the sensible choice but is will be a 2nd car as in not driven daily, however camping/ touring is on the cards.

The HSE does have all the toys, but a specced up SE would be worth a look too. The sun roof is viewed as problematic, once the drains get blocked up you end up with leaks. And in Brissie, you may well find that the sunroof lets in too much heat.

And no, it's not true that the diesels are underpowered, but can very successfully be chipped or remapped. There are pros and cons for the V8 vs diesel, the V8 is cheaper to service, has fewer foibles, but clearly has a much reduced range compared to the diesel.