Potential D3 owner - buying guide & advice

The D4 has a more up-market interior than the D3. The D4 has LED tail, blinker and stop lights. The D4 has stiffer shocks and anti-roll bars and a lower suspension roll centre from revised geometry, which all provide improved handling but with some reduction in the original soft D3 ride.
IIRC the 2.7 in the D4 has a different brand of ecm to the D3 with some driveability differences. The D3 front seat headrests tilt too far forwards for some people but the angle can be modified with appropriate force. My 2009 D4 SE has built-in hands-free phone which might not be standard in a D3.

NB. I fitted 2009 D3 shocks and anti-roll bars to my D4 to soften the ride on my country back-roads.

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Originally Posted by Graeme

The D4 has a more up-market interior than the D3. The D4 has LED tail, blinker and stop lights. The D4 has stiffer shocks and anti-roll bars and a lower suspension roll centre from revised geometry, which all provide improved handling but with some reduction in the original soft D3 ride. IIRC the 2.7 in the D4 has a different brand of ecm to the D3 with some driveability differences. The D3 front seat headrests tilt too far forwards for some people but the angle can be modified with appropriate force. My 2009 D4 SE has built-in hands-free phone which might not be standard in a D3.

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Thanks. The D4 interior & external refinements are a great improvement. Didn't know about the ECM & suspension changes.

As I mentioned previously in my opinion if you can stretch yourself to a D4 then that would be the go especially if your wanting to keep it for a decade or so.

Yes, apart from the front cupholders ... haha !

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Originally Posted by Graeme

The D4 has a more up-market interior than the D3. The D4 has LED tail, blinker and stop lights. The D4 has stiffer shocks and anti-roll bars and a lower suspension roll centre from revised geometry, which all provide improved handling but with some reduction in the original soft D3 ride.
IIRC the 2.7 in the D4 has a different brand of ecm to the D3 with some driveability differences. The D3 front seat headrests tilt too far forwards for some people but the angle can be modified with appropriate force. My 2009 D4 SE has built-in hands-free phone which might not be standard in a D3.

NB. I fitted 2009 D3 shocks and anti-roll bars to my D4 to soften the ride on my country back-roads.

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Is there any major difference between the 2005/06 model D3 and 2008/09 D3's?

Contemplating a 2006 v8 but at 8 years old think it might be a bit too old, especially if they improved things in the later D3's

It's a tough choice with a max spend of about $45k. A base 2009 D4 2.7 starts at about $40k (higher mileage) nicer interior & exterior design, but misses out on things like 7 seat & bi-xenon lights. A D3 SE MY09 is as low as $30k (under 180,000km), with bi-xenon lights and a easy 2-DIN dash to fit a big screen stereo/nav/reversing system. Both are about the same age.

It has been reported in here previously by those who should know that the 2009 D3 had many of the upgrades that came with the D4. Plus as a bonus most 2009 models had lots of extra's factory fitted to make them more attractive to buyers because everyone knew back then that they were a run out model, so they are easilly the pick of the bunch if you want a D3.

Regarding the V8, nothing much goes wrong with these in any year model, the V8's are thirsty in comparision to the diesel but have much lower running costs and much higher levels of reliability. Plus the V8 is extremely nice to drive and goes like stink, not sure I would want to tow a 3 ton caravan across the ountry with one though, given their like for fuel.

Apparently its a good idea prior to buying a V8 model to get the sellers to change the spark plugs. Reason, if they have not been changed for a long time, which is normal, sometimes they seize in the head and it can be very expensive to fix.

About the only upgrade done to the 2009 D3 was to fit colour-coded wheel-arch flares and later to reduce the available paint colour options due to paint bays being used for new D4 colours months before they were released. MY07 was an upgrade model with quite a few changes.

Sometimes I look wistfully at those newer D4s, I peer in the windows and think - yeah that looks good. I acknowledge the overall slickness of the package and think Mmmm, why didn't I go for one of those? And then I remember, that I was going to get a Pajero, and then I test drove a D3 that was 3 years older than that Pajero - and there was no contest. The D3 drove (and still drives) like a dream. It was just within my budget, and it had so many more features than the Paj. If I hadn't have gone with that D3 I would never have known just what a joy (an expensive joy) the LR Discovery is.

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Originally Posted by BSM

Sometimes I look wistfully at those newer D4s, I peer in the windows and think - yeah that looks good. I acknowledge the overall slickness of the package and think Mmmm, why didn't I go for one of those? And then I remember, that I was going to get a Pajero, and then I test drove a D3 that was 3 years older than that Pajero - and there was no contest. The D3 drove (and still drives) like a dream. It was just within my budget, and it had so many more features than the Paj. If I hadn't have gone with that D3 I would never have known just what a joy (an expensive joy) the LR Discovery is.

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The Paj is a lot of car for the money, esp as the new model has a rear diff lock. I've driven the BILs NP diesel and was impressed. However I dislike the instrument panel, part time 4WD and rear door.

There's no doubt the D4 is a top vehicle. But a D3 is pretty close.