Thread: Buying advice for 2005 D3 S

Originally Posted by PaulG

Hi all,

I am new to Land Rovers and looking for some advice. I am looking at a 2005 S with a manual gearbox. The vehicle does not have terrain response, is a 5 seater (cloth) and I don't think it has air suspension.

Are these minuses above a big deal? I am more than happy with cloth however I like how the 7 seater folds completely flat and leather would be nicer to keep clean.

• How do the coil D3's handle on road? do they sway around a fair bit?
• Without terrain response am I missing out on what a D3 really is?
• Can you swap in the seats from a 7 seater (only the front two and middle 3, not the rear 2)?
• Are there any issues with the manual that I should be aware of?

The vehicle is interstate which makes making the decision hard. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I believe the car is as basic as a D3 can come. It has 180,000kms and has had two owners with full history.

Thank you in advance for your help,

Paul
(Melbourne)

• How do the coil D3's handle on road? do they sway around a fair bit? NO
• Without terrain response am I missing out on what a D3 really is? NO
• Can you swap in the seats from a 7 seater (only the front two and middle 3, not the rear 2)? YES
• Are there any issues with the manual that I should be aware of? Don't Know

I would suspect that the manual box is fine, in the history does it mention any issues??


Also just because it's an S model and manual, doesn't mean it is a coil model, there were a few manuals with air suspension ordered(special order) we looked at a couple ourselves before buying our D4.



I would love our D4 to be a manual, search the Disco3.uk site for info on the manual, lots of manuals in the UK, even D4s.


Baz.

Thanks for the info. I have asked the dealer if it is coil or air and they are unsure (subaru dealership).

Do you know if the seats can be swapped around between the models? And it seems weird to not have terrain response?

If it's on car sales or similar post a link and we can tell you if it is air or not from the photos.

I think this is it:
2005 Land Rover Discovery 3 S (Rel. Apr.)

It is a coiler - it does not have terrain response. Looks like it has a lift.

With out terrain response, in my opinion, you do miss out on the true capability of the car. If you are not doing any off road work then not much of an issue.

Also, I have seen it written here that the clutch in the manual is not up to the task:

http://www.aulro.com/afvb/d3-d4-rrs/...ual-trans.html

Originally Posted by SBD4

I think this is it:
2005 Land Rover Discovery 3 S (Rel. Apr.)

It is a coiler - it does not have terrain response. Looks like it has a lift.

With out terrain response, in my opinion, you do miss out on the true capability of the car. If you are not doing any off road work then not much of an issue.

Also, I have seen it written here that the clutch in the manual is not up to the task:

http://www.aulro.com/afvb/d3-d4-rrs/...ual-trans.html

That is the car. I won't be doing any major off roading, mainly camping/state forests etc. Certainly nothing to be considered extreme. How would a lifted coil car be on the road? Boat like or ok?

Thank you for the link to the info on the clutch, definitely something to consider! My head is all over, I don't know whether I want a manual that much to forfeit the terrain response, air suspension and leather but it would be nice having a manual!

Hi Paul,

If you can afford to forgo the coils and get the airbags with TRS you won't regret it. Before handing over any money on what will be a major purchase, go through the D3/D4/RRS section (if you haven't already) and use the search function (bottom left of page) to get yourself up to speed on these great vehicles.

Make a list of what your intended usage will be to narrow down your choice of vehicle. Each D3 variation has its own pro's and con's, ie. engine type - petrol V6 vs petrol V8 vs diesel 2.7L; suspension type - coils vs airbags/TRS; servicing requirements/scheduled maintenance etc. You need to be able to compare apples with apples when the time comes to choose your weapon and it may take a while to find the right car for you.

You don't want to unknowingly buy a car that is due for expensive scheduled service items that the previous owner hasn't got around to. Also, if you don't do many Km's per year, it may be in your best interest to go with the thirstier petrol models (V6 or V8) which will often be better specced and usually with less Km's than an equivalently priced less thirsty diesel model.

The D3's came out in 2005 in Australia, and are more complex vehicles than the standard Toyota/Nissan/Mitsubishi offerings put out, even 10 years later. Don't let that put you off though as that's not a bad thing. As per usual for a new model run, buy the latest model you can afford to get over the initial hiccups (2006 onwards?). I'm sure others will chime in and point you in the right direction.

There is plenty of info on AULRO from the collective brains trust to help you sort almost anything. Do lots of research, don't rush your purchase and good luck! Oh and if you buy a D3 with Terrain Response, get hold of Gordon's booklet (gghaggis on AULRO) on how to use it properly.


- How do the coil D3's handle on road? do they sway around a fair bit?
They handle well but not nearly so well as an air sprung D3 with TRS. The coilers really need the 2" lift to clear the undersides offroad, which makes it handle slightly less well than the non-lifted version. Not a patch on the airbag version though.

- Without terrain response am I missing out on what a D3 really is?
The TRS and airbags make for a much better vehicle IMO. Having driven both on a test drive (coils vs airbags/TRS), I would pick the airbag/TRS option every time. Terrain Response is a revolution in offroading, not just an evolution in capabilities.

- Can you swap in the seats from a 7 seater (only the front two and middle 3, not the rear 2)?
From memory you can, but I can't remember if there were licencing/regulation hoops you have to jump through.

- Are there any issues with the manual that I should be aware of?
Lots of info online (this forum and others) suggest that the clutch is too small for the mass of the vehicle and you will more than likely have on-going issues. To get the most out of the TRS it is best to run an auto anyway.



Cheers,

Cripesamighty

Thank you for the response! That is fantastic info. Not exactly what I wanted to hear as it has made me lean away from the car but it's what I needed to hear!

This is the car I am considering:
2005 Land Rover Discovery 3 S (Rel. Apr.) - Subaru Waitara

The S misses out on things like xenon lights. It looks in good Nic. However I think there are better value later S and SE examples out there.