Thread: Disco 4 best for touring Aust?

Originally Posted by Larabie

Hi all, I'm just new to AULRO.

My reason for joining is that i love LRs and am wanting to buy one - Disco 4 I'm thinking - to tow a caravan around Australia but I'm concerned about the costs of owning one. They are cheap enough to buy second hand but what are the annual running costs and how reliable are they? At the risk of offending anyone, I'm wondering if i would be better off buying a landcruiser?


Any comments much appreciated.

Welcome. Might get better responses if you advise whether looking at older (2009+) or newer update versions.

I have a 2010 2.7 6 speed that I'm very happy with after 21K return from WA to Nth Qld and NT towing a 3.5T brick/block of flats, but the update with 8 speed box and various "refinements" would be an even better tow tug.

Thanks Gav, I expect my money to run out about 2013 so yes I'd be looking at the older 2009 to 2013 D4.

I'm in my 7th year of D3/4 ownership. I've used mine for the whole range of driving form long distance towing to beach work and bush bashing. My brother owns a 200 (with most of the bells and whistles) and I've a couple of friends with Prados. The 200 and Prados are all good cars and go well but at no point have I regretted getting into a Disco. When it came time to upgrade earlier this year, I looked seriously at the 200 (and to a lesser degree the Y62 Patrol) but couldn't go get inspired by either. Granted, this is very much subjective decision as I'm a car person and enjoy driving a good car.

With a 2013 budget, you'll get the 8 speed and a number of the upgrades. Check what your budget gets you in the Toyota range.

Also, do some searching in this forum, as this topic has been raised many times over the years.

P.S: I grew up I Castlemaine.....Well, Fryerstown actually....

My brother also owns a 15MY Landcruiser 200 Sahara (50,000km) which he is now selling and his recommendation is to buy a D4

I have a 2015 D4 purchased new, my first LR, now with 160,000 kn on the clock - about half of those km towing a 6.7 M boat.

I have not owned another 4 x 4 so, I can’t make any comparisons. I came to the D4 from an SS Commodore.

My D4 has been very reliable - but has had 1st Class servicing by a LR dealer throughout its life.

I luv it! Easily the best long distance touring/cruising/towing vehicle I have ever driven.

BUT, my perception is that it is relatively expensive to maintain at the level I do. Services are relatively expensive as is preventative maintainance that I have chosen to have done.

My last service was extreme at $6,500 for a vehicle with no faults! Done because I have chosen to keep it rather than replace it with something new - because I can’t find something I like. Most routine services are around $1,000.

In my opinion a D4 is not the vehicle for someone on a limited budget!

My D3 has averaged out to be a more expensive vehicle to maintain than my previous 80 series landcruiser, but cheaper on the diesel. Overall a more expensive vehicle to keep on the road. I do wonder however how it would compare to any modern 4wd on the market once theres a few kms on the odo.

Originally Posted by Barraman

BUT, my perception is that it is relatively expensive to maintain at the level I do. Services are relatively expensive as is preventative maintainance that I have chosen to have done.

My last service was extreme at $6,500 for a vehicle with no faults!

Your maintenance is expensive because you choose to make it expensive - that is fine as it is your choice but if you had another brand and followed the same maintenance regime it would most likely be just as expensive.

A D4 is no more expensive to maintain as other brands.

As I do most of my RRS maintenance myself I find the vehicles are very cheap to maintain.

I think realistically, if maintenance cost over a Japanese brand will bother you, then don’t buy a Land Rover. They are superior on and off road to the Japanese brands, but you should expect any mechanic outside a capital city to refuse to work on any broken down LR vehicle in my experience.

They are nice vehicles, but there are trade offs.