Discovery 3/4 comparison

[ADMIRAL]

Hi Everyone, Just to advise the latest issue of 4x4 Australia ( April 2010 ) is out. There is a comparison between the D3 & D4 by Allan Whiting ( currently owns a D3 ) He has drawn similar conclusions to the bits and pieces that have appeared in different threads over the past month or so.

His choice if he were to go from the D3 to a D4, is to stay with the 2.7, principally for better off road tyre choice. He was pretty impressed by the 3 litre though.

Still a good read.

Let the debate begin anew.

[ozscott]

For true reliable off roading you just cannot beat profile height - of lots of it - so every time you go lower on profile (from being larger on rim diameter) you lose you off road and gain handling on road. For my money I like the best of both worlds which is 75 profile on 16's.

Cheers

[big guy]

For true reliable off roading you just cannot beat profile height - of lots of it - so every time you go lower on profile (from being larger on rim diameter) you lose you off road and gain handling on road. For my money I like the best of both worlds which is 75 profile on 16's.

Cheers

I 2nd that.

We do have to remember that the newer Discos D3 &4 and even the TD5's are more of a big road car where on road performance is more the intension and off road is only used by few.

[jonesy63]

If you just look at profile - ignoring the width of the tyre, you're sure to be misled.

Case in point: TD5 with standard 235/70 tyres gives a sidewall of 164.5mm; D3 with standard 255/60 gives 153mm. Going over-sized to largest legal tyre 265/60 gives 159mm sidewall - not much different to earlier Disco sidewalls!

[ADMIRAL]

I do agree most owners will not regularly test the limits on their vehicles, and we do tend to equip them for the worst case............but hey, that's half the fun. I will probably end up with 265/60's, and they may only get used in anger a few times a year.

[Tombie]

If you just look at profile - ignoring the width of the tyre, you're sure to be misled.

Case in point: TD5 with standard 235/70 tyres gives a sidewall of 164.5mm; D3 with standard 255/60 gives 153mm. Going over-sized to largest legal tyre 265/60 gives 159mm sidewall - not much different to earlier Disco sidewalls!

Yes, profile isnt an accurate measurement of capability...

285-75-16 vs 305-70-16 for example... Same sidewall, lower 'profile'

My 275-70-18s have 193mm sidewall

I also contend that tyre design often overrides profile and rim size issues.

I've observed vehicles with 16s vs 18s in same diameter overall.. The better design and tread pattern on the 18s got it through where the 16's struggled...

I've also taken the old mans 18" tyred D3 up tracks here and it walked them easily on the factory rubber.

[gghaggis]

Yes, profile isnt an accurate measurement of capability...

Agreed - this point was made in another thread. It's not that simplistic

Cheers,

Gordon