D3 V6 Petrol or TDV6?

[morpheus]

Hi guys,

I love this forum - so much info here, and as a prospective buyer a treasure trove of detail here to sort through. I am looking for some pros and cons for two of the Discovery 3 motors. I have noticed that a fair premium is added on the s/h market for the TDV6, and there are fewer of them available. I am interested in your views on this.

Being used to Toyota Landcruisers (ducking as I type), as I am originally from the bush I am drawn to the TDV6. However, my family usually steered clear of the oil burner for the family wagon, leaving diesels for the work vehicles. The reason for this was service costs, and power for overtaking - hence the family wagon was almost always a petrol V6 Cruiser Sahara.

Our eventual beast will spend most of its life on the black stuff, but I do want something that is capable of doing time on some pretty worn dirt roads, and rutted station tracks.

A few specific questions:
1. Do most of you petrol owners run 98 RON? If not what mileage do you get on the lesser fuels?
2. What are the rough service costs for each of the motors?
3. TDV6, any problems with the turbo?

Oh yeah, I left out the V8 as I assume it costs quite a bit to run. Happy to be proven otherwise if this is not the case.

I look forward to hearing from you, or being pointed in the direction of older threads I may have missed.

Thanks!

Morpheus

[sheerluck]

Generally the price difference is there for a good reason!

If you look at the relative engine stats, the TDV6 has 13 killer wasps less than the petrol V6 (at 147kw v 160kw), but the torque difference is huge, at 450Nm for the TDV6 v 360Nm for the petrol. And it's lower down in the rev range too.

The petrol likes premium dino juice, which is always more expensive than diesel, and drinks about 50% more at 15l/100km to the TDV6's 10l/100km.

Service interval is the same (I'm sure that's what I have read), and there is a gnat's knee's difference in the normal service parts. However, I'm not sure if the petrol V6 has a timing belt (I think it is a chain), which would be a fairly major service cost difference.

And also if the turbo fails on the TDV6, it is a body off job to replace it.

[morpheus]

Thanks sheerluck,

How does the diesel go overtaking on the highway? This was always one of my old man's arguments against a diesel for the family wagon.

Cheers
Morpheus

[discotwinturbo]

Thanks sheerluck,

How does the diesel go overtaking on the highway? This was always one of my old man's arguments against a diesel for the family wagon.

Cheers
Morpheus

The old diesels were slow....modern day diesels are quick.

I do have the 3 litre D4 which is 180kw, and a Toaureg which is 176kw and both are awfully quick at getting past road trains. Easily be doing on the other side of 160 if you kept it flat.

The 2.7 would not be as quick.....but I think you would find that overtaking would still be effortless.

I would choose a diesel over a petrol everyday as the diesels suits my towing and touring duties better.

Brett.....

[sheerluck]

Thanks sheerluck,

How does the diesel go overtaking on the highway? This was always one of my old man's arguments against a diesel for the family wagon.

Cheers
Morpheus

As discotwinturbo has said, the diesels from way back when are different from the diesels now. My little Golf diesel (a 1.6 4 cyl turbo) has almost the same torque as my 3.9V8 D1, and is quicker off the line, and better at overtaking on the two lane local highway, than my wife's Merc ML320 (3.2 V6). In a few weeks time, we are going to be a diesel only fleet.

And just as a point of interest - the D3 V8 has the same theoretical fuel consumption as the V6.

[djambalawa]

My 2.7l TDV6 D3 was effortless in passing.. and towing etc... won't be an issue don't worry

[chuck]

If you decide on petrol rather than diesel go for the V8.

Most opinion is that it is a far better motor with almost the same economy as the V6.

Prices will be significantly cheaper than diesel.

Pure economics suggest the petrol if you are buying second hand and do not have a requirement for long range.

[101RRS]

but the torque difference is huge, at 450Nm for the TDV6 v 360Nm for the petrol. And it's lower down in the rev range too.

Thanks sheerluck,

How does the diesel go overtaking on the highway? This was always one of my old man's arguments against a diesel for the family wagon.

Cheers
Morpheus

The torque figures say it all - modern diesels are nothing like they were in the good ole days.

The pick of the petrols is the V8 - more power, less fuel consumption (arguably). The V6 is the Ford Explorer engine where the V8 is the Jag engine.

I have a TDV6 and has more power and torque than you need.

Given the used purchase cost, cost of fuel, fuel consumption and servicing, the V8 is probably the cheaper vehicle to own in the long term - if bought new it would be the diesel.

Garry

[AnD3rew]

I have a 2.7 D3 and I have zero complaints on power and overtaking don't even worry about that. If you want to tow go diesel, if fuel running costs are your biggest concern go diesel if overall servicing costs are your concern go petrol.

But if you are still doing a lot of country cruising then range will be of concern and the standard fuel tank is a little small, you can just get away with it in he diesel but it could get annoying in a petrol.

Or you could add a long range tank but as this also means a rear wheel carrier you are looking at @$3k.

[morpheus]

Thanks for your responses, all.

The pick of the petrols is the V8 - more power, less fuel consumption (arguably). The V6 is the Ford Explorer engine where the V8 is the Jag engine.

Given the used purchase cost, cost of fuel, fuel consumption and servicing, the V8 is probably the cheaper vehicle to own in the long term - if bought new it would be the diesel.

Gary - that is interesting. I must admit that I really hadn't looked into the V8 at all.

I have a 2.7 D3 and I have zero complaints on power and overtaking don't even worry about that. If you want to tow go diesel, if fuel running costs are your biggest concern go diesel if overall servicing costs are your concern go petrol.

But if you are still doing a lot of country cruising then range will be of concern and the standard fuel tank is a little small, you can just get away with it in he diesel but it could get annoying in a petrol.

Or you could add a long range tank but as this also means a rear wheel carrier you are looking at @$3k.

Cheers AnD3rew. Yeah, I will be doing at least one Canberra-Adelaide round trip per year, and hopefully a few trips up and around Far North SA. The vehicle will spend most of its life around Canberra though. My biggest concern was the power, but it sounds like this really isn't an issue. The range will be a factor for the long trips - thanks for the advice regarding the long range tank and wheel carrier.

It really looks like the diesel is the way to go. However, I will probably cross the Ts and dot the lower-case Js by looking at the V8 now, just to round-off my research.

I take it, from the lack of responses, that there are no problems with the turbo on the TDV6?