Anything I should know?

[jonesfam]

OK, after about 12 months of investigating the Discovery3, lots of emailed questions to different dealers & reading every post in this section over the last couple of weeks we are preparing to go & have an actual look at a Disco3. Have only seen real ones on the road & 1 parked next to us 1 night which we tried to look in but could not see much.
We are interested in a V6TD SE with rear A/C & DVD in the headrests. We currently have a Pathfinder diesel ST-L with most of the fruit & an in roof Alpine DVD (screen wobbles a lot). We don't overly like it, to small, hard plastics, uncomfortable seats & poor finish.
Our usage is of 3 types, the missus dropping kids around a very small town, 4-6 hour dirt/track drives & very long runs from our remote location to the East coast to see how the other half lives.
So a couple of questions.
Apart from the E-diff are there any other factory fit things I should look at? I don't think we will need the diff, we mainly do dirt roads & mud in the wet season.
How much do you think Rear A/C should cost? Is it worth the money? We live in Far NW QLD.
How much are D3's going for in capital cities?
Is the D3 dust proof? I mean really dust proof?
It is over 1000k to the nearest dealer service, how reliable are the new D3's?
On the Pathie we use a Thule roof pod, how will this go on a D3?
I look after my cars as well as possible, how will a D3 go living in the absolute sticks for 5 years or so? It would get serviced twice a year.
Does the D3 need a specialized oil & do they allow you to do your own oil changes?
Is the Almond interior OK for 4 out of control Foster Boys (aged under 6) who don't know the meaning of the word clean?
We will probably get the bar work, snorkel, HID spots etc after market to avoid Luxo Tax (thanks Mr R). Does anybody make proper mud flaps? Fitted rubber floor mats? Non sheep skin seat covers in the after market game?
We are looking at buying in Townsville, the dealer there has been most helpful both on the phone & by e-mail, running about taking photos of different bits & finding out odd things about Transmission coolers etc. He will still have to get the price right though. Poor bugger has NOT meet me in person yet.
Any advice on buying a new D3 would be appreciated & taken on board. Even advice on a 2nd hand job might be welcome.
Thanks
jonesfam

[rovers1952]

guaranteed dust proof based on my experience.

[rmp]

some quick answers...

Get the rear e-diff just in case. You can't change your mind later, and if the car has done any offroad work or is modified it'll be worth more to someone after an offroader.

D3 prices -- carsales.com.au, drive.com.au etc and knock off 5-10% for haggling.

Yes D3s are dustproof as any other car.

Reliability is fine, no worse than any other.

Pods can be made to go on a D3.

Front seat covers need to be airbag-compatible.

4 boys will mess up anything!

[inside]

You're in Doomadgee. Which dealer will you be taking it to if you have a problem? Not trying to talk you out of it but you really need to be thinking about dealer support where you are located.

[Jamo]

Rear diff lock - yes. $1,000 is cheap and you can't retro fit. Mine actually uses the rear more than the centre.

Rear Aircon - yes.

With a 2009 model you'll only need to visit the dealer once in a while to get the latest software updates. Nearly all issues have been sorted out.

Dust proof - pretty well. All I've ever got is some small amounts on the top of the lower tailgate.

[Neil P]

Doomadgee ( 4830 ? ) isn't exactly handy for many services .
You must be about 300km from Isa ?
You're going to have to make your own mind up
on a LR. No one here can say nor knows if it's going to be a
gem or a lemon. It's your money and your purchase.

...... and before the flag wavers pipeup , no one on this Forum
will be running to your door in the middle of nowhere
if anything goes pearshaped ... that's the cold light of day Jonesfam.

[jonesfam]

Inside
Have given that a lot of thought, but it has been pretty much the same with the Pathie & the Terracan before that. Although they could be serviced in Mt Isa that is still 6-7 hours by road & when possible I always got/get them done on the East coast (Townsville, Cairns) anyway.
From all I have read (mainly here) the latter YM Discoveries don't seem to have problems that actually stop them dead, more annoying stuff. I sure hope that is the case anyway.
The missus really hates the Pathie so I'm hoping a D3 will impress her & make her happy, nothing quite like an unhappy missus. They just don't forgive.
I think I will talk to the dealer about the E-diff, if I can get a good overall price I will go for it.
Jonesfam
PS Thanks for replies.

[Peter_OZ]

cosmetic add ons to consider

upgraded sound sys

nav sys

in console fridge - very handy

adapative headlights - love em!

rear rubber cargo mat

black leather - we have a hyper 6 yo boy and it has stood up to him very well.

definitely get the rear aircon if the kids are in the back on long hot trips

we did not get the LR DVD system but fitted a nice 11" alpine in roof DVD player for little bloke, works well, no issues with it but we arent driving on the poor roads you will be either.

Best of British!

[jonesfam]

I have never owned an Automatic car before. I have read some very good things about the auto in the D3, like it has a cooler & sort of works out how you drive & adapts to this.
How does it handle 2 different drivers? How does it handle you changing your driving style (eg long country run to arriving in a city)? Or towing to not towing?
Is it a smooth box (had an auto Landcrab as a work car, gear box was very harsh) & does it give fast enough reactions when required?
Is there anything else I should know or ask about it?
Jonesfam

[Desert Traveller]

The ZF box is the ultimate, also used in other German vehicles like X5's etc. The gear changes are as good as you get with 7 speed autos in some exotic cars. I have driven a Pathfinder and it agricultural compared with a D3.

I can say that the dust proofing is better than most vehicles on the market. At Doomadgee you'll experience a lot of bull dust in the winter months and the D3 will be up to it. I'd stick to 18" rubber or even 17" as it is easier to get. Get an extra wheel and tyre as part of the deal (I always do), just incase you bend or wreck one, you will still have 5 good ones.

I have both the E-diff and rear AC on my SE, they are are value for money options.

For the first couple of years I had to travel 600 kms to my dealer, but I still chose the D3 and I am still MORE than happy with my decision. OK I'll be honest, I'd prefer a RR Vogue TDV8 but its out of my league as a new purchase.