Thread: Series 2 Discovery V8 vs TD5

The TD5 and V8 have very similar performance in standard trim. The TD5 uses less fuel, so has greater range but also has turbo lag. Maintenance is every 10,000km, I wouldn't leave it for 20K. The TD5 in the Disco can be easily modified for up to about 160-170kw and 520Nm.

The V8 sounds cool, but then again so does the whistle of a turbo.

I have the TD5 for one reason only touring range, the TD5 wins this hands down, fuel economy is much better than the V8, if i was only using my Disco for weekends only i'd go the V8, i lurve the sound of the Rover V8 and with a good after market exhaust could sound even better.

Oh and you can pick up a V8 heaps cheaper than the TD5, up to $5000 cheaper.

Baz.

Yes...I went through the same problem.
I had a D1 V8 and the fuel usage has the 'bring you to tears' effect. Why? Every week I have to put in $90 worth of fuel...and that when is was .90c per litre. All that fuel and cost was only getting me to and from work. It stopped us from going away on weekends or just day trips because you knew you would end up with a $200 bill.

So I changed to a Td5. What you will have to do is do the maths. It cost me $15000 to change over and that is alot of fuel savings to get back but its the best thing I have done. Not only do you get a better and more modern vehicle you miss the psychological effect of filling every 450 k's and costing you big $$$$.
Now I fill up about every 10 days and have no hesitation to do a day trip.

Absolutely love the Td5
Cheers,
Lyndon.

There is a post on the general chat forum that says it takes 275,000Kms to recoup the $10,000 difference betweeen petrol and diesel D3s.

I think everyone has gone a bit overboard on this. It also happened in 1973 and 1979 in the oil crises. I was the distribution manager of Ford in 1979 and I still remember looking out of my office at 12,000 unsold XD Falcons.
Is it better to pay $100 per week for fuel, or to pay $100 EXTRA per week in car payments?
As you say its psychological. Its a phobia . I must adnmit that even I grimace when I put $150 in the tank, as its the immediacy of it. BUT when you think about it , its a crazy reaction.
If you want long range get a long range tank. A 140 litre tank cost $1100 installed.
AND from the postings on this forum and others, there is a major danger that your modern high tech diesel will stuff up and cost thousands to fix. A V8 is not perfect, but its improbable to spend over $7000 on a complete new engine while someone on this forum is looking at $17000 on aTD5.
Regards Philip A

FWIW,, DiscoDan,
I suppose if you can afford a newer TD5 or 6 then you can (must?) also afford to repair it if it breaks.
As PhillipA says, a complete new V8 will only set you back a warped diesel head.


its really all swings and roundabouts.


Forget money--
What would you RATHER drive????

Originally posted by PhilipA
Is it better to pay $100 per week for fuel, or to pay $100 EXTRA per week in car payments?
As you say its psychological. Its a phobia .
Regards Philip A

Yes, you are most likely half right. But the expansion of my position is where the car payment factor came into the equation.

It took about a year to pay off the extra payments.

If I kept the V8 I will be still paying money for petrol now, tommorrow, next month and next year, in five years, etc at DOUBLE the cost. Ok, I have blown the money early and all in one hit...but eventually I believe I will end out in front because I hope to keep the vehicle for some time. I think that is the key to the whole V8 v's Diesel equation...How long are you going to keep the car.

Cheers,
Lyndon.

I do not know Feral.
I will only observe that times of high petrol cost have happened before and then they have retreated. This time may be fundamentally different but who knows.
The Chairman of BP thinks the curent high price is temporary and will last a couple of years until more refinery capacity is built. There are some who think oil is running out and have published books about it."Peak Oil".
However , I do not think the world is really serious yet.
There is a massive oil shale deposit in Queensland that has not been exploited.
The Barrier Reef is a a very prospective zone that has never been explored.
More use of biofuels will reduce the demand for mineral based fuel.

What HAS changed is that the demand for diesel is far greater now compared to petrol mainly due to engines with acceptable performance being available in Europe, but also the increase in demand for trucking in India and China, and again a temporary hump caused by thousands (millions) of Chinese factories using diesel generators because of poor electricity supply.
At each price spike in the past, new technologies and simple reductions in waste have reduced demand to the extent that the price fell within a couple of years. It really all depends on the USA. If they get serious and their fleet gains only a couple of MPG, then the fuel price will drop.

I am an optomist.
However even if fuel stays expensive , I believe the price gap between petrol and diesel is more likely to increase than decrease which will reduce the price advantage further.

I think you are predicting a "status quo" in 5 years based on this point in time but I think that things will change greatly either for better or worse in the next five years .

Regards Philip A

I went for a 2004 V8 Discovery and have not looked back. I fitted a Long Range fuel tank (130Ltrs) and changed the main muffler for a free flow type. It has been a fantastic truck with the power you want if needed and fuel usage has been just a little more if not the same as my last car a Ford Falcon SR in line 6 cylinders. On the Freeway it will do approx 1,000Km a tank. Off road I have had no problem with the larger tank with ground clearance it has probably improved a little as how the tank fits. Longer time between servicing and lower service cost means you can use the money saved to escape on more weekends off road.