Disco 2 vs Disco 3 opinions please!!!!

In message , Justin Bell writes

Now a Disco ll with the TDi engine would be nice but that TD5 is neither chalk nor cheese. The TDi might be considered a bit agricultural by some but it's proper engine for a Land Rover. The TD5 belongs in a hairdressers car. In fact isn't that the issue? Too many hairdressers getting into Land Rovers and spoiling the integrity of what Land Rovers should be about. Anyway the Disco lll is so far ahead of the Disco ll that it's like trying to compare a brain surgeon with a hospital porter. If it were me I'd either save myself lots of money, rather than being merely concerned with what reg plate I'm wearing, and buy the very best late model Disco l available, with a 300 TDi engine or if I had more money than I knew what to do with I'd go to my dealer and have an individually speced up Disco lll prepared.

Having said all that I'd still rather have a custom rebuilt 110, it'd cost less, be a much better long term investment and have more integrity. My rebuild specs would include;

Galvanised chassis and body frames. Early 110 doors with recessed handles and manual windows Series lll 109 safari roof. Pivlock rear spare wheel mounting Chipped TDi engine Sound Proofing kit Slightly raised and reinforced suspension. Good quality front mounted bullbar and winch Airlocker diff locks snorkel

Not a definitive list, that one would be several times longer.

FWIW

Only you can answer that. What toys do you have to sacrifice, I'd be reluctant to give up the climate and cruise control of my DII now...

I had a DIII TDV6 7 seat for a couple of days as a loaner whilst mine was being serviced. Drives like car not a Land Rover, drives rather too well I suspect. It would be rather too easy to push it past the edge. It's still a heavy vehicle and heavy things do not like going round corners.

Goes well, I gave up at not far short of 90 on the motorway and it was still pulling. Wasn't overly keen on the electronic handbrake but I guess you'd get used to it. The lack of a deep shit, manual, brake of some sort worries me as well.

MPG according, to its computer, from the couple of hundred miles I did was 26, worse that my TD5 DII. It might not have learnt my driving style in that time though.

The DIII's 6th and 7th seats are full size and fold flat into the floor. In a DII they take up load space (particulary with rear aircon) and are really only suitable for children or adults for a short journey.

The DIII rear door is a flap down/up like a Range Rover, nice covered seating area but makes it quite a stretch when loading and I'm not short at 5' 11" with long arms.

I have owned both and for me it's easy, for on-road family transport, exec cruiser etc the Disco 3 everytime, it is very good off-road too but is so wide that it is easily damaged ( I know from experience). For major off-road work the D2 is better IMO.

D3 engine is vastly superior the mpg is around 28 for a manual and 25 for an Auto which is better then the D2 by around 4-5mpg for each gearbox.

D3 ride and handling much better with independent air-suspension but there are plenty of gremlins affecting the D3 electronics, mostly affected early cars so the new ones should be OK. So if you want to spend £20k plus go for the D3 otherwise go for an earlier D2 or even a D1, it is not worth shelling out 18-19k for a late D2 IMO.

Andy

Having had both, for me, the D3 wins everytime. Ride, engine and accomodation are in a different league. Who needs too many toys, use them once then you are bored with them. Having said that, a friend of mine has the HSE model and you can't stop him playing with it (the car that is). Not tried the D3 offroad yet, that's next month. If money is an issue, don't rule out the new Freelander due out in December.

Martin

Hum, see my other postings about my figures for a DII TD5 Manual. If I cane it round the lanes it'll drop to 25 but my overall average is

28.somthing (25k+ miles) with the last 6k being a tad over 30. So I'll disagree with the above statement. B-)

Otherwise I agree the DIII is a very comfortable, practical, luxury, motor that just happens to be very able off road. Personally I didn't really like the DIII and was rather glad to get my DII back.

Hi it feels like I have been searching the entire world for the proverbial needle in a haystack :(

I have an early Testbook model 27070B, its hard Disk died I replaced that and reinstalled Windows 95 and the Touch screen software but now I am stuck I don't have an RDS CD to reinstall RDS etc

I know the later T4 onwards RDS CDs are not suitable

I am desperate to track down any early RDS CD Omitec tell me RDS 3.x or lower should do it but they don't have one to send me themselves

Has anyone got an Early RDS CD, anything is worth a try or has anyone got a Disk image from any pre T4 Testbook?

I would really appreciate any help you can give

regards Keith

|| Any thoughts from anyone????

I own a D2 and I've never even sat in a D3, so the following comment is virtually worthless, but I'd always choose a vehicle that looked like a Land Rover rather than a bread-van. I just cannot get along with the brutal slabby outline.

Sorry about the last message I miss posted this the first time :)

Hi it feels like I have been searching the entire world for the proverbial needle in a haystack :(

I have an early Testbook model 27070B, its hard Disk died I replaced that and reinstalled Windows 95 and the Touch screen software but now I am stuck I don't have an RDS CD to reinstall RDS etc

I know the later T4 onwards RDS CDs are not suitable

I am desperate to track down any early RDS CD Omitec tell me RDS 3.x or lower should do it but they don't have one to send me themselves

Has anyone got an Early RDS CD, anything is worth a try or has anyone got a Disk image from any pre T4 Testbook?

I would really appreciate any help you can give

regards Keith

I got the impression that they were trying to move the Disco towards Defender styling!

Stuart

Hi Justin,

I have owned both Td5 and TDV6 Discos (both manual transmissions). Average MPG from the Td5 was 28.1 over 90K miles, average so far from the TDV6 has been 27.1 over 20K miles. These are accurate figures calculated on actual fuel consumption, not what the trip computer says (which in the case of the TDV6 is only slightly optimistic).

To drive, they are very different. The TDV6 is far more refined and far more 'car' like. As far as off-road abilities are concerned, I did nearly get the TDV6 stuck down a green lane that the Td5 would have walked but that may have just been me not getting the right settings on the computer.

The TDV6 has bags of load space, especially with the very cunning rear seats folded down. On the negative side, I like my spare wheels rear mounted! There is quite a difference in price as well.

Suggest you drive both.

Patrick

Personally I think the D3 is b****y ugly and looks more like a custom Ford Transit but there you are - It is really nice to drive though!

Patrick

|| Richard Brookman wrote: ||| Justin Bell wrote: ||| ||||| Any thoughts from anyone???? ||| ||| I own a D2 and I've never even sat in a D3, so the following ||| comment is virtually worthless, but I'd always choose a vehicle ||| that looked like a Land Rover rather than a bread-van. I just ||| cannot get along with the brutal slabby outline. ||| || I got the impression that they were trying to move the Disco towards || Defender styling! || || Stuart

This is where I get all miserable about "styling". If it's not a Defender, don't try to make it look like one (if that's what they are doing). Make it look like Discovery. The Defender look is all about evolution and "heritage" - any attempt to copy heritage just looks sad and tacky, like Disneyland's version of a mediaeval castle, with "battlements" and "portcullises", when everyone knows it's plywood and plastic.

Martin Coombs uttered summat worrerz funny about:

Renal Dr fee - Freelandrover Anagram.... something to do with having to sell a Kidney to keep the thing going.

Icy rev sod , Drive cosy - Discovery

Lee D

You've got too much time on your hands!

Is there no one out there using and old style Testbook?

No, we only use old style land rovers in this group