Just ordered a Disco TD5 ES to replace my Freelander TD4, was going for a Discovery 3 TDV6S but the dealer backed down on a cracking deal pushing the price out of reach so I have opted for the TD5 (53 Plate), question is am I going to regret it? Many people say that the TD5 is sluggish, unreliable and dated, any comments or advice?
so Andrew Cooke was, like...
Sluggish - only the early ones (pre-2002), and then only below 2000rpm. Unreliable - many who ought to know say it's the best engine LR ever made. No known "issues" (like the Tdi cambelt) and a good reliability record. Dated - compared with D3 engines, maybe, but perhaps that's not such a bad thing. Had a chat with Jeremy Fearn recently and he reckons the D3 diesel is no fireball.
I reckon whoever you're talking to is talking bollocks. I had a Td5 Disco and apart from lack of power at low revs (corrected on later ECUs), it was a storming engine. Strong at medium to high revs, great at towing, never let me down. I'd have a Td5 Disco against one of the new ones any day of the week, but that's just personal, based on the look of the thing.
A lot depends on whether it is a Manual or Auto. The auto box torque converter causes slip and noise. The manual box I found quieter, but sometimes baulked the 3rd gear. The manual is a little better on acceleration, I never found any of my Disco's unreliable, they always started and never broke down, although, they did other things like leak oil or leak water, but other people say that's normal for the Landrover. The Freelander Td4 Auto I found is nippier and quieter. Gordon
I have just decided to go for a late Td5 Disco rather than a D3. I currently own an early Td5 with 135K on the clock, I like the car but the mileage is getting a bit high. That said, I have owned it for 5 years and it has been remarkably reliable - I can count the number of things that have broken on the fingers of one hand! I don't really like the D3 as much as the Td5 as L/R seem to have removed several features that I like and moved the whole package up-marked (this means much more expensive). A new D3 with the spec I would like will set me back UKP 34K and, as a factory order, will take up to 5 months to deliver. A Td5 that is a year or so old with 10-20K on the clock will cost about UKP 20K.
Patrick
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