Disco 3 - What's the alternative

[Juggler]

Had my Discovery 3 for 6 years now and it's fair racked up some spending on it in that time, with a few more costs already 'in the post' that I know of (Torque converter and potentially g/box)
Trouble is, it's sooo bloody good when it works... I'd love a D4 but don't really want to go through all this again and besides, they are eyewatering money for a decent one.

D3 Only really used now for towing horsebox & caravan (distance) and IW 14ft flat (locally) and the odd weekend jolly.
So question is, what's the competition for a D3? Needs to be 15 to 20k tops, not been to the moon & back, decent towing machine, and capable of putting a smile on my face when driving, oh yes, and reliable without the long list of known issues that come with the LR marque.

Touareg? Volvo XC90? Audi Q7?
Not sure that I like the look of any of them...

OR - Sell daily driver car, horse trailer, caravan & the D3 and buy:

1. Nice estate (Audi A4/A6 Allroad, Volvo V60 etc) as a daily use / main family car - Daily use
2. 7.5 ton horsebox for wife & daughters nag habit - Weekly use, local & distance
3. An older crew cab pick-up / Defender for knocking about in, towing the IW - Periodic, almost all local journeys

Suggestions / recommendations please, and no, getting rid of the nag's is apparently not an option..

 

[Robt]

Disco 4 is the answer. They can be got for sub 20k. They are much better than 3 .

 

[X344chap]

Disco 4 is the answer. They can be got for sub 20k. They are much better than 3 .

If its a towing machine you are after then D4 is the way to go - but you need long pockets if you are not going to do the maintenance yourself. Now at 108k on mine and no plans to replace it for the same reasons as you stated above - what would you replace it with?

Disappointed that LR chose not to sort the weird back door on the D5 on the recent uplift - not that i could afford one.

 

[strawturner]

I've got a D4 commercial with 48000 miles on it that I would consider selling.

However I would suggest you went with your second option, of having a nice estate car, dedicated horsebox and in your own words 'knocking about' car

 

[Rob Holmes]

My D4 was £15k 3 yrs ago with 80k miles on it.
Lovely to drive and only needed an air compressor.... so far!

 

[Juggler]

Thanks, it's a real shame LR haven't managed to sort their reliability issues, they don't seem to have got any better with the D5, although I wont be able to afford one of them for a long time, or a new Defender for that matter... mine is now at 125k and maintenance costs are only going one way, we've put around 65k on it and lately it's always at the back of my mind what's going to need spending on next. I don't really fancy any of the obvious alternatives but just putting it out there in case there's something I've overlooked.
To be honest, since selling the livestock I don't tow half as much, a 7.5 tonner would do away with the horse trailer and would also mean we have no need for the caravan, possibly only a handful of weekends a year when we could borrow/hire one, so a nice estate would probably suffice.

Ok, what crew cab for around 10k and could I get a decent Defender for that?

 

[X344chap]

Thanks, it's a real shame LR haven't managed to sort their reliability issues, they don't seem to have got any better with the D5, although I wont be able to afford one of them for a long time, or a new Defender for that matter... mine is now at 125k and maintenance costs are only going one way, we've put around 65k on it and lately it's always at the back of my mind what's going to need spending on next. I don't really fancy any of the obvious alternatives but just putting it out there in case there's something I've overlooked.
To be honest, since selling the livestock I don't tow half as much, a 7.5 tonner would do away with the horse trailer and would also mean we have no need for the caravan, possibly only a handful of weekends a year when we could borrow/hire one, so a nice estate would probably suffice.

Ok, what crew cab for around 10k and could I get a decent Defender for that?

I really really wish i had kept hold of my 1989 defender (90) but i needed the money to put towards the 1995 Discovery II. The Disco 2 is long gone into the scrap - but the 90 is apparently still plugging away somewhere with 197,113 miles on it.

£10k will get you a 9 year old defender with 150k on the clock if you are lucky - they make strong money. 20 year old ones at the same price.

 

[barleybasher]

Just leave the body off then it'll be easier to deal with the issues as they arise

A6 3.0TDi Avant would be a good shout.

 

[Timbo]

D4 commercial, look hard and you will find a low mileage one for under 20K +vat.

 

[Juggler]

D4 commercial, look hard and you will find a low mileage one for under 20K +vat.

D4 commercial not an option unfortunately, if I did go down the D4 path it would need to ferry the family as well, but I'm sort of talking myself out of that option to be honest.

Just leave the body off then it'll be easier to deal with the issues as they arise

A6 3.0TDi Avant would be a good shout.

The A6 3.0 TDi Avant is a car I could live with I think, it's definitely on the list.

I really really wish i had kept hold of my 1989 defender (90) but i needed the money to put towards the 1995 Discovery II. The Disco 2 is long gone into the scrap - but the 90 is apparently still plugging away somewhere with 197,113 miles on it.

£10k will get you a 9 year old defender with 150k on the clock if you are lucky - they make strong money. 20 year old ones at the same price.

I'll have a look and see what 10k ish would get me in both a Defender and a Jap crew cab pick up, I'm guessing I'd get a decent pick up for that money.

It's just happened that everything needs changing at once here, so the budget needs spreading to cover a car, 7.5 tonner and a 4x4... or wait for my D3 to finish emptying the bank account as it gradually turns itself into Triggers broom...

 

[Will2May]

D4 commercial not an option unfortunately, if I did go down the D4 path it would need to ferry the family as well, but I'm sort of talking myself out of that option to be honest.


The A6 3.0 TDi Avant is a car I could live with I think, it's definitely on the list.


I'll have a look and see what 10k ish would get me in both a Defender and a Jap crew cab pick up, I'm guessing I'd get a decent pick up for that money.

It's just happened that everything needs changing at once here, so the budget needs spreading to cover a car, 7.5 tonner and a 4x4... or wait for my D3 to finish emptying the bank account as it gradually turns itself into Triggers broom...

If you go for an audi a6 get the allroad with air suspension Audis with big wheels and sports suspension can be very tiresome on UK potholed roads.
Had a 7.5 tonne horse box occasional use meant comparatively high maintenance costs try and squeeze them into a 3.5. Easier to manage and servicing and MOT cheaper.
Then an old hilux for knocking about.

 

[ollandroverman]

Thanks, it's a real shame LR haven't managed to sort their reliability issues, they don't seem to have got any better with the D5, although I wont be able to afford one of them for a long time, or a new Defender for that matter... mine is now at 125k and maintenance costs are only going one way, we've put around 65k on it and lately it's always at the back of my mind what's going to need spending on next. I don't really fancy any of the obvious alternatives but just putting it out there in case there's something I've overlooked.
To be honest, since selling the livestock I don't tow half as much, a 7.5 tonner would do away with the horse trailer and would also mean we have no need for the caravan, possibly only a handful of weekends a year when we could borrow/hire one, so a nice estate would probably suffice.

Ok, what crew cab for around 10k and could I get a decent Defender for that?

Don't assume a 7.5ton horse lorry will be cheap to buy and cheap to run.
My friends very nice horse lorry developed a minor addblue fault, and the simple part swap cost £2000.
You are looking at old lorrys now if you want to predate high emissions control ones

 

[nosmokenopoke]

Had my Discovery 3 for 6 years now and it's fair racked up some spending on it in that time, with a few more costs already 'in the post' that I know of (Torque converter and potentially g/box)
Trouble is, it's sooo bloody good when it works... I'd love a D4 but don't really want to go through all this again and besides, they are eyewatering money for a decent one.

D3 Only really used now for towing horsebox & caravan (distance) and IW 14ft flat (locally) and the odd weekend jolly.
So question is, what's the competition for a D3? Needs to be 15 to 20k tops, not been to the moon & back, decent towing machine, and capable of putting a smile on my face when driving, oh yes, and reliable without the long list of known issues that come with the LR marque.

Touareg? Volvo XC90? Audi Q7?
Not sure that I like the look of any of them...

OR - Sell daily driver car, horse trailer, caravan & the D3 and buy:

1. Nice estate (Audi A4/A6 Allroad, Volvo V60 etc) as a daily use / main family car - Daily use
2. 7.5 ton horsebox for wife & daughters nag habit - Weekly use, local & distance
3. An older crew cab pick-up / Defender for knocking about in, towing the IW - Periodic, almost all local journeys

Suggestions / recommendations please, and no, getting rid of the nag's is apparently not an option..

X5

 

[Two Tone]

Had my Discovery 3 for 6 years now and it's fair racked up some spending on it in that time, with a few more costs already 'in the post' that I know of (Torque converter and potentially g/box)
Trouble is, it's sooo bloody good when it works... I'd love a D4 but don't really want to go through all this again and besides, they are eyewatering money for a decent one.

D3 Only really used now for towing horsebox & caravan (distance) and IW 14ft flat (locally) and the odd weekend jolly.
So question is, what's the competition for a D3? Needs to be 15 to 20k tops, not been to the moon & back, decent towing machine, and capable of putting a smile on my face when driving, oh yes, and reliable without the long list of known issues that come with the LR marque.

Touareg? Volvo XC90? Audi Q7?
Not sure that I like the look of any of them...

OR - Sell daily driver car, horse trailer, caravan & the D3 and buy:

1. Nice estate (Audi A4/A6 Allroad, Volvo V60 etc) as a daily use / main family car - Daily use
2. 7.5 ton horsebox for wife & daughters nag habit - Weekly use, local & distance
3. An older crew cab pick-up / Defender for knocking about in, towing the IW - Periodic, almost all local journeys

Suggestions / recommendations please, and no, getting rid of the nag's is apparently not an option..

I would doubt very much the problems with your auto gearbox are that serious. The same with your Torque Converter.
Get it flushed by somebody professional with Auto gear boxes like 3D Transmissions at Reading. They will also recalibrate it so that the TC works as it should.

LR say their gearboxes are filled for life.
Bollox they are!
Flush and refill properly (with the transmission and oil cold) every 80-100,000 miles.
The Same with the Disco 4’s too!
Do this and they are bombproof.

 

[Juggler]

If you go for an audi a6 get the allroad with air suspension Audis with big wheels and sports suspension can be very tiresome on UK potholed roads.
Had a 7.5 tonne horse box occasional use meant comparatively high maintenance costs try and squeeze them into a 3.5. Easier to manage and servicing and MOT cheaper.
Then an old hilux for knocking about.

Yes I was looking at the Allroad, makes more sense especially with our lane..
We started looking at 3.5 tonners, prices on them seem to be as much if not more than a 7.5! Also next to no living and we'd need that space to be honest, currently borrow fathers D3 to tow caravan to shows while our D3 tows horse trailer!

Don't assume a 7.5ton horse lorry will be cheap to buy and cheap to run.
My friends very nice horse lorry developed a minor addblue fault, and the simple part swap cost £2000.
You are looking at old lorrys now if you want to predate high emissions control ones

Yes it's a fine line between buying a newer lorry which would be more reliable / costly, and an old heap which would break down on the M6 on a wet Sunday night causing mayhem.
I'm in no rush to buy one, although probably need to move on it by Spring.
It would be used weekly all year round, mostly local but Spring/Summer and into Autumn would see the odd round trip of 250-300 miles so needs to be decent.

 

[Johnnyboxer]

How about an all electric Tesla 4wd, they're going to be big from now on - diesel is a dying breed

 

[Juggler]

I would doubt very much the problems with your auto gearbox are that serious. The same with your Torque Converter.
Get it flushed by somebody professional with Auto gear boxes like 3D Transmissions at Reading. They will also recalibrate it so that the TC works as it should.

LR say their gearboxes are filled for life.
Bollox they are!
Flush and refill properly (with the oil cold) every 80-100,000 miles.
The Same with the Disco 4’s too!
Do this and they are bombproof.

Mine's on it's second flush now, by a well known independent technician, it does transform it but doesn't last forever. First flush lasted best part of 2 years and was done at 100k, second one just done as vibration/surging was back. The general consensus on Disco forums is that once they start vibrating, the bill is in the post for a new TC, only a matter of time.
If I knew that was the end of it that would be one thing, but a recurring fault which causes the car to lose all drive and throw up all sorts of fault codes but helpfully doesn't pin point the original fault (but looks like something to do with fuel pressure) is making the vehicle untrustworthy and dangerous if this happened in the outside lane of a motorway or when towing something, so looking at getting it sorted then sell it before something else lets go on it.

 

[Bax]

Replaced our money pit of Disco 4 with a Tourareg. Its a much better built truck but is not so off road capable. After running a Disco 4 to 90000 miles, came to the conclusion they are an expensive car made out of cheap components. Sold ours on eBay for spares or repair with a seized engine. Did like driving it though. Local farm has had 3 D4s do an engine now.

 

[Spud]

Blimey, there's some brass chucked about on cars by some folk. I run a 6yo DMax with 141k. Wife has a 14plate Astra Tourer...with under 50k on it. Covers all bases. Farm has a 15yo L200 for chasing irrigators etc. The 3 of them together won't be worth 12k. Neither planned for change in the next 5yrs either.

Irregularly used anything develops problems far more frequently than something used every day.

 

[defender]

Replaced Disco with a Touareg and happy with it . If you can find the Escape version it will have low range box and same off road options as Disco, plenty power for towing