 | Home > Off Topic > Discovery 3 a good buy or possible can of worms |
 
|
|
|
| Huttopia Member Since: 23 Feb 2016 Location: West Midlands Posts: 1972  
|
I’d get another D2, my experience of D3 and D4 wasn’t great, buts lots of folk will swear by them. I think you’ve got to allow a good chunk more maintenance cost per year over a D2.
|
||
8th Apr 2018 11:40am |
|
| ginjez Member Since: 18 Sep 2011 Location: huddersfield Posts: 1763 
|
Buy her a Fiat 500 and then she may loose a little of the aggression when she attempts her first fight
Just on the D3 - I ran one that was 5 years old and cost about a grand a month to keep on the road with various things going wrong. Great when they are running correctly, costly when not. At 2500kg everything takes a beating and they take some stopping (perfect for your wife  )
Try and push her to test a fl2 - great little cars and must be the most reliable, modernish vehicle ever produced by Land Rover |
||
|
8th Apr 2018 11:48am |
|
| blackwolf Member Since: 03 Nov 2009 Location: South West England Posts: 17382 
|
I would also go for another D2. There are some real bargains to be had.
|
||
|
8th Apr 2018 12:10pm |
|
| leeds Member Since: 28 Dec 2009 Location: West Yorkshire Posts: 8581
|
I could suggest tying a couple of spare tyre to front and rear bumpers as an extra comfort pad
Now 230,000 miles is not that high mileage for a TD5 and it has been a reliable motor. What needs doing to it to keep it on the road for the next 3-5 years? You need to factor that likely cost against the cost of exchange for a different vehicle of (to you) unknown reliability. Now if wife just fancies a change that is a different story. Brendan |
||
|
8th Apr 2018 12:29pm |
|
| Matt90 Member Since: 12 Jun 2016 Location: Leicester Posts: 142 
|
She’s happy with her disco, her dad bought it for her so it holds sentimental value, it’s started smoking heavily first turn of the day and then clears, the heater is non existent, central locking gave up ages ago, sunroofs leak, dare not open the rear windows as they won’t go back up without help, starter motors on its way out, needs some welding, has power steering leak, although once warm it still pulls really well, but drinks diesel..
We joke about her only having a 5 mile radius as she won’t go far just incase it dies, I’ve just booked our summer holiday in Cornwall and although I know the 90 will get us there and back A: I don’t want to add the miles to him and B: wanted a bit more comfort on long journeys, the other option would be to put a seat in the back of my transporter and use that? But we still need to replace her car before it dies, she refuses to down size to a car, an estate or a suv and loves land rovers, Maybe another td5 is the way to go, just doesn’t seem like we’re moving forward if you get what I mean, she doesn’t want a 110 either... Help or recommendations on where to trade the other half in much appreciated 👍 |
||
|
8th Apr 2018 12:58pm |
|
| Welshsurferdude Member Since: 23 Feb 2012 Location: Newport Posts: 2406 
|
My wife has a 2004 D3 with 230,000 miles on it now, one of the first ones made and its been fine just budget 1-2000 a year to keep it in good order,
Although im getting signs that the auto box needs a rebuild as my MPG is crap, but its been like that for 4 years now after a megaflush and dr tranny to keep it going. Im still waiting for it to go bang! be about 2500 to rebuild I expect. just ensure belts, oil pump, water pump have been done and theres no knocking or wandering from the worn arms. We keep thinking of replacing it with a D4 but she just keeps soldiering on.  2008 Santorini Black 110 XS USW (Sold)
2015 Discovery 4.5 Black pack Firenze red XS 2008 Corris Grey 110 XS USW (sold) 2011 Santorini Black 110 XS USW (Sold) |
||
|
8th Apr 2018 1:08pm |
|
| miker Member Since: 13 Sep 2015 Location: Surrey Posts: 1763 
|
Part of me loves the idea of a d3, but I'm assuming they're pretty similar to the range rover sport I saw a friend battling anti roll bar bushes off of the other day.
If you diy, they're complex, cramped underneath and everything looks like it'll be a fight to remove! I was very glad that I was only at the workshop to press in new panhard rod bushes, that then took me 5minutes to then bolt back to the 110 |
||
|
8th Apr 2018 1:41pm |
|
| Matt90 Member Since: 12 Jun 2016 Location: Leicester Posts: 142
|
A 2007 d3 has just gone up for sale near by, auto tdv6, with 204tho on the clock but very cheap, looks clean and tidy, and very well serviced, would I be mad to even consider this?
|
||
|
8th Apr 2018 4:46pm |
|
| Fabio Member Since: 05 Aug 2011 Location: Somerset Posts: 589  
|
I had 1 for 3 years and the only thing that went wrong was the alternator.
But it is very expensive to maintain and the one i had was bought with 37000 miles and sold at 60000. Still it had tyres all round once and front changed just before i sold it. The last service cost 1400£... I would not buy another nor would i buy a 4. But they are very good. Best i have ever had. Fabio |
||
|
8th Apr 2018 5:46pm |
|
| CarMan Member Since: 29 Nov 2010 Location: Cotswolds Posts: 1861
|
Probably not any help at all, but my understanding is that D2's are mostly rusty now . . . . .
Aside from that, my '09 D3 is far superior, even though I loved the D2 TD5 & V8 we had, it has been super reliable in the four years of ownership until very recently when it needed a new starter, parking senors and I can feel a very slight knock from some bushes, but it has only done 54k 
Love it to bits - just an SE with leather, bought used, and is economical, quiet, comfy and uber spacious You can't beat 'em and given the cost to upgrade to a D4 it is a keeper - for now  Rob
1993 200tdi 90 hard-top 1998 300tdi 90 soft-top 2016 2.2 XS 90 hard-top (sold) |
||
|
8th Apr 2018 5:46pm |
|
| Thon Member Since: 22 Nov 2015 Location: Salisbury Plain Posts: 696
|
This:
|
||
|
8th Apr 2018 7:12pm |
|
| AJC Member Since: 30 Nov 2015 Location: Lancashire Posts: 1362
|
I had a D3 from new and sold it on 127k, D4 again sold with 94k, current D4 has 51k.
All been very reliable, 35000 miles out of a set of Pirelli scorpions and serviced every 12,000 mile D3 had 2 pairs of EGR valves, clutch, and handbrake control module pump thingy doofer. Both D4's had nothing but servicing, tyres and brakes. All mostly motorway miles. Both D4's been SDV6's and tiptronic Auto. |
||
|
9th Apr 2018 3:51pm |
|
| sewin elwy Member Since: 08 Aug 2012 Location: Snowdonia Posts: 39
|
hi . had a D3 from new in 2007 sold it 4.5 years later with only 18000 miles on the clock. prior to this I had a D2 and frankly wish I had never sold it! Its a defender that is more comfortable with better gear ratios and the interior is still robust. I'm now back in a defender!
So, D3 assessment: fantastic drive but you really can't afford to run one outside of the LR warrantee. Cost are astronomical to service and you'll have to sell the house to repair it! The interior just isn't strong at all with brittle crappy plastic trim which breaks on removal.....without fail! If you catch a mud flap it'll bend the wing, inner and outer and yes for some quite simple service procedures its a body off job,,,,,,,oh, while were doing this sir we might as well do all the other body off work as well! In its defence it is the best vehicle I have ever driven, would I buy another....don't be silly! Best advice you've been given here is to upgrade the D2... fantastic Td5 engine, best LR engine ever. Buy a good one, spend 6-7K and it will last for ever and I guarantee that the D3 will cost you that in the first year after you've bought one! If you don't believe me ask yourself this,,,,,,,, why is a £100,000 range rover only worth £10,000 at best as it gets to ten years old....... cause its likely to cost more than that to repair! Land rover seem determined to pander to a market where money is no object but that means there are loads of un-ownable cars around now that only an LR mechanic could possibly own... well maybe! oh. one last thing.... it doesn't fit most UK parking places, you'll get it in but cant open the doors! |
||
|
9th Apr 2018 4:41pm |
|
| defender9 Member Since: 12 Mar 2016 Location: Fylde Coast Posts: 1629 
|
In defence of the D3 it was the best vehicle I had ever owned with respect to everything it could do and do well. Had mine for 8 years and yes they can be heavy on bushes and tyres. The body off story to change the rear belt is the official LR method but a good Indy with experience of these vehicles can change the belt without lifting the body. There are some horror stories but my personal experience with my 05 D3 was good.
|
||
|
9th Apr 2018 9:31pm |
|
|
|
| All times are GMT |
< Previous Topic | Next Topic > |
Posting Rules
|
Site Copyright © 2006-2024 Futuranet Ltd & Martin Lewis
