WHICH DISCO?

[wibble]

Where better than here to put this question...

I currently own a 300 Tdi Defender, I'm thinkin (looking) of swaping for a disco for comfort, luxury and practicality in every day use... so which one.  ](*,) I don't do my own servicing etc other than oil change etc as i'd only bust it. I have about 8ish K to spend (thanks bank manager) :o  :lol:

So whats best for you, the 300Tdi or the TD5? what are the pros & cons of either..

thanks in advance

[muddyweb]

In my view the Td5 is more comfortable and a bit more driveable than the 300 Tdi.   Biggest issue is that if you aren't doing the work on it yourself, it can get very expensive... and there are a few lemons about (as with most modern cars)

Alternatively, I know of a very nice Toyota Land Cruiser going for similar money ;-)

[TimM]

I think you know my view already......

If you are doing your own servicing etc it's got to be the 300 especially as you already have experiance with one.

Have you had a test drive yet? You were talking the other week about hassling a main STealer for a test drive.

 :D

[TimM]

Missed the talk of Money....

That backs up my vote, you are better getting a good well looked after 300 than getting a badly looked after TD5. My view is to ignore mileage, if you look for other threads on here you will see 200's and 300's that have done 300,000 miles and are running fine. What you need to look for is a well maintained vehicle, as you said - you need it to use daily.

 

[thermidorthelobster]

This is 2 different questions.  The TD5 is a nicer vehicle imho - drive both and you'll immediately see what I mean.  However, for 8 grand you're not going to get a great one.  If I had that money I'd get a 300tdi, but the TD5 is the better vehicle.

Drive both and you might decide it's worth waiting for a bigger budget.

[ChrisW]

For that budget I would think you can be looking at a reasonably nice top end spec 300 with some change to cover a few bits like intercooler upgrade etc.

[Spooky]

I feel that for 8 Grand you'll struggle to find a Td5 worth having.  As Thermidor says, either plump for a good 300 Tdi, or wait until more funds are available.

I have an Auto, but I keep wondering if a manual would've been a better buy ...

There are loads available, so test drive several (of both types) before spending your hard-earned Dosh.

[Bobtail]

you could but mine

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1995-LAND-ROVER-DISCOVERY-TDI-WHITE_W0QQitemZ4577893107QQcategoryZ29748QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

 :(biggrin):  :(biggrin):  :(biggrin):  :(biggrin):  :(biggrin):  :(biggrin):

if its going to be your only vehicle,
i would buy a nice one for everyday and a cheap offroader
thats the reason i am selling mine

[wibble]

Alternatively, I know of a very nice Toyota Land Cruiser going for similar money

Guys, thanks for the advice to date, not sure about the landcruiser tho :lol:
TIM, no not yet, work keeps getting in the way of hobbies, aim to do it over next week or so
RE Budget, have been lookin for both and its true that TD5's are a little rare at this price, altho not seen any in the flesh yet there were a few on the web, (prob rotten chassis :!: ) what type of MPG are you guys gettin?  is there a huge difference between the two? (should have put this on the original Q really :oops: )

tnx :lol:

[thermidorthelobster]

With my bigger tyres and ECU upgrade, I get about 26mpg, without the roofrack, and somewhere south of 25 with.  Before fiddling I used to get about 28mpg tops.

If you're looking at a cheapy, you need to watch out for water loss (head gasket or leaky pump, probably), although the header tanks nearly always lose some water when topped up, so low water in the header isn't a good indicator.  Also, if the vehicle has ACE (Active Cornering Enhancement, which tilts the car to compensate for body roll - desireable from a handling point of view but something to go wrong), then you may get a noisy ACE pump which will sound like a whine which changes in pitch with the engine revs, at all speeds (unlike the turbo).  You can see if a Disco has ACE because the driver's side front wheel arch will have a hydraulic ram coupled to the anti-roll bar.  A noisy pump will cost you money.

Look out for warning lights on the dashboard, especially to do with SLABS (self levelling suspension, abs & traction control) and airbags.  All 7 seaters and some 5 seaters have air suspension on the back;  raise the ride height from the button in the cab (the door has to be closed for this to work) and make sure it goes up smoothly and evenly and the air pump doesn't grumble.

Before you buy, drive a few, because I definitely found some felt "right" and some didn't.  Also, the old Discovery chestnut - check for roof damage in case somebody's driven it into a car park!

[thermidorthelobster]

Oh, the differences...  basically, the rear door is the same, the dash is the same, the gearbox is the same, the rest of the vehicle is different.

Engine, body panels, suspension, axles, loadspace are all different.  Electronics are totally different.  The Disco II is a few centimetres longer (I think 20cm but it might be less) to accommodate the forward-facing rearmost seats (where fitted) - much more substantial than the side-facing ones in the 300Tdi.

TD5 has steel doors instead of ally, air suspension as an option, bigger rear loadspace (because of the length), more comfortable seats both front and rear, better rear legroom (not in the very back though), and is mostly controlled by ECUs, but electronically it's fairly reliable so don't let that put you off.

So I don't sound like a TD5 bigot, I have to say if I had a Defender it'd be a 300Tdi, because it's a great engine, but with the Discovery you get a lot more in the Disco II package than with the 300Tdi Disco Is, hence my preference.

[wibble]

Thermid,

thanks for the comprehensive reply, I show my ignorance by being suprised theres so much extra stuff to be aware of compared to when i bought the defender... will hopefully do the test drive weekend and will let ya'll know.

again tnx for help so far :D

[TimM]

Can't add much to those previous replies, only that I get about 27mpg from my 300, this is with mostly town driving to and from work (about 5 mins each way!) and some high speed motorway cruising, I would think you would get a little better from driving 'normally'. What you were asking about at the day in Leicershire was the noise, and that is much better in a Discovery than its Defender equivalent.

The TD5 is (probably) quieter than the 300, but at your budget I would still rather have a good 300 than a TD5 which is about to get 'loud'. To get a good TD5 the difference would be like switching to a Mercedes for the 300 and a Rolls Royce for the TD5, after a Defender the 300 will be quiet as a mouse.

 :lol:

[muddysteve]

If your after something quiet why not get a disco with the right amount of cylinders under the bonnet  :twisted:

The V8's are generally a fair bit cheaper and if you can find one with a gas conversion then it will be cheaper to run than a 300 or td5


Steve

[wibble]

If your after something quiet why not get a disco with the right amount of cylinders under the bonnet  :twisted:

The V8's are generally a fair bit cheaper and if you can find one with a gas conversion then it will be cheaper to run than a 300 or td5


Steve

 :twisted:  :twisted:  V8...  now theres a consideration

[Spooky]

Hmmm ... a V8 ... yes, that's a possibility! :twisted:

It'll be quieter (as has been said) and somewhat smarter off the mark, but will use more fuel than a Jumbo Jet taking off!!

LPG does offset this (for now), but how long will it be before they tax that through the roof?  It was originally taxed less, as it was (and still is) a 'clean' fuel. However, the current train of thought (no doubt 'helped along' by the car manufacturers' lobbying) is that the latest design petrol engines run cleaner on petrol ...

This is all very well if you can afford the latest design of EuroBox, but what about us folks who live in the real world? :roll:

I'm willing to bet that the Government will increase the Duty on LPG shortly, as it's not 'Politically Correct' to tax petrol or diesel any more at the moment, and the Budget needs the Dosh to support all the Spongers wading onto our shores.

(Rant Over)

[muddyweb]

I'm willing to bet that the Government will increase the Duty on LPG shortly, as it's not 'Politically Correct' to tax petrol or diesel any more at the moment, and the Budget needs the Dosh to support all the Spongers wading onto our shores.

As I understand it, it has been stated that tax on LPG will rise no more than 1p per year for the next 2 years.

[Spooky]

As I understand it, it has been stated that tax on LPG will rise no more than 1p per year for the next 2 years.

It's after that that concerns me ... :?

[davidlandy]

the gov have got to give at least 2-3 years notice of an intended rise on the duty on lpg.

depending on when the budget falls this could mean an extra year?!

[TimM]

 :twisted:  :twisted:  V8...  now theres a consideration

Just remember how many diesels you saw with their bonnets up running or running rough after last weekends wading, NONE, now how many V8's got through with not a splutter? I think the same number comes to mind.....

Check the other threads and you will see some of the hybrids are changing over to diesel (or rather have changed) for better running.

 

[wibble]

Hmmm ... a V8 ... yes, that's a possibility! :twisted:
It'll be quieter (as has been said) and somewhat smarter off the mark, but will use more fuel than a Jumbo Jet taking off!!
LPG does offset this (for now), but how long will it be before they tax that through the roof?  It was originally taxed less, as it was (and still is) a 'clean' fuel. However, the current train of thought (no doubt 'helped along' by the car manufacturers' lobbying) is that the latest design petrol engines run cleaner on petrol ...
This is all very well if you can afford the latest design of EuroBox, but what about us folks who live in the real world? :roll:
I'm willing to bet that the Government will increase the Duty on LPG shortly, as it's not 'Politically Correct' to tax petrol or diesel any more at the moment, and the Budget needs the Dosh to support all the Spongers wading onto our shores.
(Rant Over)

muddyweb wrote:
As I understand it, it has been stated that tax on LPG will rise no more than 1p per year for the next 2 years.

It's after that that concerns me ...


i agree on both counts... think it might save mony in the shortb term but what after... if tax on lpg went to petrol extremes in 3 years it would cripple me, and even tho i would save some not sure the saving is that much,

from whats above think it will have to be a diesel and prob the 300 but need to 'try before i buy'... (heard that on day time TV once) :oops:  :oops:

( oh and a change in the muppets that run things wouldn't be a bad idea...)

[TUFFTEE]

Just Get yourself a Good condition Disco 1 low milage! then you can do your own sevicing and no fancy ECU's to hamper you whilst out laneing!!

[muddyweb]

i agree on both counts... think it might save mony in the shortb term but what after... if tax on lpg went to petrol extremes in 3 years it would cripple me, and even tho i would save some not sure the saving is that much,

True, but you need to do the maths.... you have 2-3 years of the difference between LPG and Diesel.  Currently an LPG V8 costs less to run than a diesel car doing over 35mpg  (very rough figures - probably highly innacurate)

If, over the period of those 2 years, the price of diesel increases, which it inevitably will... then the differences are greater.

Also, no matter how little you think of the government, I don't think they are suddenly going to stick 50p a litre extra on LPG... the tax rise would happen over a period of time.

The amount of mileage you travel is the key factor...  there will be a break point at which the LPG V8 is worth doing.

[TimM]

Everything has gone quiet Wibble, have you made a decision yet?

[wibble]

Tim

Not yet, have a test drive this week end with another mate with a 200tdi. had the house re-wired and now in the process of re building the  walls and completly re-decorating afta the sparkys made a bit of a mess :shock: ... so have been kind of distracted. Have been eyeing them up tho whilst on my travels and the TD5 looks that little bit nicer... but also that little bit more expensive!!! will keep you posted after sundays drive. :D

[wibble]

weeeee!!!!!

I've been out playin 8)  8)

got a test drive in a TD5 from a friendly little 4x4 place near swadlingcote (see other thread in a bit on general page for a moan about other dealers!!) after much thinking and discussion he has agreed to give almost wot i'm lookin for for my defender. went out in a TD5 gs spec with auto box and i have to say i'm hooked... gone are the days of ruptured splean if i hit a speed bump to quick although i think it will loose some points in the off road stakes... ( lots of expensive plastic :shock: )

the TD5 has oodles of power and although no ACE cornered fine, it felt heavier on road as we went along but braked just fine and accelerated with no lag or probs.

The nice man has agreed that he should be able to find v/w reg with 40k ish on the clock for around 9-10k which from wot i can work out is fine. i know its a little more than i wanted to spend, but, well, it was like this...  :roll:  lol :lol:

thanks for all the helpful comments, i agree that for the original price i had in mind the  300tdi would have been better but now that i've sold the kidney... (how many do you need after all... :twisted: )

[Damonski]

Wheres the Mpi option ? :(

lol

[wibble]

i know i'll probably regret this as i'l look stoooopid but... MPI?

[Damonski]

Discovery Mpi = 2 litre 4 cyl petrol :)

[wibble]

knew i'd regret it, just read your signature..  #-o   have to say that i havn't heard of one o them... sheltered life you see. i suppose a 2 ltr petrol is a little better on the juice than a V8. is this series one model specific or ltd edition?