Disco 2 or Disco 3???

[jgguinness]

Hi all

 

Currently I have a Disco 1 1996 ES spec that's in great condition, all work sorted, not your usual rust bucket early Disco but I'm thinking of getting something a little fresher. I would love a Defender 110 but SWMBO likes her comforts (and so do I tbh) and my Disco gets me to most places I want to get too off road wise.

 

So do I spend say 7-8k-ish on a decent Disco 2 ES which I know are pretty similar to what I have already...or do I spend some more savings and splash out on a Disco 3 of decent spec?.

 

I know a 3 will cost me around 11-13k for a nice one without breaking the bank but is it really worth spending the extra sheets? Is a 3 much more of an improved vehicle than a 2 or is it not worth spending the extra??

 

Thanks in advance for your replies.

 

Jonathan

[aga man]

hello mate, i have ran a 300tdi d1 and i am currently running a td5 d2 03plate. got to say i love my d2. i have no experiance of the d3 but my mate who ran a d2 has now got one and has had no problems. i have heard of nightmare electrical problems with the d3. i can say that i have had my d2 for three years now and its a good bus i would buy another td5 d2 tommorow. hope this helps. aga man

 

ps. 7-8 k would buy a lovely d2

Edited May 29, 2012 by aga man

[jgguinness]

Cheers for your reply aga-man.

 

Have you noticed much of a difference between your D1 and D2?? Is yours a manual or auto? My D1 is a manual and I like it, although it is a bit of a truck sometimes, especially in town.

 

I had. P38 DSE for a while in auto and liked that.

 

D2 wise I've seen an ES and an ES Premium an they are lovely cars.. Im thinking of an 04ish plate.

 

Jonathan

[Pheasant Feeder]

I'm on my second disco 2, but drive disco 3's and 4's daily for work. I did have a 300 tdi before my first D2.

 

Disco 2 is a good improvement on 300tdi, with Active Corner Enhancement and a little more usable power. Although purists prefer 300 for reliability and less electrical features.

 

D3 is head and shoulders more refined with loads more power and better handling.

 

D4 is even better than the D3, goes like stink and handles a dream, even makes the D3 look dated in the dash area.

 

I opted for the D2 for the following reasons, I didn't really want to stretch myself to a decent D3, and to my mind if the D2 develops a fault it can be repaired at a local garage. The D3 if it develops a fault is likely to cost and likely to be a main dealer job for a good few years yet.

 

If I could afford one I'd happily have a Disco 3 or 4 as my own car.

[aga man]

Cheers for your reply aga-man.

 

Have you noticed much of a difference between your D1 and D2?? Is yours a manual or auto? My D1 is a manual and I like it, although it is a bit of a truck sometimes, especially in town.

 

I had. P38 DSE for a while in auto and liked that.

 

D2 wise I've seen an ES and an ES Premium an they are lovely cars.. Im thinking of an 04ish plate.

 

Jonathan

yes i noticed a big diffrence mate, the d2 is deffo more comfortable, due to the active corner enhancement, which i suppose is something else to go wrong :unsure: but the power and torque of the td5 engine is brilliant i pull a caravan and in the past have pulled trailers with no effort. mine has a manual gearbox, i would recomend an ecu remap for fuel economy and a tad more power. the td5 has no cambelt[chain] and loves to be tuned

[vampire]

I am looking at getting rid of my frontera swb to get a manual d2 es spec,i reckon you will get a decent one for that money

[raremeat]

I had a 1996 disco amd up graded to a 2002 disco.

The latter was more comfortable but was in permanent 4 wheel drive. The 4x4 was traction controlled so ther was no diff lock.

The 1996 was 2 wheeled drive and selectable 4x4 with a diff lock. The traction control became a problen a few times but never had a problem with my 1996 disco (2)

[jgguinness]

Cheers folks.

Raremeat.. I thought all discos were perm 4x4, mine isn't selectable 2 or 4wd. My Series is selectable and a Jeep 4ltr that I had years ago was.

 

Do all D2's come with a low box/diff lock like the D1's?? I use mine in low almost on a daily basis, especially when driving at walking pace around the edges of fields looking for vermin.

 

Jonathan

[gixer1]

Had a td5 D2 up until it was at 100k, great motor one I fitted a standard arb and junked the ace system.

 

I now have a D3 which I have had since it had 50k on it - it now has 88k, in that time I have done both front wheel bearings, one front lower suspension arm, a power steering pump due to a leak and 2 brake pipes - and I still say the D3 is twice the car the td5 is - people forget the D3 drives like a car yet weight 2.7 ton! It's going to eat suspension components if driven in a spirited manner, they pull like a train up to 100 and tow way over thier legal limit (3.5ton) with ease.

 

They look just as at home in a boggy field as they do in a city centre.

 

They seat 7 adults in full comfort in proper seats.

 

You can fit a sofa in the back of one (I have)

 

They are as good as a defender off road with the same tyres.

 

I wouldn't go back to a D2 now as it would feel like a model T by comparison!

 

Drive them back to back and you will see what I mean.

 

Regards,

Gixer

[gixer1]

Cheers folks.

Raremeat.. I thought all discos were perm 4x4, mine isn't selectable 2 or 4wd. My Series is selectable and a Jeep 4ltr that I had years ago was.

 

Do all D2's come with a low box/diff lock like the D1's?? I use mine in low almost on a daily basis, especially when driving at walking pace around the edges of fields looking for vermin.

 

Jonathan

 

All discovery's are permanent 4 wheel drive and all have low ratio.

 

Not all had centre diff lock though (d2)

 

Regards,

Gixer

[Pheasant Feeder]

Had a td5 D2 up until it was at 100k, great motor one I fitted a standard arb and junked the ace system.

 

I now have a D3 which I have had since it had 50k on it - it now has 88k, in that time I have done both front wheel bearings, one front lower suspension arm, a power steering pump due to a leak and 2 brake pipes - and I still say the D3 is twice the car the td5 is - people forget the D3 drives like a car yet weight 2.7 ton! It's going to eat suspension components if driven in a spirited manner, they pull like a train up to 100 and tow way over thier legal limit (3.5ton) with ease.

 

They look just as at home in a boggy field as they do in a city centre.

 

They seat 7 adults in full comfort in proper seats.

 

You can fit a sofa in the back of one (I have)

 

They are as good as a defender off road with the same tyres.

 

I wouldn't go back to a D2 now as it would feel like a model T by comparison!

 

Drive them back to back and you will see what I mean.

 

Regards,

Gixer

 

[rodp]

All Disco's are permanent 4 wheel drive (as Range Rover ) early ones had a mechanical centre diff that was locked manually, later one have a viscous diff that locks automatically.

[Cosd]

Had a td5 D2 up until it was at 100k, great motor one I fitted a standard arb and junked the ace system.

 

I now have a D3 which I have had since it had 50k on it - it now has 88k, in that time I have done both front wheel bearings, one front lower suspension arm, a power steering pump due to a leak and 2 brake pipes - and I still say the D3 is twice the car the td5 is - people forget the D3 drives like a car yet weight 2.7 ton! It's going to eat suspension components if driven in a spirited manner, they pull like a train up to 100 and tow way over thier legal limit (3.5ton) with ease.

 

They look just as at home in a boggy field as they do in a city centre.

 

They seat 7 adults in full comfort in proper seats.

 

You can fit a sofa in the back of one (I have)

 

They are as good as a defender off road with the same tyres.

 

I wouldn't go back to a D2 now as it would feel like a model T by comparison!

 

Drive them back to back and you will see what I mean.

 

Regards,

Gixer

 

 

I own a D2 which I am very happy with so far both on and off road, I haven't driven a D3 so cannot comment from personal experience. I expect everything Gixer has stated would stand true, but I wouldn't expect anything different being that one has superseeded the other and is also double the price. If the D3 wasn't a better car than the D2 then Land Rover have missed a trick.

 

You need to look at what you want the car to offer you, get yourself behind the steering wheel of both and decide whether the extra cost is justified for the D3. I just can't see how anyone can come on and say the D2 will be a better car except if they have owned both and had a bad experience with a D3 and not with the D2; But we all know that you can get a bad egg in any batch!

 

Cos