freelander vs discovery

[gstuart]

hiya

had my hippo for about 3 years now and to be honest loved it

now thinking about getting either a facelift model or maybe a series two td5 disco

may i ask how do they compare in driving ability and mpg, purchasing cost, running and part comparrison costs

would like something with a bit more height and like the idea of the air suspension on the disco, are the discos as responsive as the hippos

would have to be an auto due to my disability

my wife and i bought the current hippo and as shes now sadly gone, everytime i get in it find it very upsetting so thats why im thinking of getting something else, just hope that doesnt come across as being cold

i imagine i wont get much for mine seeing its got 176,000 miles on the clock , but comes with full service history , auto, oem cruise control, synergy, new rear suspension, new tyres, new brakes all round, egr bypass, new battery, new vcu and front prop, roof rack , new rear brake lines.

thks as always guys

gary

 

[dave21478]

The freelander is by far the most "car-like" to drive on road. The disco is pretty civilised, but its bulk and height never let you forget that it is a large 4x4. They grip well enough though and have bags of room. More versatile off road due to low-ratio gearbox, and with the freelanders handy HDC and TC systems as well. I would say generally more robust that a freelander, however, the td5 is probably the "weakest" of the discoveries due to common failures with the engine and rear suspension. The td5 is into the age of vehicles where there is an awful lot of electrickery to go wrong. The older 300tdi, while less refined, had significantly less to break.
Watch for rust though, I have seen discoveries about 6 - 8 years old already requiring significant welding to pass another MOT - thats IMO a massive backwards step and a return towards the bad old days of BL, Fiat and Lancia cars dissolving withing their first few years on the road. I have yet to see a properly rotten freelander - yes some of them are crispy around the edges but requiring serious welding for the mot is pretty rare, even at 10 - 12 years old.

Test drive a few and see what you think for yourself, but do not buy the first one you see - there are a lot for sale and quality varies massively.
I would perhaps advise waiting till the springtime though - everyone with a 4x4 for sale likes to jack up the price in winter time, and there are often people selling up in spring and summer having bought one to deal with 3 inches of snow in what is always predicted to be the worst winter in decades and find it too expensive to run day to day so need to sell it on.

 

[Nodge68]

Pretty much this^^^^ Although I will say that the D2 is worse in mud/snow if it doesn't have the locking centre diff so relying on TC only. In this instance the Freelander has better traction.
And don't expect Freelander fuel economy or pace from the TD5 either, an extra cylinder and 500 Kgs makes a bigger dent in the fuel budget and hampers performance and nippiness massively

 

[SES88]

I was lucky/unlucky enough to spend about 10 miles in a TD5 Disco when I broke my Hippo. It was the most uncomfortable thing ever, wallows around, over rough ground you feel every little bump, and because of the solid axles it pitches around everywhere.

As said, try driving a few Disco's, but I feel you may be better off and happier with a late model facelift Freelander

 

[gstuart]

hi

thks so much guys for the great advice, i do like my hippo alot and maybe i should go for a facelift model,

may i ask in your opinion what could you get for around 3 k please, in the comparrison between the disco and a hippo.

i was offered once a disco v8 which i certainly stayed away from as i would need to tow a gas station behind me

drove a disco one years ago and assumed the disco two had got rid of the wandering round corners etc, plus didnt realise they were so hard on the suspension, or about the diff lock,

do i assume then to get a diff lock model i would have to get one around the 2002 onwards.

one of my other main reasons for looking at a disco is height, due to the hippos lower wading depth etc and still not sure if there is a true and effective snorkal available for a hippo, seen raised air inlets but not proper snorkels, also the ground clearance, i know u can get lift kits for the hippo but just liked the idea of being able to lower and raise the height in a disco with the flick of a switch

may i ask how do you think the hippo and disco compare with traction plse, ive been in the snow with my hippo, only having ms tyres fitted , the tc light only came on a few times and was really good in the snow

i will see if i can test drive a few discos, but a bit scary regarding the rust situation, wallowing round the corners and hard ride.

as ive got a really bad back never suffered in the hippo and found it extremely comfortable , really easy to manoeuvre, quiet, smooth, doesnt roll,

if i got another hippo would go for the 5 door for that little extra boot space, i assume there isnt much difference in handling etc between the 3 and 5 door models,

may i ask is there alot of difference on the facelift model plse , apart from the dashboad and front , rear bumper layouts plse

thks so much guys and great as always getting sound advice as i would be looking to change mine around july aug time so as u say prives should be better

will be nice also to find out what the 3 k could get me, hopefully i could get around 1 k for mine, as its got high mileage, but full service history

daft question could i put my synergy onto a facelift model plse, plus also though would be nice if i got a 2004 model would be obd2 compliant and get a mpg monitor at last

not sure if my cruise control could be fitted onto the later models though unless they come as standard

sorry gassing again, thks again and any info, advice is always gratefully received

gary

 

[dave21478]

I havent looked at prices for a while, but IMO 3k will get you a much better facelift freelander than a td5 disco. 3k is still in the rusty/faulty price range. Yes, decent ones are about at that price, but there are an awful lot of dogs too.

TD5 air springs are on the rear only, so you cant raise overall height - its more a system to keep the rear level. If you want full height adjustment, get a P38 range rover.

Im not sure what you are expecting with wading depth though - its pretty pointless to add a snorkel to any freelander for anything other than cosmetics. Standard maximum wading depth is something like 40cm, which is NOT deep. Adding a snorkel and going deeper will kill it as at anything much deeper the water will get into the electronics.

 

[gstuart]

I havent looked at prices for a while, but IMO 3k will get you a much better facelift freelander than a td5 disco. 3k is still in the rusty/faulty price range. Yes, decent ones are about at that price, but there are an awful lot of dogs too.

TD5 air springs are on the rear only, so you cant raise overall height - its more a system to keep the rear level. If you want full height adjustment, get a P38 range rover.

Im not sure what you are expecting with wading depth though - its pretty pointless to add a snorkel to any freelander for anything other than cosmetics. Standard maximum wading depth is something like 40cm, which is NOT deep. Adding a snorkel and going deeper will kill it as at anything much deeper the water will get into the electronics.

hiya

thks, yes agree about the wading depth and to be honest there shouldn't be to many occasions when i would need to wade etc. plus thought about that with a snorkel, as there is a raised air inlet and a wading snorkel, and as u say the electrics would be screwed and imagine the insurance company would have something to say in why i waded so deep,

great help about the height on the disco, didn't realise it was just the rears that went up,

to be honest im swaying more and more towards a facelift , as the rust worries me straight away , maybe i need to get 3k and 1k for mine in order i can put 4 k in and get a half decent hippo, in an ideal world would like to get the hse, 5 door auto, but may have to either compromise on extras or get a higher mileage one,

agree there are alot of dogs out there and hopefully by having mine for around 3 years learnt what to look out for, could always take my hawkeye with me and plug it in, lol dont know what the seller would think but if im going to part with that kind of money shouldnt be a problem , but know it wont tell me everything,

as u mention the p38 i imagine there mega bucks, seeing there ££££££ when new

great to get all this info and advice, most appreciated

thks

gary

 

[SES88]

You can get a decent P38 2.5 DSE for less than a TD5 disco, and as you're looking at around 4k, you're probably better looking at the RR if they float your boat

Plus the RR has the BMW 6cyl engine, not to mention the comfort

 

[Nodge68]

As far as I know your Synergy will fit the later hippo. There are a lot of electronic additions to the face lift Freelander but mostly in the switchs being connected to the CCU. I can't see why your CC won't fit.
For 3 to 4K you will get a better hippo that D2. Wading depth isn't much better with the D2, if you add a 50mm lift to the hippo you'd match the D2 anyway

 

[teddywood1]

You can get a decent P38 2.5 DSE for less than a TD5 disco, and as you're looking at around 4k, you're probably better looking at the RR if they float your boat

Plus the RR has the BMW 6cyl engine, not to mention the comfort

do not get a P38 as spares are sparse as my local LR dealer says

 

[jamesmartin]

disco 2 td5 are good vehicles to drive they dont wallow round corners and ace makes them handle well without having to have heavy duty springs ,diff locks not needed for most if at all especially in snow and ice though it can be fitted easily to most and with some work all

 

[Datatek]

do not get a P38 as spares are sparse as my local LR dealer says

Bull****, spares are no problem for the P38 from the likes of Island 4 x 4 with the exception of the RF receiver at the moment. The engine is used in BMW 325,525 and Opel Omega so plenty of spares. The engine is reliable if looked after and so is the air suspension. The V8 is thirsty and prone to HGF and slipped liners. I've had my P38 for nearly 5 years, it's never let me down although it's had it's niggles. It's cost very little in spares.
Quiet, comfortable and great for long distance stuff. I average 24mpg in mine but depending on use and traffic expect 18 to 24mpg locally and up to 30mpg on a run.

 

[Spacemonkey...]

Has your P38 been remapped or standard? I heard they're pretty gutless in standard form and a remap makes a real difference- a bit like my TD4...



Yes, the Synergy fits the later Hippos no probs. I seem to think the CC kit is different on different years??? Might be wrong. Did look into it but bought a manual instead and that would need an aftermarket kit. My 2004 model is way better than my old 98. The 3 door and 5 door boot and chassis size is the same. I looked at loads of Hippos, and one had very rusty door bottoms and one was VERY rusty underneath- probably from boat dunking in the sea. The rest were rust free as they should be. All Disco 2s I've known of through friends have had rust and plenty of it, not to mention other troubles.. I love the look of them... but..... I'd rather a P38 or better yet an L302 Rangie, although the latter scares me if it needed fixing as I'm guessing there's sod all an owner/mechanic can do at home and you'd probably have to strip the car to change a fuel filter.

 

[musky81]

disco 2 td5 are good vehicles to drive they dont wallow round corners and ace makes them handle well without having to have heavy duty springs ,diff locks not needed for most if at all especially in snow and ice though it can be fitted easily to most and with some work all

Totally agree, I think I can give you reasonable advice as I own a disco td5 2001 and a freelander td4 2003. The disco has ACE and I can tell you the freelander wallows more on cornering than the disco does. The disco is a better load lugger and slightly more comfortable. As some folks have already said, the freelander is more car like to drive. Both are great in the snow and I was actually very surprised as to the freelanders capabilities in snow and mud. The disco has walked through any mud orsnow ive pointed it at and if you feel necessary you can have a difflock where it has not been fitted originally. They require similar levels of maintenance, perhaps slightly more on the disco. Truth is, im toying with the idea of trading one in soon......and I have no idea which one to trade as I love em both. If you want load space and you do towing, buy a td5. If you do lots of long motorway journeys, buy a td4. For off-roading.....any one is a winner.

 

[Datatek]

Has your P38 been remapped or standard? I heard they're pretty gutless in standard form and a remap makes a real difference- a bit like my TD4...



Yes, the Synergy fits the later Hippos no probs. I seem to think the CC kit is different on different years??? Might be wrong. Did look into it but bought a manual instead and that would need an aftermarket kit. My 2004 model is way better than my old 98. The 3 door and 5 door boot and chassis size is the same. I looked at loads of Hippos, and one had very rusty door bottoms and one was VERY rusty underneath- probably from boat dunking in the sea. The rest were rust free as they should be. All Disco 2s I've known of through friends have had rust and plenty of it, not to mention other troubles.. I love the look of them... but..... I'd rather a P38 or better yet an L302 Rangie, although the latter scares me if it needed fixing as I'm guessing there's sod all an owner/mechanic can do at home and you'd probably have to strip the car to change a fuel filter.

My P38 is back to standard, there is plenty of Ommph IMO it just has a strange throttle response with all the action in the last 25% of pedal movement.
If you mean an L322, they are proving more unreliable than the P38 and the finish is definately worse. Still DIYable if you can use diagnostics. They suffer with water leaks which kills things

 

[gstuart]

hiya

thks so much guys for the great advice and think to be fair will also look at a p38 , no harm in looking, will seek some out and have a test drive

i only do around 3,000 miles a year and got to have an auto due to my disability, will just also have to think about height, im 5 10 but will just be a case of me getting in the seat

i have actually thought about a v8 but scares me if anything goes wrong and know they drink alot

just really appreciate all the advice and will be at least 3-4 months before i take the plunge

gary

 

[Hippo]

If you buy a disco you could also buy my welder. ound:

 

[gstuart]

If you buy a disco you could also buy my welder. ound:

lolol, now i wonder why, lol

i do like my hippo though and spoke to my dad and he said just sit down and work out what u want a vehicle to do, wise old words

daft question is the 5 door hippo boot much bigger than the 3 door plse

like the idea of the p38 and looking forward to having a go of one , may i ask are parts generally alot more expensive on a rangie plse

gary

 

[Hippo]

lolol, now i wonder why, lol

i do like my hippo though and spoke to my dad and he said just sit down and work out what u want a vehicle to do, wise old words

daft question is the 5 door hippo boot much bigger than the 3 door plse

like the idea of the p38 and looking forward to having a go of one , may i ask are parts generally alot more expensive on a rangie plse

gary

Freelander 1's all have the same wheel base. Boot space will be the same. Easier to get in the rear passenger seats in a 5 door. 5 door front doors are shorter than 3 door front doors.

Some time ago you were looking to change yer engine as yours had a high mileage. It was still working, but you had concerns. It's still running ok I hope so no need to change. A similar situation to yer current thoughts. If the Freelander does what you need then keep it. If the thoughts you have when using it upset you then perhaps treat them as happy memories.

 

[Brack]

Nearly had mine for two years now, I usually get fed up and look for a change after about this time but with the Freelander its different...I just want to look after it and save to get everything working, I will one day
Years ago my dad died and left me an Astra which he loved...it got nicked one night and the police found it 17 miles away burnt out ..made me feel guilty for a while for losing it but I got over it.
Do whatever your heart tells you to do mate Theres no right or wrong...sometimes something different helps