disco 2??

Hi,
sorry if im digging up an old thread here but had a good look through the first 50 odd pages before realising there are 692 of them so far....
Ive wanted a defender forever, but now im realy close to getting rid of my current car and am begining to realise that a discovery would suit my needs more. i have been off roading with friends many times and have been wanting to be behind the wheel rather than in the passenger seat for a good while. Anything i buy will be my daily driver so a little comfort will be nice. i have 2 dogs and a young daughter and we are quite fond of camping. I would be looking at a discovery 2 td5. what do you guys think? is there a nice blend of practicality and capability off road ( nothing too extreme at first ) is the td5 a good choice?

thanks for any advice you guys may have.

Well, I have to admit that my Disco TD5 was my first Landy. I, like you, have loved Defenders all my life and will probably own one at some point. Also, I bought my Disco for the same reasons as youre thinking now.

In fact, I bought it the just before I got married, got a dog (who is now 12 stone) and we started a family. I still havent found many cars that Brian (the dog) can actually fit in, he is 36" at the shoulder with a 32" head circumferance lol!

As for practicality, its there in buckets. As for capability, thats there too. As for reliability, well, Id rather not touch that can of worms! Mine is currently having problems, but Im hoping to sort that soon. But, personally, after using the Disco as an everyday car, you will definitely appreciate the 'refinement' you get over the Defender.

At the risk of starting a flame war - I have never been left behind by a defender either. Ive never done anything too 'extreme' but as far as standard Disco vs standard Defender is concerned, Ive never really had any trouble keeping up. Except Im more comfortable.

Just do the usual when buying any car. Get best car you can afford. Check history, get someone who knows the car to give it a once over. Etc etc.

My daughters car seat fits in the front too - she loves driving in it! She can see everything. She is 2 next month and just wants to sit in it sometimes! Well, thats all she can do atm.

hi disco 2 , all depends on how serious you are when it comes to off roading. i have had disco 1 and now got d2 td5, completely diffrent to drive. disco 1 manual and td5 auto. both very good off road , however if i wanted something for the real nitty grity i would go for the defender easy to repair those dints etcand the approach angles are better the the discovry.more then happy with td5 does everything i want and hill decent is great along with traction control can be a bit of a pain when electrics play up but love it still as long as i dont have to keep repairing the bugger.

Hi.

I have just bought a v8 discovery 2 having had a Discovery 200 tdi, a 300 tdi, 3 classics and 1 p38 and plenty of goes in dads 06 90 defender and step dads 110........the defender is to short and a bit too bouncy and if your 6'2" like me, a bit too small.
The Discovery 2 is a fantastic mix of utility family truck, range rover and off roader all in one and i am over the moon with mine.....even though the sun roof broke after eight hours of ownership (10 hours now).

if you don't like high running costs get the td5....

Cheers, Nick.

If possible get a 2003 onwards model as most of the problems were ironed out by then. I have a td5 110 and prefer it to a disco 2. I joked with the missus about chopping it in for a disco and got nagged for it. My money's on the defender anyday but if yer after comfort then you won't go far wrong with the disco

davehayes2204 said:

Hi,
sorry if im digging up an old thread here but had a good look through the first 50 odd pages before realising there are 692 of them so far....
Ive wanted a defender forever, but now im realy close to getting rid of my current car and am begining to realise that a discovery would suit my needs more. i have been off roading with friends many times and have been wanting to be behind the wheel rather than in the passenger seat for a good while. Anything i buy will be my daily driver so a little comfort will be nice. i have 2 dogs and a young daughter and we are quite fond of camping. I would be looking at a discovery 2 td5. what do you guys think? is there a nice blend of practicality and capability off road ( nothing too extreme at first ) is the td5 a good choice?

thanks for any advice you guys may have.

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You don't say what your budget is, so here are a few general comments:

1. Auto or manual box? Auto makes for a nicer everyday car plus better off-road; Manual gives better mpg;

2. Servicing and repairs - can you do or learn to do the work yourself? If you can't I would strongly advise you to stay away from LR products.
To get the best overall ownership experience from a LR product you need to be an enthousiastic owner prepared to get your hands dirty - or the garages WILL take you to the cleaners.

The TD5 1999 that I've just bought about a month ago has fantastic service history but the poor previous owner shelled out a TON of money having it looked after.

3. They do not drive like cars - you will need to dial-in a completely different set of performance expectations, to be happy with a Disco, especially if you are used to any modern diesel saloon car.

4. They do cost more to service even when you do it yourself !!! Engine main gearbox transfer box and axles all have separate oils. 4 filters to change, airbags on rear air suspension models etc etc etc.

5. Assuming you get a Disco after my comments, put it on BFG AT's or General AT'² tyres - they are great on and off-road and last forever.

Hope that helps, don't mean to put you off just want the rose-tinted glasses put away during the buying process.

Good luck and DON'T PAY TOO MUCH MONEY, be patient and find a good one at a sensible price. Disco prices are starting to fall again after the snowey winter hike.

Cheers
Dave

thebiglad said:

You don't say what your budget is, so here are a few general comments:

1. Auto or manual box? Auto makes for a nicer everyday car plus better off-road; Manual gives better mpg

Click to expand...

Are they???

robhew86 said:

Are they???

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YES.

And one reason is that you get continuous drive with an auto irrespective of gears, this you can't achieve with a manual box. Every time you dip your clutch you lose drive.

thebiglad said:

YES.

And one reason is that you get continuous drive with an auto irrespective of gears, this you can't achieve with a manual box. Every time you dip your clutch you lose drive.

Click to expand...

I have a Manual TD5 and have been in Auto's off road and think they both have their advantages and dis-advantages.

Yep, the auto is alot easier to drive and in general much smoother. You learn to drive what you've got, Yes you have continuous drive with the auto.... but do you get like for like engine braking with the auto as you do with the manual when decending steep slopes

robhew86 said:

I have a Manual TD5 and have been in Auto's off road and think they both have their advantages and dis-advantages.

Yep, the auto is alot easier to drive and in general much smoother. You learn to drive what you've got, Yes you have continuous drive with the auto.... but do you get like for like engine braking with the auto as you do with the manual when decending steep slopes

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In a Disco II auto you do.

Steep downhills - low box, select 1st gear, select "manual" button and the box will stay in first and give you all the engine braking you need, plus off course you have "hill descent control" as well.

I have had my 03 D2 TD5ES auto for 2 months now and i am very impressed. I owned a 4.6 p38hse before and it was a lovely car but hard to live with. I can honestly say that reading through the discos problems on the forums that it will be a lot easier to live with than the range rover. I havent taken this car around the woods on the shoot yet but i have been through some deep mud with cars having to be towed out all around me and it didnt put a foot wrong, so i have no doubts about its ability.
Its a harder ride than the p38 but its comfortable and the seating is comfortable, load space is great and the gearbox is smooth.
As long as you dont mind doing some of the work on it yourself then i dont think you can go far wrong, great offroader and a great family car.
Mark

davehayes2204 said:

I would be looking at a discovery 2 td5. what do you guys think? is there a nice blend of practicality and capability off road ( nothing too extreme at first ) is the td5 a good choice?

thanks for any advice you guys may have.

Click to expand...

Td5 disco is a really nice car. its a bit more "dumbed down" than the series 1 discos but is very capable offroad none the less.
In standard form I think the ground clearance seems slightly less than on my old fella's stock 300tdi.
Also the rear overhang is greater thus departure angle is worse. This would matter for offroad as in stock form, with tow bar the departure angle was one of the disco 1's weak points.
Approach angle on the Td5 is a lot worse too (on paper), but I think thats down to the big plakky bumpers.
The main snag with a Td5 (esp an older one) is potential costs if stuff starts going wrong. Engine repairs are very dear and early units (pre 2002) *do* have problems. Electrics are very complex too, and costly if stuff goes wrong.

I have a disco I for offroad. With a 2" lift, detachable tow bar, and 265/75R16's its just as capable as a defender and is infinitely more comfortable. Its true I have to keep busy with the MIG welder now and then, but I try and keep on top of it and keep plenty of rust proofing wax applied. On the plus side, a disco chassis will very seldom rot, unlike that of a defender.

wow, thanks for all the replys guys. I think im going to go for it! now for my next set of questions to keep you all on your toes...
im looking to spend up to around 7k. i believe the road tax costs change around 2001? as much as i would like cheaper tax, if the post 2001 D2's are better its not a big deal. is there an insurance cost issue between 5 and 7 seats? i would like 7 but only need 5 if im honest. Auto or manual, i own a manual car now ( lexus is250) but have owned autos in the past. i realy like autos and would tend to lean towards them if given the choice. neccessary bits for light off roading? i must have a snorkel even if just for looks, but would also like some big tyres. although i would lift it at some point i may not be able to afford to do so right away. biggest tyres for a standard suspension setup? or dont bother and wait for the lift?
thanks again for all the help guys. im glad to be soon joining such a helpful community and hope to be posting as an owner soon enough!

D2,s after 2001 will only be £ 45 more to tax.
7 seats will give you rear air self levelling suspension.( my insurance quote was no difference between 5 or 7 seat ).
I have 255/70/16 BFG AT,s on and havnt got stuck yet !! ( all round the farm in winter ).

I,ve had my 2002 manual for 2 years now and I have had to replace quite a few parts, but it is a great peice of kit and I wouldnt be without it.

Del.

Had a D11 for nearly 8 yrs now, on a 52 Plate, still under warrany :- then. Maybe I'm lucky, so far :- Power steering punp - under warranty ( they said " didn't I notice the oil on the drive?" said I had a 200tdi & where didn't it leak,), the dreaded sunroof leak - fixed once - leaking agian, window mechanism (drivers)- spot-welds broke on the geat quadrant & a fuel pump @ 72k & airbags @ 6 yrs,
Fit a kenlowe fan - it's a lot smoother + 10% fuel saving, OK it costs £ 140+, but you'll get that back in 6 months.
De-EGR - again smoother
De-Cat - havn't tried that yet
Re-Map - that's my next project.highly reccommend the D11, 12" of snow up here - no porblem, just drove straight through it,

meeting with the bank manager tomorrow, if he gives me the money to settle off my car i can sell it and start shopping. defo going for a td5 now, been pricing up bits and pieces ( snorkel, lift kits etc) and now more questions...
1st- anyone want to buy a lexus
2nd- biggest tyres before lift, and should i bother before lifting? ( airbag situation is difficult, seen coil spring kits to replace these but would like to lift her, can i just get bigger springs?)
3rd- biggest tyres after 2" lift ( 2" is most cost effective) i want big ass tyres for the look aswel as ability. nothing makes me happier than seeing a landy with huge tyres looking like its about to conquer africa.
thanks again for all the help guys, im getting closer and closer to joining your elite crew.