4 x 4 yeah but which one and why ?

[NorthernRaider]

That is the primary advantages of landies, (1) UK built (2) Availability of spares (3) Prices of spaces (4) After Market parts suppliers all massively in favour of Land Rover, my late Mitsubishi Shogun Pinin was very capable, economic, competant but oh my god the cost of spares was INSANE, An air intake oxygen sensor from Mitsy was £240 one off a British vehicle my mechanic modified to do the job was £34 !!

[Devonian]

(7 April 2016, 09:22)NorthernRaider Wrote: Oh look whats at the bottom end of the reliability survey again

Chelsea Tractors.....

Not proper Landies

[Devonian]

(7 April 2016, 11:07)Lightspeed Wrote: Dev, what are the advantages of a Defender over a Disco from your point of view? And do you think they are worth paying the extra for?

Mechanically they are both similar and both are very capable, but the TD5 on a Disco is more (electronically) complicated than the TD5 Defender.

The Disco has several advantages including:

Cost
Space/Size
Quieter (internally)
Comfort (Better road manners/handling)
Increased wading depth (in an unmodified guise)

But the Series I and II Disco's are prone to rot...

The Series III disco's have a lot of electronics on them which is not ideal and that's the main reason for them being at the bottom of NR's reliability charts, rather than any mechanical issues. the Series I and II disco's are pretty bullet proof and a couple of my mates have them and they can just about everything that a Defender can, although they are bigger and so sometimes get stuck or wedged in places where a Defender doesn't.

Another key advantages that the defender and early discos have over other vehicles, which is often overlooked is a Ladder Chasis, which makes them extremely versatile and strong.

You can also literally unbolt and replace every single panel and component if you need to and as already mentioned you'll never have a problem with finding new or used spares.

So is it worth spending more on a Defender than a Disco??

In all honesty... not necessarily, both are good vehicles, but one is an Icon and one isn't.

If anyone does go for a Defender, be aware of the load carrying space, the space in a 90 (short wheel base) is not actually that big, a 110 (long wheel base) is big improvement, although it does have the turning circle of a tank

[Tartar Horde]

Mitsubishi Shogun/pajero mine was very reliable and would go anywhere, comfortable and plenty of power. Anyone I know who has had a Landrover has had nothing but trouble, then again 90% of then are still on the road, the other 10% made it home.

[Midnitemo]

Of all the Landrovers ever built 80% are still on the road..........the other 20% made it home(this time....Lol)

[Tartar Horde]

Off topic but I did consider buying an ex Russian BMP once lol.

[Midnitemo]

I hate them and love them in equal measures......seat base digs in the back of your thigh if you're tall, steering wanders like a grifter , they're mind numbingly boring , slow ,loud and draughty on longer run's (900 miles over two days and a night) but that all gets forgotten when you sail through the boonies while all about you are floundering.

[Midnitemo]

I'd love one of the last Landy's as it's an icon but money no object then it'd have to be a G wagon.....I to my eternal shame have an Antara at the moment(BIL works in Vauxhall's and I had a shed load of GM points to use up= over 30% of RRP) but my only other 4x4 I've owned was a Daihatsu Fourtrak and it never got stuck/broke down or failed to start , twas built like a tank with a ladder chassis 7 seats and bags of clearance in all planes switchable 2 and 4 wheel drive to eke out a few more mpg , diff locks , I thought it was fantastic , sadly not made anymore.

[Lightspeed]

Good analysis Dev. Thanks.

So among Landrovers:

Defender TD5s for Ease of maintenance, slight manoeverability advantage of SWB 90, and icon status at the expense of comfort and noise in the cabin.

Discovery 300Tdi or TD5 for more comfort and better road manners at the expense of slightly less off-road manoeverability, more complex maintenance, and less icon status.

BTW

Discoveries are better for carrying people in the rear seats as dor access, headroom and visibility are all superior to Defenders whether they be SWB or LWB station Wagons.

Defender LWB 110s give biggest on-board payload.

[NorthernRaider]

One of the most competant motors I ever had especially in snow , ice or off road was my Lada Niva Cossack, basic as hell but after ripping out 90% of the emission control junk it was very reliable.