Help needed in buying a Disco

[andyb43]

Hi al I am thinking of selling the freelander and comming over to a Disco have you got any advice on buying a Disco? Curently looking at new and second hand TD5? and maybe even a Defender

All your help would be apreciated

[tomm]

Well i s'pose that the disco is the ideal middle ground between defender and freelander.
Lots of space .. very practical .. comfortable .. and actually damn good off road too ..
Gonna be less economical than the freelander .. and only slightly better than the defender.
for off road ability and looks i guess it's the defender.

Ultimately the choice will be yours .. prob best to go down to a local landy dealers and test drive them back to back.

Good luck !!!

[vitalspark]

Currently running both, had a 300tdi for three years and now a td5 for the last couple. Tow horses, or rather did as I now havwe a proper horsebox, so only tow occasionally. Both were well up to the job, in and out of muddy fields and restarting on steep hills in the wet with two tons behind them...doubt if a F/l would cope with that, but its a different type of drive altogether. I like driving the F/L its very light and quick but for long journeys I prefer the big armchair of the td5.
I average around 25, you can probably better that but for everyday driving and decent motorway cruising at 70-80 you wont get much more of an average.
If your buying a `99 a few things to specifically check.
Sunroofs leak, well mine both did, and the only real cure is replacement. Both mine were done under warranty just before three years, and if they are electric they come complete with motors, blinds etc and are a fortune.
More impotrtantly, check for coolant loss, a not uncommon problem in early td5s was the head moving on the block, covered many times on these forums, and this starts with tiny amounts of coolant loss, you start to think faulty cap etc, and then it overheats and the hoses go solid....but when everything cools a pressure test can prove clear and also the dye in the coolant and gas analysis test also can show clear, but the fact is that it has a problem and the only way to identify it is to remove the head. In my case number 5 cylinder had a nice score in it where one of the valves touched. This was at only 35k. To L.R. s credit they fitted a new factory engine without arguement, and its going better than ever now at 15k on same. I believe the plastic locating dowels on the `99 head were replaced with metal ones around 2001, but I`m not 100%
I suppose what I mean is buy from a Main Dealer and get a years warranty, its worth it with a td5, you`re bound to need something, and even a condenser and pipework for the a/c which is very common around four years old will set you back a few hundred. Also if its got air on the back axle you can get some very odd faults at around four years. Mine currently will sit down on one side if left for a week or so unused, but then will be ok for the next week or even two, as when we were on holiday. Cant find any leaks, possibly a dodgy sensor I suppose. I`ll investigate it more when it gets worse which its bound to do , at present it levels as soon as its started and as said can be ok for weeks at a time.
That said I love my td5 and would buy another, and if I had to sell one, it would be the Freelander...good as it is.

Cheers.

Dave

[DiscoMatt]

Personally, I would go for the Disco. It does almost all a Defender can do, except it does so in comfort. I have had a Disco 200Tdi and now have a Disco2 V8. In a comparison between the 2, I would say that the 200Tdi is simpler to work on and the engine is reliable, but bear in mind that they are 10 years old now, so other aspects (such as the steel bodywork elements, chassis, running gear, bushes etc) may be wearing out. Nonetheless, it is still a very easy vehicle to like.

As for the Disco2, I love it. It is a much more pleasant drive, it is much quieter, has all the creature comforts (like climate control), the seats are better, the switchgear more solid, all the running gear design is a generation newer, handling and performance better (especially if it has Active Cornering Enhancement) and its bigger. Which is great for piling in the family, but does significantly affect the departure angle, so if your off-road usage is heavy, bear that in mind. According to LRO monthly it is also significantly more reliable that earlier variants. However, it does also have a lot more electrickery and ECUs that aren't user-serviceable.

Those are the pros and cons from my perspective. My advice is to get the Disco2. Defenders really are great for what they are, but you either love them intensely or you don't. There's no middle ground. If the Defender was right for you, you would be in no doubt and you wouldn't be contemplating the Disco!

[andyb43]

Hi all thanks for the advise I have just ordered a Disco 2 and I am like a kid waiting for christmas :band: