Disco Vs. LR3

[Houm_WA]

@Penguin: *** are you talking about?!? Nobody addressed you in a condescending manner...until now.

I don't know car seats but I have 2 in my LR3 most of the time (one fwd facing, one rear facing) and can fit my teenage son in between them.

Yes you are waxing nostalgic because I get 13 mpg (city) and can get 22 mpg freeway in my LR3.

Both the D2 and the LR3 have their mechanical demons and will cost money to maintain. That's a wash.

The air suspension on the LR3 is better than that of the P38 but is still the scariest area for on-trail failure. So far though (knock on wood) the system has been pretty reliable.

Now go back and re-read your original post. In two instances you asked the forum to tell you how you should feel or if you were thinking a particular way. You call those legit, specific questions? I don't.

PS - If I didn't have an LR3 or wanted another Rover for off-roading, it would be an '04 Disco.

 

[penguinpwrd]

Wow. I see this place has really degraded into what most car forums have become - which is basically a ******* contest.

I didn't come here and say "here - pick which car I buy." I came and asked four or five very specific questions about other people's experiences - which are by their nature subjective. My apologies for not sticking to objective, cold, hard facts.

As far as the condescension is concerned, it wasn't addressed to you, so I'm not sure what your issue is, or why you're even mentioning it.

Again, thanks for the feedback. I'm not asking the forum to purchase my next car. When I owned my discos, they were off road toys that were used as daily drivers on occasion. I didn't have kids, wasn't married, and didn't really give a damn what happened to them because I could just repair it and move on. 5 years later, things have changed, so I'm looking to get perspective from people on vehicles that I have not owned, or that I have owned and used in a different capacity than I am looking to use them in now. I didn't realize that this would start arguments from people clearly quite angry for whatever reason or another.

It used to be that a Rover was a Rover, no matter who drove it. There was friendly "model competition" where the Defender guys thought they were cooler than the Discos, and the Discos cooler than the rangies on down the line...but it was in fun, not serious contention. There seems to be a fair bit of "mine is better than yours here" which is kinda sad to see.

 

[Houm_WA]

I WAS having fun. I think you're seeing the same thing here that you saw 5 years ago. ...but there are personalities involved.

You'd do well with either rig, by the way.

 

[roverman]

Every opinion you get will obviously be biased, although you are right that it shouldn't have to turn into a ******* contest.

The truth of the matter is that the LR3 is flat out a better vehicle - that isn't opinion it is just based on the free market valuation. It's not just arbitrarily more expensive, it's just better. It's roomier, it's smoother, it's FAR more refined, it handles better on the road, better engine, better transmission, better hvac system, fold flat seats are the bomb, more cargo area, and on and on.

Mike is pretty much nuts with his rollover and not competent off road crap. It has better approach/departure angles than the D2 (can't remember but very close to the D1). It has at least as high of sidehill angle rating, it wades deeper. While I really loved the older flexy suspensions with mind boggling wheel travel that always kept all four wheels on the ground, the electronics do a fantastic job of compensating for that on the LR3. True, there is no real way you could lift an LR3 4" or more, but you didn't state that you wanted to...

I've had RR SWB, LWB, and two P38s, & 2 LR3s. Five of them had air suspensions and I have not once had an airbag issue - but that's just been my experience. If something breaks with the air suspension, it is far from the most expensive thing that can break, so you just deal with it.

As to your specific questions, can't offer opinions on the car seat, but the rear seat and it's access is definitely roomier, I have found that my LR3 gets somewhat the same city MPG (14) and a couple mpg's better highway, (20ish). And I have spent tens of thousands on upkeep on the older ones and while it is only one man's experience, I have yet to spend a dime on either LR3 (knocking on wood).

I absolutely loved the older ones, but it was a love/hate relationship. I actually had to have the tranny rebuilt on a P38 just 5000 miles out of warranty, which was the last straw for me. Truth be told, I probably wouldn't be driving a LR today if the 3 didn't come out at least not as a daily driver.

Bottom line to answer your personal what should I do question is a rather blunt 'how much money do you have?' The fact that you brought up the prices of each suggests it is a reasonably large factor in your decision. How much the extra 'niceties' are worth is something nobody can decide for you - but of course you already know that.
Best of luck!

 

[penguinpwrd]

Thanks for the input. Have you taken the LR3 on the trail?

The cost is definitely a consideration - only because I have seen it spiral out of control in the past. It seems to always work out that you spend $2k on mods and like 4 days later something totally unrelated will need attention. I swear they know...

We're leaning pretty heavily toward the LR3 at this point. The space is insane, and really the difference maker at this point. Looking around at quality equipment for it, though, it seems there is not a whole lot of stuff on offer for the LR3. Looking at the usual spots, there's only a few accessories, and even replacement parts seem to be scarce. Is there a better spot to source for LR3s other than Atlantic British/Rover's North/Expedition Exchange/etc.? I managed to find the Kaymar bumper - and it's so ****, but so pricey.

Have you modded yours?

 

[blackforestham]

Really weird thread?? I'm not here to insult anyone so I'll disregard my rebuttal's to a few blatant statements about the LR3.

I wheel my LR3 HARD. Deer Valley, SlickRock...every known and unknown trail in this class can easily be tackled by an LR3 and a competent driver. My paint is well past the point of no return as far as pinstriping goes. If you have a family, go LR3. It has the room for bodies and a ton of gear. Speaking of gear - the Kaymar is nice but unnecessary. I can stuff a 33" tire underneath where it belongs. Get a roof rack, winch and recovery gear. That's all you'll need. Understand, this is only MY opinion - it could be wrong... I don't wheel very much

 

[Disco Mike]

Yes, that is my opinion as well as many other Rover owners with many years of experience with the whole Rover line, and we are intitled to that belief based on our real life Rover experience. Not sure where you base you opinion, be it fact or fiction, but you have step way out with this statement,
"
Another Mike quote: "....they are not an equal to a Disco, Defender or Classic."

You're right, Mike. They are not equal to a Disco. They are greater than a Disco, as in:

LR3>D2"
Try as you may, you can not even come close to backing this up.
That being said, I have no desire to argue with anyone that just wants to fight and back up their statements.

Penguin,
I did ask you to give us some help early on by telling us what you would be using a new vehicle for, you never did so I just wanted to make sure you were aware of the LR3's weak spots.
I find it interesting that of all the things that LR3's are known to have issues with such as the terribile bushing issue, diffs and trannys that have one of the highest rates in all of Rovers history, the only thing I am getting hit on is their issues with angles and the picture I posted.

So as I mentioned before, good luck with whatever you buy.

 

[penguinpwrd]

You guys are killing me.

And as I said we're leaning LR3, but Mike - you keep making these points on the diffs, trannies, etc. Do you have a resource somewhere that goes into detail on these issues and their rates of occurrence?

As far as what it's going to be used for, as I said, it will be used for what it's intended - and what I suspect most people here are using their trucks for. It's a people hauler, a dog hauler, something that is indifferent to 18" of snow, and something that will see trail use with local clubs every now and again. It'll be a waste of money from start to finish because no matter what I say, I'll never be quite finished modding it to my liking.

The modding is the one thing that bothers me about the LR3. In the past, I have bought a lot of things for Rovers that either improve it's longevity, or it's performance in the wild. There doesn't seem to be much available for the LR3. I can find an OEM Disco MAF sensor 100 places, but I'm lucky if I can find an LR3 fog light anywhere...

 

[roverman]

Seriously Mike, give it a rest. .Posting a rolled over LR3 and saying they are prone to rolling over is as asinine as me posting a picture of a flat tire and saying MTRs are prone to going flat. I had to have my valves done on my P38, they are prone to go bad, their tolerances were known to be too tight. I had to have my transmission redone because the flex plate (terrible weak design) was prone to break. I had a $10 Oring go bad in my heating system because it was prone to go bad - and cost $990 in service to get to. You certainly can't stand on your bully pulpit with the Discos and talk about the poor reliability of the LR3. Hell even Land Rover admitted how ****** the reliability of them was when they sprinted away from the name in '05.
Yes, their have been problems with diffs on LR3s and the control arm bushings. But which is the better truck? C'mon. By the way YOU brought up the angles and the inclines. Personally I believe that they are both pretty close and it's inconsequential.

Hands down if you have the money and want a daily driver with excellent credentials, it's the LR3. I wouldn't pay more than 6 or 7 grand for the disco with 100,000 miles.

 

[Houm_WA]

Mike,

I stated my opinion, just like you did. It's not fact. Unlike you, I won't call it a fact or try to sell it as one. I've said numerous times that Discos are great...but the LR3 has more ground clearance, horse power, better crawl ratio, locking rear differential. I don't know the wheel travel of the disco but the LR3's numbers are respectable.

Oh yeah! I've also spent hundreds of hours wheelin' with discos and have NEVER been unable to go somewhere a Disco could go. The converse of that statement is not true. (that means Discos couldn't always go where I went).

The diffs do fail on the LR3 and that sucks. I've replaced my bushings once and now at 93k miles, the second set are holding up well. I do not really know of any tranny issues...so I'm not sure what you're talking about on that one.

Penguin, get the LR3, you'll love it.